What is a Child Safe Organisation?
Why should this concern me?
In line with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, all organisations who undertake ‘Child-Related Work’ must have in place policies and procedures to establish and maintain safe environments for children. These documents inform how the organisation will meet and achieve the 10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
In South Australia, these Child Safe Organisation policies and Child Safety Compliance Statements must be submitted for approval to the Department of Human Services (DHS). Once approved, these documents must reflect an ongoing review process and form part of the DHS organisational audit for child safe organisations.
Check out the DHS National Principles for child safe organisations page for more information.
The primary focus of this initiative is the building and maintaining of environments which are both child safe AND child-friendly. To achieve this, these are environments where children and young people:
are protected from all forms of harm
feel respected, valued and are encouraged to reach their full potential
are heard (through both their voice and their actions)
Check out the DHS Child Safe Environments page for more information.
Does my organisation undertake ‘Child-Related work’?
There are many different organisations which undertake ‘Child-related work’.
Some questions to consider if you think this may apply to you:
Does your organisation work with or directly provide services, activities or programs for children or young people?
Do staff at your organisation work with children and young people as clients or active participants (with or without their parents/carers in attendance)?
Does your club or organisation have junior teams, development squads, ‘come and try’ events?
Does your site or organisation provide opportunity for children and young people to stay on-site or overnight (e.g. camp sites, Zoo Snooze)?
Does your organisation provide school holiday programs or activities for children (e.g. Vac Swim, ‘Detective’ trails, Lego or animation experiences)?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, or your type of organisation is listed here, then you do provide child-related work, and are required to submit your Child Safe Organisation policy and Compliance Statement to the Department of Human Services.
These types of services or activities are considered to be ‘Child-related work’:
accommodation and residential services for children (e.g camps, respite/foster care providers)
services or activities provided by religious organisations (e.g. Sunday school, kids club, youth group)
childcare or child-minding services (e.g. child care centres, early learning centres, creche’s, baby-sitting or in-home care)
child protection services
services or activities provided in the course of the operation of clubs and associations with a significant membership of, or involvement by, children (e.g. sports clubs, dance schools, playgroups, life-saving clubs, Scouts/Guides)
coaching or tuition services for children (e.g. swim schools, tutoring, tennis coaching)
commercial services provided directly to children (e.g. indoor play centres, outdoor adventure parks)
disability services for children
education services for children
health services for children (e.g. Occupational therapy, Speech therapy, physiotherapy, family medical centres)
justice and detention services for children
transport services for children (e.g school bus/taxi drivers, driving instructors)
the provision of traffic control at, or other supervision of, school pedestrian crossings - YES! Even the lollipop people!
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
How can I help you?
Having spent 20 years teaching early childhood students how to write policies and procedures relative to their work with children, I am highly experienced in assisting groups of all diversities with achieving compliance.
I have developed a 6-hour workshop to facilitate your organisations’ understanding of the National Child Safe Principles, and can deliver this on-site at your organisation.
During the workshop, we will work through the ‘Introductory Self-assessment Tool for Organisations’ together, with specific consideration to your organisation.
I will provide assistance to your organisation in identifying the required policies and procedures, evaluating your existing documents, and support you to develop new documents to enable your organisation to achieve DHS approval.
The $600 package includes the 6hr workshop AND up to 4 hours of my consultancy time.
Additional consultancy time will be invoiced as accrued.
Can you support us without the 6-hr workshop?
Yes.
If your organisation already has child safe policies and procedures, I can assist you by providing professional consultancy to review your documentation through a child safe organisational lens. It is always valuable to have your documentation viewed by an independent third party, to highlight any deficits.
Professional consultancy is invoiced to the organisation - $60 per hour (minimum of 4 hrs)