Child Safe Standards At The Family Co. we recognise and abide by The Child Safe Standards as set by the NSW Government Office of the Children's Guardian What are the Child Safe Standards The Child Safe Standards provide a framework for creating child safe organisations. They are designed to drive cultural change to create, maintain and improve child safe practices. When organisations apply the Standards they build a culture where abuse of children is prevented, responded to and reported. The Standards are based on the extensive research and consultation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. They provide clear guidance for organisations to create cultures, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first to keep them safe from harm. All organisations that work with children can implement the Child Safe Standards and continually work to improve their child safe practices. Child Safe Standards Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture. The organisation publicly commits to child safety and leaders champion a child safe cultureChild safety is a shared responsibility at all levels of the organisationRisk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to childrenStaff and volunteers comply with a code of conduct that sets clear behavioural standards towards childrenStaff and volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.Children are able to express their views and are provided opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their livesThe importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, helping children feel safe and be less isolatedChildren can access abuse prevention programs and informationStaff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children to communicate and raise their concerns Families and communities are informed and involvedFamilies have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their child and participate in decisions affecting their childThe organisation engages in open, two-way communication with families and communities about its child safety approach and relevant information is accessibleFamilies and communities have a say in the organisation’s policies and practicesFamilies and communities are informed about the organisation’s operations and governance Equity is upheld and diversity is taken into accountThe organisation actively anticipates children’s diverse circumstances and responds effectively to those with more vulnerabilitiesAll children have access to information, support and complaints processesThe organisation pays particular attention to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, children who identify as LGBTQIA+ and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds People working with children are suitable and supportedRecruitment, including advertising and screening, emphasises child safetyRelevant staff and volunteers have Working With Children ChecksAll staff and volunteers receive an appropriate induction and are aware of their child safety responsibilities, including reporting obligationsSupervision and people management have a child safety focus Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focusedThe organisation has a child-focused complaint-handling system that is understood by children, staff, volunteers and familiesThe organisation has an effective complaint-handling policy and procedure which clearly outline roles and responsibilities, approaches to dealing with different types of complaints and obligations to act and reportComplaints are taken seriously, responded to promptly and thoroughly, and reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and trainingRelevant staff and volunteers receive training on the nature and indicators of child maltreatment, particularly organisational child abuseStaff and volunteers receive training on the organisation’s child safe practices and child protectionRelevant staff and volunteers are supported to develop practical skills in protecting children and responding to disclosures Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occurRisks in the online and physical environments are identified and mitigated without compromising a child’s right to privacy and healthy developmentThe online environment is used in line with the organisation’s code of conduct and relevant policies Implementation of the Child Safety Standards is continuously reviewed and improvedThe organisation regularly reviews and improves child safe practicesThe organisation analyses complaints to identify causes and systemic failures to inform continuous improvement Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safePolicies and procedures address all Child Safe StandardsPolicies and procedures are accessible and easy to understandBest practice models and stakeholder consultation inform the development of policies and proceduresLeaders champion and model compliance with policies and proceduresStaff understand and apply the policies and procedures Last update: 07 March 2025 Please refer to NSW Office of the Children's Guardian for the latest version and more information. 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The Child Safe Standards provide a framework for creating child safe organisations. They are designed to drive cultural change to create, maintain and improve child safe practices. When organisations apply the Standards they build a culture where abuse of children is prevented, responded to and reported.
The Standards are based on the extensive research and consultation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. They provide clear guidance for organisations to create cultures, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first to keep them safe from harm. All organisations that work with children can implement the Child Safe Standards and continually work to improve their child safe practices. Child Safe Standards Child safety is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture. The organisation publicly commits to child safety and leaders champion a child safe cultureChild safety is a shared responsibility at all levels of the organisationRisk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to childrenStaff and volunteers comply with a code of conduct that sets clear behavioural standards towards childrenStaff and volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.Children are able to express their views and are provided opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their livesThe importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, helping children feel safe and be less isolatedChildren can access abuse prevention programs and informationStaff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children to communicate and raise their concerns Families and communities are informed and involvedFamilies have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their child and participate in decisions affecting their childThe organisation engages in open, two-way communication with families and communities about its child safety approach and relevant information is accessibleFamilies and communities have a say in the organisation’s policies and practicesFamilies and communities are informed about the organisation’s operations and governance Equity is upheld and diversity is taken into accountThe organisation actively anticipates children’s diverse circumstances and responds effectively to those with more vulnerabilitiesAll children have access to information, support and complaints processesThe organisation pays particular attention to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, children who identify as LGBTQIA+ and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds People working with children are suitable and supportedRecruitment, including advertising and screening, emphasises child safetyRelevant staff and volunteers have Working With Children ChecksAll staff and volunteers receive an appropriate induction and are aware of their child safety responsibilities, including reporting obligationsSupervision and people management have a child safety focus Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focusedThe organisation has a child-focused complaint-handling system that is understood by children, staff, volunteers and familiesThe organisation has an effective complaint-handling policy and procedure which clearly outline roles and responsibilities, approaches to dealing with different types of complaints and obligations to act and reportComplaints are taken seriously, responded to promptly and thoroughly, and reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met Staff are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and trainingRelevant staff and volunteers receive training on the nature and indicators of child maltreatment, particularly organisational child abuseStaff and volunteers receive training on the organisation’s child safe practices and child protectionRelevant staff and volunteers are supported to develop practical skills in protecting children and responding to disclosures Physical and online environments minimise the opportunity for abuse to occurRisks in the online and physical environments are identified and mitigated without compromising a child’s right to privacy and healthy developmentThe online environment is used in line with the organisation’s code of conduct and relevant policies Implementation of the Child Safety Standards is continuously reviewed and improvedThe organisation regularly reviews and improves child safe practicesThe organisation analyses complaints to identify causes and systemic failures to inform continuous improvement Policies and procedures document how the organisation is child safePolicies and procedures address all Child Safe StandardsPolicies and procedures are accessible and easy to understandBest practice models and stakeholder consultation inform the development of policies and proceduresLeaders champion and model compliance with policies and proceduresStaff understand and apply the policies and procedures Last update: 07 March 2025 Please refer to NSW Office of the Children's Guardian for the latest version and more information.