Child Protection Policy

The purpose of this Policy is to state Hillview Medical’s (the Clinic’s) stance in ensuring the wellbeing and safety of children and young people under their care.

The Clinic provides children’s services directly through their employed doctors and nurses, and it may work together with independent providers that also offer these services. This Policy applies to all staff members employed by the clinic whose work directly relates with children or adults in respect of these children. It does not cover ancillary staff such as cleaners and maintenance workers who do not directly interact with children.

Independent providers are expected to either have their own Child Protection Policies, have undergone a Core Children’s Worker Safety Check or obtained a Core Worker Exemption as provided for under the Children’s Act 2014.

This policy will be reviewed within three years of publication. The current publication date is 1 October 2023, and is due for review by 31 September 2026.

Our Obligations

The Clinic is required to ensure that staff members who interact with children understand and implement the obligations under Part 2 of the Children’s Act 2014 (‘The Act’).

Children as defined under the Act are those below the age of 18 years at the time of the interaction. This also includes interaction with adults such as parents, relatives, guardians, or teachers who may deal with the clinic in any matter that involves these children.

All staff members involved are required to have a safety check and for these to be updated every three years.

Child Abuse

Child abuse is defined under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989. This is defined as active harm in the form of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, or passive harm in the form of neglect or deprivation of physical, emotional, and educational needs.

It is the responsibility of each staff to report child abuse to the relevant authorities. If the child is in immediate danger, call the Police on 111. Otherwise, contact Child Youth and Family on 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) where you will be put in touch with a trained social worker to discuss the case. If you are uncertain about a particular case, please discuss with your reporting officer or the senior doctor on-site at the practice.

Provided that the report is made in good faith, the person making the report is protected from civil, criminal or disciplinary proceedings.