Child Safe Standards

This week we will look at:

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

In complying with Child Safe Standard 8 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:

8.1    Staff and volunteers are trained and supported to effectively implement the organisation’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy.

8.2    Staff and volunteers receive training and information to recognise indicators of child harm including harm caused by other children and young people.

8.3    Staff and volunteers receive training and information to respond effectively to issues of child safety and wellbeing and support colleagues who disclose harm.

8.4       Staff and volunteers receive training and information on how to build culturally safe environments for children and young people.

So what does this actually look like in a school?

Schools will generally comply if they produce these documents and undertake these actions in a way that supports the school to achieve this Standard. The nature or characteristics of your school may mean you need to do something different to what is proposed below. Read our guidance materials for more information.

Documents

• A training action plan for staff and volunteers includes training on:
  • the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy (8.1)
  • identifying indicators of child abuse and harm (8.2)
  • how to support a person making a disclosure about harm to a child (8.3)
  • how to respond to issues of child safety including internal and external reporting requirements, notifying families and carers and managing risks to children (8.3)
  • how to support cultural safety. (8.4)
• Guidance materials (such as policies, procedures, guidelines, information sheets and posters) for staff and volunteers provide guidance about:
  • identifying indicators of child abuse and harm, including where caused by other children (8.2)
  • how to respond to issues of child safety including internal and external reporting requirements, notifying families and carers and managing risks to children (8.3)
  • how to support a person disclosing harm to a child (8.3)
  • how to create culturally safe environments in the school. (8.4)