What can my organisation do now to prepare for the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework?

Published: 14-02-2023

Please listen to us. Respect our voices. Be there for us.

- Tek, who wants to make a difference when they're older.

For children and young people to be safe in our community, they need to be safe in our organisations. That’s why we need to work together to create and maintain Child and Youth Safe Organisations.

From 2024 onwards, a new legally mandated Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework (the Framework) will apply to a wide range of Tasmanian organisations that engage with children and young people.

The Framework sets out:

  • how organisations prioritise and promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
  • how organisations respond when there are concerns about a workers’ behaviour towards children and young people engaging with the organisation
  • the importance of independent oversight of how organisations fulfil their obligations under the Framework
  • when it is appropriate or inappropriate to share information concerning a workers’ conduct towards a child or young person

The Framework is similar to workplace health and safety, as it represents ongoing best-practice and is not time-limited or temporary.

Organisations required to comply with the Framework will receive support to meet their new legal obligations and may be doing things already that mean they are complying.

While all Tasmanian organisations should work to be child and youth safe, specific organisations will be required to comply with the Framework by law.

The Framework is established by the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023.

1. Download and read the Interim compliance guidance for organisations

The interim compliance guidance is designed to support organisations to enact the Child and Youth Safe Standards and Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety.

It has been developed by the Department of Justice in consultation with local subject matter experts and interstate counterparts.

It is to be taken as interim guidance only, does not constitute legal advice and may be subject to change.

2. Consider if the Framework is likely to apply to your organisation

The Framework will apply to a wide range of organisations, including schools, religious institutions, childcare, youth sporting clubs, and more.

It will also apply to sole traders who provide child-related services, such as private music tutors who teach people under 18.

This online tool is designed to help you determine if the Framework is likely to apply to your organisation.

3. Explore our resources

The best way to start learning about the Framework is to read the information on this website, which explains

  • what the Framework is
  • what the benefits of the Framework are to children and young people
  • what the benefits of the Framework are to organisations
  • and much more.

You can start by learning about the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework.

The explainer resource Introducing Tasmania's Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework steps through the main elements of the Framework and is designed to be a useful starting point for organisations.

In addition to the Explainer Resource we have:

Information sheets

A3 posters

You can also test your understanding with short 'true or false' quizzes on each page.

In some cases, we can provide printed copies of our resources, please email us at cysof@justice.tas.gov.au with your name, organisation's name, postal address, and desired amount of copies for consideration.

4. Learn about the Reportable Conduct Scheme

The Framework will introduce a new legally mandated Reportable Conduct Scheme to Tasmania.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme requires leaders of organisations to:

  • report concerns about conduct related to child abuse involving a worker to an independent regulator
  • conduct investigations into reportable conduct.
5. Learn about the Child and Youth Safe Standards and Universal Principle

The Framework includes a list of 10 Child and Youth Safe Standards.

The Child and Youth Safe Standards are a list of things organisations must do to protect the wellbeing and safety of children they engage with.

Compared to the Reportable Conduct Scheme, the Child and Youth Safe Standards won’t be entirely new to some organisations in Tasmania.

This is because they mirror the existing National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Importantly, Tasmania’s Child and Youth Safe Standards are complemented by something called the Universal Principle.

The Universal Principle says organisations must apply all 10 Child and Youth Safe Standards in an environment that ensures the right to cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people is respected.

6. Read these resources from other states

Some other Australian states have their versions of the Framework in place, including resources that are useful for organisations that have to comply.

Local compliance content will be developed for Tasmanian organisations, sign up for the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework newsletter for updates on when this is released.

In the meantime, these existing resources may be of use:

The Office of the Children's Guardian New South Wales resources include a range of child safe handbooks. The Codes of Conduct - a guide to developing child safe Codes of Conduct provides guidance on how to establish a clear set of rules and expectations for behaviour that is in line with an organisation’s culture and values. The Risk Management and the Child Safe Standards Part 1: Responding to risk and Part 2: Identifying risk are resources made for child-related organisations to help assess, manage, identify and respond to risk.

The Commission for Children and Young People Victoria have developed resources to help organisations comply with their Child Safe Standards. These include the guide for creating a Child Safe Organisation.

National resources are also available from the Human Rights Commission, including a self-assessment tool, checklists and templates.

7. Reflect on what your organisation is already doing to be child and youth safe

Whilst the introduction of the Framework will impact how your organisation promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, you may already have practices and processes in place that help meet the new legal requirements.

You can prepare for the Framework’s implementation by auditing your organisation’s:

  • policies and procedures related to child safeguarding
  • knowledge level and confidence in the area of child safeguarding
  • familiarity with key themes of the Framework

Included below are resources from other states that already have similar laws in place.

Remember, Tasmania's Framework compliance material will be different to the resources listed above, sign up for the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework newsletter for updates on when this is released.

8. If you're a leader of an organisation, share this message with your team

We’ve prepared some email wording that leaders of organisations can share with their teams to explain key points about the Framework:

Hello all,

For children and young people to be safe in our community, they need to be safe in our organisations.

That’s why we need to work together to follow a new legally mandated framework that’s all about creating and maintaining Child and Youth Safe Organisations.

The Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework applies to a wide range of Tasmanian organisations that engage with children and young people.

Organisations that are in-scope for the Framework will be required to comply with it from 2024 onwards.

The Framework sets out clear expectations for:

- how these organisations prioritise and promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, through the introduction of the Child and Youth Safe Standards

- how they respond when there are concerns about a worker's behaviour towards children and young people, through the introduction of the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

It also outlines:

- the importance of independent oversight as a way to ensure organisations fulfil their obligations under the Framework, through the establishment of an Independent Regulator

- when it is appropriate or inappropriate to share information concerning a worker's conduct towards a child or young person.

Key things to know about the Framework at this stage include:

- The Framework is established by the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023

- There are things organisations can do now to begin preparing for their compliance obligations under the Framework

- The Framework can be likened to workplace health and safety, in that it represents ongoing best-practice as opposed to a time-limited or temporary set of activities.

- Organisations required to comply with the Framework will receive support to meet their new legal obligations.

- In many instances, organisations may already have procedures and practices in place that puts them in good stead to comply with the Framework.

- The Framework brings to life key recommendations from the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

- Versions of the Framework are already in place in states such as Victoria and New South Wales, with their experiences suggesting organisations required to comply strengthen their skills in identifying and responding to harm in a child-centred way as a result.

I encourage you all to find out more about the Framework by going to: www.justice.tas.gov.au/cysof

Thank you

9. Sign up for our newsletter to get notified of new resources

The best way to stay up to date about the Framework is to make sure you and your colleagues sign up for the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework newsletter.

10. Tell us what works for you

We want to hear your feedback to best inform our communication activities leading up to the 2024 legally mandated start date of the Framework.

We’ve prepared short survey to share your thoughts.

Seeking help?

We encourage anyone affected by, or with concerns about, child sexual abuse or other types of child abuse to access advice and support.

National:

  • For domestic, family, and sexual violence counselling and support, contact 1800RESPECT:
  • For short-term support if you are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping or staying safe, contact Lifeline:
  • For free professional phone and online counselling for anyone affected by suicide living in Australia, contact Suicide Call Back Service:
  • For information and support for anxiety, depression and suicide prevention for everyone in Australia, contact Beyond Blue:
  • For information and support for anyone who is affected by complex trauma, contact Blue Knot Foundation:
  • For counselling and support for Australian men, contact MensLine Australia:
  • For advice for men about family violence, contact Men's Referral Service:

Tasmania:

Updated: 7th February 2024