Child Safe Standards in Melbourne and throughout Victoria aim to uphold the safety and well-being of children and young people under the age of 18. That’s according to the Child Well-being and Safety Act 2005. Under the said act, organisations that provide services or facilities to everyone including children are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards in Melbourne and surrounds—that incudes Ability Assist. We have been providing disability services to the community, including children, since 1994. But how did the Child Safe Standards in Australia and its states came about?

The Framework That Started It All

In 2009, the Council of Australian Governments endorsed a framework that will lead to a unified approach to child safety, a sort of national child safe standards, which can ensure the safety, well-being, and protection of children and young people in both physical and digital or online environments. Known as the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, it aims to deliver a significant and sustained reduction in levels of child abuse and neglect. The National Framework has been further developed with all the federal, state, and territory governments working together.

Fast forward to 2017, where the recommendations from the Royal Commission laid the groundwork for the creation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (NPCSO). The recommendations stemmed from many factors, including the publication of an “inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations” authored by the Victorian Parliament, Family and Community Development Committee.

The Victorian Child Safe Standards

Introduced on a federal level, the NCPSO has become the foundation for a collective approach to child safety, making sure that organisations prioritise the welfare of children below 18 in physical and online environments. Thus, the Child Well-being and Safety Act 2005 was proposed. It tasks the Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing to serve as a sector regulator who will promote, oversee, and enforce compliance with the Child Safe Standards for all organisations it regulates under its Human Services Regulator unit.

Therefore, the Child Safe Standards in Melbourne and across Victoria came to be, seeking to protect young people under 18 by requiring organisations to put policies, procedures, and processes in place that will prevent and counter abuse. In a nutshell, these standards promote the safety of children, prevent child abuse, ensure effective measures are in place to respond and report charges of child abuse, and encourage children to speak out—especially on issues important to them or decisions that impact their lives.

There are 11 Child Safe Standards for health organisations that are in place:

1. Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
2. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
3. Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
4. Families and communities are informed, and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
5. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
6. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
7. Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
8. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
9. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
10. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
11. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

All of these standards are strictly observed and upheld by us as our CEO is a Child Safe Officer whose experience in both public and private health industry has helped shape Ability Assist as a

Highly-experienced, fully registered, and fully compliant NDIS service provider based in Melbourne.

The Foresight of Ability Assist

But way before these standards were in place, Ability Assist already established itself as a trusted disability service provider for all, including children and young people. In fact, we were already a child safe organisation long before the term was coined. Since our establishment in 1994, we have been supporting our communities, offering quality, person-centred services to adults with disabilities, including adolescents and children with disabilities or complex care needs. As such, our core values include principles and practices that ensure the safety and well-being of people with disabilities, including those of children.

Ref:
https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/

https://www.health.vic.gov.au/childsafestandards

For more information about our Autism Support Services in Melbourne,

Call us on (03) 9306 1770

Email us at support@abilityassist.com.au