Child safe standards

Last updated: 14 August 2023
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On 1 July 2022, 11 new Child Safe Standards (Standards) came into force in Victoria. The Standards are a set of mandatory requirements to protect children and young people from harm and abuse.

Sustainability Victoria is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and the implementation of the Standards.

What are the standards?

Standards
1 Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
2 Child safety and wellbeing are embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
3 Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
4 Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
5 Equity is upheld and diverse needs are respected in policy and practice.
6 People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
7 Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
8 Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
9 Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
10 Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
11 Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

SV’s commitment to child safety

SV is committed to the following:

  • The wellbeing, safety, participation and empowerment of children and young people.
  • The promotion of cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds.
  • Upholding equity and ensuring that diverse needs are respected and embedded in our organisational culture.
  • The establishment and continuous improvement of our child safe policies and procedures.
  • Engaging with families and the community, where possible, in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
  • Working to minimise risk to the wellbeing and safety of children in both online and physical environments.
  • The prevention of child abuse by regularly training and educating our employees to identify risks early, and work on removing and reducing those risks.
  • Ensuring that employees and other workplace participants who work with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
  • Taking all child safety and wellbeing complaints seriously and ensuring that they are responded to in a timely and thorough manner and that the processes for complaints are clear and child focused.
  • Embedding child safety and the Standards in SV’s organisational culture and modelled by SV’s leadership team.

Further information

The Commission for Children and Young People (the Commission) has an educative, advice, oversight and enforcement role in relation to the Standards. Further information is available from the Commission , including  A Guide for Creating a Child Safe Organisation, A Short Guide to the Child Safe Standards  and Tools and templates.

SV’s Child Safety Officer can be contacted for access to SV’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and associated documents, or to report a child safety incident or make a complaint at talktous@sustainability.vic.gov.au.

Please phone Victoria Police on ‘000’ to report emergency child safety incidents or suspected child abuse.