Schools - review of child safety practices regulations

Steps to compliance

1. Review

Make sure child safe policies and procedures record the date of endorsement and review date.

Remember that some policies, procedures and practices need review more frequently than ‘at least every 2 years’. These include the annual requirements to:

• monitor and review risks
• provide training and information on child safety to staff, governing authority members and as appropriate, volunteers.

2. Endorse

Reviewing and evaluating child safety and wellbeing policies, procedures and practices is not enough. The school governing authority must endorse them.

3. Implement

Compliant schools:

• review and evaluate child safety policies, procedures and practices at least every 2 years or after an incident
• analyse complaints, concerns and safety incidents to identify causes and any systemic failures
• report results of reviews to staff, volunteers, students, parents and the school community
• have a culture of continuous improvement.

Examples of common non-compliance

• A ‘set and forget’ mindset exists at the school. This means there is no evidence of review and evaluation at least every 2 years, or after significant child safety incidents.
• The review date of a child safe policy or procedure has passed.
• There is no evidence of analysis of complaints, concerns and safety incidents to identify causes and systemic failures.