Child Safe Organisations: Why you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy

If you work with children as an NDIS provider or a health provider, you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy that is consistent with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations published by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the National Principles).

It is also important that your Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy:

• forms part of your Risk Management System; and
• is consistent with your:
  • Code of Conduct for Workers;
  • Worker Screening Policy;
  • Complaints Management and Resolution System; and
  • Incidents Management Policy.

Why you need a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy

All NDIS providers and health providers who engage with children (face-to-face, online or both) should adopt the National Principles. Part of this process includes having a Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy. By way of context:

• following the 2013 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Australian Human Rights Commission recommended national action, including the development of National Principles for Child Safe Organisations; and
• in 2018, the National Principles were endorsed by all Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments to provide a consistent approach to embedding child safe cultures within organisations that engage with children.

You can read the National Principles here.

Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy Template

Our 16-page Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy template is designed to help NDIS providers and health providers to respond to, and implement, the National Principles, as a step toward becoming a child safe organisation. The Child Safety Code of Conduct and Policy is drafted to:

• form part of your Risk Management System; and
• to sit with with your:
  • Code of Conduct for Workers;
  • Worker Screening Policy;
  • Complaints Management and Resolution System; and
  • Incidents Management Policy.

Child safety is the most important obligation of NDIS and health providers who work with children. It’s also a key risk area that warrants attention at every level in the organisation. We wrote the template to help NDIS and health providers start the process of being Child Safe Organisations.

You can access lots of material, including the National Principles, free training modules, and other resources developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission here.