Safety House Program
The Safety House Program is a national Australian community based and funded program designed for the safety of children while in transit to and from school. Houses and businesses are selected as safe places for children to seek shelter and safety if required. Applicants must undergo criminal history checks and other checks by the organisation.
Safety House in Western Australia: The Safety House program first commenced in the zone of Wooranna Park Primary School, North Dandenong, Victoria in 1979. In Western Australia, Warriapendi Primary School, Balga commenced the Safety House program in July 1983 and Lesmurdie Primary School commenced in November 1983. Many more primary schools in the Perth metropolitan and WA country areas have become involved in the Safety House program since then.
The Safety House Association of Western Australia Inc. was set up in October 1983 and is an Incorporated Association with full support and co-operation from the WA Department of Education and the Western Australian Police.
The Association carries Volunteer Worker Injury and Public Liability insurance policies that cover all Safety House Committee Coordinators and Committee Members whilst they are undertaking any volunteer work on behalf of the Association. It is strongly recommended that all individual Safety Houses ensure that they have adequate insurance cover for their personal needs. Just as with Neighbourhood Watch WA, being a member of the Safety House program should not make any difference to the resident’s existing insurance cover situation but they are definitely not covered by any Safety House WA insurance policy.
All Safety House WA volunteers and staff aged 14 years and over are subject to a mandatory rigorous continuous police check as a pre-condition of being registered as a volunteer with the Association. There is no charge to the applicant or to the Safety House Committee for this police check and the check is continually reviewed until the applicant leaves the Safety House program.
The Management Committee is elected by the Association Membership at the Annual General Meeting and includes representatives of major organisations involved in primary schooling and child safety. The Management Committee is responsible for policy and strategic direction of the Association and holds General Meetings each term at which all Members are welcome.
The State Head Office is located in the scenic grounds of Waddington Primary School in Koondoola and employs a small full time staff to coordinate and manage the Safety House program throughout WA. Safety House WA staff work with primary school Parent Associations across the state to establish local Safety House Committees. The Safety House WA Head Office also supplies advice, assistance and resources to local Safety House Committees.
The local Safety House Committee involves their local community in setting up, operating and monitoring Safety Houses in their area. A local Safety House Committee Coordinator runs their local program and has a vitally important role to regularly monitor all Safety Houses in their area. This is to ensure that standards of safety for children are maintained and that Safety House signs are current and clearly visible to any child needing assistance. The local Safety House Committee is also active in the school and community to promote and raise awareness of the benefits of the Safety House program.
Website: www.safetyhousewa.org.au
In New South Wales the Safety House Program has been discontinued in favour of a new program designed to provide children with simple strategies to help ensure their own personal safety. [1]
History
The program was established in North Dandenong, Victoria, Australia in 1979.[2] New South Wales took up the program in April, 1984.
See also
- National Safe Place (US)
- Block Parent Program (Canada)
References
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/nswpoliceforce/posts/155552987813842?comment_id=1617595 NSW Police Force Facebook post
- ^ http://www.policensw.com/info/gen/n17.html New South Wales Police Safety House Program Archived August 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
External links
www.safetyhousewa.org.au - Safety House Western Australia
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