On this page
Overview of Standard 11
Minimum requirements:
In complying with Child Safe Standard 11 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:
11.1 Policies and procedures address all Child Safe Standards.
11.2 Policies and procedures are documented and easy to understand.
11.3 Best practice models and stakeholder consultation informs the development of policies and procedures.
11.4 Leaders champion and model compliance with policies and procedures.
11.5 Staff and volunteers understand and implement policies and procedures.
Compliance indicators
What will the Commission look for when assessing this Standard?
Organisations will generally comply if they produce these documents and undertake these actions in a way that supports the organisation to achieve this Standard. The nature or characteristics of your organisation may mean you need to do something different to what is proposed below. Read our guidance materials for more information.
Documents
- A Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy sets out the organisation’s expectations, practices and approach in relation to each of the Child Safe Standards. (11.1, 11.2 and links to 2.3)
- A Code of Conduct sets out the expectations for behaviour and responsibilities of staff and volunteers. (11.1, 11.2 and links to 2.4)
- Risk assessment and management plans address risks of child abuse and harm. (11.1, 11.2 and links to 9.1 and 9.3)
- The complaint handling policy and processes address how the organisation will respond and all internal and external reporting obligations. (11.1, 11.2 and links to Standard 7)
- Organisational recruitment, human resources and volunteering policies have a clear child safety focus. (11.1, 11.2 and links to Standard 6)
- If your organisation contracts facilities and/or services from third parties, procurement policies ensure the safety of children. (11.1, 11.2 and links to 9.4)
Actions
- Regular consultation on child safety with everyone involved in your organisation is undertaken. (11.3 and links to Standards 3 and 4)
- The organisation uses input from consultations and available information about creating child safety and wellbeing to help develop, review and update policies and procedures related to child safety. (11.3)
- The organisation’s policies and procedures cover all the Child Safe Standards and address the risks to the safety of children that are specific to the organisation and its environment. (11.1)
- Policies and procedures are easy to understand and can be accessed easily. (11.2).
Learn more about Standard 11
Our Guide for creating a Child Safe Organisation has detailed information and advice on how to comply with each Standard. This guide is helpful for people who are responsible for implementing the Child Safe Standards:
If you’re looking for an overview of all the Standards and requirements, download the Short Guide to the Child Safe Standards. This guide is useful for people who are just getting started with the Standards, or people who have oversight of the Standards in their organisation.
The Commission also has a range of tools and templates to help organisations develop key policies, practices and procedures. These are available in the resources section of our website.