Child Safe Standards
Child Safe Standards Implementation resource PDF
A Guide for Child Safety Posters PDF
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 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
A Guide for Child Safety Poster Resource
The Safe Ministry Office has developed a poster for churches to use to help meet Standard 2: Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously
The poster helps to inform children and youth about what makes a church a safe place and who to speak to if they are feeling unsafe.
Two versions are available:
- Version 1 is generic.
- Version 2 can be edited to add the name of the church which personalises the poster to the parish.
The posters are designed to be placed in locations where children and youth frequent such as areas where children’s and youth programs are run, bathrooms or hallways.