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Term
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Definition
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Accredited Employing Authority
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An external organisation accredited by the department to provide services to state schools, for example, student welfare worker and chaplain services.
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Adult
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A person of or above 18 years of age.
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Child
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A person under 18 years of age (s.8 of the CPA).
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Child sexual offence
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An offence of a sexual nature committed by an adult in relation to a child. Includes offences against a provision in Chapter 22 or 32 of the Criminal Code.
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Colleague
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A person working in or for the same entity as another person (s.13H of the CPA). For the purposes of this procedure, the Department of Education is considered an entity. Colleagues with whom it may be appropriate to discuss a student protection matter include, but are not limited to, the principal, deputy principal, guidance officer, head of department or a teacher of the student.
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Conferral
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Giving information to a colleague, or a colleague giving information to a person working in or for the same entity for the purposes of a student protection matter (s.13H of the CPA).
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CPA
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Child Protection Act 1999 (Qld)
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Early childhood education and care professional
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For the purposes of this procedure, refers to principals, teachers and teacher aides employed in State Delivered Kindergartens.
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EGPA
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Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld)
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Employee
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A person engaged by the Department of Education to carry out work for financial reward (s.364 of the EGPA). This includes:
- school staff members (see definition);
- employees based in central and regional offices who have contact with children or students, for example senior guidance officers; and
- non-departmental employees such as employees of other departments or Accredited Employing Authorities, for example Youth Support Coordinators, school based youth health nurses, school based police officers, student welfare workers and chaplains.
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Harm
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Any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing. It is immaterial how the harm is caused. Harm can be caused by physical, psychological or emotional abuse or neglect or sexual abuse or exploitation. Harm can be caused by a single act, omission or circumstance or a series or combination of acts, omissions or circumstances. (s.9 of the CPA).
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Immediately
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The EGPA requires school staff members to immediately submit a written report regarding sexual abuse to the principal, and for the principal to immediately forward reports regarding sexual abuse to the QPS. In this context, ‘immediately’ means the report must be progressed without unreasonable delay, once a reasonable suspicion of sexual abuse or likely sexual abuse has been formed.
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In the course of employment or duties
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Any time when performing paid work or volunteer duties for the Department of Education. This includes during activities such as excursions, school camps, trips within or outside Australia, sporting activities, online activities and other extracurricular activities.
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Notifier
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For the purpose of this procedure, a person who informs Child Safety and/or QPS of a suspicion of harm or risk of harm to a student or child.
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Parent
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As defined in s.10 of the EGPA, parent means:
- A child’s mother, father, or person who exercises parental responsibility for the child.
- However, a person standing in the place of a parent of a child on a temporary basis is not a parent of the child.
- A parent of an Aboriginal child includes a person who, under Aboriginal tradition, is regarded as a parent of the child.
- A parent of a Torres Strait Islander child includes a person who, under Island custom, is regarded as a parent of the child.
- A person who is granted guardianship of the child under the CPA.
- A person who otherwise exercises parent responsibility for the child under a federal or State court order.
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Parent able and willing to protect the child from harm
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A parent with both the ability and the willingness to ensure the safety, wellbeing and best interests of the child. A parent’s ability and willingness may be evident in their statements and direct or indirect actions. (Refer to the Parent able and willing fact sheet (DoE employees only)).
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Principal
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The principal or officer in charge of a state school.
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Reasonable suspicion
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A suspicion formed on grounds that are reasonable in the circumstances. The CPA (s.13C) also states that:
- matters that may be considered when forming a reasonable suspicion include:
- whether there are detrimental effects on the child’s body or psychological or emotional state that are evident or likely to become evident in the future; and
- the nature and severity of the detrimental effects and the likelihood they will continue; and
- the child’s age.
- a reasonable suspicion may be informed by observation of the child, other knowledge of the child or any other relevant knowledge, training or experience the person forming the suspicion may have.
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Registered nurse
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A person registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law:
- to practice in the nursing profession, other than as a student; and
- in the registered nurses division of that profession.
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Reporting threshold
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The threshold at which point school staff members are required to submit a student protection report. The threshold is reached when school staff members form a reasonable suspicion that:
- a student or child has been sexually abused or is likely to be sexually abused; or
- a student or child has suffered, is suffering or is at risk of suffering significant harm and may not have a parent able and willing to protect the child from harm.
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School staff member
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An individual who is employed by the Department of Education and normally performs their daily duties within one or more state schools, whether on a temporary, permanent or casual basis. This includes, but is not limited to, principals, teachers, teacher aides, supply teachers, early childhood education and care professionals, specialist and support staff such as guidance officers, state schools registered nurses, administration staff and grounds and facilities employees.
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Sexual abuse
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For the purposes of this procedure, sexual abuse:
- includes sexual behaviour involving a student or child and another person in the following circumstances:
- the other person bribes, coerces, exploits, threatens or is violent toward the student or child;
- the student or child has less power than the other person; or
- there is a significant disparity between the student or child and the other person in intellectual capacity or maturity; and
- includes a child sexual offence.
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Significant harm
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Harm that has more than a minor impact upon a child. It must be substantial, serious and demonstrable - that is, measurable and observable on the child’s body, in the child’s functioning or behaviour.
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State Delivered Kindergarten
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State Delivered Kindergartens are a part-time (15 hour per week) kindergarten program delivered on a state school site in the year prior to formal schooling.
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State educational institution
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An institution established under Chapter 2 of the EGPA:
- at which the State provides primary, secondary or special education (s.13); or
- at which the State provides educational instruction to persons enrolled at state schools as an adjunct to the educational programs provided to the persons at the state schools, including, for example, environmental education centres and outdoor education centres (s.14); or
- which are centres for the support and development of teachers and officers of the department, student hostels or student residential colleges (s.15).
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State school
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For the purposes of this procedure, means a state educational institution.
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Student
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Any person who is enrolled at or attends a state school and for the purposes of this procedure, includes a kindergarten age child registered in a State Delivered Kindergarten.
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Student Protection Record Approver
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A OneSchool user role given to an appropriate school staff member (such as the deputy principal) so that they can finalise student protection reports in the principal’s absence.
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Suspicion
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A suspicion that a student or child has been harmed or is at risk of harm may be based on a variety of sources, including disclosures, observations, student behaviours or contact with parents and siblings.
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Teacher
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An approved teacher under the
Education (Queensland College of Teachers) Act 2005 (Qld) who is employed at a school, but does not include a teacher aide, a teacher’s assistant or a student teacher.
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Visitor
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Any person, other than an employee, who, on a one-off or regular basis:
- visits a state school or State Delivered Kindergarten; or
- has contact with students or children off-site or online;
in order to provide services to a state school or State Delivered Kindergarten. This includes volunteers and external contractors such as tradespeople, guest speakers, pre-service teachers and people assisting in the tuckshop, on excursions or at sporting activities.
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