Child Safe Standards

The Child Safe Standards were a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. They provide a principle-based framework to help organisations working with children to develop strategies and create a culture that keeps children safe and protects them from harm. They are also a legal requirement in NSW for any organisations working with children.

The Safe Ministry Office has developed a resource to assist churches to implement the Child Safe Standards. The Child Safe Standards – implementation resource for churches is intended to support churches to implement the Child Safe Standards. It includes examples of key strategies that can be used to implement each Standard; many are already being implemented in churches.

The list is not exhaustive. Its purpose is to assist with having conversations to inform action plans to strengthen safe ministry practices and create a culture that keeps children safe and protects them from harm.

Office of the Children’s Guardian

The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) has developed a number of helpful resources to assist organisations, including churches, in implementing the Child Safe Standards. These include the Child Safe Self-Assessment, a free online resource which generates a personalised Assessment and Action Report. A printable copy of the Child Safe Standards and their components can be accessed here.

Other resource guides from the OCG can be downloaded from their website, including

• Child Safe Standards and their components in multiple languages
• Empowerment and participation of children and young people in organisations
• Engaging sensitively with survivors of abuse
• Online safety for children