Mount Burnett Observatory Child Safe Code of Conduct 

This Code of Conduct outlines appropriate standards of behaviour by adults towards children. 

The Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce any opportunities for abuse or harm to occur. It also helps Mount Burnett Observatory (MBO) volunteers by providing them with guidance on how to best support children and how to avoid or better manage difficult situations. All volunteers are required to comply. 

All Mount Burnett Observatory volunteers are responsible for promoting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by: 

• adhering to our Commitment to Child Safety, and other policies
• taking all reasonable steps to protect children from abuse 
• treating everyone with respect, including listening to and valuing their ideas and opinions 
• welcoming all children and their families and carers and being inclusive 
• respecting cultural, religious and political differences and acting in a culturally sensitive way 
• modelling appropriate adult behaviour 
• listening to children and responding to them appropriately 
• reporting and acting on any breaches of this Code of Conduct, complaints or concerns
• complying with our guidelines on physical contact with children
• working with children in an open and transparent way – other adults should always know about the work you are doing with children 
• respecting the privacy of children and their families, and only disclosing information to people who have a need to know. 

MBO volunteers must NOT: 

• seek to use children in any way to meet the needs of adults
• ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse
• use prejudice, oppressive behaviour or language with children 
• engage in rough physical games 
• discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability or sexuality 
• initiate unnecessary physical contact with children or do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves, such as toileting or changing clothes 
• develop ‘special’ relationships with specific children or show favouritism through the provision of gifts or inappropriate attention 
• exchange personal contact details such as phone number, social networking site or email addresses with children 
• have unauthorised contact with children and young people online or by phone.