Implementing Child Safe Standards

Why this is important

The Victorian Child Safe Standards provide a framework to safeguard children and young people from harm and abuse across organisations that work with them. The standards were developed in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. They require organisations to:

• embed child safety in policies and culture to help prevent abuse
• ensure they act on allegations 
• respond to concerns in a timely manner.

There are around 1.5 million children and young people in Victoria, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those with disability, those in out-of-home care, and those from diverse backgrounds. The standards are vital for strengthening community trust and keeping children’s rights and wellbeing central to services.

Five regulators oversee compliance with the standards. The Social Services Regulator recently took on responsibility for regulating organisations previously covered by the Commission for Children and Young People. The newly established Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority has also recently taken over the regulation of early childhood education and care services from the Department of Education.

What we plan to examine

We plan to examine how regulators are working together to implement Victoria's Child Safe Standards to protect children and young people from harm and abuse.

Who we plan to examine

Department of Education

Department of Health

Social Services Regulator

Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority 

Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority 

Workforce Inspectorate Victoria

Further information

This builds on our report School Compliance with Victoria's Child Safe Standards (2019).