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Our commitment outlines our responsibilities to support all children to be safe and reflects Australia’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to uphold and protect the full range of human rights for children. 

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) emphasised that members of the public, children and young people, parents, carers, families and communities should feel confident that organisations working with children provide safe environments in which children’s rights, needs and interests are met. The Royal Commission made recommendations to improve child safe approaches in organisations through the adoption of Child Safe Standards. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (National Principles) give effect to the Child Safe Standards and were committed to by national, state and territory governments in 2019.

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people and will be guided by the National Principles in becoming a child safe organisation. Implementing the National Principles will embed child safe cultures and practices in our organisations, so children and young people are respected, empowered and safe when engaged with us. We will consciously and systematically take steps to:

• Create an environment where children’s rights, needs and interests are met, and their safety and wellbeing are the focus of organisational values and actions. 
• Provide opportunities for children and young people to have their voice heard and participate in decisions that affect them.
• Create conditions that reduce the likelihood of harm to children and young people.
• Have mechanisms in place that support the early identification of harm, and prompt appropriate responses to disclosures, allegations or concerns regarding children’s safety and wellbeing.

Creating a child safe organisation is the shared responsibility of leaders, employees, volunteers and contractors. We will take actions to maintain this shared responsibility within our organisations by: 

• Adhering to robust recruitment and human resources practices, worker screening and training to meet our commitment to child safety. 
• Embedding the National Principles in the development and implementation of our policies, programs, projects and practice.
• Ensuring that our funded partners share our commitment to implement the National Principles through partnerships and contractual arrangements.

As we work to implement the National Principles, we will continue to strengthen our child safe practice, guided by the voices of the children and young people we engage with.