QFCC scenario guide supports ECEC services to strengthen child safe practice

The Queensland Family and Child Commission has released a scenario discussion guide to help organisations, including early childhood education and care services, embed Queensland’s Child Safe Standards into everyday practice.

The Queensland Family and Child Commission has released a new Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Scenario discussion guide, designed to help organisations understand the Child Safe Organisations Act, reflect on current practice and identify actions to better protect children from harm. 

The resource is relevant for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Queensland, with the QFCC confirming that the Child Safe Standards apply to early education and care services, including short-term care, long day care, family day care and out of school hours care. 

The Child Safe Standards are one of two components of Queensland’s Child Safe Organisation system. They aim to protect children from harm when they interact with businesses and organisations by creating environments that prioritise children’s safety and wellbeing. 

The scenario guide has been developed to support organisations to move from awareness of the Standards to practical implementation.

The QFCC says the resource can help organisations understand the Act, reflect on their practices and identify the actions needed to better protect children from harm. It recommends that organisations watch the video for each Standard, discuss the reflection prompts, work through the key takeaways and document reflections and planned actions. 

For ECEC providers, the guide may be useful for leadership meetings, team professional learning, induction, policy review and Quality Improvement Plan discussions.

The scenarios can be used as written or adapted to suit a service’s context. The QFCC also notes that activities can be completed individually or in groups, either in one session or across shorter discussions. 

ECEC services operate in high-trust environments where children’s safety, wellbeing, rights and dignity must sit at the centre of daily practice.

For approved providers, centre managers, nominated supervisors, educational leaders and educators, the QFCC guide provides a structured way to discuss how child safe principles apply in real situations.

This includes considering how teams respond to concerns, support children to speak up, manage risk, uphold professional boundaries, maintain culturally safe practice and ensure policies are reflected in everyday interactions.

The guide may also help services connect child safe practice with existing obligations under the National Quality Framework, particularly Quality Area 2, which focuses on children’s health and safety, and Quality Area 7, which focuses on governance and leadership.

One of the strengths of the guide is its focus on discussion. Child safe practice relies not only on policies and procedures, but on shared understanding across a service.

Scenario-based learning gives teams an opportunity to test assumptions, clarify responsibilities and consider what appropriate action looks like before a concern arises.

For service leaders, this can support stronger governance by creating a record of reflection, decisions and planned actions. It may also help services identify areas for further training, policy review or risk management.

The QFCC’s broader resources for Child Safe Standards include a Quick Reference Guide, Detailed implementation guidelines and a Self-Assessment Tool, which can be used alongside the scenario guide. 

The Commission says its resources are designed to help organisations identify what they are doing well and highlight actions needed to prioritise children’s safety and wellbeing in policies, practices and culture. 

The QFCC states that Queensland’s Child Safe Standards apply to businesses and organisations that provide services or spaces specifically for children. Some child safe entities may also be required to comply with the state’s Reportable Conduct Scheme. 

For ECEC services, this reinforces the need for child safeguarding to be treated as a whole-of-service responsibility, supported by leadership, training, clear reporting pathways, child-focused risk management and continuous improvement.

The Implementing the Child Safe Standards – Scenario discussion guide is available from the QFCC website as a PowerPoint resource.