Child safety and wellbeing

State your commitment to child safety:

• on the home page of your approved provider and service websites
• in public areas of the service such as the reception area
• in your service philosophy and policies
• in service newsletters, recruitment and enrolment materials
• in training and induction for all staff and volunteers
• make child safety an agenda item for discussion at every staff meeting.
  

The approved provider and service leaders must:

• promote and model child safety:
  • set clear expectations around child safety
  • ensure the service’s Child Safe Environment policy (Child Safe Environment policy) is followed by all staff and volunteers.
• ensure zero tolerance to racism at the service:
  • complaints and concerns are taken seriously
  • anti-racism information is visible and accessible for all.
    

The approved provider:

• must put governance and management systems in place that allow them to see whether risk assessment and management is working properly at the service.

Service leaders must:

• regularly review the service’s performance in delivering child safety and wellbeing
• identify, prevent and reduce risks of child abuse and harm at the service
• use a risk assessment and risk management approach.

This means that service leaders:

• Conduct a risk assessment of abuse and harm to children that considers:
  • the service setting
  • service activities, including excursion and transportation
  • all adults at the service including staff, volunteers, parents, carers and visitors
  • physical environments, and
  • digital technology and the online environment.
• Manage the risks identified by putting in place:
  • systems
  • policies and procedures
  • information
  • training and
  • support.

Leaders should:

• review all risk assessment and risk management strategies regularly. This should happen if there are changes to:
  • legislation
  • policy, or
  • the physical or online environment at the service.
• Child abuse risks should be:
  • monitored
  • reviewed, and
  • evaluated regularly.
• If there are new risks, update your service policies and procedures.
• Make sure all your governance arrangements prioritise protecting children. This includes:
  • your service philosophy
  • all policies and procedures and practices.

Your service’s Code of Conduct must:

• be publicly available
• be the basis of induction and training so everyone is aware of its contents
• outline acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, and the consequences for breaching it
• apply to everyone at the service, including all adults and children
• require everyone at the service to disclose any potential conflicts of interest (once known, the conflict of interest must be managed)
• be reviewed and updated following any incidents, complaints, concerns or near misses.

• Promote regular open discussion on child safety issues at:
  • staff meetings
  • leadership team meetings
  • supervision meetings and annual reviews
  • at parent information meetings
  • during conversations between educators and parents at pick up/drop off.
• Support people everyone to disclose any child safety concerns or complaints.
  • report back to complainants about the actions taken as a result of their complaint.

Keeping good records helps ensure accountability and transparency.

Make sure everyone in the service:

• knows what information can be shared while respecting privacy
• attends training on information sharing and child safety laws. Or invite a speaker to present to staff.
• understands their record keeping obligations:
  • what records to keep about incidents, concerns or complaints of abuse or harm to a child
  • when to make them (as soon as possible to the time of the incident)
  • what format to keep records (electronic or hardcopy)
  • where to store the records (electronic and hardcopy)
  • why record keeping is important (so complaints or abuse allegations can be investigated properly).
• provide regular refresher training to all staff and volunteers on their reporting obligations. This should include:
  • reporting through the service’s internal processes
  • external reporting including to police and child protection
  • reporting to the Victorian Regulatory Authority, the Quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD).
    

• Consult with staff, volunteers, families and experts when reviewing policies and systems.
• Ask children:
  • what matters to them
  • what makes them feel safe, and
  • whether the service's child safety strategies are meeting their needs.

The two NQF Safety Guides include information and practical guidance:

The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) have information for all types of organisations that must comply with the Child Safe Standards. This includes:

• CCYP | Resources and support for the Child Safe Standards
• CCYP | Translated resources about the Child Safe Standards

Note: information isn't tailored for early childhood services.