VCAL HANDBOOK - Foundation Learning Centre€¦ · This course is the final certificate offered in VCAL, ... COURSE CURRICULUM UNIT UNIT NAME HOURS CREDIT LIT031 Literacy Skills 100

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VCAL HANDBOOK

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CONTENTS AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 3

STUDENT COHORT .............................................................................................................................. 4

VICTORIAN CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY ..................................................................... 4

FIND US ................................................................................................................................................... 5

............................................................................................................................................................ 5

VCAL COURSES ................................................................................................................................. 6

VETiS COURSES .............................................................................................................................. 14

ENROLMENTS & FEES ................................................................................................................... 18

STATEMENT OF FEES 2019 .......................................................................................................... 22

IMPORTANT INFORMATION .......................................................................................................... 25

Complaints and Grievances Policy .................................................................................................... 45

Complaints and Grievances Procedure ............................................................................................. 48

Harassment, Bullying (including cyber bullying) and Victimisation Policy ....................................... 50

Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Policy ....................................................... 54

Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Procedure ................................................ 56

VCAL Student Records and Results ................................................................................................... 60

Policy and Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 60

Foundation Learning Centre’s ........................................................................................................... 63

Child Safe Policy ................................................................................................................................ 63

Child Safety Statement ..................................................................................................................... 68

Anaphylaxis Management Policy ...................................................................................................... 69

FLC VCAL Handbook Version 1.7, August 2019 (NovaCore)

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ABOUT US

Foundation Learning Centre (formerly known as Narre Community Learning Centre), is a

Community Education Provider in the Southern Metropolitan Region. The Youth

Department operates as part of Foundation College.

Foundation College, as a component of Foundation Learning Centre (FLC), runs the following

programs: Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning - Foundation, Victorian Certificate of

Applied Learning - Intermediate & Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning - Senior.

We also deliver a range of VET (Vocational Education & Training) courses, including to

students from local secondary schools participating in the VET in Schools program.

We provide individual attention and use relevant adult learning principles with a youth-

focus to keep the young people interested in achieving a range of measurable outcomes

towards their future.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES FLC is focussed on:

• Supporting and actively promoting the principles and practice of Australian

democracy, including a commitment to:

▪ The elected government

▪ The rule of law

▪ Equal rights for all before the law

▪ Freedom of religion

▪ Freedom of speech and association

▪ The values of openness and tolerance

• Meeting individual needs while providing quality, innovative senior secondary

education

• On-going research, development and innovation of educational offerings

• Building partnerships with industry, community members and other

stakeholders who have mutual or complementing interests

• Creating an environment for educational and social success

• Changing attitudes and perceptions around learning

• Providing new experiences

• Using adult learning principles with a youth focus

• Establishing a sense of belonging within the centre where acceptance and support

are at the forefront

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STUDENT COHORT Young people aged 15 years and above who are disengaged from, or disadvantaged within,

a mainstream schooling environment.

These young people contend with a range of additional needs and challenges.

These are not limited to:

• Learning and/or academic difficulties and disabilities

• Requiring social and/or emotional support

• Mental health and/or behavioural difficulties

• Experience of bullying

• Requiring case management

• Residing in out-of-home care

• Homelessness

• Disrupted schooling

• No experience of success in a mainstream schooling environment

• Requiring Alcohol and Other Drugs support

• Diagnosed or undiagnosed conditions

VICTORIAN CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT

AUTHORITY As an authorised provider of VCAL programs with the VCAA, Foundation College abides by

the required conditions. This includes registration with the Victorian Registration and

Qualifications Authority (VRQA) as a non-school senior secondary education provider.

We recommend that all students and their parents, guardians or care givers familiarise

themselves with the information provided by the VCAA.

The VCAA website is http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/pages/vcal/students/index.aspx

Information available includes the following:

• VCAA rules and school responsibilities

• VCAL course advice

• Learning program overviews

• Student appeals on adverse school

decisions

• VCAA important administrative dates

• Relevant VCAA bulletin articles and

Notices to Schools

• Student personal details form

The VCAA’s ‘Where To Now’ is a guide to the VCE, VCAL, VET, Apprenticeships and

Traineeships which is updated annually and can be accessed through the following link:

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/wtn/introduction.aspx?Redirect=1

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/pages/vcal/students/index.aspx

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/wtn/introduction.aspx?Redirect=1

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FIND US

1 Malcolm Court, Narre Warren 3805

03 9704 7388

PAKENHAM LINE: We are a short walk from Narre Warren train station

WEBB STREET: 828 838 926 NARRE WARREN STATION: 835 841 895

1.3km from the Monash Freeway.

Accessible from Princes Highway and Cranbourne Road.

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VCAL

COURSES

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VCALFND001

VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE IN APPLIED

LEARNING: FOUNDATION

The VCAL Foundation level is generally offered to young people who have learning, social

and/or emotional difficulties or who have trouble coping with the traditional education

system.

The VCAL Foundation offers students an opportunity to experience a range of vocational

development activities which will assist with basic living skills and future employment.

The VCAL program is a foundation, intermediate and senior qualification based on hands-on

learning, also known as applied learning.

The VCAL Foundation level contains four curriculum strands:

Literacy & Numeracy Skills Industry Specific Skills

Work Related Skills Personal Development Skills

VCAL units at each level reflect the progression in skills, knowledge and attitude

development. At VCAL Foundation level, students learn under close supervision with high

levels of direction. Knowledge and employability skills development is supported by a strong

emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills and preparatory learning.

COURSE CURRICULUM

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UNIT UNIT NAME HOURS CREDIT

LIT011 Literacy Skills 100 1

LIT012 Oral Communication Skills 100 1

NUM011 Numeracy Skills 100 1

PDS011 Personal Development Skills - Unit 1 100 1


WRS011 Work Related Skills - Unit 1 100 1


Industry Specific Skill + VET Practical Placement 300 3

FLC VET OPTIONS

PLEASE SEE PAGE 16 FOR ALL VET OPTIONS

ENTRY & COURSE REQUIREMENTS

To be awarded the VCAL Foundation, students must successfully complete a learning

program which contains a minimum of ten credits. At the VCAL Foundation, Intermediate and

Senior levels, the learning program must also include accredited Vocational Education &

Training (VET) curriculum components to the value of a minimum of one credit in the Industry

Specific Skills strand.

For entry into this course potential students require literacy and language skills at least

equivalent to 22472VIC Certificate I in General Education for Adults or a mainstream Year 9

Pass.

PATHWAYS

At course completion VCAL Foundation students may be interested in completing a VCAL

Intermediate course, undertake further training at TAFE or return to mainstream school to

complete VCE. Alternatively students may wish to start an apprenticeship or secure

employment.

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VCALINT001


LEARNING: INTERMEDIATE

This course aims to provide the skills, knowledge and attitudes to enable students to make

informed choices regarding pathways to work and further education.

The VCAL program is a foundation, intermediate and senior qualification based on hands-on

learning, also known as applied learning.

The VCAL Intermediate level contains four curriculum strands:




development. At VCAL Intermediate level, learning is reasonably autonomous in regard to

planning and work activities, but is conducted under supervision. Knowledge and

employability skills development leads to independent learning, confidence and a high level of

transferable skills.

COURSE CURRICULUM

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NUM021 Numeracy Skills – Unit 1 100 1






FLC VET OPTIONS



To be awarded the VCAL Intermediate, students must successfully complete a learning

program which contains a minimum of ten credits. At the VCAL Foundation, Intermediate and

Senior levels, the learning program must also include accredited Vocational Education &

Training (VET) curriculum components to the value of a minimum of one credit in the Industry

Specific Skills strand.


equivalent to 22473VIC Certificate II in General Education for Adults, VCAL Foundation or a

mainstream Year 10 Pass.

PATHWAYS

At course completion VCAL Intermediate students may be interested in completing a VCAL

Senior course or undertake further training at TAFE. Alternatively students may wish to start

an apprenticeship or secure employment.

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VCALSEN001


LEARNING: SENIOR

This course is the final certificate offered in VCAL, and is an alternative to a Year 12 pass.

Students at this level will have completed VCAL Intermediate or Year 11, and will be able to

work independently.

The focus during VCAL Senior is on preparation for the workforce and community

involvement. Students will participate in a Community Outreach program that is

exclusively designed to give the students an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ through working

with a range of different people and organisations within the community.

VCAL Senior students will also participate in a team building Senior Camp in Term 1.

The VCAL Senior level contains four curriculum strands:




development. At VCAL Senior level, learning is autonomous in regards to planning and work

activities but conducted under supervision. Knowledge and employability skills development

leads to a high level of interpersonal skills, independent action and achievement of tasks that

require decision making and leadership.

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COURSE CURRICULUM




NUM031 Numeracy Skills – Unit 1 100 1






FLC VET OPTIONS



To be awarded the VCAL Senior students must successfully complete a learning program

which contains a minimum of ten credits. At the VCAL Foundation, Intermediate and Senior

levels, the learning program must also include accredited Vocational Education & Training

(VET) curriculum components to the value of a minimum of one credit in the Industry Specific

Skills strand.


equivalent to 22473VIC Certificate II in General Education for Adults, VCAL Intermediate or a

mainstream Year 11 Pass.

PATHWAYS

At course completion, VCAL Senior students may wish to go on to further study or tertiary

education.

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VETiS

COURSES

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VETiS OPTIONS

As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO No: 3977) FLC offers the following courses as VET in Schools VCAL options:

BSB20115 SIR20216 Certificate II in Business Certificate II in Retail Services

ICT20115 ICT30118 Certificate II in Information, Certificate III in Information Digital Media & Technology Digital Media & Technology

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CHC22015 ACM20117 Certificate II in Community Certificate II in Animal Studies Services

SHB20216 CHC30113 Certificate II in Salon Assistant Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care

For comprehensive information on the above VETiS courses, please consult the FLC VET in

Schools Course Guide.

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ENROLMENTS

& FEES

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ENROLMENTS CONTACTING US Potential students, or their parents/guardians/caregivers, who are interested in starting a

VCAL course at Foundation College should contact our office on 9704 7388 in the months

prior to our intake dates to discuss their educational needs, and arrange an interview time.

Schools and other stakeholders can also contact Foundation College with the permission of

students and their parents/guardians/caregivers, referring them to our program.

THE INTERVIEW PROCESS

All students interested in attending Foundation College will need to come in for an interview

with our Head of Department – Youth Education and Welfare staff prior to enrolment. This

process ensures that we identify any educational or support needs that the student has and

we can determine that the programs we offer will suit the student’s needs.

During this meeting students and their parent/guardian/caregiver will discuss with our staff

their previous schooling, any education or social difficulties and any personal welfare

concerns that may require support.

At the conclusion of the interview, suitable candidates will be provided with a letter of offer

and an enrolment pack to take home. This contains all of the forms that need to be

completed prior to enrolment day. Potential students will need to complete the Literacy &

Numeracy Assessment contained within this pack so we can ensure the student is offered a

place in the most appropriate class.

LETTER OF OFFER

Students under the age of 17 and currently enrolled at another school will be provided with a

Letter of Offer confirming their place at Foundation College. Students and their families will

need to contact their current school and inform them of their intention to exit. The school will

need to prepare Transition from School documents (when relevant), to be signed by the

student and parent/guardian/caregiver. This paperwork is then submitted to the Department

of Education for processing.

Students will not be able to enrol at Foundation College without having completed this exit

process with their current school.

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ENROLMENT DAY

Accepted students and their parent/guardian/caregiver will need to attend the Foundation

College Enrolment Day, held in January each year.

On this day, our staff will check through the paperwork to ensure everything has been

completed. We will take a photo of the student for their ID card and a deposit of 50% of the

fees will be due.

FORMS OF ID

As part of this enrolment, students will be required to provide a copy of their identification.

Accepted documents include:

- Birth Certificate

- Passport

- Licence / Learners Permit

CONCESSION CARDS

For a student to be eligible for a concession rate, a valid concession card needs to be provided

at the time of enrolment.

A copy of this card will be taken as part of the enrolment process.

FEE DEPOSIT

All enrolments must be accompanied by a 50% deposit of the fees.

For families facing financial difficulties, a lesser amount can be paid with prior consent from

the Head of Department – Youth Education, and a payment plan must be organised to ensure

full payment of fees by the due date.

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FEES & PAYMENT

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN MY FEES?

TUITION FEE

All course fees include tuition fees. This covers the cost of providing our amazing educators,

the delivery of the course to students and any class incursions / excursions relating to the

course.

MATERIALS FEES

The materials fees covers the cost of the class workbooks, course books, pens & pencils and

any other materials required to complete the assigned tasks.

RESOURCE FEE

The resource fee covers the cost of centre resources, such as laptops, printers, special events

and programs and in the case of VCAL Seniors, a Senior Jumper and Camp.

The Resource Fee is included in the materials charge listed in the fees.

PAYING FEES

As part of the enrolment process, families will need to select a ‘Payment Selection’ for the

remainder of the fees owing (less the deposit paid at enrolment). Foundation College offers 3

options to select from. Once classes have commenced, invoices will be raised and sent to

families stating the selected payment option.

It is expected that the amount owing as per the invoice will be paid by the due date listed.

WAYS TO PAY

WITH CASH AT OUR

OFFICE

WITH CARD AT OUR

OFFICE OR OVER

THE PHONE

VIA BANK DEPOSIT VIA CENTREPAY,

FOR THOSE WHO ARE

ELIGIBLE

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STATEMENT OF FEES 2019 Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)

VCALFND001 VCAL - VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF APPLIED LEARNING (FOUNDATION)

HOURS: 1000 hours, including VET DURATION: 4 Terms

VCAL FOUNDATION + VET COURSE FUNDED

TUITION FEE CONCESSION TUITION FEE

MATERIALS GOVERNMENT

CONTRIBUTION* VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Animal Studies

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour

$700 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Business

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour $700 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Retail Services

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour $700 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Information, Digital Media & Technology

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour

$700 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Community Services

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour $700 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation + Certificate II in Salon Assistant

$1650 $1.65 per hour

$330 $0.33 per hour $945 $7.50p/h

VCAL Foundation (NO VET) (700 Hours) $1200 $1.71 per hour

$240 $0.34 per hour $450 $7.50p/h

VCALINT001 VCAL - VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF APPLIED LEARNING (INTERMEDIATE)


VCAL INTERMEDIATE + VET COURSE FUNDED



CONTRIBUTION* VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Animal Studies

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour

$850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Business

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Retail Services

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Information, Digital Media & Technology

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour

$850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate III in Information, Digital Media & Technology (Partial Completion)

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care (1st Year)

$1850 $1.85 per hour

$370 $0.37 per hour

$950 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Community Services

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate + Certificate II in Salon Assistant

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour

$1095 $7.50p/h

VCAL Intermediate (NO VET) (700 Hours) $1300 $1.86 per hour

$260 $0.37 per hour $600 $7.50p/h

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FLC is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO # 3977)

and provided Nationally Recognised Training

VCALSEN001 VCAL - VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF APPLIED LEARNING (SENIOR)


VCAL SENIOR + VET COURSE FUNDED



CONTRIBUTION* VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Animal Studies

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $.35 per hour $1000 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Business

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $.35 per hour

$1000 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Retail Services

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour

$1000 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Information, Digital Media & Technology

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $1000 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate III in Information, Digital Media & Technology (Partial Completion)

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $850 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care (1st Year)

$1850 $1.85 per hour

$370 $0.37 per hour

$1100 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care (2nd Year)

$1850 $1.85 per hour

$370 $0.37 per hour

$1100 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Community Services

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour $1000 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior + Certificate II in Salon Assistant

$1750 $1.75 per hour

$350 $0.35 per hour

$1245 $7.50p/h

VCAL Senior (NO VET) (700 Hours) $1300 $1.86 per hour

$260 $0.37 per hour

$750 $7.50p/h

To calculate the cost of your fees, add the applicable Tuition amount

with the Materials Fee

The delivery mode for all courses at Foundation Learning Centre is via face-to-face classes, delivered onsite at

1 Malcolm Court, Narre Warren.

All VCAL students participate in Student Workplace Learning (SWL) and are provided with all relevant information upon

commencement.

The student tuition and materials fees as published are subject to change given an individual’s circumstances at enrolment.

To be eligible for a Concession amount, a valid Concession Card will need to be produced at the time of enrolment.

* Approximate Government Contribution to Foundation College per eligible funded student per contract hour.

As a registered Non Secondary School Service Provider with the Victorian Registration & Qualifications Authority (VRQA) we

are authorised to deliver VCAL Courses

Our courses are delivered with the support of the

Victorian and Commonwealth Governments

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EXTERNAL VETiS COURSES

For students who wish to undertake a VETiS course with an external provider, Foundation

College (Foundation Learning Centre) will charge from a schedule of fees that exclude the

VETiS fee component.

VETiS course fees will be in addition to the above and will vary depending on the course and

provider. All external VETis courses need to be approved by the VETis Coordinator.

REFUND POLICY For VCAL programs the following will apply:

• A full refund of tuition fees will be provided for any withdrawal made up to the end of week four of any course. An administration fee of $50.00 will be charged to the student. Students will not be refunded for course materials, resources or registration fees.

• Students who withdraw after the first four weeks of any VCAL program will be provided with a pro-rata refund of tuition fees for any modules/units not yet commenced. An administration fee of $50.00 applies in this case. Students will not be refunded for course materials, resources or registration fees.

• If a program is cancelled by Foundation College at any time during the period of a student’s enrolment, then Foundation College will refund the pro-rata tuition fees, student services fees and amenities fees, any incidental fees for goods and services that have not been used prior to the date of cancellation, and fees for materials that have not been used prior to the date of cancellation.

UNPAID FEES

Failure to pay all outstanding fees by the date specified by the Youth Administrator at the

time of enrolment (also indicated on the Fee Payment Selection Form in Enrolment Packs) will

result in debt collection action and the student’s Foundation College certificate being

withheld until the debt is paid.

Students with outstanding fees past the cut-off date, without prior arrangement, will be

unable to attend the Foundation College graduation ceremony.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Foundation College has a number of scholarships that are awarded to current students at the

end of each calendar year.

The purpose of these scholarships are to recognise students who have excelled in various

educational, personal and social capacities and provides them with the opportunity to further

their education at Foundation College the following year.

The current scholarships are:

- The CEO Scholarship

- The Paul Vrieze Memorial Scholarship (up to 3 per annum)

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IMPORTANT

INFORMATION

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ATTENDANCE, ABSENCES & LATENESS

ATTENDANCE

All youth classes have a 90% attendance requirement.

Foundation College records student attendance for all classes, and can extract this data in the

form of an Attendance Report to track student attendance.

ABSENCE

Students who are going to be absent from class must call the office, send us a Facebook

message or text someone in class. A parent/guardian/caregiver can contact us on a student’s

behalf.

If absent for more than 1 day due to illness, students will require a doctor’s certificate.

For students who are absent and no notification has being received, our Student Wellbeing

Team will call parents/guardians/caregivers to check why the student is absent.

LATENESS

Students who are going to be late must call the office, send us a Facebook message or text

someone in class to notify of an approximate arrival time. A parent/guardian/caregiver can

contact us on a student’s behalf.

LEAVING EARLY

Students who need to leave early must have their parent/guardian/caregiver contact the

office and speak to a member of staff.

All students leaving early will need to be signed out by a parent/guardian/caregiver at our

main office.

Foundation College has a comprehensive VCAL Student Attendance Policy and Procedure.

STUDENT PROGRESS REPORTS

Parents/guardians/caregivers of students attending Foundation College are provided with

Student Progress Reports at the end of each term.

Student progress is recorded and provided in writing to all parents/guardians/caregivers three

(3) times per year. No report is provided at the end of Term 4, as a student will have either

satisfactorily or unsatisfactorily completed the course at the completion of Term 4.

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STUDENT RECORDS & RESULTS

All learning outcomes to be assessed are listed in the students’ assessment material and

assessment results which are recorded as satisfactory or not satisfactory on assessment

summary records which educators and students are required to sign to acknowledge results.

Educators assess the students against learning outcomes and deem satisfactory or non-

satisfactory in accordance with the VCAA VCAL curriculum requirements.

Upon completion of a unit or course, results are entered into a student management system

as per the VCAA guidelines by the Youth Administrator.

Foundation College has a comprehensive VCAL Student Records and Results Policy and

Procedure.

SCHOOL TERMS & HOLIDAYS Foundation College will provide information relating to start and finish dates for each course

as part of the Enrolment Pack provided to new students. Foundation College recognises all

Victorian School Holiday periods.

Foundation College will be closed on all Victorian Public Holidays and will provide at least 1

week’s notice of closures due to Student Free Days.

Parents/guardians/caregivers will be notified of these closures via email, and a note will be

sent home with students. In some cases, this information will also be posted on our Facebook

page.

CLASS TIMES Classes run on the following schedule:

TIME CLASS

9.00 - 12.00 *short break from 10.20 - 10.40

Session 1

12.00 - 12.30 Lunchbreak

12.30 - 2.30 *short break from 1.30 - 1.40

Session 2

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BREAK TIMES & FOOD

BREAK TIMES

Students have 3 scheduled breaks per day, as listed above.

Changes may be made to these times to accommodate events / incursions / excursions or

early dismissal.

WHERE TO GO

Foundation College encourages students to spend break times outside or in the designated

youth recreation areas, however we recognise that some students may be more comfortable

spending their break in the classroom. Students spending their break in the Main Building

classroom are expected to behave appropriately, keep noise levels to a minimum and clean

up any mess created.

Students are not permitted to remain in classrooms in the VET building without supervision.

Students MUST make positive choices and behave appropriately during their breaks.

Please respect other businesses in the area by behaving responsibly.

At the time of interviewing, students are provided with the details of the ‘boundary’ that

Foundation College enforces for all students on break times.

Students are NOT permitted to go to Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, across Princes Highway

OR to McDonald’s during break times. Staff do monitor outside areas during break times.

Students are expected to clean up after themselves at break times both inside and outside.

Rubbish bins are provided.

As part of the Enrolment Pack, parents/guardians/caregivers will be required to complete and

sign a Break Time Permission Form, permitting their young person to leave the Foundation

Learning Centre grounds during break time to visit the shops and supermarket within the

boundary specified.

EATING & DRINKING

Students are not permitted to eat in classrooms during class time.

Students who get takeaway food at the last minute, or do not finish it within the break

timeframe, will not be permitted to bring it into class.

Water is the only drink allowed in class.

Soft drink and milk drinks may only be consumed during break times.

No Energy Drinks are allowed at any time.

Students are encouraged to make healthy food and drink choices. We encourage students to

think about the impact their food choices have on their energy and concentration during

class.

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BREAKFAST PROGRAM Foundation College offers students the opportunity to come in early for breakfast before

class. The Breakfast Program allows students to help themselves to toast, cereal and healthy

snacks between 8:30am and 9.00am and from 10.20am - 10.40am for morning break.

The Breakfast Program runs on Thursdays in the upstairs foyer in the Main Building and is

unsupervised. Students are expected to prepare their own food and clean up after

themselves.

VISITORS Students are not permitted to invite non – Foundation Learning Centre

friends/family/parents/guardians/caregivers in or around the centre during school hours

(including break times) without permission from the Head of Department – Youth Education.

Any friends/family/parents/guardians/caregivers who are here without approval will be asked

to leave the Centre. Failure to do so will result in the police being called.

UNIFORM

Although Foundation College does not have a uniform policy and we encourage and welcome

individuality, there is an expectation that students dress appropriately for an adult learning

environment.

Students are not permitted to wear outfits that may be deemed offensive or inappropriate to

members of the community.

This includes: swearing or nudity on clothing, drug references on clothing or accessories, low

cut, revealing, short or provocative clothing.

PERSONAL HYGIENE Students are expected to maintain a good level of personal hygiene at all times.

To ensure a comfortable learning environment, students are expected to wear clean clothes

and be free from unpleasant odours. Students who are identified as having personal hygiene

issues will be asked to meet with the Student Wellbeing Team for support.

RESOURCES & EQUIPMENT

CLASSROOMS

Students are expected to treat classrooms, furniture and resources with respect at all times.

Students are expected to clean up any mess made, and dispose of rubbish in the bins

provided. Laptops are not to be used during break times.

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COMPUTER & INTERNET USAGE

Computers and internet are provided for students to complete their school work, NOT to

check Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc), browse personal interest sites or

watch YouTube.

All resources should be treated with respect.

Students are encouraged to bring their own devices where possible.

Foundation Learning Centre has a comprehensive Information Technology Policy.

MOBILE PHONES

PHONE USAGE

Students are not to use mobile phones during class time.

Students are expected to put their phones in the phone basket at the start of class and after

every break. Students need to do this themselves, even if not prompted by the Educator.

*Foundation Learning Centre takes no responsibility for any damage caused to phones during

this process. Students are expected to do this with care for their own and others’ property*

Students can check their phones during breaks.

In the event of an emergency, parents/guardians/caregivers can contact the office on 9704

7388 and our staff will pass the message on to the student. Students will not be allowed to

answer calls to their mobile phones during class time.

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

Students are not permitted to take photographs or videos of other students, staff or visitors

without their prior consent.

Students are not permitted to share any photos or videos of staff, students or visitors with

other people or on social media without their prior consent.

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Students are responsible for their personal belongings at all times.

Students are expected to treat each other’s personal belongings with respect.

Foundation College does not provide lockers for students, so students are encouraged to

bring a bag to class to carry their belongings in.

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MUSIC & IPODS

Students may listen to music whilst working independently during class when permitted by

their teacher.

Only IPODS and MP3 players are permitted. NO Phones. Students are expected to provide

their own headphones.

Students must remove headphones when asked.

Failure to do so will result in the student not being allowed to continue listening to music.

CAMPS & EXCURSIONS

EXCURSIONS / INCURSIONS

Foundation College organises excursions and incursions for students throughout the year

based on the topic they are studying.

We encourage our students to participate in these activities as they offer a broad range of

skills and learning opportunities.

There is no additional charge to parents/guardians/caregivers for these excursions /

incursions. However if students are required to take public transport, students will need to

bring their own Myki cards to cover the cost of the journey.

Permission forms will be provided to all students for all excursions, outlining the details of the

excursion. Students who do not return permission slips by the due date will be unable to

participate.

CAMP

Foundation College organises a Term 1 camp for VCAL Senior students. Camp usually runs for

1 - 2 nights, providing students with accommodation, all meals and activities.

The purpose of this camp is Team Building, and for students to get to know each other and

their educators.

A pack containing information about the camp and activities, as well as a permission form, is

provided to students within the first few weeks of Term 1. Students will need to complete a

camp-specific Medical Form as part of this pack.

Foundation College has a comprehensive Camps and Excursions Policy

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STUDENT

BEHAVIOUR &

BEHAVIOUR

MANAGEMENT

33

BEHAVIOUR EXPECATIONS DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR

All students have the right to learn in a safe environment free from harassment of any kind.

All students are expected to demonstrate respect towards each other, educators and staff.

Foundation Learning Centre does not tolerate bullying or harassment of any kind.

Students are expected to follow instructions given to them by Foundation Learning Centre

staff, without argument.

Any person that prevents others from learning may be exited from the program.

BEHAVIOUR DURING BREAKS

Students MUST make positive choices and behave appropriately during their breaks.

Please respect other businesses in the area by behaving responsibly. Do not litter or damage

property.

Students are NOT permitted to go to Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, across Princes Highway

OR to McDonald’s during break times. Staff do monitor outside areas during break times.

PHYSICAL HARM & VIOLENCE TOWARD OTHERS Foundation Learning Centre does not tolerate physical violence of any sort. Any student who

causes intentional physical harm to another student - whether it be during or out of school

hours - will be exited from the program.

Police will also be called in the event of a physical altercation.

Foundation Learning Centre retains the right to exercise discretion regarding the outcomes of

all incidents of physical violence.

SWEARING The Foundation Learning Centre buildings are shared with members of the community and

young children. Inappropriate language or conversations, inappropriate disclosures of a

personal nature and swearing will not be tolerated.

SOCIAL MEDIA & CYBER BULLYING Foundation Learning Centre does not tolerate bullying or harassment via social media.

Students are expected to treat each other with respect online. Students are expected to treat

all people with respect online. Any social media related issues that are brought to our

attention will be dealt with by the Head of Department - Youth Education or Student

Wellbeing Team. Parents/guardians/caregivers may be contacted in regards to social media

issues.

Foundation Learning Centre welcomes any feedback from students and

parents/guardians/caregivers but we ask that any negative feedback to be provided to us in a

formal manner, not via social media.

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PROPERTY DAMAGE Students are expected to behave appropriately at all times, and treat the Foundation Learning

Centre buildings, furniture and equipment with respect.

Students are expected to treat the property of surrounding businesses with the same level of

respect.

Students who cause damage to Foundation Learning Centre property will be charged to

replace or repair the item, and may be exited from the program.

HARRASSMENT, BULLYING & VICTIMISATION Foundation Learning Centre has a comprehensive Harassment, Bullying and Victimisation

Policy.

INCLUSION Foundation Learning Centre promotes and encourages inclusion and the respect of diversity

in all its forms.

We encourage all students to feel comfortable being themselves, and we expect that all

students will treat each other with respect at all times.

Bullying or harassment due to someone’s appearance, gender identity, sexual preference,

race, religion, personal opinions or other personal or social attributes will not be tolerated.

Students who have social or personal problems, mental health concerns or need support can

meet with our Student Wellbeing Team at any time.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

Foundation Learning Centre has a comprehensive Youth Welfare and Behaviour Management

Policy and Procedure outlining the objectives, procedures and duty of care in relation to

Youth Welfare and Behaviour Management of all students.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT It is Foundation Learning Centre’s objective to:

- Encourage student participation in decision making.

- Establish clear rules that are agreed upon and understood by all staff and students.

- Ensure all students read, understand and sign a student contract during the initial

induction to the course. This contract outlines the expectations of students whilst

participating in courses at Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre).

- Identify inappropriate behaviour and manage it through conflict resolution,

communication and negotiation.

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STUDENT CONTRACTS There are three options for students as a result of breaching a signed student contract.

They are as follows:

- Individual Student Contract / Official Warning Contract

- Modified Program

- Exit interview and Referral

If it is discussed and agreed that a student will be placed on an Individual Student Contract /

Official Warning Contract, a meeting will be arranged between the Head of Department –

Youth Education, Welfare staff and the student. An adult representative will be required

where the student is under 18 years of age. This could be a case worker, parent, guardian or

care giver.

During this meeting, the conditions of the Individual Student Contract / Official Warning

Contract are very carefully explained to the student (and their representative.) The Head of

Department – Youth Education and Welfare staff will discuss strategies with the student on

ways to ensure their commitment to this contract is met. The Head of Department – Youth

Education will explain that if in the event the contract is broken, the student’s position in the

program will be terminated immediately.

MONITORING STUDENT ATTENDANCE Attendance is recorded for every class, and students are required to sign their names on the

roll. In addition to those present, students who are absent, late or leave early are marked

appropriately on the roll.

Attendance is entered into the Student Management System (SMS) on a regular basis.

The Wellbeing Coordinator will monitor student attendance on a daily basis and provide the

Head of Department – Youth Education with the details of students with poor attendance.

The Wellbeing Coordinator and the Student Wellbeing Team will follow these absences up

with the students or parents/guardians/caregivers.

Additional requirements for the monitoring of attendance for Foundation College students

are outlined in the VCAL Student Attendance Policy and Procedure.

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PLAGIARISM & CHEATING Foundation Learning Centre does not condone any form of plagiarism or cheating. As a non-

school senior secondary education provider, Foundation Learning Centre adheres to the

guidelines and regulations set out by regulatory bodies with regard to plagiarism and

cheating.

In the event that a breach occurs, Foundation Learning Centre will implement the

investigation process as outlined in the Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of

Assessment Procedure.

Refer to the Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Policy and Plagiarism,

Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Procedure.

PROHIBITED ITEMS

SMOKING

Foundation Learning Centre promotes a smoke free environment. To protect all employees,

students and visitors from exposure, the entire premises is smoke free. This policy applies to

all staff, educators, students and visitors whilst on Foundation Learning Centre premises.

ALCOHOL Under no circumstances is the consumption of alcohol permitted. Any breach of this will be

dealt with in accordance to the Youth Welfare and Behaviour Management Policy and

Procedure.

DRUGS

Possession and/or use of any illicit drugs or substances, or the misuse of prescribed drugs, is

not permitted and will be viewed as a serious breach of behaviour and expectations.

Possession or use of any illicit drugs or prohibited substances is a criminal offence and

Foundation Learning Centre reserves the right to inform the local authorities. If any student

on Foundation Learning Centre premises is suspected to have or is caught with illicit drugs or

prohibited substances the student will be subject to disciplinary action, which may result in

being exited from the program.

FIREARMS OR WEAPONS

Under no circumstances are firearms or weapons permitted on the Foundation Learning

Centre premises. If any student is suspected to have, or is caught with, either of these items

the student will be subject to disciplinary action, which may result in being exited from the

program. Foundation Learning Centre reserves the right to report the incident to local

authorities.

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38

HEALTH &

SAFETY

39

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to implementing, maintaining and continuously

improving Occupational Health & Safety across all areas of our organisation. The management

of Foundation Learning Centre recognises that it has a responsibility to provide and maintain

a safe environment for all staff, students and visitors.

Foundation Learning Centre adheres to the guidelines as set out in the Occupational Health &

Safety Act 2004 (with 2010 variations).

CHILD SAFE

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to providing a child safe environment.

Foundation Learning Centre wants children and young people to be safe, happy and

empowered. We support and respect all children and young people, as well as our staff and

volunteers.

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all

children and young people.

Foundation Learning Centre has zero tolerance of child abuse and all allegations and safety

concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently in accordance with our organisational

policies and procedures and the child safe standards.

Foundation Learning Centre has legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we

are concerned about a child’s or young person’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to preventing child abuse, identifying risks early,

and by removing and reducing these risks.

Foundation Learning Centre has robust recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers.

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to regularly training and educating our staff and

volunteers on child abuse risks.

Foundation Learning Centre supports and respects all children and young people, as well as

our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and

young people, the cultural safety of children and young people from culturally and/or

linguistically diverse backgrounds and to providing a safe environment for children and young

people with a disability.

Foundation Learning Centre has specific policies, procedures and training in place that

support our leadership team, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments.

Foundation Learning Centre’s complete Child Safe Policy and Procedures can be found on our

website.

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STUDENT MEDICATION & MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Foundation Learning Centre has staff qualified in First Aid, who are responsible for the

management of all First Aid and Medical related incidents.

At the time of enrolment, all students are required to complete a Medical History &

Emergency Form listing all medical conditions and any relating medication.

This form gives permission for Foundation Learning Centre to call an Ambulance if required.

Students who suffer from Anaphylaxis or any medical condition that requires monitoring and

management during school hours will be required to submit a Medical Management Plan to

Foundation Learning Centre prior to student commencement.

First Aid trained staff will assist with the administering of any medication required during

school hours for students with Medical Management Plans.

FIRST AID & EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Foundation Learning Centre has comprehensive First Aid Policy and Procedures.

Foundation Learning Centre ensures that First Aid kits are readily available onsite and taken

on all excursions.

Foundation Learning Centre has staff qualified in First Aid, who are responsible for the

management of all First Aid and Medical related incidents and emergencies.

LOCKDOWN & EVACUATION

In the event of a threat or emergency, Foundation Learning Centre has a clear Lockdown and

Evacuation procedures.

The lockdown procedure is located in every room and the evacuation procedure is clearly

visible throughout all Foundation Learning Centre buildings. Foundation Learning Centre

undertakes regular lockdown and evacuation drills throughout the year.

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STUDENT WELLBEING TEAM

Foundation College has an onsite Student Wellbeing Team who look after the wellbeing of

students.

The Foundation College Student Wellbeing Team have qualifications across Social Work,

Welfare and Psychology and work closely with students to ensure they are well supported

during their time at Foundation College.

The Student Wellbeing Team are available to all students, and offer support for all areas of a

student’s educational, social, emotional and personal wellbeing.

The Student Wellbeing Team are a valuable part of the Foundation College landscape.

DRIVING & STUDENT CARS

Students with their own cars are not to drive other students to or from Foundation Learning

Centre, or use their own cars to drive to or from excursions / outreach activities.

Students who drive themselves must provide a copy of their licence to the Youth

Administrator at Foundation Learning Centre.

Students who park their cars in the carpark outside Foundation Learning Centre do so at their

own risk. Students are responsible for checking parking restrictions and adhering to all current

road rules.

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POLICIES &

PROCEDURES

43

DUTY OF CARE

Foundation Learning Centre and its departments operate in accordance with relevant

government bodies’ regulations and policies. Foundation College (Foundation Learning

Centre) delivers VCAL Foundation, Intermediate and Senior for students between the ages of

13 and 20 years. Our classes provide individual attention whilst using relevant adult learning

principles with a youth focus to keep the young people interested in achieving a range of

measurable learning outcomes.

Provision of suitable and safe premises

Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre) is committed to providing suitable and safe

premises in accordance with relevant legislation and VRQA registration requirements.

Provision of an adequate system of supervision

Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre) takes all reasonable steps to prevent risk to

students and provides adequate supervision both in and outside of the premises according to

the circumstances of each cohort or individual.

Additional measures and precautions to ensure the safety and/or supervision of students

under the age of 18 are enforced according to the Department of Education and Training

(DET) Policies and are detailed in the Youth Welfare Policy and Procedure and Behaviour

Management Policy and Procedure.

Implementation of strategies to prevent bullying

Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre) is committed to implementing strategies to

prevent bullying as stated in the Harassment, Bullying and Victimisation Policy.

Ensuring that medical assistance is provided to a sick or injured student

Medical assistance is provided to sick or injured students in accordance with the Accidents

and Injuries Policy together with the Child Safe Policy, First Aid Policy and Procedures, the

Medication Management Procedure and Medical Consent Forms.

STUDENT PRIVACY As part of the Enrolment Pack students are asked to read through and sign a Student Privacy

Form.

This form outlines the information that Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre) may

be required to share with third parties. This includes, but is not limited to, providing an

update on student’s progress to their family or care team, providing referrals to Centrelink or

support providers and linking in with job agencies and providers.

This form clearly outlines the type of Third Party, the purpose of disclosure and the

Information to be disclosed.

Students can opt not to sign portions of this form if they do not consent.

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COMPLAINTS & GRIEVANCES

Refer to the Complaints and Grievances Policy and Complaints and Grievances Procedure.

COMPLAINTS Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre) seeks to prevent complaints and grievances

by ensuring that stakeholders are satisfied with their course and programs. In addition to

their functional expertise, staff are expected to be fair, courteous and helpful in all dealings

with clients.

Any complaint or grievance about a staff member, courses or program will be treated

seriously, investigated thoroughly and dealt with according to the merit of the complaint. The

circumstances and results of any complaint or grievance will be considered by senior

management to resolve any underlying reasons for continued difficulty by the complainant or

other stakeholders, in accordance with Foundation College’s (Foundation Learning Centre)

continuous improvement practices.

All complaints, no matter how minor they may appear, are to be handled in a professional,

courteous and timely manner by Foundation College (Foundation Learning Centre). There will

be no exceptions.

All complaints and grievances are to be presented in writing via the complaints and grievances

form, outlining the details of the complaint or grievance, this form will then be forwarded to

the CEO within 48 hours for action and follow up.

GRIEVANCES Foundation Learning Centre has a comprehensive Complaints and Grievances Policy and a

Complaints and Grievances Procedure.

This policy recognises that stakeholders of Foundation Learning Centre have the right to have

resolved any complaint or grievance they have in regard to service, products, facilities,

management and/or treatment received from Foundation Learning Centre.

Staff and Management are to make every effort to resolve the grievance in an informal

manner directly between the parties involved (i.e. open communication and dialogue

between both parties).

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Complaints and Grievances Policy

Introduction

This policy recognises that stakeholders of Foundation Learning Centre have the right to have

resolved any complaint or grievance they have in regard to service, products, facilities,

management and/or treatment received from Foundation Learning Centre or while at Foundation

Learning Centre.

This policy should be read in conjunction with the constitution of Foundation Learning Centre and

the Complaints and Grievances Procedure if required.

Stakeholders will be assisted to raise their concerns without fear of retribution. It is an opportunity

to demonstrate true commitment to satisfying client requirements.

It is not always possible to like or approve of all people or situations, but it is possible to work

together. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to contribute to the success and good running of

the organisation.

In community work, it is important that we try to settle conflicts and grievances in a

compassionate, just and reasonable way. We are aware that not all problems can be solved

perfectly - both sides of a conflict have to be prepared to work towards a reasonable outcome.

Definitions

Complaint: Something that cannot be fixed immediately by the person receiving the complaint and

will, when attended to, improve services or products.

Grievance: a complaint that cannot be successfully resolved without the input of others to facilitate

or mediate a resolution.

Purpose

This policy recognises that complaints and grievances do arise, but appropriate handling minimises

trauma to those involved and minimises risk to the organisation. Any concerns raised should invoke

the use of this policy to guide appropriate resolution.

Handling Complaints and Timeframes

Staff and Management are to make every effort to resolve the concern in an informal manner

directly between the parties involved (i.e. open communication and dialogue between both

parties). Any concern, no matter how minor they may appear, are to be handled in a professional,

courteous and timely manner. There will be no exceptions.

It is important to obtain full details of the complaint and or grievances, record these details on the

Complaint and Grievances Form available from reception.

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All complaints and grievances are to be presented in witting via the complaints and grievances

form, outlining the details of the complaint or grievance, this form will then be forwarded to

the CEO within 48 hours for action and follow up.

A meeting with stakeholders will be scheduled within 3 working days, regarding the complaint or

grievance to discuss a course of action to follow. The CEO or designee should inform the complainant

within 10 working days of the outcome. The CEO is to record this communication.

All requests by stakeholders for compensation (personal property damage, medical expenses) must be

directed to the CEO.

Handling Grievances

The right to have grievances raised and resolved will be protected by Foundation Learning Centre

staff in the following manner:

▪ Staff will make every effort to establish an atmosphere of trust and open communication so

that grievances are dealt with quickly and constructively.

▪ All grievances will be treated seriously and dealt with in as short a time as possible until they

are resolved.

▪ Any situation that involves the breaking of any criminal and civil laws will be referred to the

CEO of Foundation Learning Centre immediately who will then refer the situation to the

appropriate external agency.

▪ Records will be kept of all grievances and steps taken to resolve the matter.

▪ Actions and records will be dealt with in accordance to the Foundation Learning Centre Privacy

Policy.

▪ An aggrieved person should feel free to use this policy without fear of retribution.

Foundation Learning Centre undertakes to make this policy available whenever appropriate.

Options

If, and when, all normal avenues of resolution have failed, the aggrieved person may contact

and/or meet with one or more of the following to discuss the grievance and seek resolution.

1. The Manager of the area involved

2. The CEO of Foundation Learning Centre

3. The President or delegated person from the Foundation Learning Centre Board of Management

4. The Board of Management

The staff of Foundation Learning Centre shall assist by making any arrangements necessary.

Meetings that are arranged as a consequence of this policy shall occur as soon as practicable.

Records are to be kept of any such meetings.

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VRQA Requirements

If the grievance is within Foundation Learning Centre’s programs from its scope of registration or

within its Non-School Senior Secondary Provider registration and is of a nature that an independent

party is required to resolve the grievance, Foundation Learning Centre will request that an

appropriate agency will assist Foundation Learning Centre and the aggrieved person to agree upon

a resolution. The appropriate agency will be chosen by Foundation Learning Centre according to

the particulars of the grievance. For example: the course enrolled into, the age of the client and

the particular nature of the grievance, etc.

Appropriate agencies may include:

• VCAA Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

• Victorian Ombudsman

• VRAQ Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority

• The relevant Home School. The Home School is the school at which the student is officially enrolled according to the relevant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

• Local Regional DET Office

• The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, Department of Justice

Advocacy Services

Throughout the resolution process, Foundation Learning Centre will ensure that the aggrieved

person is aware of external agencies who can be contacted for support or advice.

Foundation Learning Centre will provide information regarding the location of advocacy services if

requested by the client.

Flowchart

Initial Informal Complaint Educator/relevant Department (

Manager)

Unresolved Formal complaint to CEO (

as per Complaints & Grievances

Policy)

Unresolved Complaint becomes a (

Grievance as per Complaints &

Grievances Policy

Unresolved ( Complainant can pursue the

Grievance through the relevant Regulator .

Resolved

( Foundation Learning Centre to

document resolution)

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Complaints and Grievances Procedure All complaints and grievances will be dealt with in terms of the Complaints and Grievances Procedure outlined below. Foundation Learning Centre abides by freedom of information and privacy principles. Foundation Learning Centre seeks to prevent complaints and grievances by ensuring that stakeholders are satisfied with their course and programs. In addition to their functional expertise, staff are expected to be fair, courteous and helpful in all dealings with clients. Any complaint or grievance about a staff member, course or program will be treated seriously, investigated thoroughly and dealt with according to the merit of the complaint. The circumstances and results of any complaint or grievance will be considered by Senior Management to resolve any underlying reasons for continued difficulty by the complainant or other stakeholders, in accordance with the Centre’s continuous improvement practices. If a stakeholder feels that they have a complaint or grievance with the Centre, or believe that they have been discriminated against or harassed, they should immediately report the complaint or grievance using the following procedure: Step 1: Stakeholders should approach the appropriate trainer/educator with their complaint and explain clearly the problem or the reason for their dissatisfaction. The trainer will then attempt to resolve the matter. Step 2: If a stakeholder is dissatisfied with the way in which the complaint was handled, or with the outcome, they should speak with the relevant Department Manager. The Department Manager will identify the main issues of the complaint and will attempt to resolve the matter. Step 3: If a stakeholder still believes they have grounds for being dissatisfied with the outcome and/or the process that was followed in the attempt to satisfactorily resolve the matter, they are to lodge their complaint in writing with the CEO, as per the Complaints & Grievances Policy, who will:

investigate the stakeholder’s complaint and will inform the stakeholder in writing of the findings of the investigation and the course of action available to them if they are still dissatisfied.

Step 4: If a stakeholder is still dissatisfied with the decision made by the CEO, then the stakeholder should pursue the complaint as a Grievance as per the Complaints & Grievances Policy. Step 5: If after all these avenues have been followed and the stakeholder is still dissatisfied, they should address their complaint/grievance to VRQA – Details at www.vrqa.vic.gov.au .

http://www.vrqa.vic.gov.au/

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Note: Harassment is any conduct which is unwelcome, demeaning, unreciprocated, intimidating and/or offensive to an individual or group. Under Federal legislation, it is unlawful to harass or discriminate against any person on the grounds of:

• Cultural or ethnic background

• Sexual preference

• Gender

• Age

• Marital status

• HIV/AIDS status

• Physical or intellectual disability

• Pregnancy

• Carer responsibilities

• Transgender

Flowchart:

Initial Informal Complaint

Educator / relevant

Department Manager

Unresolved

Formal complaint to CEO

as per Complaints &

Grievances Policy

Unresolved

Complaint becomes a

Grievance as per Complaints

& Grievances Policy

Unresolved

Complainant can pursue the

Grievance through the relevant

RTO Regulator: VRQA

(Victorian Registration &

Qualifications Authority)

Resolved

Foundation Learning Centre to

document resolution

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Harassment, Bullying (including cyber

bullying) and Victimisation Policy

Introduction:

The values held by Foundation Learning Centre clearly indicate that every person has the right to be treated with respect and dignity.

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to providing a working and learning environment that is free of harassment, bullying and victimisation.

This policy applies to all members, staff, volunteers and students of Foundation Learning

Centre. Any incident of harassment/bullying will be regarded as extremely serious and can be

grounds for disciplinary action including dismissal or expulsion.

Purpose:

This policy has been developed with the objective of preventing harassment, bullying and victimisation at Foundation Learning Centre. It:

▪ defines unacceptable behaviour. ▪ states the responsibilities of Management, employees and volunteers in relation to

harassment, bullying and victimisation.

Types of Harassment:

Harassment is difficult to define in terms of what is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour. The legally defining features are that harassment/bullying is any uninvited or unwelcome behaviour or conduct of a verbal, physical, social or psychological nature that any reasonable person would interpret as offensive, humiliating or intimidating to another person even if the offence is not intended.

Harassment/bullying may occur where the harasser has a position of authority (ie. where an

educator, Manager or administrator is able to affect another person's job, career or learning

outcome). Harassment/bullying may also occur on a peer to peer relationship (ie. student to

student or employee to employee).

Harassment is used in this policy to mean sexual and racial harassment, bullying and other

forms of personal harassment, including disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or some

other personal characteristic.

Any form of harassment will not be tolerated within Foundation Learning Centre.

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Sexual Harassment:

This involves unwanted sexual attention.

It can be physical, ranging from suggestive looks to indecent assault or rape, or verbal, ranging

from suggestive remarks to aggressively foul language or unwanted demands for sex.

Racial Harassment:

This is any hostile or offensive act or expression by a person of one racial or ethnic origin

against a person of another, or incitement to commit such an act. Such behaviour includes

derogatory name-calling, insults and racist jokes, racist graffiti, verbal abuse and threats,

physical acts, and ridicule of an individual for cultural or linguistic differences.

Bullying (including cyber bullying):

Bullying is when someone keeps doing or saying things to gain power over another person. It is persistent, offensive, abusive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour which makes the recipient feel upset, threatened, humiliated or vulnerable and gradually undermines their self-esteem and confidence, causing them to suffer stress.

Each incident may not seem significant when taken in isolation. However, it is important to recognise that there is a cumulative effect and each incident builds on the last.

Cyber bullying is becoming increasingly more common, it is bullying that can occur either online or via a mobile phone or electronic devices and can be silently happening without attention being drawn. This may include electronic mediums such as cell-phones, on-line chat rooms, online social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

The following types of behaviour, where occurring as part of a pattern of behaviour, could be considered bullying:

▪ sarcasm, teasing, verbal abuse and shouting at people

▪ calling people names, saying or writing nasty things about people, spreading rumours

about people

▪ picking on people and criticising them in front of others.

▪ Unfounded criticism of the performance of work tasks.

▪ excluding, ignoring or isolating people

▪ punishing people by refusing to delegate responsibilities to them which they are

competent to fulfil

▪ assigning meaningless tasks unrelated to the job

▪ giving employees impossible assignments

▪ physically threatening or attacking people

▪ deliberately changing work rosters to inconvenience particular employees

▪ deliberately withholding information vital for effective work performance

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This list is not exhaustive. Other types of behaviour may also constitute bullying.

Students who are found to be engaging in behaviour which may constitute bullying, cyber

bullying, harassment or victimisation will be dealt with according to the FLC Behaviour

Management Policy and Procedures.

Victimisation:

Legal Aid Victoria defines victimisation as “…when someone subjects, or threatens to subject, another person to some form of detriment or harm, because they have:

▪ lodged a complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment

▪ provided information or documents regarding a complaint of discrimination or sexual harassment

▪ reasonably asserted their rights, or supported someone else’s rights, under anti-discrimination laws

▪ made an allegation that a person has acted unlawfully under anti-discrimination laws.”

Victimisation will not be tolerated at Foundation Learning Centre.

Prevention

Foundation Learning Centre makes every effort to prevent bullying through discussion during

students’ initial interview with parent or guardian, the ‘no tolerance’ for bullying is discussed at

induction and students read and sign a student contract which includes ‘no tolerance’ of bullying.

Bullying is covered in course curriculum and through guest speakers and local police presentations.

The ‘no tolerance’ for bullying is embedded in the organisational culture. FLC’s wellbeing staff are well

informed and both educators and wellbeing staff promote a bully free classroom, every effort is made

to prevent the use of social media during class time and students are advised that cyber bullying or

bullying of any kind, will have consequences. FLC are proactive and take any and all claims of bullying

seriously and work with all students and families involved to find a resolution.

Responsibilities of Staff:

Staff (including Volunteers and Board members) have a responsibility to:

▪ provide a safe environment enabling staff to do their work and students to undertake their learning free from harassment, bullying or victimisation.

▪ ensure that their actions do not negatively affect another staff member's career, health or well-being and are consistent with the values of Foundation Learning Centre.

▪ try to resolve issues of harassment, bullying and victimisation at the local level, directly with the persons involved. If the issue is not resolved in this way, an aggrieved person may approach the Foundation Learning Centre CEO, or lodge a formal complaint in accordance with the Foundation Learning Centre Complaints and Grievances Policy and Procedure.

▪ inform students of this policy and the actions to be followed if they believe they are being harassed, bullied or victimised.

▪ take ALL complaints of harassment, bullying and victimisation seriously. ▪ always treat every complaint of harassment, bullying and victimisation with strict

confidence and investigate thoroughly and expeditiously.

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Reporting Harassment:

Difficulty in defining what constitutes harassment/bullying should not deter staff, volunteers, or students from reporting behaviour which causes them distress.

Nor should anyone be deterred from making a complaint because of embarrassment or fear of intimidation or publicity.

Foundation Learning Centre will respect the sensitivity of harassment/bullying complaints and

their consequences as well as the need for confidentiality.

Related Policies/Documents:

▪ Access, Equity, Integration and Cultural Diversity Policy ▪ Youth Behaviour Management Policy ▪ Youth Welfare and Wellbeing Policy ▪ Complaints and Grievances Policy ▪ Complaints and Grievances Procedure ▪ Strategic Plans (contains the Values for Foundation Learning Centre)

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Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of

Assessment Policy Introduction

Foundation Learning Centre is committed to ensuring the standards of academic integrity and

honesty are upheld. Foundation Learning Centre will not condone plagiarism or cheating in

any form by any student undertaking a qualification or accredited course with Foundation

Learning Centre. It is a requirement of students to authenticate work to be their own. As a

Registered Training Organisation, Foundation Learning Centre adheres to the guidelines set

out by the regulating bodies such as VRQA and VCAA and the information set out in the VCAA

VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019.

Purpose To establish and maintain a common understanding of plagiarism and cheating and to ensure

prevention, detection and appropriate courses of action with regard to plagiarism and cheating. To

establish a student understanding of authentication of work, what action educators and students need

to take regarding authentication of assessments.

Definitions

Plagiarism

• The process of copying another person's idea or written work, partial or in full and

claiming it as original.

• Plagiarism can take the form of direct, word-for-word copying or the theft of the

substance or idea of the work.

• The failure to quote or reference or gain permission for the use of another’s work,

including rephrasing, and submitting this as one’s own work or assignment.

• Plagiarism includes information obtained through the Internet as well as hard copy.

• Supporting the act of plagiarism through providing work to another party, regardless of

the belief that the work will be copied.

Cheating

• To deceive or mislead somebody, especially for personal advantage.

• To provide submissions of or use falsified data.

• To undertake any forms of plagiarism.

• To provide work that has not been undertaken by the student.

• Theft or unauthorised use of another’s work and/or materials.

• To duplicate or exchange assignments or work of another and present as one’s own work.

• To take credit for a group assignment where the student has not equally contributed to

the work

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Authentication

• To establish as genuine.

• To establish the authorship or origin of conclusively or unquestionably, chiefly by the techniques of scholarship: to authenticate a painting.

• To make authoritative or valid.

Responsibilities

Students

It is the students’ responsibility to understand the terms of reference of this policy that under

no circumstances will cheating and plagiarism be tolerated from students undertaking

qualifications or accredited courses provided by Foundation Learning Centre. Students are

required to gain an understanding of the requirements and processes surrounding

authentication of their work and the documentation they need to sign.

Staff

It is the responsibility of all staff and trainers/educators to understand the terms of reference of this policy that under no circumstances will cheating and plagiarism be tolerated from students undertaking qualifications or accredited courses provided by Foundation Learning Centre, and to ensure appropriate steps are undertaken to:

• Make students aware of the requirements and responsibilities regarding cheating and plagiarism in their course work.

• Supervise and assess work and assignments to evaluate as to whether any forms of cheating and plagiarism are being undertaken.

• Act accordingly and reasonably to establish if any act of cheating and plagiarism is/or has been undertaken and take the appropriate steps outlined in the Plagiarism and Cheating Procedure.

• Educators need to provide an understanding to students what the requirements of authentication are and necessity of authentication of individual work.

Awareness

The provisions of this policy will be made readily available to all students at all times and prior

to enrolment through Foundation Learning Centre’s website, promotional materials and the

student handbook. Staff can also access these documents on Novacore.

Further Information

Code of Practice

Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Procedure

VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019

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Plagiarism, Cheating and Authentication of

Assessment Procedure Introduction

Foundation Learning Centre does not condone any form of plagiarism and cheating. As an

RTO, Foundation Learning Centre strictly adheres to the guidelines and regulations set out by

regulatory bodies with regard to plagiarism and cheating. This is outlined in the Plagiarism,

Cheating and Authentication of Assessment Policy. The policy defines plagiarism, cheating,

authentication as follows:

Plagiarism

The process of copying another person's idea or written work, partial or in full, and claiming it

as original.

Plagiarism can take the form of direct, word-for-word copying or the theft of the substance or

idea of the work.

The failure to quote or reference or gain permission for the use of another’s work, including

rephrasing, and submitting this as one’s own work or assignment.

Plagiarism includes information obtained through the Internet as well as hard copy.

Supporting the act of plagiarism through providing work to another party, regardless of the

belief that the work will be copied.

Cheating

To deceive or mislead somebody, especially for personal advantage.

To provide submissions of or use falsified data.

To undertake any forms of plagiarism.

To provide work that has not been undertaken by the student.

Theft or unauthorised use of another’s work and/or materials.

To duplicate or exchange assignments or work of another and present as one’s own work.

To take credit for a group assignment where the student has not equally contributed to the

work.

Authentication

To establish as genuine.

To establish the authorship or origin of conclusively or unquestionably, chiefly by the techniques of scholarship: to authenticate a painting.

To make authoritative or valid.

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Procedure

Plagiarism and Cheating

The following procedure outlines the steps Foundation Learning Centre will take in its process

to ensure preventative actions are undertaken to cease any form of plagiarism and cheating

in qualifications or accredited courses undertaken at Foundation Learning Centre. This

procedure also provides the process to be followed to detect and respond when plagiarism

and cheating is suspected.

1. All students are made aware of the policy and procedure relating to plagiarism and

cheating prior to enrolment and at commencement of the course. All students will be

issued with the ‘Referencing Guide’, to assist students in avoiding plagiarism.

2. Students, in their agreement, sign to provide evidence that they are aware of the policy

and commitment of Foundation Learning Centre regarding plagiarism and cheating.

3. If students require a further understanding of the requirements or explanation of what

plagiarism and cheating entails, Foundation Learning Centre will provide this to the

student.

4. It will be clearly explained to students, that all work that has any information that has

been researched and obtained from sources other than their own original work, must be

quoted, with italics to the quote, referenced to the work with appropriate names and any

other required notations/footnotes, such as dates. In the event written permission is

required, an original of the permission form specific to the student and signed by the

permitted person or company.

5. Educators/assessors will ensure they adhere to the definitions of plagiarism and cheating,

and direct students in using and following the referencing guide and the Viper anti-

plagiarism software.

6. Educators/assessors will take steps to detect plagiarism and cheating, including cross-

referencing students’ work, the use of and research from the internet and any other

databases and assessing combined work assignments. Foundation Learning Centre will

make available the Viper anti-plagiarism software to students and educators/assessors.

7. If a breach occurs the educator/assessor will address the class (that the student in breach

attends) at the earliest convenience, not making any reference to the breach or the

student in breach and reinstate the policy and commitment, along with the required

policy and procedures to the class, and refer to the reference guide.

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8. For each course, all students sign off on a Training Plan where they agree that they have

been provided with, and understand, Foundation Learning Centre’s policy and procedure

in relation to plagiarism and cheating. All students are also required to complete an

Assessment Agreement for assessments submitted where they acknowledge that they

will not plagiarise or cheat.

9. In the event that a breach occurs Foundation Learning Centre will:

• Ensure the educator/assessor has interpreted the breach correctly.

• The educator/assessor who suspects the breach must produce evidence to support the

allegation.

• The student will be advised of the allegations in an interview.

• In the case that more than one student is involved in the breach, the interview can be

held co-jointly or individually as the student/s and educator/assessor agree to.

• The student may be asked to provide additional information to demonstrate competency.

• An appropriate senior staff member will investigate that the claim has been correctly

interpreted, and that the breach occurred intentionally, rather than unintentionally.

• Interview the student and avail to them the right of reply.

• The student will be given one opportunity to re-submit the work.

• If the re-submitted work is free of any forms of plagiarism and cheating, the matter will

be considered resolved.

• If the re-submitted work is NOT free of any forms of plagiarism and cheating, the student

will be deemed not competent in that particular assigned work.

• In the event that the senior staff member finds the breach is not consistent with the

definitions outlined with regard to plagiarism and cheating, the staff member/educator

will be interviewed and given opportunity to explain and confirm the findings.

• The senior staff member will decide on the breach after consultation with the

educator/assessor and student.

• If a student undertakes 3 breaches and is found guilty of those 3 breaches during the

scheduled duration of the course the student will be deemed non-compliant in the course

they are undertaking.

• In the event that a breach occurs and the student does not find the decision of the

educator/assessor and the senior staff member acceptable, the student can appeal to the

CEO in writing. If the CEO agrees with the decision the student can further appeal to the

Board of Management in writing and present to the BOM with an independent arbitrator

of his/her choice.

The decision of the BOM will be final and the matter minuted for compliance.

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Authentication of Assessment

The following procedure outlines the steps Foundation Learning Centre will take in its process

to ensure students are provided with a clear understanding of authentication and the

necessary obligations associated with the authentication requirements. Authentication is a

preventative action that is aligned with plagiarism and cheating to deter students from

handing work that is not their own.

The VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019, School-based Assessments Section

11.1 Rules for Authentication states “Students must observe and apply rules of authentication

of School-based Assessments.” Pg82

1. Educators must explain authentication to students, this is particularly important for

non-group assessment areas such as literacy and numeracy where students must

submit individual assessments and might be inclined to use work found online or copy

another student.

2. Educators must ensure students understand the Pre-Assessment Document and

explain the requirements of this document prior to students signing this agreement.

Educators must ensure the Pre-Assessment Agreement is signed and dated by both

students and educator at the commencement of each unit. Pre Assessment

agreements of located at the beginning of all workbooks.

3. During the course delivery of course requirements educators must remind students to

only use work that is their own.

4. Students must not receive unjustified assistance from another person including

educators and other students in preparation of assessments.

5. Educators need to familiarise themselves with the acceptable levels of assistance set

out in the VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook 2019, School – based

Assessments section 11.1 Rules for Authentication of School –based Assessments.

6. Educators must ensure students do not submit work that is being submitted for

assessment in another area of study.

7. Students must not assist another person with the above, as they too will be in breach

of these rules.

8. In assessing a student’s work educators need to consider:

• Is the work at the same level as other work submitted by the student

• Is the work in line with the educator’s existing knowledge of the student’s

ability level

• Has student referenced sources of material and knowledge

• Has the educator witnessed the student working on the task in class

9. At completion of the assessment educators and students must sign the Assessment

Summary in acknowledgement of authenticity of work.

10. If a breach occurs educators need to follow the procedures set out in step 9 of the

plagiarism and cheating procedures in this document.

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VCAL Student Records and Results

Policy and Procedure Introduction

Foundation Learning Centre (formerly known as Narre Community Learning Centre (NCLC))

ensures it complies with reporting requirements and regulations in relation to maintaining

student records and results.

Purpose

To ensure all students, staff and educators are aware of the processes for documenting and recording results upon completion of units. All staff involved in VCAL training and education understand their responsibilities and the responsibilities of others in relation to student records and results. Staff includes but may not be limited to: Head of Department - Youth Education Department Coordinators Educators Education Support Administration Youth Student records and results will be retained for a period of seven years after the issue of a final result or certificate, course work in the form of teaching material maybe destroyed four months after the student has be informed of their final result. Student records are documented, held and disposed of in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) (PRA) Students can access their records and results through method of booking an appointment with the Head of Department – Youth, or through contacting the VCAA.

Procedures

Assessment Practices

All educators are provided with templates for student assessment books and assessor guides,

which are clearly aligned with the VCAL curriculum and compliant with assessment

requirements. Assessment practices and re-development of assessment books and assessor

guides are guided by the criteria for good assessment and features of evidence stated in the

VCAL Unit Assessment Planning Guide.

Educators participate in VRQA processes and attend external validation sessions to ensure

standards and validity of fair assessments.

All documents are version controlled.

Student assessment materials contain comprehensive student instructions which are also

verbalised by educators. Assessments are clearly marked by the educators with comments

and results.

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Educators are required to attend regular Professional Development opportunities to ensure

that they have knowledge of current and innovative assessment practices.

Educators are to submit assessment material to the Compliance Team for review. It is then

uploaded to an online platform that is accessible to all educators.

Monitoring of Student Progress

Student progress is closely monitored regularly by educators and the Head of Department –

Youth during weekly team meetings. On recognition of need FLC communicates participation

rates with parents or guardians and supports students through a homework club to improve

completion rates.

Student progress reports are provided to parents via email at the end of term one, two and

three, outlining; student attendance/participation rates, class behaviour, work effort and

course work completion.

Awarding of Results

In line with the VCAA VCAL curriculum, educators assess students against learning outcomes and deem satisfactory or non-satisfactory results.

All learning outcomes to be assessed are listed in the students’ assessment materials and assessment results are recorded as satisfactory or non-satisfactory on assessment summary records which educators and students are required to sign to acknowledge results.

Recording of Results

Internally, educators record all unit progress in a shared online student results document and at

completion of units, award results for students on individual training plans. This data is then entered

into the Student Management System (SMS) by the administrator within 5 working days. In

addition to this results are added to the VASS system as per the VCAA guidelines.

On completion of their VCAL, students are provided with a Certificate and/or Statement of

Results by the VCAA.

With regards to external reporting, we abide by the VCAA VCE and VCAL Administrative

Handbook 2019 and the important Administrative Dates as set by the VCAA. Both of the

above VCAA documents are used when planning courses.

These processes are all in accordance with the VCAA guidelines and are overseen by the

General Manager Youth and Youth Administration.

Record and Results Integrity

On enrolment student personal records are obtained through the enrolment process.

Foundation Learning Centre ensures student records are securely stored and only accessible

to educators, welfare staff and administration staff responsible for data entry. Administration

staff are responsible for the student records being documented on VASS.

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The administrator staff position descriptions outline the responsibility and requirements for

this process.

At completion of a school year all student assessments and enrolment information is to be

archived and kept securely for a period of 7 years.

The Head of Department - Youth Education and the Compliance Coordinator are responsible

for the management of audit processes to ensure all the processes regarding student records

including personal details, enrolments, progressions and completions are met.

Related Document

VCAL Curriculum Assessment Practices and Quality Assurance Policy and Procedure Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) (PRA) Freedom of Information (FOI) www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/About-us/Pages/FreedomofInformation.aspx

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/About-us/Pages/FreedomofInformation.aspx

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Foundation Learning Centre’s

Child Safe Policy This policy addresses the Child Safe Standards set out by the Royal Commission and the ten key

National Principles with the addition of the three key principles from the Victorian Child Safe Standards

that recognise vulnerable and at risk children. This policy is drawn from the Ministerial Order. 870 –

Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools, this order forms part of the

Education and Training Reform Act 2006 section 4.3.1. (Registration Application or Registered schools)

This policy aims to provide an outcome focused organisational culture and response to child safety.

Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance

and culture

Our Commitment to Child Safety

Our organisation is committed to child safety.

All management, staff, educators, volunteers and the Board of Management are responsible for the

Duty of Care for all students and the Child Safe Standards of the centre.

We want children and young people to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and respect all

children and young people, as well as our staff and volunteers.

We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children and young people.

We have zero tolerance of child abuse and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very

seriously and consistently in accordance with our organisational policies and procedures.

We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are concerned about a child’s or

young person’s safety, which we follow rigorously.

Our organisation has robust recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers.

Our organisation is committed to regularly training and educating our staff and volunteers on child

abuse risks.

We support and respect all children and young people, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are

committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and young people, the cultural safety of children

and young people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and to providing a safe

environment for children and young people with a disability.

Our policy is publicly available on our website and our organisation is committed to child safety.

Training is provided across all levels of the organisation including; BOM, Management, Administration

Staff, Early Childhood Staff, Educators and Volunteers. This training results in an inclusive approach to

organisational culture and sets a behavioural attitude when working with children.

Our organisation is committed to preventing child abuse, identifying risks early, and by removing and

reducing these risks.

This policy guides our staff and volunteers on how to behave with children and young people in our

organisation.

All of our staff and volunteers must agree to abide by our Code of Conduct which specifies the

standards of conduct required when working with children and young people. We take into

consideration any contributions made from staff, volunteers, families, children and young people in

regards to the ongoing development of FLC’s Code of Conduct.

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All personal information considered or recorded will respect the privacy of the individuals involved,

unless there is a risk to someone’s safety, whether they be staff, volunteers, parents, children or young

people. We have safeguards and practices in place to ensure any personal information is protected.

Everyone is entitled to know how this information is recorded, what will be done with it, and who will have

access to it.

If you believe a child or young person is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.

Children participate our decisions

Children and young people

This policy is intended to empower children and young people who are vital and active participants in our organisation. We will take into consideration the opinions of children and young people and use their opinions to develop child protection policies and procedures.

We promote diversity and tolerance in our organisation and people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds are welcome. In particular, we:

• Promote the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal children

• Promote the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds

• Ensure that children with a disability are safe and can participate equally

• Promote the safety and empowerment of LGBTIQ+ children and young people

Our students are to be advised how to access sexual abuse prevention programs

Our Staff and Volunteers are trained and aware of the signs of abuse, covering the areas of:

• Grooming

• Physical Abuse

• Serious Emotional Abuse

• Physical Harm

• Serious Neglect

Students are provided with a safe space in which they can communicate and express their views in order to raise awareness or their concerns.

Families and community are informed and involved

Welfare communicate with parents/caregivers to provide information that is agreed upon and when appropriate families will participate in decision making process.

Welfare staff or the General Manager Youth will engage in conversations with families and external organisations who may need to be informed in relation to student safety.

Families and the community are welcomed to contribute to policies and procedures. FLC encourages families to provide feedback on any organisational policy or procedure.

As referenced in the Ministerial Order 870. Section 9 our Child Safety Code of Conduct promotes safety in the education environment, is written in the best interest of the staff and the needs of students and is publicly available on our website.

Equity and diversity

Our organisational values and culture aims for all staff and volunteers (in addition to parents/carers, children and young people) to feel confident and comfortable in discussing any allegations of child abuse or child safety concerns. We train our staff and volunteers to identify, assess, and minimise risks of child abuse and to detect potential signs of child abuse.

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We also support our staff and volunteers through ongoing training to:

• develop their skills to protect children and young people from abuse

• promote the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and young people,

• promote the cultural safety of children and young people from linguistically and/or diverse backgrounds

• promote the safety of children and young people with a disability

Suitability and support

Recruitment

We take all reasonable steps to employ skilled people to work with children and young people. We develop selection criteria and advertisements which clearly demonstrate our commitment to child safety. Our organisation understands that when recruiting staff and volunteers we have ethical as well as legislative obligations.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal peoples, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a disability.

All people engaged in child-related work, including volunteers, are required to hold a Working with Children Check and to provide evidence of this Check. Please see the Working with Children Check website <www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au> for further information.

We carry out reference checks and police record checks to ensure that we are recruiting the right people. All recruitment documentation including but not limited to reference checks and copies of qualifications, working with children checks and police checks are stored securely for evidence and compliance.

If during the recruitment process a person’s records indicate a criminal history then the person will be given the opportunity to provide further information and context.

Training and Supervision

All staff are inducted into the organisation (refer to induction policy and induction document) and provided with appropriate information regarding the child safety standards. Training and supervision is important to ensure that everyone in our organisation understands that child safety is everyone’s responsibility.

New employees and volunteers will be supervised regularly to ensure they understand our organisation’s commitment to child safety and that everyone has a role to play in protecting children and young people from abuse. This includes checking that their behaviour towards children and young people is safe and appropriate (please refer to this organisation’s Code of Conduct to understand appropriate behaviour further). Any inappropriate behaviour will be reported through appropriate channels, including the Department of Health and Human Services and Victoria Police, depending on the severity and urgency of the matter. All staff are to complete online mandatory reporting training and understand processes and their duty of care.

Fair Procedures for Personnel

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is our primary concern. The decisions we make when recruiting, assessing incidents, and undertaking disciplinary action will always be fair, thorough, transparent, and evidence based.

We record all allegations of abuse and safety concerns using our incident reporting form, including investigation updates. All records are securely stored.

All reports of child abuse or child related misconduct involving staff, volunteers and participants of Foundation Learning Centre are to be reported to authorities as per the Procedure for responding to and reporting of incidents, disclosures and suspicion of abuse involving staff, volunteers and participants of Foundation Learning Centre.

http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

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Additionally, all reports of child abuse or child related misconduct involving staff, volunteers and participants of Foundation Learning Centre are to be reported as per the Reportable Conduct Scheme through the Commission for Children and Young People

If an allegation of abuse or a safety concern is raised, we provide updates to children, young people and families on progress and any actions we as an organisation take.

Privacy

Processes to respond to complaints of child sexual abuse are child focused

Legislative Responsibilities

In line with the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005, Part 5A Reportable conduct scheme and the

mandatory reporting obligations set out in the Youth and Families Act 2005, Section 184 and report

allegations of child abuse. Our organisation aims to prevent, respond and report and takes our legal

responsibilities seriously, including:

Failure to disclose: Reporting child sexual abuse is a community-wide responsibility. All adults in

Victoria who have a reasonable belief that an adult has committed a sexual offence against a child

under 16 have an obligation to report that information to the police.

Failure to protect: People of authority in our organisation will commit an offence if they know of a

substantial risk of child sexual abuse and have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk,

but negligently fail to do so.

Any personnel who are mandatory reporters must comply with their duties.

Staff and volunteers are trained in the complaints handling process and understand the obligation to

take all concerns that are raises with serious intent and provide a culturally safe environment.

Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skill and awareness to keep children

safe through continual education and training.

Identifying

Staff and volunteers are trained to recognise and identify the indicators of the five forms of abuse in

students and children of all cultures. They are instructed on how to implement the wellbeing policy and

inform the appropriate welfare staff members.

Allegations, Concerns and Complaints

Our organisation, including all staff and volunteers uphold a duty of care and takes all allegations

seriously and has practices in place to investigate thoroughly and quickly. Our staff and volunteers are

trained to deal appropriately with allegations.

We work to ensure all children, families, staff and volunteers know what to do and who to tell if they

observe abuse, are a victim and if they notice inappropriate behaviour.

We all have a responsibility to report an allegation of abuse if we have a reasonable belief that an

incident took place (see information about failure to disclose above).

If an adult has a reasonable belief that an incident has occurred, then they must report the incident.

Factors contributing to reasonable belief may be:

• a child or young person states they or someone they know has been abused (noting that sometimes the child may in fact be referring to themselves)

• behaviour consistent with that of an abuse victim is observed

• someone else has raised a suspicion of abuse but is unwilling to report it

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Minimising the opportunity for abuse to occur in physical and online

environments

Risk Management

In Victoria, organisations are required to protect children and young people when a risk is identified (see information about failure to protect above). In addition to general occupational health and safety risks, we proactively manage risks of abuse to our children and young people.

The risks of online environment is embedded into educational curriculum provided to students and discussed with students in a safe and open classroom setting.

Students and staff are exposed to information delivered by external experts in the field and provided

with question time opportunities. (Also refer to our Harassment, bullying including cyber bullying and

victimisation policy)

Staff must sign and adhere to the Code of Conduct, which incorporates use of devices in and online environment.

We have risk management strategies in place to identify, assess and take steps to minimise child abuse risks. This includes reviewing and acting on risks posed by physical environments, where applicable. (Refer to Camps and excursion policy)

Implementation of the child safe standards is continuously reviewed and

improved

Regular Review

This policy will be reviewed annually in accordance with the RC Standards and the National Principles as well as the Victorian Standards and following significant incidents. We encourage contributions from families, children and young people at any time. Where possible we endeavour to work with local Aboriginal communities, culturally and/or linguistically diverse communities and people with a disability.

Policies and procedures document how the institution is child safe

This policy was created in line with all child safe standards, the national principles for child safe organisations and the Victorian standards.

The policy is available to staff and volunteers on the novacore system and is accessible on Foundation Learning Centres website.

The Board of Management oversee the best practice model and ensure this policy is developed with stakeholder consultation.

Our Child Safe Officers (as referenced in the Child Safety Statement) provide leadership, training and education to staff, volunteers and students and ensure that staff are following the policy and procedure guidelines.

Related documents

Procedure for reporting suspected child abuse

Procedure for reporting suspected child abuse within Foundation Learning Centre

Child Safety Statement

Staff and Volunteer Code of Conduct

Camps and Excursion Policy and procedure

Harassment, bullying (including cyber bullying) and victimisation policy

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Child Safety Statement Foundation Learning Centre (FLC) is committed to providing a safe environment for all children. Our programs and courses are delivered to a range of chi ldren including those who are Indigenous, disadvantaged and those who have come from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds. All management and staff (Board of Management, staff and volunteers) of FLC are responsible for protecting the interests and safety of children, and we have zero tolerance for child abuse. Our Child Safe policy and procedures promote the seven Child Safe Standards to prevent and respond to child abuse. Our centre supports and protects all children. Some of the ways in which we do this are listed below.

• A culture of child safety, from management to participants, including scheduling child safety as an agenda item at monthly Board of Management meetings and weekly staff meetings

• A Child Safe policy and two procedures including processes for

responding to and reporting all instances of suspected child abuse

• Working with Children (WWC) Checks are required for all management

and staff (Board of Management, staff and volunteers)

• A Code of Conduct for all management and staff (Board of Management,

staff and volunteers) that establishes clear expectations for appropriate

behaviour with children

• Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that

reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing management and staff

(Board of Management, staff and volunteers), including regular

professional development

• Following policies and procedures of the Reportable Conduct Scheme

through the Commission for Children and Young People

Any enquiries regarding Child Safety should be directed to one of our two

Child Safety Officers.

Tina Bampton [email protected]

Jill Konig [email protected]

(03) 9704 7388

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Anaphylaxis Management Policy Introduction:

Foundation Learning Centre (FLC) believes that the safety and wellbeing of children, young

people and adults who are at risk of Anaphylaxis or any other severe allergies is, in part, are

an organisational responsibility.

For the purposes of this document all children, young people and adults who attend FLC in

any program or course who are at risk of Anaphylaxis will be referred to as ‘student/s-at-risk’.

Foundation early Learning Centre has declared itself to be a nut-free (including all varieties of

nuts) Centre in order to prevent severe anaphylactic reactions. Foundation Learning Centre is

dedicated to the health and wellbeing of all students.

FLC is committed to:

• Complying with Ministerial Order 706 and associated guidelines

• Providing, as far as practicable, a safe and healthy environment in which students-at-risk can participate equally in all aspects of their courses and programs

• Ensuring regular training and updates for relevant FLC staff are carried out as well as reinforcement of the FLC Anaphylaxis Management Policy and Procedure and other specified Anaphylaxis issues

• Actively involving relevant FLC staff and the parents/guardians/care-givers of each student-at-risk in assessing appropriate risks, developing risk minimisation strategies and management strategies.

• Ensuring relevant FLC staff have adequate knowledge of allergies, Anaphylaxis and emergency response procedures. Provide a briefing bi-annually as per Ministerial Order 706 Part D.

• Develop an Anaphylaxis Risk Management Plan and Risk Minimisation Plan, which includes prevention strategies and is reviewed annually

• Purchasing of adult and junior adrenaline autoinjectors considering the number of students enrolled at FLC who have been diagnosed as being at risk of Anaphylaxis (Ministerial Order 706 section 6.1.3.c) & (Anaphylaxis management ACT 2008, section 5 of children’s services ACT 1996, viewed at 24/07/2014, www.legislation.vic.gov.au)

• Ensuring that an Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plan (that includes an Individual ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis) is developed by the medical practitioner in consultation with the student-at-risk together with their parent/ guardian/care-giver. This must be provided to FLC as soon as enrolment occurs (Ministerial Order 706 section 7.1.1 and 7.1.2). Note that this cannot be adjusted by anyone other than the student-at-risk’s medical practitioner

http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/

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• Reviewing the Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plan in consultation with the parents/guardians/care-givers of the student-at-risk annually, if the condition relates to allergy changes, after an anaphylactic reaction, and when a student participates in an off-site activity (Ministerial Order 706 section 7.2)

• It is the responsibility of the parent to inform FLC in writing if or when changes are made to the ASCIA Action Plan.

• Providing a copy of the FLC Anaphylaxis Management Policy and Procedure to the parent/guardian/care-giver of the student-at-risk of Anaphylaxis enrolled at the centre. This policy is included in the FLC Student Handbook

Purpose:

The aim of this policy is to:

• Minimise the risk of an anaphylactic reaction or any other severe reaction that the centre is advised of while the student-at-risk is attending FLC courses/programs. This includes on and off-site activities.

• Ensure that staff members have successfully completed the required courses in order to respond appropriately to an anaphylactic by initiating appropriate treatment, including competently administering an EpiPen®, the Anapens® or the EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjectors.

• Raise the FLC community’s awareness of Anaphylaxis and its management through education and policy implementation.

Scope:

This policy applies when a FLC student has been diagnosed by a medical practitioner as being

at risk of Anaphylaxis. It applies to students-at-risk as specified on page 1 (including children,

young people and adults) who are enrolled at FLC, their parents/guardians/care-givers and

FLC staff. It also applies to other relevant members of the service community, such as

volunteers and visiting specialists.

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life threatening allergic reaction when a person is exposed to any

kinds of allergen. Up to 2% of the general population and up to 5% of children are at risk. The

most common causes in young children are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, cow milk, fish and

shellfish, bee or other insect stings, medications and some detergents.

Young children may not be able to express the symptoms of Anaphylaxis.

A reaction can develop within minutes of exposure to the allergen, but with planning and

training, a reaction can be treated effectively by using an adrenaline auto-injector called an

EpiPen®, the Anapens® or the EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjectors.

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FLC recognises the importance of ensuring that relevant staff who are responsible for

students-at-risk of Anaphylaxis continue to undertake training that includes:

• HLTAID004 Provide an emergency first aid response in an education and care setting

• 22300VIC First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis

FLC also ensures that preventative measures to minimise the risk of an anaphylactic reaction,

recognition of the signs and symptoms of Anaphylaxis and emergency treatment, including

administration of an EpiPen® EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjectors. FLC will ensure that a

suitably qualified staff member (who has completed the training listed above) provides a

professional development briefing for all other relevant staff bi-annually.

The relevant FLC staff member should be confident to deliver the briefing and should have

recently gained competency in the HLTAID004 Provide an emergency first aid response in an

education and care setting (within the last 12 months). The facilitator may be the person

already overseeing the Anaphylaxis Management Policy and Procedures at the Centre, which

may include managing the location of adrenaline autoinjector devices (EpiPen®, the Anapens®

or the EpiPen® Jr).

The purpose of this briefing is to sustain the awareness of Anaphylaxis at FLC. It also aims to

ensure that staff remain confident in identifying the signs, symptoms and the treatment of

Anaphylaxis.

This briefing should take about 20 minutes – 30 minutes to deliver. The briefing needs to be

attended by anyone who may have to care for a student diagnosed at risk of Anaphylaxis. The

power point to be used for briefing is available in the following link:

Anaphylaxis Management Briefing Presentation (pptx - 919.57kb). This power point must be

used in accordance with Ministerial Order 706 Part D.

Staff and parents/guardians/care-givers need to made aware that it is not possible to achieve

a completely allergen free environment in any service that is open to the general community.

Staff should not have a false sense of security that an allergen has been eliminated from the

environment. Instead FLC recognises the need to adopt a range of procedures and risk

minimisation strategies to reduce the risk of students having an anaphylactic reaction,

including strategies to minimise the presence of the allergen in the service.

According to the above requirements FLC shall:

• Conduct an assessment of the potential for accidental exposure to allergens while student/s-at -risk of Anaphylaxis are enrolled at FLC and develop a risk minimisation plan for the centre in consultation with staff and the families of the student/s.

• Ensure staff responsible for student/s at risk of Anaphylaxis attend Anaphylaxis management training bi-annually.

• Inform students-at-risk who have been prescribed an EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector that they should always attend the centre with their device kit.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/health/anaphylaxisppt.pptx

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• Ensure that students-at-risk will be sent home if the EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector is past its expiry date.

• Make parents/guardians/care-givers aware of this policy, and advise that access can be gained through the FLC Student Handbook.

• Encourage ongoing communication between parents/guardians/care-givers and staff regarding the current status of the student-at-risk, this policy and procedures and its implementation.

• Display an ASCIA generic poster called Action Plan for Anaphylaxis in a key location at FLC (for example, in the relevant training room, the staff room or near the medication cabinet).

• Ensure at special events conducted, organised or attended by FLC, there is a sufficient

number of staff present who have been trained.

• Arrange for the purchase of additional adrenaline auto injectors for general use and as a

back up to those supplied by parents/guardians/caregivers.

Staff responsible for the student-at-risk of Anaphylaxis shall:

Ensure a copy of the Anaphylaxis Action Plan for all students-at-risk are visible to all staff.

Follow the Anaphylaxis Action Plan for the student-at-risk in the event of an allergic reaction,

which may progress to Anaphylaxis.

In the situation where a student who has not been diagnosed as allergic, but who appears to

be having an Anaphylaxis reaction:

• Call an ambulance immediately by dialling 000

• Commence First Aid measures

• Contact the parent, guardian or care-giver

• Contact the person to be notified in the event of illness if the parent/guardian/care-giver cannot be contacted.

• Call the Royal Children’s Hospital Anaphylaxis Support Advisory Line on 1300 725 911 for all early childhood and non-school senior secondary student Anaphylaxis management related issues

Ask all parents/guardians/care-givers, as part of the enrolment procedure, prior to

attendance at FLC by the student-at-risk, whether the potential student has allergies and

document this information on the enrolment record and/or Student Medical History &

Emergency Form. If the student has allergies, ask the parent/guardian/care-giver to provide

an Anaphylaxis Management Plan signed by a Doctor and a complete EpiPen®, Anapens® or

EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector kit.

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Ensure that the EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector kit is stored in a

location that is known to all staff, easily accessible to adults (not locked away); inaccessible to

children; and away from direct sources of heat.

Ensure that the EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector kit for each student-

at-risk of Aaphylaxis is carried by a trained adult on excursions

Regularly check the EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector expiry date. (The

manufacturer will only guarantee the effectiveness of the product to the end of the

nominated expiry month.)

Comply with the procedures outlined in Schedule 1.

Complete and update list of students identified as having medical conditions that relates to

allergy and the potential for Anaphylactic reaction as required.

Parents/guardians/care-givers of a student-at-risk of Anaphylaxis shall:

Comply with the procedures outlined in Schedule 1.

Provide a written instruction on dose of medication and direction for storage.

Inform staff, either on enrolment or on diagnosis, if after enrolment, of their child’s, young

persons or adult’s allergies.

Provide staff with the ASCIA Action Plan and a written consent to use the EpiPen®, Anapens®

or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector in line with this action plan.

Provide staff with a complete EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector kit.

Regularly check the EpiPen®, Anapens® or EpiPen® Jr adrenaline autoinjector expiry date.

Assist staff by offering information and answering any questions regarding allergies for the

student-at-risk.

Provide an up to date photo for the ASCIA Action Plan when that plan is provided to FLC as

well as when it is reviewed.

Related Documents:

Student Medical History & Emergency Form Children’s Services Child Profile Form Anaphylaxis Management Procedure