It was awarded the Child Safeguarding Award for its child safe standards and procedures, and Community Marketing Campaign of the Year Award for a water safety campaign at the Aquatic and Recreation Institute (ARI NSW) Awards.
The Child Safeguarding Award recognised the council’s commitment to “embedding child-safe practices on its journey to becoming a child-safe organisation and doing its part to mitigate risk to youngest citizens”.
All staff are trained and conversant with the council’s child protection policy, framework and procedures, and aware of their obligations to care for and protect children and young people.
In addition, the council also partnered with the Integrated Violence Prevention Response Service (IVPRS), within NSW Health on a number of protective behaviour initiatives for children. The My Body! What I Say Goes! book was made available, free to families in the community, as a way for parents to start the conversation with their children.
The marketing award was for the council’s Water Safety initiative which promoted the importance of safety and awareness around waterways by educating adults and children on the importance of learning to swim and safe swimming practices, with educational materials in various languages that also highlighted the council’s learn to swim programs.
The initiative included training for council lifeguards to further understand the Cumberland CALD community and the importance of their role as lifeguards.
Awards for child safety projects
TAKING the “care and protection of children and young people seriously” has won Cumberland Council two awards.
