On 11th July 2024 the Committee of the MCC Croquet Club endorsed:

• Croquet Australia's Child Safeguarding Policy;
• Croquet Victoria's Child Safe Code of Conduct; and
• Croquet Victoria's Commitment to Safeguarding Children and Young People.

Minutes are available confirming this endorsement and we hereby declare that our organisation will meet the expectations outlined in the above policies.

This includes the legislated 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards:

1. Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experience of Aboriginal Children and Young People are respected and valued.
2. Embed Child Safety and Wellbeing in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
3. Empower Children and Young People so that they know their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
4. Inform and engage families in respect to child safety and wellbeing.
5. Ensure that equity & diversity is upheld through our policies and practices.
6. Engage volunteers and officials to ensure that they are suitable to work with Children and Young People.
7. Handle complaints and concerns promptly, thoroughly and with a child focused approach.
8. Educate volunteers, staff (if applicable) and officials to provide them with the knowledge and skills to keep children and young people safe.
9. Promote the safety & wellbeing of Children and Young People through physical and online environments.
10. Review and improve our child safe policies, procedures, and practices regularly.
11. Role model behaviour and actions documented in policies, procedures and practices guiding how our organisation is safe for Children and Young People.

To meet the above Child Safe expectations, the Club / Regional Association will:

1. Commit:
   1. Minutes are available on request.
   2. Promote this declaration widely through the club network eg. Notifying our email database, and displaying in clubrooms etc.
   3. Appoint a Child Safety Officer.
2. Implement — Regular discussions and actions are taken to meet the above 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards (see Croquet Victoria’s new Child Safety webpage for support resources).
3. Learn and Embed — Continuously learn to build a welcoming, safe and inclusive culture in our organisation through:
   1. discussions with children & young people, families and adults involved in our organisation;
   2. education through awareness workshops and resources provided; and
   3. regular committee and broader reviews of our policies, procedures and practices.

DECLARATION DETAILS

1. Club/Association - MCC Croquet Club;
2. Our Child Safe Officer is Margo Kelly;
3. Minutes of our Meeting endorsing the Child Safeguarding Policy are available on request.

Signed on behalf of the Club / Association

   President of MCC Croquet Club
   Wayne Lewis

Statement of Recognition