The Victorian Government has announced that the new Child Safe Standards will commence on 1 July 2022.
All organisations in Victoria that provide services or facilities for children must comply with the new Child Safe Standards.
Monash Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and has a zero-tolerance attitude towards child abuse. We are unwavering in our obligations, as laid out in the new child safe standards, to ensure children and young people in our care feel safe, happy and empowered.
All our staff and volunteers must agree to abide by our Code of Conduct which specifies the standards of conduct required when working with children.
The new Child Safe Standards and improved regulatory framework will provide greater clarity on actions and requirements to meet the minimum standards.
The eleven new standards replace the existing seven standards and principles which were established in 2016.
Key changes include:
- involving families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe
- a greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people
- managing the risk of child abuse in online environments
- updates to governance, systems, and processes to keep children and young people safe.
The changes have been made to support greater national consistency and reflect the National Principles for a Child Safe Organisation developed following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Victoria’s Child Safe Standards are a key response to the Victorian Parliament’s Betrayal of Trust Inquiry, which was handed down in 2013, to better respond to allegations of abuse and misconduct.
What you need to do
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that children and young people accessing our services and facilities are kept safe while in our care.
- Download and familiarise yourself with the new Child Safe Standards.
- Review our extensive Child Safe policies and relevant procedures available on PROMPT. They provide guidance on how Monash Health manages children at risk or suspected of risk and outline staff responsibilities.
- If at any point you have concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child, escalate your concern to your manager.
- Ensure your working with children check is current and review the policy on PROMPT.
For more information on the new Child Safe Standards visit: www.ccyp.vic.gov.au.
Approved by Kym Forrest