6.14 Transporting Children and Young People
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Last Modified:
20-Jul-2023
Review Date:
01-Jun-2019
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| Purpose |
To inform residential care workers about the precaution required to maintain safety when transporting children in vehicles.
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| Practice Requirements |
- Drivers must only transport passengers who are seated with an appropriately fastened seat belt or in an appropriately fastened child restraint.
- A child must never be left in a vehicle unsupervised.
- Residential care workers must not transport children in their personal vehicles unless there are no available Department vehicles, and they have prior written approval from the home’s manager or Assistant Director. Refer Administration Manual entry RiskCover insurance.
- In the event of an accident, residential care staff must report the accident to the manager and complete the necessary Risk Cover forms as soon as practicable (access via link above).
- Residential care workers must have a current driver’s licences in the required classes before they use the Department’s vehicles. If a worker’s licence status changes, for example, suspension, loss or disqualification, he or she must inform his or her manager at the earliest possible opportunity.
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Procedures- Procedures for transporting a child or young person
Procedures for transporting a child or young person - Residential care workers considering transportation of children must consider the dynamics of the home – the child’s inter-relationships, age, gender and known history (risk).
- If a child is deemed to pose a risk to staff or others, additional supervision is required and residential care workers must be present. A community meeting can be held prior to departure to openly discuss moods, feelings, expected behaviour and then a risk assessment and plan may be required.
- All people in the vehicle must be properly restrained in seat belts or an approved baby/child restraint. The driver is responsible for any traffic infringements received whilst transporting a child. Where the behaviour of the child in the vehicle may have contributed to an infringement notice being issued the Manager must be advised as soon as possible.
- All transportation must be entered in the Log Book including the child’s name, destination and time. Residential care workers must take a mobile phone with them and the number of the phone recorded in the Log Book.
- In the event of a child escalating, causing the driver to be distracted from safely driving, the vehicle must be pulled off the road as quickly as is safely possible and the incident dealt with before proceeding. Where the child does not de-escalate and becomes a safety issue to their self or others, the Police should be called and the child monitored until they arrive. Other children in the vehicle should be kept safe and out of harm by the residential care workers. Police intervention should always be the last option.
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