Child Safe Standards

Arising from the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Australian Human Rights Commission developed the National Statement of Principles, which were endorsed by states and territories in February 2019. 

The National Principles are underpinned by a child-rights, strengths-based approach to Child Safe Organisations and are designed to be flexible so that all sectors that engage with children, and organisations of different sizes, can implement them.

These principles collectively show that 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. They are intended to guide what institutions need to do to be child safe by setting best practice to drive and guide performance.

The new Queensland Child Safe Standards are based on the National Principles which means there is significant consistency between the new Queensland scheme and the schemes operating in other states.

Schedule 1 of the new Child Safe Organisation Act 2024 sets out the categories of organisations and businesses that need to comply with the Child Safe Standards. 

Organisations that are deemed to be child safe organisations, which are based and operating in Queensland, will be required to uphold 10 Child Safe Standards. 

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
2. Children are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
5. People working with children are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing in practice.
6. Processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focused.
7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children safe through ongoing education and training.
8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing and minimise the opportunity for children to be harmed.
9. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children.

When organisations implement the Child Safe Standards they must also provide an environment that ensures the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and Torres Strait Islander children. This is known as the Universal Principle. 

The Universal Principle needs to be embedded in each of the 10 Child Safe Standards. It has the same importance as each of the 10 Child Safe Standards and the same enforcement powers can be used by the Queensland Family and Child Commission to address non-compliance.

A Child Safe Organisation should apply the Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle at a broad organisational level rather than to a specific service or part of their organisation in a way that is tailored to their individual circumstances. 

This means there is no one size fits all approach to implementing the Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle and organisations should engage in a process to: 

• reflect and consider how the Child Safe Standards apply to their situation 
• determine what needs to be reviewed, reinforced, changed, developed or implemented to improve the safety, wellbeing and cultural safety of children
• ensure a culture of continuous improvement to respond to challenges or new situations and continue to hold children’s safety as a core priority

The Child Safe Standards will come into effect from 1 October 2025 through a staged approach, with all Child Safe Organisations required to comply with the Child Safe Standards by 1 April 2026.

The organisations required to implement the Child Safe Standards, and the phases of implementation can be found on the Implementation in Queensland page.