The Victorian Government has updated this year the ChildSafe Standards that any organisation that provides services for children must adhere too.

The new Child Safe Standards and Ministerial Order 1359 commenced 1st July, 2022.

The 11 new Standards are:

Child Safe Standard 1 –Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued
Child Safe Standard 2 –Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture
Child Safe Standard 3 –Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
Child Safe Standard 4 –Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing
Child Safe Standard 5 –Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice
Child Safe Standard 6 –People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice
Child Safe Standard 7 –Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused
Child Safe Standard 8 –Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training
Child Safe Standard 9 –Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed
Child Safe Standard 10 –Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved
Child Safe Standard 11 –Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people

The new Child Safe Standards build on the current Standards, with changes and new requirements for organisations including early childhood services.

Consultation with families is an important focus of the new standards. This can be achieved through schools involving families and communities in their efforts to keep children and young people safe. Changes to the Standards also include a greater focus on cultural safety for Aboriginal children and young people with the belief that if they feel connected to their culture and feel safe to be themselves in an organisation, this better protects them from abuse. There is also a greater focus around better managing the risk of child abuse in online environments.

There are a number of policies that sit under the Child Safe Standards, which must be localised for each service.

We have created a link on our website for family consultation on specific policies that relate to child safety.

Here is the link:

https://www.oakleighps.vic.edu.au/kinder-policies

Feedback can be shared via email to

kinderadmin@oakleighps.vic.edu.au

Important dates