CAPS is thrilled that the NSW Government has now mandated the Child Safe Standards. The new laws represent a big leap forward in how child-related organisations are responsible for creating safer and more supportive environments for our kids.
The new laws mean that child-related organisations in NSW must implement the Child Safe Standards. This includes organisations in the following sectors:
To implement the standards, child-related organisations must develop and enact a suite of child protection measures including:
The standards also incorporate the existing NSW child safety framework, including the Reportable Conduct Scheme, Working With Children Check and other reporting obligations to the Police and the Department of Communities and Justice.
Child-related organisations must ensure that these systems, policies and processes are continuously reviewed and updated.
It is anticipated that child-related organisations will have two years to implement the standards. We at CAPS encourage all organisations to implement the standards as soon as possible to drive cultural change today.
By doing so now, your organisation will send a clear message to the community that it is committed to embedding the preventative measures needed to keep kids safe – well before any legal need to do so.
Drawing from almost 50 years’ experience delivering child protection programs, our Child Safe Leaders program is designed to make it as easy as possible to implement the Child Safe Standards at your workplace.
This can include:
Strengths-based: we build on whatever previous child protection work your organisation has already undertaken and empower staff at all levels to become Child Safe Leaders.
Place-based: we utilise your organisational structure to drive change from within. Any new policies and processes created by CAPS are owned by your organisation and will complement the existing staff and culture.
Flexible: We provide only the services that are relevant to your organisation’s unique needs and goals.
Accountable: All of work is underpinned by our years of experiencing delivering evidence-based, award-winning child protection programs.
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and learn, and pay respect to the First Nations Peoples and their elders, past, present and future.