In The Field

NSW Government releases Guide to Child Safe Standards

Freya Lucas

Jul 14, 2020

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The Office of the Children’s Guardian in New South Wales has created and released a new guide, designed to support organisations, including those in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, to implement the Child Safe Standards recommended by the child abuse royal commission and endorsed by the NSW Government.

A guide to the Child Safe Standards supports organisations to develop and put in place strategies to keep children safe, and is part of the development of an approach to putting the Child Safe Standards at the heart of work undertaken by the Office of the Children’s Guardian in overseeing and regulating organisations, NSW Children’s Guardian Janet Schorer said.

“We know that child-safe cultures develop over time. They need consistent effort and action by leaders, employees and volunteers.

“This guide will help organisations focus those efforts,” Ms Schorer said.

The guide shows organisations how to implement each of the 10 Child Safe Standards, and will help organisations identify key risks to child safety and decide what action can be taken to better protect children.

Recognising that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to child safety, the Standards are principle-based so that organisations can implement them in ways that make sense in their context, considering their size, interactions with children, and resources.

The guide will help organisations progress through evidence and examples to reinforce a child safe culture, with the end goal of improving service delivery to children, developing skills and changing organisational culture.

In releasing the Guide, the Office of the Children’s Guardian reminded those working with children that keeping children safe is a shared responsibility.

“Organisations need to ensure the safety of children is the focus of their organisation: from the decisions made at board level by leaders, to the services provided by front line employees, including volunteers,” a spokesperson said.

To learn more about the Child Safe Standards, please see here. A range of resources to support is also available, and may be accessed here.

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