Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

Benetas, through Macedon Ranges Health (MRH), delivers Home and Community Care Program for Younger People (HACC PYP) and Community Health funded services to children and young people.

We acknowledge all children and young people have the right to feel safe and to be safe and we are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. 

We have a zero-tolerance for child abuse and other harm. We regard our child safety responsibilities with the utmost importance and are committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child safety and wellbeing laws and regulations.

Each member of the Benetas Board, Executive and MRH Staff (employees, contractors and volunteers) has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play individually, and collectively to ensure the wellbeing and safety of children and young people and to act to prevent, detect, respond to and report any suspicion of child abuse. MRH Staff (employees, contractors and volunteers):

• undertake orientation in our Child Safe Program, policies and procedures and practices;
• have a current Working with Children Check; and
• are educated on child abuse risks and mandatory reporting requirements. 

We are committed to regularly reviewing our policies and procedures to align the principles of a ‘Child Safe Organisation’ (as outlined in the Victoria Child Safe Standards) to our everyday thinking and practice. 

We promote diversity, and children and young people from all cultures and backgrounds are welcome. We pay particular attention to the safety and cultural safety of the following groups of children and young people in recognition of their increased vulnerability and diverse and unique identities and experiences:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and young people
• children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
• children with a disability
• children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or intersex
• children who are non-binary or gender diverse
• children who are in and out of home care and youth justice.

We take all allegations of child harm seriously, providing a clear, fair, transparent and timely response. 

If you want to raise a concern or would like specific information about the Benetas Child Safe Policy, you can contact our Child Safety Officer:

Benetas has a confidential Whistleblower Hotline through Integrity Line. The Integrity Line is an external and independent hotline that can receive disclosures of actual or suspected wrongdoing as well as address unresolved reports of wrongdoing. The Integrity Line is structured to be independent of the Benetas line management to enable objective assessment of any disclosures made. The Integrity line is managed by auditing firm, Grant Thornton. Emails sent to the Integrity Line are not sent to Benetas.