Documenting policies and procedures ensures consistent application of child safe practices across the organisation. It also enables organisations to examine, through review processes, adherence to child safety and wellbeing principles and practices.
Child safe organisations should clearly document their child safety and wellbeing policy, ensuring that all stakeholders, including organisational staff and volunteers, children and young people and their families and carers, are aware of how the organisation is meeting its obligations to create an environment that is safe for children (Australian Human Rights Commission 2018).
A number of policy templates are included below, intended to assist your organisation’s implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and to create strategies to increase child safety and wellbeing in organisations. All children have the right to be safe and feel secure in a safe and healthy environment, be it physical, emotional or social.
Policy templates provide a starting point and key strategies for organisations, including not for profit and volunteer-involving organisations, where there may be limited capacity for implementation. Organisational child safety is not only demonstrated through written policies, but through everyday behaviours, decision-making and organisational cultures. The below templates should be adapted to reflect your own organisation’s values, services, communities, and approach to child safety, to ensure meaningful implementation of the National Principles.
Together, these documents can demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to child safety and how it is embedded in every day practice.
Organisations’ child safe policies and procedures should be publicly available and promoted regularly.
- Child safe awareness policy template – Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety.
- Child safety and wellbeing policy template – Australian Human Rights Commission.
A suite of child safety templates have been amended, with permission from the NSW’s Office of the Children’s Guardian, for use in Western Australia to support implementation of the National Principles:
- Statement of Commitment to Child Safety template (Word, 78KB)
- Child Safe Code of Conduct template (Word, 89KB)
- Child Safe Policy template (Word, 97KB)
- Child Safe Reporting Policy template (Word, 110KB)
- Child Safe Risk Management Plan template (Word,200KB)
The Department of Communities acknowledges the collaboration between jurisdictions to adapt and promote child safe templates, for use by organisations in Western Australia. This adaptation has been undertaken with respect for the original work and in recognition of the significant expertise and effort contributed by the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian.
You can find additional resources via National Principle 1: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
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