NextSense has zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

Providing a child-safe environment, where children are safe, happy, and empowered is our top priority and at the heart of our decision making. We strive to create a culture that promotes speaking up, where if any of our people or affiliates see something, they say something.

NextSense is committed to the safety of all children in our care and who access our services. This includes establishing a culturally safe environment, where the identities and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from other diverse backgrounds, and children with disability are respected and valued. Furthermore, NextSense takes a child-focused approach to protecting children, where access to information, support, and processes are easy to understand and accessible.

Every person involved with NextSense—our employees, volunteers, students on placement, consultants and contractors, clients, families, and other associates—have a responsibility to understand and immediately act on the important and specific role they play to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people. This must be at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

NextSense is committed to ensuring employees are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children safe through continual education, and sector specific training. They are expected to maintain professional and behavioral standards of conduct, including:

• Acting professionally whilst showing genuine care and compassion
• Treating all people with respect regardless of their race, age, gender, language, religion, opinions, social origin, disability, or other status
• Remain alert to the indicators of child abuse and are required to report any child protection or child wellbeing concerns about the safety, welfare, or wellbeing of a child
• Take reasonable care of their own safety and the safety of children and others with whom they come into contact as part of their engagement with NextSense
• Not engage in inappropriate physical contact with children, or act in ways that may cause a child to reasonably fear that unjustified force will be used against them
• Not engage in inappropriate contact with children using the internet or other carriage services.

All staff engaged in child-related work with NextSense are required to hold a current working with children’s check throughout their employment. Additionally, all staff engaged in work requiring interaction with clients with disability are required to hold a current NDIS worker screening clearance throughout their employment.

Our organisation takes a coordinated approach to regular review of national and state-based legislation to ensure that all relevant updates are embedded in process and practice.

NextSense has responsibilities and duties defined under the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Act 1998 No 6 and the by-laws.

Our board and management ensure we achieve our objectives effectively and efficiently, and the chief executive is accountable for the performance of our organisation.

To guide our corporate governance, we have a number of formal processes, including guidelines for the appointments to the board, an integrity statement, a code of conduct and a process of performance self-appraisal by board members.

To guarantee that we offer the highest standards of support to the people who need us, NextSense has instituted a charter of Client Rights, based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).

NextSense is a charitable human service organisation. Accordingly, its board will aim to promote appropriate values and attitudes of service, integrity, financial prudence, consideration of individuals, accountability and personal responsibility.

Criteria for board membership are determined by eligibility guidelines, largely derived from relevant clauses in the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Act 1998 and the by-laws.

Members of the NextSense Board of Directors agree to be bound by this integrity statement. New appointees to the board will be required to agree to be bound by the integrity statement. Any member of the board finding herself/himself unable to meet or to continue to meet the requirements of the integrity statement must offer to resign from the board.

Prospective appointees to the NextSense Board of Directors must:

• Be, or be prepared to become, members of NextSense in accord with the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children Act;
• Have sympathy with, and be prepared to contribute to, NextSense's purpose and objectives;
• Have abilities and skills which would be of use to NextSense;
• Be compatible with and prepared to work harmoniously with existing members of the board;
• Have a range of personal and/or professional contacts from various fields of endeavour who would be of potential benefit to NextSense; and
• Have an understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a board member.

In order to ensure that the NextSense Board is constituted so as to properly discharge its duties to the members, staff and clients of NextSense, board members agree that periodically they will undertake a performance appraisal by self-analysis.

This requires the completion and signing of a questionnaire, signifying continued agreement to be bound by the requirements of the Integrity Statement.