Child protection

All new school and child-related employees, including casuals, need to:

• read the procedures Child protection - responding to and reporting students at risk of harm
• participate in child protection awareness training (staff only) on these procedures (unless there is a record of previous attendance at a briefing)
• participate in a briefing on Responding to Allegations Against Employees in the Area of Child Protection
• ensure you have provided a valid Working with Children Check clearance.

You are required to read the documents and to be aware of the contents and implications of these documents, and recognise that you will be held accountable for actions delegated to you in these documents.

You will also participate in annual training and development activities about the procedures.

All teachers in government schools need to ensure that teaching practices and programs are consistent with the department's policies and procedures.

Risk of harm

The department requires all school staff to inform the principal when they have reasonable grounds to suspect risk of harm to a child or young person. You are expected to be aware of the indicators of abuse and neglect and to assist by providing relevant and available information to the principal who will make a report to the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). You should make a report directly to the Child Protection Helpline (telephone: 132 111) if there are reasons precluding you making a report to the principal.

Workplace health and safety

The NSW Department of Education is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy working and learning environment for staff, students and visitors to schools, colleges and other workplaces across the organisation. In addition, the department is committed to injury management aimed at the early and safe return to work of injured staff.

This commitment extends to casual teachers who, like all departmental staff, have both WHS rights and responsibilities under the legislation.

A self-paced WHS induction package (staff only) has been developed for department staff. It outlines general WHS procedures, provides advice on how to access health and safety information and refers to the principal for specific advice on local WHS issues.

Code of Conduct

Our code of ethics and conduct is based on the principles of fairness, respect, integrity and responsibility.

The department is committed to improving the social and economic wellbeing of the people of NSW through the provision of high quality education and training.

As employees of the department, we have significant influence in developing an informed, dynamic and democratic society by providing experiences that inspire and facilitate teaching and learning.

In a large, complex organisation, this relies on the ethical principles and good judgement of each individual employee. All staff are required to be familiar with the code of conduct and to follow it.

What is the code of ethics and conduct?

The code of ethics and conduct provides direction and guidance on professional conduct standards that promote adherence to department and NSW public sector values. It is a framework that facilitates day-to-day ethical decision-making.

What does it cover?

The code of conduct relates to the Professional and ethical standards policy. It includes guidance for the use of social networking, blogs and wiki sites. It is written in plain English and it includes examples and related training.

Who does it apply to?

It applies to everybody from the Secretary to casual and contracted staff as well as volunteers.

Mandatory training for school-based staff

There is a range of mandatory training that new school-based staff must complete to comply with legislative and departmental requirements.

This includes:

• anaphylaxis
• code of conduct
• child protection training
• corruption prevention training
• e-Emergency care
• WHS induction for employees