Implementing child safe practices

• Document the service’s policies, procedures and statements required by the standards.
• Ask families, staff and volunteers if policies and procedures are easy to understand. Make any relevant improvements.
• Produce child safety material in different formats. Use child friendly and plain language and translated versions.
• Maintain high visibility of child safety and wellbeing.
  • Discuss child safety at staff and parent meetings and assemblies.
  • Display posters, write articles, newsletters and staff bulletins on child safety topics.
• Train staff and volunteers on service policies and their responsibilities.
• Create regular opportunities to reinforce understanding and resolve any misunderstandings.
• Identify formal and informal ways to track policy implementation. Analyse whether current processes achieve the outcomes for each standard.
• See how staff and volunteers contribute to child safety by using:
  • supervision
  • discussions
  • staff meetings, and
  • surveys.
• Nominate child safety champions to help
  • put in place
  • promote and
  • track the service’s child safe policies and practices.

Ask for feedback when developing and implementing child safety policies.

• Feedback types include:
  • informal feedback. Talk with parents when they pick up their children. Have staff discussions in the lunchroom.
  • formal feedback, such as meetings
  • surveys or focus groups, among staff and for families.
• Include the feedback you receive in:
  • policy and procedure reviews, and
  • processes for raising concerns and handling complaints.

More information:

• Child Safe Standard 4
• Supportive relationships with families and Collaborative Partnerships.

• Publish your child safety policies in an accessible location. For example:
  • the service’s website, and
  • inside the service premises (including family day care residences and venues).
• Integrate child safety into your induction processes, ongoing education, training and supervision. This applies for all staff and volunteers.
• Include copies of your child safety policies in enrolment information.
• Raise child safety information in all communications to families.

• Use plain language in written materials.
• Use visual aids in discussions with children and families to increase understanding.
• Translate materials into the languages used by families at your service. Or organise sessions with an interpreter.
• Display easy-to-read posters in various locations around the service.

• Nominate one or more child safety champions to:
  • promote
  • track, and
  • report on the service’s implementation of its child safety strategies.
• Support the child safety champions. Give them time to work on child safety and the power to investigate child safety issues.

• Highlight child safety in recruitment processes.
• Have child-focused complaints policies and procedures.
• Review how you keep records of child safety complaints. Make sure you capture all relevant information.
• Use a Child Safety Risk Register to manage risks of child abuse and other child safety risks. Or use another register or document to record these risks.

• Set aside regular time for a child safety agenda item for all staff meetings.
• Schedule child safety briefings at information sessions
• Include a regular child safety item in newsletters to families.

• Always seek feedback on policies and procedures from staff, families, and volunteers.
• Be aware of emerging law changes, research and resources in child safety. Ensure policies and procedures reflect any new developments.

The two NQF Safety Guides include information and practical guidance:

• NQF Child Safe Culture Guide
• NQF Online Safety Guide.

There are also additional resources, including the:

• NQF Child Safe Culture – Self-assessment and risk assessment tool
• NQF Online Safe Culture – Self-assessment and risk assessment tool
• Child Safety incident response template – Responding to complaints, concerns, allegations and disclosures
• Reporting and Responding Schemes tool.

Download all these resources at Child Safety, together with links to additional ACECQA resources about child safety.

The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) have information for all types of organisations that must comply with the Child Safe Standards. This includes:

• CCYP | Resources and support for the Child Safe Standards
• CCYP | Translated resources about the Child Safe Standards

Note: information isn't tailored for early childhood services.

• Child protection in early childhood, including Mandatory Reporting online training(opens in a new window).