By Callum Ludwig
Efforts to improve child safety and prevent harm and abuse have ramped up in Victoria, with the passing of the Child Protection Reform and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2022 and updates to the Victorian Child Safe Standards in May and July 2022 respectively and a regulatory framework for the standards in place from this year.
The Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah Councils have teamed up with ChildSafe Australia to host an online Community Information Session on Tuesday 16 May to keep locals updated on the changes.
ChildSafe Australia General Manager Neil Milton said that ChildSafe believe creating a culture of child safety and understanding the standards and what’s expected of organisations needs to be a community initiative.
“The standards are focused on creating safer environments for children off the back of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the national principles around child safety,” he said.
“They are helping organisations to give a voice to children, making sure First Nations people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are supported and creating a culture and framework in organisations to make sure that children are safe and free from harm and abuse.”
Announced by the Federal Government in 2012, the final report on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was released in 2017. An initial seven Child Safe Standards commenced in Victoria in January 2016, with last year’s update modifying that to 11.
Mr Milton said we need to do everything in our power to understand that the trauma from child sexual abuse can be lifelong.
“It can’t just be one organisation doing something and another organisation not doing something. When organisations understand that, compliance with the standards becomes something they are aware of the importance of,” he said.
“Therefore, if a child goes from one organisation to another, they’re going to get the same kind of care. Parents and carers have an implicit trust in organisations, they expect them to keep their children safe and have everything in place to do that.”
The online Zoom information sessions will go over two hours from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and will cover the changes, discuss the standards with a spotlight on governance, child-safe recruitment and training of staff and volunteers, and recognising and reporting abuse before finishing with the implications and a chance for questions.
Mr Milton said with more understanding will fulfil the standard’s goal to prevent harm and abuse to children but also give them a chance to strive and grow in the community.
“Knowledge is power, but you could have all the knowledge in the world and with no cation, children would still be abused. But with knowledge and understanding of the child safety standards, trauma, abuse and creating child-safe environments, they’ve got everything they need in order to make sure they can put this in place,” he said.
“As a survivor myself of child sex abuse, I was let down by an organisation and the reality is that that trauma lives on and you’ve got to face it every single day. If organisations choose to put children first, give them a voice and provide a safe environment, less will likely be abused.”
To find out more about the updated Child Safe Standards, visit www.ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/new-child-safe-standards-now-apply.
To register for the information session, go to www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Experience/Events/New-Child-Safe-Standards-Information-Session?fbclid=IwAR1UsXY8mqH4M2L2uyIpYdVfLG0hP4Om5Xwkr5ggwEAgK89RXVjiCw4MBAo.
For immediate concerns about the safety of a child, contact the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Child Protection Crisis Line by telephone on 13 12 78. To discuss child abuse concerns, including historical events, you can contact a Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) member at Knox (03) 9881 7939.
