School Community Safety Order Scheme – Overview

https://player.vimeo.com/video/723185699

[Approaching the front gates of a school]

Narrator: Schools are positive places of learning and work where everyone has a right to a safe and healthy environment.

[School children at the school gates are joined by parents, carers and school staff]

Narrator: The department outlines the standards for expected behaviours from parents, carers and other adult members of the school community in the Respectful Behaviours in the School Community Policy on the department website. Schools can refer to this policy when establishing expectations for respectful behaviour from adults in the school community.

[Close up of a parent pointing at a teacher angrily. The teacher and child appear upset]

Narrator: When parents and carers behave aggressively towards staff or members of the school community, it can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health, safety and wellbeing of the staff who experience it.

[On screen text]

School Community Safety Order Scheme

[A folder appears]

Narrator: The Victorian government has introduced new provisions in the Education and Training Reform Act to establish the School Community Safety Order Scheme.

[A group of students, parents, carers and school staff, with a security icon above them]

Narrator: The Scheme strengthens the protections afforded to school staff, students and other members of the school community from harmful, threatening or abusive behaviour. The scheme applies to all schools, government and non-government, across Victoria.

[A principal at the school gates, smiling]

Narrator: The Scheme empowers authorised persons, including principals, to issue an order to certain people who engage in harmful, threatening or abusive behaviour towards the school community and other ways of managing the risks have failed.

[On screen text]

Places and events

[A location icon appears below text]

Narrator: Orders can prohibit the person from accessing the school, school-related places and events,

[On screen text]

Times

[Clock icon appears below text]

Narrator: … during specific days or hours,

[On screen text]

People

[People icon appears below text]

Narrator: … from interacting with specific staff members,

[On screen text]

Methods of communication

[Computer icon appears below text]

Narrator: … and from using certain types of communication, such as on the school’s social media pages.

[A principal and a parent, shaking hands, smiling]

Narrator: An authorised person can decide to cancel an order if the person takes specified actions, such as apologising or retracting a statement.

[A student and her parent holding hands, smiling at each other]

Narrator: Orders can also include conditions or exceptions which consider the person’s needs and the needs of their child if their child is a student at the school.

[Three judges sitting at a bench in the courthouse. One of the judges has a gavel]

Narrator: Failing to comply with an order can result in the Magistrate’s Court imposing civil penalties, such as a Compliance Order or a fine.

[On screen text]

Ministerial Guidelines

[Text appears on a folder]

Narrator: As well as the provisions of the Education and Training Reform Act, there are Ministerial Guidelines to support authorised persons to understand and utilise the scheme…

[On screen text]

Mandatory requirements

Guidance material

Examples

[Text appears on three documents]

Narrator: … and the documentation requirements. These provide mandatory requirements, guidance material and examples.

[Department of Education and Training Victoria website]

Narrator: The guidelines can be accessed from the Department of Education and Training website.

[End of transcript]

Updated 28 June 2022

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School Community Safety Order Scheme – Overview

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