Child Safe Standards: Creating a safe environment

To create and maintain a child safe organisation, all Victorian schools must comply with Ministerial Order No. 870 - Child Safe Standards which came into effect 1 August 2016.

Schools can use the following resources to support them in meeting the Child Safe Standards. The information below is also available as a handy, Child Safe Standards Action List (DOCX, 42KB). This guidance has been developed for Victorian government schools.

Principle of inclusion

Actions

• The school takes account of and makes reasonable efforts to accommodate the diversity of all children in implementing the Child Safe Standards.

• Examples of how to demonstrate 'reasonable efforts' may include:
• significant cultural events such as NAIDOC week are noted and/or celebrated
• training for school staff on supporting diverse families
• child safety information sessions to students and families from diverse backgrounds
• school leadership takes account of diversity when making decisions regarding the Child Safe Standards.

• The Child Safety Policy (DOCX, 57KB) refers to the diversity of all children, and specifically mentions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with disabilities, and children who are vulnerable. This template has been developed for Victorian government schools.
  

Child Safe Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety

Actions

• The school develops, and the principal approves strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety.
• The school (and school council where relevant) implement the strategies and informs the school community of them.

• The school’s strategies are included in its Child Safety Policy (DOCX, 57KB). This template has been developed for Victorian government schools.
  

• Examples of 'school strategies' may include:
  
• child safety is a regular agenda item at staff meetings and/or school council meetings
• child safety is discussed in class, year level assemblies, or in school newsletters
• staff have been allocated specific child safety-related roles and responsibilities
• the school has an action plan to address any identified gaps or areas for improvement.

Further guidance: Strategies to embed a culture of child safety

Child Safe Standard 2: A child safety policy or a statement of commitment to child safety

Actions

• The school develops, and the principal approves the Child Safety Policy (DOCX, 57KB). This template has been developed for Victorian government schools.
  

• The Child Safety Policy is made publicly available.

• Examples of how to make the Policy 'publicly available' may include:
• publishing on the school's website
• school newsletters
• public display on school grounds.

Further guidance: Developing a child safety policy and Preparing a child safety policy

Child Safe Standard 3: A Child Safety Code of Conduct

Actions

• The school develops, and the principal approves a Child Safety Code of Conduct (docx - 177.98kb).
  
• The school council approves the Code of Conduct (to the extent it applies to school council employees and members unless delegated to the principal).
• The Code of Conduct is made publicly available.

• Examples of how to make the Code 'publicly available' may include:
• publishing on the school's website
• school newsletters
• public display on school grounds.

Further guidance: Developing a Child Safety Code of Conduct

Child Safe Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse

Actions

• The principal ensures the school follows the Recruitment in Schools Guide to ensure the school’s hiring practices are child safe.

• School councils (for school council employees, unless delegated to the principal) ensure that selection, supervision and management practices are child safe, including:
• ensure that jobs involving child-connected work have a statement setting out the job's requirements and duties regarding child safety
  
• inform applicants for jobs involving child-connected work about the school's child safety practices (including the Code of Conduct)
• complete suitability checks for the preferred candidate
• ensure that appropriate supervision and support arrangements are in place.
  

• The school follows their Volunteers policy.
  

• The Child Safety Policy (DOCX, 57KB) refers to the school’s recruitment, supervision and management practices in place to protect children. This template has been developed for Victorian government schools.
  

Further guidance: HR Practices for a child safe environment

Child Safe Standard 5: Procedures for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse

Actions

• The school develops, and the principal approves a Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) policy and procedures.
  
• The Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations (including Mandatory Reporting) policy and procedures are made publicly available and accessible.

• Examples of how to make the Policy 'publicly available' may include:
• publishing on the school's website
• school newsletters
• public display of the Four Critical Actions (PDF, 215KB) on school grounds.

Further guidance: Report child abuse in schools
Download the full guide: Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse in Victorian Schools (PDF, 2.86MB)

Child Safe Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse

Actions

• The school develops, implements, records, and monitors risk management strategies, for example by using a Child Safety Risk Assessment Register (DOCX, 165KB), approved by the principal.

• Examples of monitoring the effectiveness of the risk management strategies may include:
• The principal or another staff member reviews the Child Safety Risk Assessment Register (or another document) annually to make sure it is effective, up to date and reflects any changes in the school’s environment (for example, a particular reporting process has changed, a new campus has opened, the principal has been notified of a risk related to a school council activity, etc.)

• At least annually, the school council undertakes appropriate guidance and training about child safety (PPTX, 2.73MB).
• At least annually, the principal ensures appropriate guidance and training about child safety is provided to school staff.

• Examples of this training may include:
• Staff complete the online module Protecting Children: Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations (government schools)
  
• Staff complete the online module Protecting Children: Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations (non-government schools)
  
• Staff watch the Commission for Children and Young People’s video on Creating a Child Safe Organisation
• Staff review of Identifying and Responding to All Forms of Abuse in Victorian Schools (PDF, 2.86MB)
• Other appropriate child safety guidance and training, undertaken annually.

Further guidance: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse

Child Safe Standard 7: Strategies to promote child participation and empowerment

Actions

• The school develops, and the principal approves, strategies to deliver appropriate education about:

• standards of behaviour for students attending the school
• healthy and respectful relationships
• resilience
  
• child abuse awareness and prevention.

• The school promotes the Child Safe Standards in ways that are readily accessible, easy to understand, and user-friendly to children.

• Examples of promoting the Child Safe Standards may include:
• print and display PROTECT poster (PDF  203KB) in your school
  
• all Child Safe Standards documents are publicly available
• children have access to some child safety materials designed for them (for example, worksheets and posters)
• students make and display their own child safety posters
• child safety-related discussions are held at circle time in class.

Further guidance: A guide to support Victorian Schools to meet Child Safe Standard 7 (PDF, 427KB)
Support for Catholic schools: Catholic Education Commission of Victoria: Child Safety

Related resources and further information

Support standards of behaviour for school students

• Student Engagement Policy: Policy Requirements and Development
• Student Engagement

Support healthy and respectful relationships

• Respectful Relationships
  
• Health education approaches
  
• About sexuality education
• Safe Schools
• Promote mental health
• Be you
  

Support resilience

• Child Wise

Information for schools

• Spotting the Warning Signs of Child Abuse: for School Staff (PDF, 310KB)
• For information on the Child Safe Standards and how they apply to workplace learning/work experience, refer to:  Workplace Learning.
  
• We have updated our contract templates to include the Child Safe Standards.
• Child Safe Standards in registered schools - VRQA
• Catholic Education Commission of Victoria: Child Safety
• Working with Children Check - Department of Justice and Regulation

Information for students

• To download a poster on school community obligations and steps for students if they feel unsafe, refer to: Protect poster (PDF, 203KB)
• For information for students, refer to: Child abuse and in schools
  

Information for parents

Parents have an important role to play in identifying signs of abuse in their children. For information to provide to parents, refer to: Child Protection.