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Child safe environments requirements – for South Australian health providers

Child protection is everyone’s responsibility.  To protect children and young people who are accessing services in the community, the Children’s Protection Act 1993 requires organisations providing certain services to children (including health services) to take steps to establish and maintain a safe environment for children and young people.

 

What do service providers need to do?

Natural therapy service providers need to ensure they meet the minimum requirements set out the Child safe environments: Principles of good practice issued by the Chief Executive, Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) for protecting children and young people. 

They require policies and procedures that cover a range of issues including risk management, codes of conduct, screening and recruitment processes, child protection and mandatory notification awareness and understanding.

Organisations must lodge a statement about their policies and procedures with DECD as soon as possible.  A lodgement form is available from Families SA or statements may be lodged online by logging onto www.families.sa.gov.au/childsafe 

Natural therapy providers also need to conduct criminal history assessments on staff who are working with children in prescribed positions unless an exemption applies.  Organisations may choose to conduct criminal history assessments themselves (must include a National Police Record check) or they may obtain an assessment and letter of clearance from the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DSCI) Screening Unit.  In some circumstances, an organisation may choose to accept other evidence, such as a valid interstate working with children clearance or a previously obtained letter of clearance from the Screening Unit that is less than three years old.

Exemptions from this requirement may apply in some circumstances

I am self-employed.  How do the requirements apply to me?

This requirement to establish and maintain a child safe environment applies to all organisations providing natural therapy services to children or young people, including organisations that consist of a single person. 

Criminal history assessments are required for anyone appointed to, or engaged to act, in a prescribed position in the organisation (whether as an employee, volunteer, agent, contractor or sub contractor) unless an exemption applies. Where a person who regularly works with children or young people does not fall into one of these categories, assessments are recommended as part of best practice.

Mandatory notification

Organisation/provider obligations
The organisation/Natural therapy provider has a responsibility to ensure that relevant staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Children’s Protection Act 1993 to report suspected abuse or neglect and are able to identify and respond to children and young people at risk of harm.  Organisations/providers should ensure that clear guidelines, procedures and training are available and accessible for staff in order to support them report and respond to suspected abuse or neglect. 

Staff obligations
Under Part 4 of the Act, certain people are required to notify the Child Abuse Report Line if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child or young person has been or is being abused or neglected.  It is the individual staff member’s responsibility to report suspected abuse or neglect – it is not the responsibility of their employer, manager or supervisor.

Mandated notifiers include the service provider or organisation staff who are engaged in the actual delivery of services to children, or hold a management position that involves the direct responsibility for, or direct supervision of, the provision of services to children.

Anybody can make a report to the Child Abuse Report Line if they suspect abuse or neglect.

Why does my organisation need to do this?

Organisations have a responsibility to ensure that children and young people in their care are safe and protected.  The focus of creating child safe environments is not simply to create an environment that minimises risk or danger.  Rather, it is about building an environment which is both child-safe and child friendly, where children feel respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential.

A documented child protection policy ensures that child safety and well-being are embedded in your organisation’s culture and ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibility for taking action.  It provides clear guidance for staff about their own behaviour around children and on what to do if they notice or are told about inappropriate behaviour on the part of others.  It also plays an important role in deterring those who may wish to harm children from joining your organisation.

Failure to lodge a statement may incur a $5000 penalty.

Further information

There is a range of information, including templates, fact sheets, standards and good practice principles, available on the Families SA child safe website.  If you have any specific questions that are not covered in the resources available on the website, your may also contact Families SA to discuss your organisation or individual obligations.

Website: www.families.sa.gov.au/childsafe 
Email: DECDChildsafe@dfc.sa.gov.au
Phone: 812 44151or 8463 6468