Child Safety Statement 2024
Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
October 2024
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children by creating and maintaining practices that are safe for children. The Department actively promotes a culture where children who have contact with, or are affected by the work of the Department, are safe, protected and respected. This includes compliance with the four core requirements of the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework (the Framework).
Requirement 1 — The Department has undertaken a risk assessment of child-related activities to evaluate, control and treat risks associated with working with children. The Department's operations involve children in limited settings with varying degrees of interaction:
- The administration of Norfolk Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island, including the provision of health, education, and administration. This includes roles such as nurses and education assistants, who have direct contact with children, in some cases without a parent or guardian present.
- Exhibition attendants for the Tai Jin House museum in the Christmas Island National Park, whose roles include contact with child patrons of the museum.
- Convening the Creative Industries Youth Advisory Group, which helps shape the whole-of-government National Cultural Policy, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.
- A Child Safety Officer and support team, responsible for the oversight of child safety issues, who may occasionally come into contact with children via a public feedback and complaints portal.
To mitigate risks posed to children, the Department has developed policies and procedures, including a comprehensive Child Safety Policy which sets clear responsibilities, processes and expectations for all staff. Practices are in place across the Department to mitigate risks to child safety, including screening of staff through Police checks and Working with Children Checks (WWCC).
The 2024 risk assessment also examined all agreements with external parties for the provision of services to children, including parties who manage children’s data or who otherwise come into contact with children or their data (e.g. staff who book travel on behalf of children). The terms of each agreement include child safety provisions to appropriately manage the risks to children who interact with external organisations. The Department has specific grant and procurement guidance to ensure agreements meet the standards set by the Framework.
Requirement 2 — The Department provides a system of training and compliance commensurate with its activities and risk profile. This includes:
- Child safety training at induction for staff working in roles identified as having contact with children.
- Offering training developed by the National Office for Child Safety (NOCS) on the Framework to ensure staff are aware of their obligations.
- Individual compliance processes for areas which include child-related work, with all staff in these roles subject to ongoing screening.
- Undertaking an annual stocktake of child-related positions and third-party agreements to provide further assurance of ongoing compliance with the Framework.
Requirement 3 — In addition to the above, the Department has also undertaken work to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, including:
- Appointment of an SES-level Child Safety Officer to drive a positive safety culture and oversee child safety processes and complaints management.
- A Child Safety Policy that details responsibilities, processes, performance and development requirements, legislation and behaviours, including clear information for staff on how the Department ensures child safety while promoting equity and diversity.
- Introduction of complaint handling processes to support the Framework and Child Safety Policy.
- Availability of a dedicated child safe anonymous complaints and feedback portal, available on the Department’s website, to manage complaints and concerns.
- Child safe resources informing children and their parents/guardians of their rights, how to speak up and get help, available on the Department's website and distributed to child-related work areas.
Requirement 4 — Publication of this Statement by 31 October 2024, with the inclusion of our assessment results, meets the Department's obligations under Requirement 4.
Based on the findings of the risk assessment and the Department's mitigation strategies, the overarching risk rating for child safety in 2024 is low.
The Department recognises that continuous improvement is essential to maintaining a child safe environment to support compliance with the Framework. In line with this, the Department is now focused on:
- Introducing supplementary, tailored child safety training for staff who have regular contact with children.
The measures outlined in this statement will further support the Department to achieve high child safety standards and a positive child safe culture to strengthen compliance with the Framework.
Further information
For more information, including how you can report child safety concerns for this Department, please visit our Child Safety Resources page.
Child safety initiatives and measures
The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential to maintaining a child safe environment and ensure compliance with the Framework. In line with this, the department is now focused on:
- Implementation of supplementary, tailored child safety training.
These measures will further support the department in progressing a positive child safe culture and high child safety standards, enhancing our compliance with the framework.
Further information
For more information, including how you can report child safety concerns for this department, please visit our Child Safety Resources page.