Develop an Organisational Code of Conduct
An organisational code of conduct is a good way to start to develop a culture of child safety.
Your code of conduct should explain what every individual needs to do to make sure children and young people are safe and free from harm.
Your organisation should make sure every adult knows what the consequences will be if they break the code of conduct.
The code of conduct should be for any adult involved in your organisation, including staff, volunteers and parents.
Children and young people should be told about the code of conduct.
You should also explain how it will affect the way adults from the organisation engage with them.
Knowing about the code of conduct:
- helps them understand what boundaries are in place
- can help them identify if something is wrong, or a person is behaving inappropriately.
Everyone in your business or organisation should understand child safety.
Making sure that everyone knows how they can be child safe supports the well-being of all children and young people.
Additional Resources
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The Human Rights Commission has a hub for Child Safe Codes of Conduct. The hub includes practical tools like self-assessments, templates, and guides.
Child Safe Code of Conduct Hub
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The Australian Human Rights Commission has a series of free modules about child safety. Anyone who has contact with a young person should complete these modules.
Child safety modules
Code of Conduct Guide
The NSW Government also has a guide to developing a child-safe code of conduct. While the guide was made for organisations in NSW, it can be useful for any organisation.
Code of Conduct Guide (PDF)