Creating a child safe environments policy

Your child safe environments policy is part of your child safe environments compliance statement. It sets out the steps your organisation takes to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. It should be tailored to reflect your organisation’s focus and activities.

Your policy can be separate from, or part of, your organisation’s overall policy framework. You must involve staff, volunteers and service users (including children and young people) in the development of your policy and Code of Conduct wherever possible.

Your child safe environments policy must:

• show staff, volunteers, parents, guardians, carers, children and young people that your organisation is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• set out appropriate standards of behaviour and practices for people working and volunteering with children and young people — that is, a Code of Conduct
• increase staff and volunteer awareness of the risk of harm to children and young people and the strategies in place to minimise them
• build staff and volunteer knowledge of how to identify if a child or young person is, or may be, at risk of harm and respond appropriately (including reporting where relevant)
• be relevant to the size, nature and resources of your organisation.

Guideline to writing a policy (DOCX 121.4 KB)

More information

On this site

• Child safe environments compliance statements
• Lodging your child safe environments compliance statement
• Creating a child safe environments policy
• Things to consider when developing your policy
• What must be in your child safe environments policy
• Resources for creating a child safe environments policy
• National Principles for child safe organisations
• Developing a Code of Conduct
• Training - Safe Environments - Through Their Eyes