Victorian organisations that provide services or facilities to children, such as City of Whittlesea, are required by law to implement Child Safe Standards in order to protect children from harm.
The Standards were established by the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005. The Standards address sexual, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, as well as serious neglect, of children under the age of 18 years.
The Child Safe Standards are a set of 11 standards that aim to create and maintain child safe environments. Council is required to implement and comply with these Standards.
The Child Safe Standards aim to:
The Child Safe Standards work by:
Although all children are vulnerable, some children face additional vulnerabilities. The standards provide three overarching principles that organisations must consider:
The organisation overseeing the implementation and compliance with the Child Safe Standards is the Commission for Children and Young People.
Read an overview of the Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme in a range of community languages.
We consulted with children on what makes them feel safe and what they can do if they feel unsafe. Watch below: