Introduction to the Child Safe Standards

The Victorian Government introduced the Child Safe Standards to improve the way organisations that provide services for children prevent and respond to child abuse that may occur within their organisation.

The Commission for Children and Young People (2015, p.6) documented that in April 2012, the Victorian Government initiated an inquiry into the handling of child abuse allegations within religious and other nongovernment organisations. The inquiry’s final report, Betrayal of Trust, made a number of recommendations that have been acted on by Victorian governments. These included: • Criminal law reform – offences relating to grooming, failure to protect and failure to disclose. • Creating child safe organisations – mandatory Child Safe Standards and a reportable conduct scheme. The standards are compulsory for all organisations working with children. • Civil law reform – removal of the time limit on legal action. Legislation has removed the previous 12-year timeframe in which victims (including family members) needed to have commenced civil legal action for damages due to wrongful death (brought by dependants of a deceased victim) or personal injury resulting from child abuse. This reform applies to both past and future cases of child abuse.

The State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services (2015a, p.1) noted that the Child Safe Standards are compulsory for all organisations providing services to children. Furthermore, the Child Safe Standards aim to drive cultural change in organisations so that protecting children from abuse is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of leaders, staff and volunteers. The Department highlighted that will assist organisations to: • Prevent child abuse; • Encourage reporting of any abuse that does occur; • Improve responses to any allegations of child abuse.

The Department of Health and Human Services (2015a, p. 1) also reported, “The Child Safe Standards are a central feature of the Victorian Government’s response to the Family and Community Development Committee of the Victorian Parliament’s Betrayal of Trust: Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and Other NonGovernment Organisations (Betrayal of Trust Inquiry).”

For more information about the Betrayal of Trust implementation, please refer to:

https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/protecting-children-and-families/betrayal-of-trust-implementation

Further information about the failure to disclose offence is available on the Department of Justice and Regulation website:

https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/protecting-children-and-families/failure-to-disclose-offence

Further information about the failure to protect offence is available on the Department of Justice and Regulation website:

https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/protecting-children-and-families/failure-to-protect-a-new-criminaloffence-to-disclose-offence

Further information about the grooming offence is available on the Department of Justice and Regulation website:

https://www.justice.vic.gov.au/safer-communities/protecting-children-and-families/grooming-offence