For creative organisations that work with children or young people, having a written Child Safety Policy and Procedure is a vital part of setting the rules for keeping children and young people safe. A clear, written policy that everyone understands helps make sure everyone in the organisation is on the same page.
A good Child Safety Policy and Procedure:
- is communicated — everyone knows about it
- is clear — everyone can understand it
- is accessible — everyone can find it easily and can access it
- aligns with an organisation’s values
- helps an organisation, and the people in it, to comply with child safety principals and standards and laws.
Under the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and Child Safe Standards, businesses and organisations engaging with children and young people must have a documented Child Safety Policy and Procedure. Learn more about child safety principles and standards.
When a new worker starts in an organisation, it’s good practice to:
- tell new workers about your Child Safety Policy and Procedure
- make sure they understand it and how it applies to them
- make sure they can access it easily at any time
- make sure they know who to ask if they have any questions.
Organisations can also ask workers to confirm that they have read and understood it.
Developing your Child Safety Policy and Procedure
What to include
A Child Safety Policy and Procedure should contain the following elements:
- What your organisation will do to keep children safe — in both physical and online environments.
- Who is responsible for which child safety tasks.
- How your organisation will respond to child safety concerns.
- Recruitment and checking (screening) strategies to ensure workers and volunteers who work with children are suitable and supported to do so safely. Learn more about screening (checking) people working with children.
- How people can provide feedback to the organisation on ways to improve keeping children safe.
- How often you will review your Child Safety Policy and Procedure.
How to make it fit for purpose and tailored to the workplace
- Give children and young people, parents, guardians and families an opportunity to be heard about child safety issues — both when you are developing your Policy and Procedure, and later during periodic reviews.
- Make sure it is accessible and age-appropriate for children and young people.
- Include statements about embracing diversity and cultural safety in policy and in practice.
- Require workers and volunteers to confirm they have read, understood and agree to comply with it — you can do this as part of their induction.
- If you have a Child Safety Code of Conduct — your Policy and Procedure can require that workers and volunteers confirm they have read, understood and agree to comply with the Code as part of their induction. We have information to help you create a Child Safety Code of Conduct including templates to help you get started.
How a Child Safety Policy and Procedure can help you meet child safety principles and standards
There are principles and standards that creative organisations and businesses need to understand before working with, or engaging, children and young people in creative workplaces.
Principles 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations relates to embedding child safety and wellbeing by ensuring that:
- child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
- equity is upheld and diverse needs are 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 Principles is regularly reviewed and improved
- policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
There are equivalent standards in the Child Safe Standards in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Victoria also has an additional standard for organisations to establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Learn more about child safety principles and standards.
