Safeguarding Portal and Library

The National Principals for Child Safe Organisations were endorsed by Federal, State and Territory Governments in 2019. They provide organisations with ten high-level elements that are fundamental for making an organisation safe for children and provides guidance in understanding the aspects of safeguarding within our organisations.

This portal has been developed to support the Anglicare Australia Network to apply these principles by linking members with resources, templates, and relevant research.   

Understanding the National Principals Child Safe Organisations

While each state and territory may have their own approach to the implementation of the National Principals for Child Safe Organisations through the development of localised standards or schemes, they are founded on the 10 National Principals listed above. To develop your understanding of these principals please see links below to available resources including guides, posters and free online training modules.  

The National Office of Child Safety

The Australian Human Rights Commission

First Nations Children and Young People

Understanding Children’s Rights

The National Principals for Child Safe Organisations is underpinned by a child-rights practice approach and therefore it is important when working with children, an organisation has an understanding on the rights of children. To assist in developing an understanding of children rights please see links below.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Human Rights Commission

First Nations Children and Young People

Additional Reading

Self-Assessment tools

Starting is often the hardest part and therefore the following resources have been identified as possible tools for Anglicare Network Members to use in the assessment of their positionality in relation to the National Principals for Child Safe Organisations.

Risk Management

All organisations that work with or come into contact with children have a responsibility to keep them safe. Therefore, organisations need to be aware of the risks that may contribute to unsafe environments. The risks for each organisation will differ based on the organisations service type, size, and capacities. Below are some resources that members can review to inform their own risk management process within the space of child safety.

Child Safe Commitment, Policy and Procedure Development

When imbedding child safe practices within an organisation, it starts with an organisational commitment to child safety that is then embedded throughout all levels of the organisation. Governance arrangements are transparent and include a child safety and wellbeing policy, practice guidance, a code of conduct and a risk management framework. Governance arrangements vary depending on the type, nature, and size of an organisation.

Human Rights Commission 

  • Practical tools (humanrights.gov.au) (available in word and PDF Form)
    • Charter of Commitment to children and young people form
    • Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy Template
    • Child Safe Code of Conduct example

Office of the Children’s Guardian NSW

Commissioner for Children and Young People Victoria

Children and Young Person participation

A child safe organisation supports children and young people in understanding, identifying, and raising safety concerns with those they trust and within organisations. It empowers children and young people to voice their opinion and to participate in decisions that affect their lives. The following resources provide guidance on how an organisation can create a culture and system to support child and young person participation. 

Child Safe Complaints Handling Guides

Complaints management processes should be accessible, responsive, and understood by children, young people, families, staff and volunteers. Below are several links to support the development of child safe complaint handling policies sand processes.

National Office of Child Safety

NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian

Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online:

Technological platforms within organisations provide valuable tools in education and communication however they can also be sources of risk to children and young people. Reducing the risk of harm in online environments is an important preventative mechanism for organisations and can include risk mitigation strategies such as: education of children and young people, parents, staff and volunteers about expectations of online behaviour; the application of safety filters; and communication protocols. To develop your understanding of ways to develop strategies for keeping children safe online please see below a number of links to available resources.

Worker Engagement

Organizations have a responsibility to ensure that people working with children and young people are suitable and are supported in understanding child safe values, principals and behaviours. This process commences from the point of role advertisement through to ongoing support and supervision. Below are a number of resources including templates that may assist in your recruitment process.

NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian

Australian Institute of Family Studies

  • Resource sheet on requirements for working with children checks and police checks in each state and territory

Ongoing Learning and Reflection

Podcasts are not only good for entertainment, but are also a great educational tool for personal growth and development. Below are a number of podcasts that can support your ongoing learning and development in the area of Child Safe practices. 

  • Child Safeguarding Podcast – An interview style podcast with leaders in child safeguarding across a variety of service areas. 
  • Child Safe Organisations Podcast | Podcast on Spotify – Podcast that unpacks the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations in 20-30min discussions.
  • Resources – Emerging Minds – A resource exploring a range of topic areas relating to service delivery including areas of safety, client participation and responding to disclosures of harm.
  • Podcast – Closing The Net | ACCCE  – ‘Closing The Net’ is a podcast series that for the very first time takes you inside the world of the Australian Federal Police and those policing the ‘borderless crime’ of online child sexual exploitation.
  • Podcast on child protection | NSPCC Learning – This podcast features experts from the NSPCC and external organisations discussing a range of child protection issues including safeguarding practices in order to keep children safe in the wider community and within organisations.

Additional Reading

Institute of Child Protection Studies

Australian Institute of Family Studies

Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation

  • Report abuse | ACCCE – Where there is inappropriate behaviour towards children online (grooming, conversations, images etc), then this can be reported directly to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation in addition to local police.

State and Territory Resources

National

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia