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How to be a child safe service provider
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The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations  guide organisations to create and maintain safe environments for children and young people.

The principles aim to prevent child abuse, neglect, and exploitation while promoting the wellbeing and rights of children in all environments, including NDIS services.

The 10 National Child Safe Principles:

We are all born free and equal

Everyone has the right to life, freedom and safety

Children and young people have the right to think and voice their opinions freely

Children and young people should be considered innocent until it can be proved that they are guilty

Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their family

Everyone is entitled to these rights no matter their race, religion, sex, language or nationality

We are all equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law

Everyone has the right to gather as a peaceful assembly

Everyone has the right to an education

We are all entitled to a social order in which we may enjoy these rights
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

National Principles of Child Safe Organisations Poster

Click through to download a poster about he 10 Principles, from the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Government.

Download poster (PDF)

The principles are an important way to make sure an organisation is child safe.  

This means that they should be used as a guide to help anyone connected to the organisation create a culture of child safety.

Each principle has associated action areas and indicators.  Organisations should focus on the action areas to work towards child safety.

The indicators can be used to see if the actions are effective in shifting the culture. They also show the practical outcomes organisations should expect to see when a principle is upheld

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations Report includes more information, which you can access by following the link below.

National Principles of Child Safe Organisations Report (pdf format)

The National Principles take a child-rights, strength-based approach.

They were designed to be flexible so that any organisation that works with young people, in any sector, can implement them, regardless of their size or resources.

The National Principles are also aligned with child safe approaches at a state or territory level – meaning they work together.

Currently, the National Principles of Child Safe Organisations are not mandatory.

However, if your organisation engages with any children and young people, it must meet state or territory requirements.

You can implement the National Principles at the same time. This shows the community – including potential clients – the organisation’s commitment to child safety. 

 

Is your organisation child safe?

Australian Government’s National Office for Child Safety

Check out the Australian Government’s National Office for Child Safety Website.

Read more

Australian Human Rights Commission

Check out the Australian Human Rights Commission hub about child safety.

Read More
National Principles For Child Safe Organisations

Considerations for NDIS service providers

  • Have we included child safety risks in our risk assessments?
  • Do we have child-friendly and accessible feedback and complaints processes?
  • Do we need to train staff, contractors and volunteers to make sure we are meeting our child safeguarding responsibilities?
  • Where can we find out more about how to do this work?
  • Do we know what our mandatory reporting obligations are? Do we have a policy and process for reporting concerns?
  • How do we promote child safety in our organisation? How do the children and young people we work with, and their families, know what kind of staff behaviour is or is not appropriate?
 

Disclosure training

It’s important to know how to respond in a safe and supportive way if someone discloses experiences of abuse. Disclosure training can help with this.

All workplaces have a responsibility to make sure staff are trained and confident to respond to disclosures.

All staff should receive disclosure training to create a culture of safety and support in your organisation.

Child safety and complaints training

Staff should have training on child safety and the organisation’s complaints process. This training should:

  • outline the responsibilities of staff 
  • view child safety through a trauma-informed lens,
  • encourage staff to support a young person to make a complaint, rather than doing it for them.

You can refresh your knowledge by going to the Safeguarding Children and Young People section.

Staff should be trained in your organisation’s child safety commitments and how they affect the work the staff member may do.

They should also receive training on the organisation’s complaint process, and be able to explain it to a disabled young person if needed.