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 7

In complying with Child Safe Standard 7 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:

7.1 The organisation has an accessible, child-focused complaint handling policy which clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of leadership, staff and volunteers, approaches to dealing with different types of complaints, breaches of relevant policies or the Code of Conduct and obligations to act and report.

7.2 Effective complaint handling processes are understood by children and young people, families, staff and volunteers, and are culturally safe.

7.3 Complaints are taken seriously and responded to promptly and thoroughly.

7.4 The organisation has policies and procedures in place that address reporting of complaints and concerns to relevant authorities, whether or not the law requires reporting, and co-operates with law enforcement.

7.5 Reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met.

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