accepted in principle the Royal Commission’s recommendations that the Child Safe Standards become mandatory for organisations that engage in child-related work and that they are independently monitored by oversight bodies who provide advice, information and support on the standards to organisations. The Human Rights Commission is now progressing work on a National Statement of Principles for Child Safe Organisations with a view to these being signed off by the Council of Australian Governments. The Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Child Safe Organisations WA Guidelines, the Royal Commission’s Child Safe Standards and the Human Rights Commission’s National Principles each outline equivalent elements and strategies that leaders and staff of organisations must understand and implement to provide comprehensive and tailored approaches to help children and young people to feel safe and be safe. This tool has been updated to more clearly identify how organisations must pay attention to all children and young people they service by upholding equity and meeting diverse needs.: A child safe organisation will tailor their services and procedures to ensure; children with disability; children from diverse religious and cultural communities; Aboriginal children, very young children; children who have experienced trauma; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children; and children living in remote locations have fair access to the relationships, skills, knowledge and resources they need to be safe, in equal measure with their peers.. Organisations should actively anticipate children’s diverse circumstances and backgrounds and respond effectively to address any specific needs and/or vulnerabilities. This tool intended to be used with the publication Child Safe Organisations WA: Guidelines, available at which provides additional information and examples of child safe practices. How to use the self-assessment and review tool This tool focuses on the culture and behaviours that are essential to establish and sustain a child safe and friendly organisation. It is recommended the following steps are taken: Consider and Determine who will complete the assessment/review (may be one person or multiple) who will be involved in providing information on the practices which leaders will consider the findings and approve the actions and timeframes Assess and Document Rate how the organisation performs on a series of ‘practices’ using the following five-point scale: Just beginning, self-assessment and planning
Upholding equity and meeting diverse needs. Examples provide timely information in a form and language that is accessible, including information about the organisation’s child safe and friendly policies and complaints processes seek guidance from experienced others in regards to the needs of children and young people with disabilities or complex needs or from culturally diverse backgrounds actively promote and support the diversity of family structures and relationships Domain Child safe and friendly policies Agency: Work unit: Completed by: Date of review: Date of next review: Practices Rating 1 to 5 Evidence of practice in action Next steps By whom By when