Safe to Learn, Safe to Belong | 2026 Child Safety Summit

Does every child in your community language school feel safe, heard and able to speak up? Would every adult know what to do if a concern were raised? What does child safety look like in practice, not just on paper? Join us at Safe to Learn, Safe to Belong, a practical half-day summit for community language school leaders, teachers, volunteers and Child Safety Officers. This interactive summit moves beyond policy and compliance to explore how the Victorian Child Safe Standards can be embedded into everyday governance, leadership, teaching and volunteer practice. You will leave with practical tools, resources and strategies that you can begin using from your very next session. Because policies protect children only when people put them into practice. What You Will Gain • Build a shared, practical understanding of the 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards and how they connect. • Clarify the responsibilities of school leaders, teachers, volunteers and Child Safety Officers. • Increase your confidence in recognising concerns, responding appropriately and following your school’s established reporting and escalation procedures. • Strengthen child voice, cultural safety, family involvement, equity, inclusion and online safety in community school practice. • Leave with one immediate priority action and a practical take-home resource relevant to your role. Why This Matters Now Child safety is not a once-a-year compliance task. It is an ongoing, shared responsibility shaped by everyday decisions: how adults listen, establish appropriate boundaries, involve families, manage physical and online environments, support volunteers and respond when a concern is raised. Many community language schools operate through volunteer teams, multi-age classes, shared facilities, close community networks and online learning environments. These are important strengths, but they also make it essential that responsibilities, boundaries, reporting pathways and expectations are understood and applied consistently. Victoria’s 11 Child Safe Standards apply to language schools. They make clear that child safety belongs to the whole organisation (not only the Child Safety Officer) and must be embedded across leadership, governance, culture, child participation, family engagement, equity, staff and volunteer practice, complaints processes, risk management and continuous improvement. This summit will help every role group move from knowing the Standards to applying them confidently and consistently in real community language school situations. Program 10:00am–10:15am Opening and Acknowledgement of Country 10:15am–11:00am Keynote presentation Embedding Child Safety Standards into Everyday Practice Presented by Belinda Grooby (CLV's Child Safety & Compliance Manager) 11:00am–11:30am Morning tea and networking 11:30am–1:00pm Concurrent workshops, choose one workshop when registering Workshops Participants will select one of three focused workshops. School-Focused Workshop For principals, coordinators, administrators, committee members and board members. Explore how leadership, governance, culture, volunteer systems and shared accountability work together to create a child-safe organisation. Teacher-Focused Workshop For paid and volunteer teachers, classroom assistants and others working directly with children. Explore child voice, professional boundaries, recognising concerns, responding appropriately and building safer everyday learning environments. Child Safety Officer-Focused Workshop For Child Safety Officers, child safety leads and designated contacts. Strengthen role clarity and explore practical approaches to receiving concerns, guiding staff, documenting information, escalating appropriately and supporting consistent school-wide responses. Workshop Format Each 90-minute workshop will include: • Welcome and Reality Check—10 minutes • Standards in Practice—20 minutes • Resource Spotlight—15 minutes • Case Study—30 minutes • From Learning to Action—10 minutes • Questions and Reflection—5 minutes Who Should Attend? • Principals, administrators and coordinators • Committee and board members • Paid and volunteer teachers • Classroom assistants and other volunteers working with children • Child Safety Officers, child safety leads and designated contacts Event Details When Sunday 20 September 2026 10:00am–1:00pm AEST Where Learning and Teaching Building—Building 92 19 Ancora Imparo Way Monash University Clayton Campus Clayton VIC 3800 Tickets Face-to-face: $20 Online: $15 Face-to-Face Tickets Include • The whole-group opening and keynote presentation • Participation in one selected workshop • Morning tea • Networking with community language school educators and leaders Online Tickets Include • Access to Opening + Keynote presentation and one selected workshop livestreamed via Zoom Spaces are limited. Secure your place early. Child Safe Event Statement Community Languages Victoria is committed to child safety and to upholding the Victorian Child Safe Standards. Sessions at this summit will include discussion of child safety concerns, disclosures and response processes. Some content may feel sensitive. Participants may step out of a session at any time and speak with a CLV staff member if assistance is needed. This summit provides general professional learning and does not replace your school’s policies, reporting procedures or legal obligations.