Child Safety Standard 9
Child Safety Standard 9 – Physical and online environments promote safety and well-being while minimizing the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Clubs should focus on
- Staff and volunteers identify and mitigate risks in the online and physical environments without compromising a child’s right to privacy, access to information, social connections and learning opportunities.
- The online environment is used by the organization’s Code of Conduct and Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and practices.
- Risk management plans consider risks posed by organizational settings, activities and the physical environment.
- Organizations that contract facilities and services from third parties have procurement policies that ensure the safety of children and young people.
Documents required for compliance
- A risk assessment identifies risks of child abuse and harm in both physical and online environments connected with the organization.
- Risk management plans list the actions the organization will take to prevent or reduce each identified risk of child abuse and harm.
- The code of conduct, child safety and wellbeing policy identifies how the organization will keep children safe in physical and online environments, with specific reference to higher-risk activities.
- Procurement policies about engaging third-party contractors set out processes to protect children from risks of child abuse and harm, such as requiring compliance with the organization’s code of conduct and child safety and wellbeing policy.
Actions required for compliance
- Have active risk assessment and management plans in place that actively speak towards managing the risk of harm and abuse against children’s right to privacy, access to information, social connections and learning opportunities.
- Officials, staff, and volunteers are provided with risk management plans, so they are aware of the risks of child abuse and harm and know what action they need to take to prevent and reduce them.
- Action is actively taken by all in the club to prevent and reduce the risk of child abuse and harm when identified.
- Risk assessment and management plans are regularly reviewed.
- The club leaders identify risk assessment and management are focused on identifying, preventing and reducing the risk of child abuse and harm.
- Allow for contracts with third parties to be in favor of child safety standards, to assess their ability to engage in child safe standards.
- Understand the risk that the third party possess to child safety and harm, and take appropriate action where possible, inclusive of;
- Requiring compliance with the organisation’s policies and procedures.
- Monitoring compliance with child-safe standards and policies and procedures.
- Collaborating with the parties to identify, prevent, and reduce risks of child abuse and harm.
- Where the club is unable to manage risks of child abuse and harm posed by the third party, understand and consider how to terminate the contract or take other appropriate action to protect children.
- Provide with information about online safety and risk to performers, officials and volunteers about online safety that is age appropriate and informative.
