This course is only accessible with an invitation from Araya. Check your email for your access code — it was sent after your application was approved, or by an Araya coordinator.
Before you start working with Araya students, complete this course. It covers the practical tools and requirements that keep children safe, and the Queensland laws and standards behind them. About 35–40 minutes, and your progress is saved on our server, so you can pause and resume from any device.
1Why child safety matters
2Recognising harm & grooming behaviour
3Responding to disclosures
4Boundaries, conduct & communication
5Online safety & digital communication
6Supervision & safe practice tools
7Screening & compliance requirements
8Regulations & legislation
9Cultural safety & inclusion
10Reporting procedures
11Quiz & certificate
This course is training material, not legal advice. It summarises key obligations in plain language — Araya's full policies at arayatuition.com/child-safety.html and the linked official sources remain authoritative.
Module 1 of 10
Why child safety matters
Every young person who comes to Araya has the right to feel safe, respected and heard — regardless of ability, background, culture or family circumstances.
Child safety is everyone's responsibility, not just leadership's or the Designated Child Safety Officer's.
The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (agreed by all Australian governments in 2019) set the benchmark every child-facing organisation is expected to meet: child safety embedded in leadership and culture, children's views heard, families and communities informed, diversity respected, robust HR and screening, staff equipped with knowledge and skills, and safety reviewed and improved over time.
These aren't optional extras. As of 2025–26, Queensland's Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 turns equivalent standards into a direct legal requirement for organisations like Araya — more in Module 8.
Most harm to children is preventable when adults consistently follow simple, visible safe-practice habits — that's what the rest of this course covers.
Module 2 of 10
Recognising harm & grooming behaviour
Harm can be physical, emotional, sexual or neglect — including online harm. You don't need to be certain something is wrong to act; a genuine concern is enough.
Signs worth noticing in a child
Unexplained injuries, fearfulness around a particular adult, or sudden changes in behaviour, mood or attendance.
Language or knowledge that seems advanced for a child's age, or a child who seems constantly hungry, unwashed or unsupervised.
A child hinting at something without saying it directly — take hints seriously, don't dismiss them.
Grooming behaviour to watch for — in anyone
Consistently seeking one-on-one time or private contact with the same child.
Excessive gifts, favouritism, or special treatment that singles a child out.
Gradually testing or normalising boundary violations — physical contact, secrecy, "just between us" language.
Trying to isolate a child from peers, family or other supervising adults.
These patterns matter for your own conduct too — Module 4 covers how to stay clearly on the right side of every one of them.
Module 3 of 10
Responding to disclosures
Stay calm and listen. Don't show shock, anger or disbelief.
Never promise secrecy. Tell the child you need to share this with someone who can help.
Don't investigate or interrogate. Asking leading questions can compromise a later formal process — let the child speak in their own words, and don't press for details.
Record what was said as soon as possible, using the child's own words, with date, time, location and who else was present.
Report it immediately to the Designated Child Safety Officer — see Module 10 for exactly who and how.
Keep it confidential. Only share details with people who genuinely need to know as part of the response — not with colleagues out of curiosity or concern.
Module 4 of 10
Boundaries, conduct & communication
Keep all communication professional. Use Araya's approved channels only — no private messaging, calling or connecting with students on personal social media.
Avoid one-on-one, unsupervised situations wherever possible. If a private conversation is unavoidable, stay within sight of others, in an open space.
Never transport a student alone off an approved, logged trip.
No gifts, favours or special treatment that could single a student out or blur the adult–child boundary. No physical affection beyond what's appropriate and student-initiated (e.g. a high-five, not an adult-initiated hug).
Never post, share or request photos or videos of a student without the specific consent already recorded by admin — see Module 5.
Never give a student your personal phone number, home address, or add them on personal social media, even after they turn 18 while still connected to the program.
If you're ever unsure whether something crosses a line, treat that uncertainty itself as a reason to check with the Designated Child Safety Officer before proceeding.
Module 5 of 10
Online safety & digital communication
All digital contact with a student goes through Araya-approved platforms and devices only — never your personal phone, email or social media.
Never accept or send friend/follow requests to or from a current student on personal social media.
Photos or videos of students may only be taken on approved devices, with consent already recorded by admin, and stored/shared only through approved channels — never personal phones or personal cloud storage.
If a student sends you something concerning through an approved channel, treat it like any other disclosure: don't over-engage or investigate yourself, and report it to the Designated Child Safety Officer.
Be a good model of online safety yourself — students are increasingly at risk from online grooming and harm, and consistent, visible good practice from adults reinforces what's normal and safe.
Module 6 of 10
Supervision & safe practice tools
These are the everyday tools Araya uses to keep sessions safe and accountable — use them every time, not just when it's convenient.
Sign-in / sign-out registers at every session, so it's always clear who is present, who supervised, and when each student arrived and left.
Visible, open spaces. Tutor and mentor in areas other adults can see into — never behind a closed door with a single student.
Two-adult presence wherever the program can arrange it, especially for evening or one-to-one sessions.
Attendance and incident records kept promptly and accurately — these records protect students and staff alike if a concern is ever raised later.
Transport logs for volunteer drivers: date, student(s), route, and pickup/drop-off times, held on file.
Working-alone check-ins: if a session genuinely can't have two adults present, let your coordinator know in advance and when it starts/finishes.
Module 7 of 10
Screening & compliance requirements
Blue Card (Working with Children Check) — in Queensland, it is a legal requirement to hold a valid Blue Card, or an approved exemption, before starting any child-related work, paid or volunteer. This applies to teachers, tutors, mentors and drivers alike. Details: Blue Card Services.
A Blue Card is issued after a national criminal history check and ongoing monitoring — it isn't a one-off check. If new police information arises, Blue Card Services can suspend or cancel a card at any time, which is why Araya checks card status regularly rather than only at the start.
Blue Cards are renewed every 3 years — it's the card holder's responsibility to renew before it expires.
Some roles may be eligible for an exemption (for example, a parent volunteering only for their own child's activities) — exemptions must still be declared and verified, never assumed.
Other standard checks: identity verification, referee checks, and a signed staff/volunteer declaration confirming suitability and agreement to Araya's code of conduct.
It is a criminal offence in Queensland to carry out child-related work without a valid Blue Card or exemption — this is not just an internal Araya rule.
Module 8 of 10
Regulations & legislation
Araya's policies exist because of real, current laws and national standards. You don't need to memorise these — just understand what each one is for. Links go to the official source.
The law behind the Blue Card system. It sets out who must be screened before working or volunteering with children, and makes it an offence to carry out child-related work without a valid card or exemption.
Queensland's core child protection framework. It defines "harm" to a child, sets out the state's response to protection concerns, and requires consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies in decisions affecting First Nations children.
Current and newly in force. Establishes Child Safe Standards for organisations that provide services to children (phased in October 2025 – April 2026), and a Reportable Conduct Scheme — live from 1 July 2026 — requiring organisations to notify and investigate certain worker conduct concerns, even after someone has left. Overseen by the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC).
Makes discrimination unlawful on the basis of attributes including race, impairment, religion, sex and more — the legal basis for treating every student and family fairly, covered further in Module 9.
Governs how Araya collects, stores and shares personal information about students and families — the reason session notes, records and photos are only shared through approved channels and kept secure.
Module 9 of 10
Cultural safety & inclusion
Araya's students and families come from a wide range of cultural, migrant and refugee backgrounds. Safety isn't just physical — it includes feeling respected, understood and free from discrimination, as required under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld).
Be mindful of language barriers, cultural or religious practices, and different family structures — ask rather than assume, and involve family appropriately in decisions about a child.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, extra consultation obligations apply under the Child Protection Act 1999 — decisions should involve appropriate community and agency consultation.
A child who doesn't feel culturally safe is less likely to speak up if something is wrong — inclusive, respectful practice is itself a child safety measure, not a separate concern.
Module 10 of 10
Reporting procedures
Inside Araya
Report any concern, disclosure or incident to the Designated Child Safety Officer as soon as possible — the same day, not "when convenient."
Use the Child Safety Concern Form to record what happened, in factual language, with dates and names.
You will never be criticised for reporting a genuine concern that turns out to be unfounded — staying silent is the greater risk.
If a child is in immediate danger
Call 000 for Police or Ambulance.
External Queensland contacts
Child Safety After Hours Service Centre: 1800 177 135 (statewide, after hours).
Policelink (non-urgent police matters): 131 444.
QFCC receives organisation-level Reportable Conduct Scheme notifications — that step is an admin/leadership responsibility, but every staff member should know it exists.
External agencies can be contacted directly by anyone, at any time — reporting internally first is Araya's process, but it is never a barrier to reporting externally if a child is at risk.
Knowledge check
Quiz
12 questions covering everything above. Answer them all, then submit — your score is recorded for Araya's records, and you can review any module again first using Back.
Course complete
Well done — you've finished Child Safety Foundations
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Certificate of Completion
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Child Safety Foundations — Onboarding Course
10 modules covering safe practice tools, screening requirements, and Queensland child protection regulations
