Standard 6: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice

Overview of Standard 6

Minimum requirements

In complying with Child Safe Standard 6 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:

6.1    Recruitment, including advertising, referee checks and staff and volunteer pre-employment screening, emphasise child safety and wellbeing.

6.2    Relevant staff and volunteers have current working with children checks or equivalent background checks.

6.3    All staff and volunteers receive an appropriate induction and are aware of their responsibilities to children and young people, including record keeping, information sharing and reporting obligations.

6.4    Ongoing supervision and people management is focused on child safety and wellbeing.

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

  • Employment advertising includes the organisation’s commitment to child safety and wellbeing. (6.1)
  • Position descriptions set clear expectations about the role’s requirements, duties and responsibilities regarding child safety and wellbeing. (6.1)
  • Organisational recruitment, human resources and volunteering policies describe:
    • recruitment practices that support the organisation to appoint people who are suitable to work with children (6.1)
    • pre-employment screening practices including interviewing, referee checks, Working with Children Check and other registration or background checking (6.2)
    • requirements for an induction about the organisation’s child safety practices (6.3)
    • how supervision and people management practices will support ongoing assessment of a person’s suitability to work with children. (6.4)
  • Induction documents for staff and volunteers include:
    • the Code of Conduct
    • the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
    • information about the organisation’s child safety practices and complaints process as well as reporting, record keeping and information sharing obligations. (6.3 and links to 8.1)

Actions

  • The child safety and wellbeing requirements of each role are assessed before recruitment of new staff and volunteers. These include:
    • qualifications, experience and attributes required
    • duties and responsibilities with children
    • measures required to manage any child abuse or harm risks including screening, training and supervision requirements. (6.1)
  • Information and guidance are provided to recruiting staff on how to prioritise child safety in the recruitment process, including how to identify and manage any child safety concerns raised through the application, interview and screening process. (6.1)
  • Recruitment processes include:
    • a range of values-based interview questions to establish suitability to work with children
    • pre-employment screening practices including referee checks, Working with Children Check and other registration or background checking
    • verification that required qualifications, registrations and Working with Children Check are valid and up-to-date
    • keeping records of the recruitment process. (6.1)
  • Supervision and people management includes regular reviews to check whether staff are following Codes of Conduct and other child safe policies. (6.4)
  • Guidance is provided for people managers on steps to take when managing staff or volunteers whose behaviour raises child safety concerns. (6.4)
  • Qualifications, Working with Children Check and other registration or ongoing screening checks are regularly reviewed for changes and that they are still valid. Action is taken to manage the risks to children when a person’s qualifications, Working with Children Check or other registration or ongoing screening check are no longer valid. (6.2)
  • Staff and volunteers receive an induction adjusted to each role’s requirements, duties, risks and responsibilities in relation to child safety and wellbeing. The induction covers the organisation’s child safety practices and complaints process as well as reporting, record keeping and information sharing obligations. (6.3)

Learn more about Standard 6

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 including: