Health and safety
Child safety
Protecting children from harm and abuse is a priority – we all have a role to play.
The Office of Sport is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children in sport and active recreation.
We commit to:
- Protecting children from abuse, neglect or mistreatment.
- Safeguarding children participating in our programs and attending our facilities.
- Listening to children, actively seeking their feedback and taking their concerns seriously.
- Treating children fairly and with respect.
- Managing risks to prevent harm to children.
- Having zero tolerance for misconduct that causes, or may cause, harm to children.
- Continually improving how we safeguard children.
Our commitment is for all children under 18 years, from all backgrounds and of all abilities.
We work with the sector, Office of the Children’s Guardian and other lead child safe agencies to help create a safe environment at our centres.
We have a Code of Conduct Policy and a Child Safe Professional Standards Policy that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of employees in relation to safeguarding children and the standards of behaviour expected from employees that work with, alongside or have access to information about children.
Our staff have all completed Working with Children Checks and National Criminal Records checks. All staff are mandatory reporters and complete child safe training on a regular basis.
Our camp staff are among the highest qualified in the industry and undertake extensive annual training. All our instructors have tertiary qualifications and relevant industry experience in outdoor recreation.
Our camp staff are trained and qualified in Bronze Medallion, first aid, CPR, asthma and anaphylaxis treatment.
We have comprehensive policies and procedures in place around food safety. Our catering teams prepare fresh food onsite daily and are experienced in catering for complex dietary issues, cultural needs, allergies, anaphylaxis and other medical conditions.
Our camps are registered members of Outdoors NSW & ACT – the peak body for Outdoor Recreation, Education, Therapy and Adventure Tourism.
Our Standard Operating Procedures for all our activities align with the Australian Adventure Activity Standards and Related Good Practice Guides.
Medical consent form
When registering for camp you will complete the online medical and consent form.
The information you provide on the medical and consent form will help us look after your child’s needs at camp. If your child has an injury, pre-existing condition, allergy, special dietary needs or is on prescription medicines, please provide full details on this form.
If you have forgotten to include any information when registering your child, you can update their online registrations up to 21 days prior to camp. You will need to contact us to make an update after this date.
Medication
Your child should bring enough medication for the duration of their stay. All medication should be in its original packaging and clearly labelled with your child’s name, the dosage and frequency.
Asthma
If a child suffers from asthma they should have an asthma management plan provided by their doctor. They can provide this plan at the time of registration.
Accidents or emergencies
Centre staff hold first aid accreditation and can administer first aid, if required. If your child requires professional medical assistance, they will be taken to the nearest medical centre or hospital and we will notify you.
In case of emergencies, parents can contact 13 13 02 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday
Anaphylaxis
If a child suffers from anaphylaxis, they should have an anaphylaxis action plan which has been prepared by their doctor. The plan must be provided at the time of registration.
Children at risk of anaphylaxis need to bring at least one adrenaline auto injector.
On catered programs, children with food allergies are required to wear an identifying red wristband. This is an added precaution to assist staff when managing situations where food allergens may be present.
Visit our allergy awareness page to find out more about the processes and procedures in place to manage allergies and anaphylaxis.
What to wear and bring each day
We recommend wearing:
- Comfortable clothes e.g. shorts or long pants and a t-shirt and/or a jumper. Please do not wear dresses, skirts or sleeveless tops.
- Enclosed shoes e.g. joggers/runners
- Hat
- Sunscreen.
We recommend bringing each day:
- Small backpack
- Water bottle
- A change of clothes
- Raincoat
- Sunscreen, sunhat and sunglasses
- Swimming costume and rashie shirt
- A second pair of enclosed shoes to wear in the water– please note that thongs and crocs are not suitable
- Beach towel
- Plastic bags for dirty or wet clothes
- Medication (if required)
What not to bring
- Food – we have plenty of food to keep you energised throughout the day
- Mobile phones and other electronic devices
- Anything valuable - we take no responsibility for the loss or damage to a client's personal property, including money or other valuable items
Drop off and pick-up
Please ensure you are on time for both drop-off and pick-up.
Late fees apply for any children picked-up after the designated pick-up time.
Please make sure you have correctly registered the person picking up your child. For safety reasons, the person picking up your child will be required to show Photo ID.
Meals
Our qualified catering team prepare nutritious and delicious meals so your child will never go hungry at camp. If your child has any special dietary requirements or food allergies, it’s crucial that these are listed when completing the online registration form. Special diets are provided for medical conditions, religious beliefs and lifestyle choices such as vegetarians or vegans.
Many of our program participants suffer from food related allergies that vary from person to person and can be as sensitive as making contact with certain foods that will cause a serious allergic reaction.
To help us promote a safe, nut-free environment, we ask that you do not bring any food to camp.
Our allergen-free meals policy requires anyone with an intolerance, allergy or anaphylaxis reaction to a food to wear a red wrist band for easy identification. Their meals are plated separately by our catering staff and collected from a designated spot to manage risk.
Visit the Allergy awareness at our centres page for more information.
Behaviour
So that camp is a fun and safe experience for everybody, we created a participant code of behaviour for kids to follow.
The code of behaviour will be further explained to your child on arrival at camp.