CHILD SAFE STANDARDS

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Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-1/ 

Description:

This standard requires schools to make sure Aboriginal children and young people feel safe.

The term ‘Aboriginal’ includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is important to be respectful of how individual children, students, their families and community refer to themselves, and use appropriate language.

Cultural safety includes being provided with a safe, nurturing and positive environment where Aboriginal children:

• feel comfortable being themselves
• feel comfortable expressing their culture, including their spiritual and belief systems
• are supported by carers who respect their Aboriginality and encourage their sense of self and identity.

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy 
• Aboriginal Learning, Wellbeing and Safety Action Plan
• Bullying Prevention Policy
• Inclusion and Diversity Policy

Department resources, programs and initiatives   implemented at the school:

• Cultural Safety of Aboriginal Children (Tip Sheet)
• Community  Understanding and Safety (CUS) training

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022.

Ensure that child safety and wellbeing are embedded in school leadership, governance and culture.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-2/ 

Description:

 This standard emphasises the vital role that school leaders and governing authorities have in establishing:

• a culture where child abuse and harm is not tolerated
• effective systems and processes to implement child safe policies and practices and manage child abuse risks.

Schools must take deliberate steps to promote child safety and wellbeing and protect children by:

• embedding and promoting a child safety culture at all levels of the organisation
• school leaders actively modelling such a culture
• ensuring transparent governance arrangements.

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• Volunteers Policy

Department policies and resources:

• Records Management -  School Records
• Guidance for child safety champions 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022.

Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-4/  

Description:

This standard highlights the importance of an open and transparent child safe culture for families and communities.

Schools must provide families and communities with accessible information about their child safe policies and practices and involve them in their approach to child safety and wellbeing. 

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

•  Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• How to Keep Children Safe (Easy English) 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022

Equity is upheld and diverse needs are respected in policy and practice.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-5/  

Description:

This standard focuses on creating environments where all children and young people feel welcome.

Equity is a state of fairness in which all children and young people can participate freely and equally in areas of life, regardless of their background, characteristics or beliefs. This means their safety is not dependent on their socio-economic, family or personal circumstances.

As part of this standard, schools must:

• recognise and respond to students’ diverse circumstances
• understand that some students are at higher risk of harm than others
• provide easy access to information
• adjust procedures to respond to different needs
• make sure complaints processes are child-friendly, culturally safe and easy to understand. 

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy 
• Bullying Prevention Policy

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• Safe Schools program
• Safety of Children from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (Tip Sheet)
• Safety of Children with a Disability (Tip Sheet)

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022

Ensure that processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-7/  

Description:

This standard focuses on ensuring that schools have complaints processes that are child-focused, culturally safe and accessible to everyone.

Schools must have policies, procedures and practices to:

• have a complaints handling process focused on students and their safety needs
• take complaints and concerns seriously
• respond promptly and thoroughly
• identify and respond to all forms of child abuse
• report child abuse to relevant authorities, whether or not there is a legal obligation to report it. 

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures
• Complaints Policy 

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• PROTECT Identifying and responding to all forms of abuse in Victorian Schools
• PROTECT Identify child abuse
• PROTECT Identify and respond to student sexual offending 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022

Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-8/  

Description:

This standard focuses on building child safety knowledge, skills and awareness in staff, volunteers and school governing authorities.

All schools should deliver training to new and existing staff and volunteers. The training must be tailored to the needs of the school and the role the person performs at the school. 

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Volunteers Policy

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• Guidance for child safety champions 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022

Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-10/  

Description:

This standard focuses on continuous improvement in child-safe policies, procedures and practices.

Schools must:

• regularly review and evaluate policies and strategies
• analyse child safety incident data
• share review findings with the school community.

Schools must analyse and understand potential risks to students. It is important to think about risks created by school structure and culture, activities and physical and online environments. Online technologies are constantly changing which presents significant challenges for schools, parents and carers. Online behaviour needs to be addressed in the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Codes of Conduct to promote child safety. Arrangements with external agencies also create child safety risks. They create opportunities for unknown people to have contact with students.

Policies and Resources:

School policies:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Volunteers Policy

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• Guidance for child safety champions 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022

Policies and procedures that document how schools are safe for children, young people and students.

https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/standard-11/  

Description:

This standard focuses on incorporating the 11 Child Safe Standards into school policies, procedures and practices, which work together to create a child-safe culture.

Schools should ensure these policies and procedures are:

• informed by community consultations so they are relevant to the school
• accessible to all
• informed by best practice
• championed by leaders
• well understood by those they apply to
• implemented effectively

Policies and Resources:

Department resources, programs and initiatives implemented at the school:

• Guidance for child safety champions 

Policy consultation period with parents and carers: August 2022