Child Safe Standards

Child Safe Standards 

The Child Safe Standards require organisations involving children to have policies, procedures and practices to keep them safe.

All children have the right to feel safe and be safe, but safety does not just happen. We all have an obligation to do the best we can to keep children safe from harm and abuse.

Victoria’s Child Safe Standards (the Standards) began in Victoria in January 2016. They are a set of mandatory requirements that ensure organisations have systems, policies, and practices in place to keep children safe from abuse and harm in organisational settings. 

In each edition of the newsletter, we will outline a standard in more detail. For more information on the Child Safety Standards visit https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/

Standard 1

In complying with Child Safe Standard 1 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:

1.1    A child’s ability to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights is encouraged and actively supported.

1.2    Strategies are embedded within the organisation which equip all members to acknowledge and appreciate the strengths of Aboriginal culture and understand its importance to the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal children and young people.

1.3    Measures are adopted by the organisation to ensure racism within the organisation is identified, confronted and not tolerated. Any instances of racism are addressed with appropriate consequences.

1.4    The organisation actively supports and facilitates participation and inclusion within it by Aboriginal children, young people and their families.

1.5    All of the organisation’s policies, procedures, systems and processes together create a culturally safe and inclusive environment and meet the needs of Aboriginal children, young people and their families.