Child Safe Standards
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended 10 Child Safe Standards, drawing on its findings, research and consultation about what makes organisations child safe.
In NSW, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, including outside school hours care services, are required to implement the Child Safe Standards under the NSW Child Safe Scheme.
The Child Safe Standards provide a framework for enhancing the safety of children in organisations. They outline clear expectations for organisations that must comply with the Child Safe Scheme and mandatory actions they need to take to keep children and young people safe.
The standards also set a benchmark against which organisations can assess their child safe capacity, identify ways to improve their child safe practices, and implement change to ensure they can effectively prevent, respond to and report allegations of abuse.
The NSW Child Safe Standards
- The organisation publicly commits to child safety and leaders champion a child safe culture
- Child safety is a shared responsibility at all levels of the organisation
- Risk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to children
- Staff and volunteers comply with a code of conduct that sets clear behavioural standards towards children
- Staff and volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping
- Children are able to express their views and are provided opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives
- The importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, helping children feel safe and be less isolated
- Children can access abuse prevention programs and information
- Staff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children to communicate and raise their concerns
- Families have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of their child and participate in decisions affecting their child
- The organisation engages in open, two-way communication with families and communities about its child safety approach and relevant information is accessible
- Families and communities have a say in the organisation’s policies and practices
- Families and communities are informed about the organisation’s operations and governance
- The organisation actively anticipates children’s diverse circumstances and responds effectively to those with more vulnerabilities
- All children have access to information, support and complaints processes
- The organisation pays particular attention to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability, and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Recruitment, including advertising and screening, emphasises child safety
- Relevant staff and volunteers have Working With Children Checks
- All staff and volunteers receive an appropriate induction and are aware of their child safety responsibilities, including reporting obligations
- Supervision and people management have a child safety focus
- The organisation has a child-focused complaint-handling system that is understood by children, staff, volunteers and families
- The organisation has an effective complaint-handling policy and procedure which clearly outline roles and responsibilities, approaches to dealing with different types of complaints and obligations to act and report
- Complaints are taken seriously, responded to promptly and thoroughly, and reporting, privacy and employment law obligations are met
- Relevant staff and volunteers receive training on the nature and indicators of child maltreatment, particularly organisational child abuse
- Staff and volunteers receive training on the organisation’s child safe practices and child protection
- Relevant staff and volunteers are supported to develop practical skills in protecting children and responding to disclosures
- Risks in the online and physical environments are identified and mitigated without compromising a child’s right to privacy and healthy development
- The online environment is used in line with the organisation’s code of conduct and relevant policies
- The organisation regularly reviews and improves child safe practices
- The organisation analyses complaints to identify causes and systemic failures to inform continuous improvement
- Policies and procedures address all Child Safe Standards
- Policies and procedures are accessible and easy to understand
- Best practice models and stakeholder consultation inform the development of policies and procedures
- Leaders champion and model compliance with policies and procedures
- Staff understand and apply the policies and procedures
Child safety requirements under the National Quality Framework
The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (National Principles) embed the Child Safe Standards recommended by the Royal Commission. Changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF), which commenced 1 October 2023, have brought the National Principles and NQF into closer alignment.
The updated Education and Care Services National Regulations (regulations 84, 149 and 168) include new information requirements for staff and volunteer records, and child safe environment and complaint handling policies and procedures. Other changes relate to staff awareness of child protection law and child protection training requirements for family day care coordinators.
Download ACECQA’s Embedding the National Child Safe Principles information sheet (PDF 479 KB) for further information on these changes.
Implementation support
Implementing the Child Safe Standards resources
The NSW Department of Education, as the regulatory authority (NSW Regulatory Authority) for the ECEC sector in NSW, has engaged the Office of the Children's Guardian (OCG) to develop a suite of resources to support services to implement the Child Safe Standards.
The full suite of resources – which includes e-learning modules, videos, animations and a podcast miniseries – are designed for approved providers, service leaders and educators within all ECEC service types.
Access the available resources via our Child Safe Standards - how to implement page. The full suite is expected to be available in early 2025.
Guide to the Child Safe Standards
Download Implementing the Child Safe Standards: A guide for early childhood education and outside school hours care services (PDF 7.5 MB). The resource includes best practice guidance and strategies to support child safety, questions to prompt reflective practice and case studies for consideration in your own individual service context.
The resource was developed by the NSW Regulatory Authority in consultation with the OCG and stakeholders from the ECEC sector.
- Watch our ECE Connect session on Keeping children safe: Identifying and responding to risks.
- Download the Child Safe Standards - Key sector messages summary (PDF 95 KB) for practical guidance on how the Child Safe Standards support services to create a strong child safe organisational culture.
- Access further training and resources on the OCG website, including the Child Safe Self-assessment and information on how to request support from a dedicated Child Safe Officer.