Creating safe sporting environments for children and young people requires a commitment from all involved in sport.
Policies and procedures alone are not enough to keep children safe in sport and recreation settings.
A child safe organisation is one that creates a culture, adopts strategies and takes action to promote child wellbeing and prevent harm to children and young people.
The Child Safe Standards provide a framework for creating child safe organisations. They emphasise the importance of adopting multiple strategies to address child safety.
The Standards are based on the extensive research and consultation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. From 1 August 2024, Sport and Recreation organisations providing services to children will need to start implementing the Child Safe Standards.
While there is no set timeframe for meeting all the Standards, all organisations that provide services to children and young people should start thinking about how the Standards will change the way they do things in their service and start actioning these changes now.
The ACT Human Rights Commission is leading the implementation of the Child Safe Standards Scheme on behalf of the ACT Government. Information and resources to support implementation can be accessed at ACTChildSafe.act.gov.au
Child Safe Organisations – National Principles
The ACT has adopted the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations as the Child Safe Standards.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed practical tools and resources to help organisations implement the Child Safe Standards. These include:
- National Principles for Child Safe Organisations – explains each principle as well as suggests action areas and indicators;
- Introductory self-assessment tool for organisations – to help reflect on current child safe practices and identify priority areas for improvement; and
- 11 E-learning modules – an introductory module plus separate modules on each of the ten National Principles. Each module takes 20 minutes to complete and is free of charge.