Community of practice resources released to support national child safety training

A suite of community of practice resources has been released to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to embed national child safety training into everyday practice.

The optional resources, available via the Australian Centre for Child Protection, are designed to strengthen reflection, shared understanding and practical implementation across service teams.

They complement, but do not replace, the mandatory national child safety training delivered through Geccko.

While national child safety training provides a foundation for safeguarding knowledge, the new resources focus on supporting educators and leaders to apply that knowledge in daily practice.

They are designed to help services:

• reflect on child safety risks and responsibilities
• build shared understanding across teams
• embed child-safe practices into everyday routines
• support ongoing professional learning and quality improvement

This approach reinforces that child safety is an ongoing practice, not a one-off compliance requirement.

The resource suite includes a range of formats to support different learning styles and service contexts:

• short videos to prompt discussion and reflection
• booklets exploring key concepts in greater depth
• information sheets for quick reference

This flexibility allows services to integrate the materials into existing structures and tailor use to workforce needs.

Services may choose to incorporate the resources into:

• team meetings and reflective discussions
• room-level planning and review
• professional learning communities
• quality improvement planning processes
• induction and onboarding programs
• leadership development activities

The materials can also support deeper exploration of:

• identifying and responding to child safety risks
• understanding individual and shared responsibilities
• strengthening supervision and decision-making
• embedding child-safe practices across all aspects of service delivery

For educational leaders and nominated supervisors, the resources provide a practical tool to support capability building aligned with Quality Area 2 (Children’s health and safety) and Quality Area 7 (Governance and leadership) of the National Quality Standard.

The Australian Government Department of Education has confirmed that the community of practice materials:

• are not mandatory
• do not replace required training in Geccko
• can be used flexibly across services
• are intended to complement existing professional development

This ensures services retain autonomy while benefiting from nationally consistent guidance.

The resources reflect a broader focus on strengthening child-safe cultures across the ECEC sector.

By encouraging ongoing reflection and discussion, the resources support services to move beyond compliance and embed child safety into everyday decision-making, interactions and organisational culture.

Access the resources here.