- Date:
- 1 July 2022
Minimum standards
Registered training organisations (RTOs) that deliver training to anyone under 18 years of age must comply with the Child Safe Standards. For RTOs registered with the VRQA this is detailed in the VRQA guidelines and regulated through compliance audits and complaints investigations.
What do RTOs have to do?
RTOs registered with VRQA must confirm in writing if they deliver, or intend to deliver, services to anyone under 18 years of age.
If they do, they must have child safe strategies, policies, and practices.
They must create and maintain a child safe culture, and:
- follow the VRQA guidelines
- have clear policies and procedures, supported by governance and operational arrangements, that address each Standard
- ensure agreements with third-party service providers require them to comply with the Standards.
Ready to get started?
This checklist helps RTOs comply:
Guidance and evidence requirements for each Standard is also available.
1. Culturally safe environments
Respecting and valuing Aboriginal experiences and identities.
About the Standard
This Standard requires registered training organisations (RTOs) to take steps to create a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal children and their families. Organisations must meet this Standard, even if Aboriginal children do not use their services or facilities.
Most organisations will need to improve their approach to creating a safe environment for Aboriginal children and their families.
Implementing this Standard will require ongoing effort, not a one-off change.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- a commitment to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that requires staff and volunteers to support Aboriginal children and families express and enjoy their cultural rights
- a commitment that the RTO will not tolerate racism
- procedures that address incidents of racism and potential consequences
- documented actions and strategies to support Aboriginal people to enrol in training and express their culture. These must include:
- accountable positions
- allocated resources
- timelines
- how the RTO’s management promotes:
- the strengths of Aboriginal culture
- the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal children.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- a publicly available Child Safety Code of Conduct (compulsory)
- regular discussions on Aboriginal child safety at staff, management or board meetings
- a business plan that documents activities to build a culturally safe environment
- recruitment and induction processes that include Aboriginal culture and safety
- professional development for staff and volunteers on Aboriginal culture
- communication resources that detail the RTO’s commitment to Aboriginal culture and safety.
2. Child safety and wellbeing
Building a strong organisational child safe culture.
About the Standard
This Standard creates a child safe culture at all organisational levels by emphasising:
- information sharing
- recordkeeping
- governance arrangements
- management of risks to children.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- the RTO's public commitment to child safety
- governance arrangements that implement child safety policies and procedures and reporting requirements
- strategies to manage risks to the safety and welfare of children
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that specifies acceptable and unacceptable behavioural standards
- a Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- staff and volunteers' professional development and, or induction that includes:
- child safety information sharing
- recordkeeping requirements.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- website publication of the RTO’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and Child Safety Code of Conduct
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that specifies acceptable and unacceptable behavioural standards and applies to staff, volunteers and students
- documented governance frameworks to implement child safe policies, procedures and reporting requirements
- a risk register to identify, prevent and reduce risks to child safety
- recruitment and induction resources and processes that cover the Child Safe Standards
- professional development for staff and volunteers that covers information sharing and recordkeeping obligations.
3. Child and student empowerment
Giving children and students a voice to speak up when something isn’t right.
About the Standard
This Standard requires RTOs to support strategies to:
- empower children
- promote their participation.
RTO’s requirements include:
- informing children about their rights
- recognising the importance of friendships
- encouraging support from peers, to help children feel safe and connected
- providing children with access to sexual abuse prevention programs where relevant
- equipping staff and volunteers to identify the signs of harm to children.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- a commitment to the importance of:
- empowering children to understand their rights
- the value of friendships to help children feel safe
- ways for children to raise safety issues and provide feedback about the physical environment, staff behaviour and RTO practices
- actions and strategies that support children to:
- understand their rights
- feel connected to their peers
- have a voice in the RTO's operations and environment
- professional development and induction training for staff and volunteers to help them to:
- identify signs of child abuse
- address the importance of supporting students to make friends to strengthen their confidence and engagement
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that includes standards for staff and volunteer behaviour and explains their responsibilities. This includes making sure students are informed of their rights, know how to raise complaints and are aware of sexual abuse prevention programs.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- website publication of policy and procedures that reference the RTO’s commitment to the Standards and the rights of children
- communication and engagement resources that explain the complaints process and how to access sexual abuse prevention programs. This could be as part of the:
- RTO website
- student handbook
- marketing material
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that requires staff and volunteers to inform students about their rights and how to raise safety concerns
- professional development and induction that promotes staff and volunteers' responsiveness to feedback from children
- a monitoring or performance framework to review child safe policies and procedures.
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- a commitment to the importance of:
- empowering children to understand their rights
- the value of friendships to help children feel safe
- ways for children to raise safety issues and provide feedback about the physical environment, staff behaviour and RTO practices
- actions and strategies that support children to:
- understand their rights
- feel connected to their peers
- have a voice in the RTO's operations and environment
- professional development and induction training for staff and volunteers to help them to:
- identify signs of child abuse
- address the importance of supporting students to make friends to strengthen their confidence and engagement
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct that includes standards for staff and volunteer behaviour and explains their responsibilities. This includes making sure students are informed of their rights, know how to raise complaints and are aware of sexual abuse prevention programs.
4. Family engagement
Keeping families and communities informed and involved in promoting child safety.
About the Standard
This Standard creates specific obligations for RTOs to involve families and communities in promoting child safety.
RTOs must ensure that they:
- seek the input of families and communities in decisions impacting children
- involve families and communities when they develop and review their child safe policies and practices
- communicate effectively with families and communities about:
- how to raise concerns about child safety
- how the RTO operates
- take the diversity of families into account
- act to reduce barriers to inclusion.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- a commitment in the RTO’s policies and communication resources to the importance of involving families and communities in decisions affecting students that are children
- transparent and accessible information and engagement processes for families and communities
- how it consults with or asks families, carers and the community to participate in decisions affecting students who are children
- how it consults with families, carers and the community about the RTO's child safe governance.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- website publication of the policies and communication resources that commit to involve families and communities in decisions affecting students that are children
- communication or engagement resources that include information on the importance of involving families and communities regarding decisions affecting students that are children
- a business plan or strategy that details the RTO's activities relating to the engagement of the families and communities of its students who are children
- student support services and resources that focus on the role of families and communities in supporting children.
5. Diversity and equity
Supporting children from different backgrounds, characteristics or beliefs.
About the Standard
This Standard requires RTOs to:
- recognise and respond to diversity
- understand that some children are more vulnerable to abuse than others.
RTOs must ensure that they:
- understand children’s diverse backgrounds, circumstances and needs
- make any necessary adjustments and provide equal protection to all children
- consider the needs of children who are unable to live at home as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children
- pay attention to the needs of non-binary and gender diverse children.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- publicly available policies and procedures designed to be accessible to support children from diverse circumstances
- the steps it takes to include children who are:
- from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Aboriginal
- with disability
- unable to live at home
- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex
- how it provides staff and volunteers with professional development to improve their understanding of responding to the needs of children from diverse backgrounds
- meeting agendas and minutes that support the RTO's actions to include children from diverse backgrounds.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- policy and procedural documents that clearly communicate the RTO’s commitment to engage and support students from diverse circumstances
- a business plan or strategy that details the RTO’s activities relating to engaging students from diverse backgrounds
- communication resources including website material that shows the RTO's commitment to promoting diversity and equity. For example information about its policies or procedures that is available in:
- a range of different languages
- accessible formats to students, families and their communities
- student support services and resources that encourage or promote students from diverse backgrounds to access vocational education and training.
6. Suitable staff and volunteers
People working with children are suitable and supported to understand child safety and wellbeing.
About the Standard
RTOs are required to inform staff and volunteers about:
- the organisation’s recordkeeping processes about child safety and wellbeing
- information sharing and reporting obligations.
They must also have child safety policies and procedures for staff and volunteer:
- recruitment and selection processes
- screening
- supervision
- training
- development
- performance monitoring.
RTOs must make sure staff and volunteers are aware of their reporting procedures for child safety issues.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- policies and procedures that specify that all staff and volunteers are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children
- staff and volunteer onboarding that includes:
- child safety referee checks
- pre-employment screening
- recruitment recordkeeping
- information sharing
- mandatory reporting requirements
- how the organisation monitors or updates records to make sure staff and volunteers have current Working with Children Checks
- how the supervision of staff and volunteers focuses on child safety and wellbeing.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- publicly available policy and procedures that show the recruitment and onboarding requirements for staff and volunteers
- a business plan or strategy to make sure staff and volunteer supervision focuses on child safety and wellbeing
- recruitment, induction or performance reviews for new or existing staff and volunteers
- a records management system that stores:
- Working With Children Check information and expiry dates
- completed pre-employment checks
- other recruitment screening documents.
7. Complaints processes
Ensure that processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
About the Standard
RTOs must have effective processes that:
- support children to raise complaints
- ensure that their organisation can appropriately respond to and report suspected child abuse.
This Standard emphasises the importance of complaints processes that are:
- child-focused
- easily understood by children and their families
- easily understood by staff and volunteers.
RTOs must make sure they:
- take complaints seriously and respond to them promptly and thoroughly
- co-operate with law enforcement
- meet reporting, privacy and employment law obligations.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence that its complaints policy:
- is easily understood, culturally respectful, child-focused and accessible to the full diversity of children, staff, volunteers, families and communities
- covers allegations of abuse and harm to children by adults and other children
- describes assistance provided to the complainant
- outlines how risks to children will be managed when a complaint is raised and an investigation is underway
- covers recordkeeping obligations
- includes clear links to disciplinary policies
- specifies that complaints can be raised when staff breach policies and procedures, including:
- the Child Safety Code of Conduct
- their obligations to act
- states a reasonable response time for complaints and describes an appropriate consideration process
- states when the RTO will report complaints to the authorities and cooperate as necessary with law enforcement.
Further evidence could include policies and procedures that show compliance with the relevant reporting, privacy, and employment laws.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- documented recruitment, induction or performance reviews for new or existing staff and volunteers that include the complaints policy
- professional development or resources for staff and volunteers to communicate changes to the complaints policy or procedures
- record management systems that capture, report and record complaints investigations data
- communication resources that clearly convey the complaints policy and procedures to students, families, staff and volunteers. For example a student handbook, newsletter or website.
8. Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness
Building a child safe culture through training and information.
About the Standard
RTOs must provide information and training to staff and volunteers so that they can:
- create child safe environments
- respond to allegations of abuse.
This Standard explains obligations for RTOs to train and support staff and volunteers, and provide ongoing education and training to:
- implement the organisation’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- recognise indicators of harm (including harm caused by other children)
- respond effectively to child safety issues and concerns
- support colleagues who disclose harm.
RTOs must provide training and information for staff and volunteers on building safe environments for children.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence that it keeps its staff and volunteers informed of the policies and procedures that it uses to ensure child safety. These policies and procedures must include how to:
- identify indicators of child abuse and harm. This includes abuse and harm from other children.
- respond to issues of child safety including:
- internal and external reporting requirements
- notifying families and carers
- managing risks to children
- support a person disclosing harm to a child or themselves
- create culturally safe environments in the organisation.
RTOs should also provide evidence that regular child safety training is provided to all staff and volunteers. This includes how to:
- support a person disclosing harm to a child or themselves
- identify indicators of child abuse and harm
- respond to issues of child safety including:
- internal and external reporting requirements
- notifying families and carers
- managing risks to children
- support cultural safety.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may have:
- recruitment, induction and professional development for staff and volunteers that supports child safety knowledge, skills and awareness
- student enrolment and pre-assessment processes that supports child safety knowledge, skills and awareness
- regular discussions about child safety during staff, management or board meetings
- duty statements and supervision arrangements that facilitate the provision of child safety information and training
- continuous improvement practices.
9. Child safety in physical and online environments
Helping children have safer and more positive experiences online and in person.
About the Standard
RTOs must be aware of the risks associated with both physical and online environments. They should take steps to remove risks of child abuse.
RTOs are required to:
- consider online environments in addition to physical environments
- identify and reduce risks in these environments without compromising a child’s:
- right to privacy
- access to information
- social connections
- learning opportunities
- promote child safety and wellbeing and minimise the opportunity for children to be harmed
- have procurement policies that ensure the safety of children if the RTO contracts facilities and services from third parties.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- a risk management plan that identifies and reduces risks of child abuse and harm in both physical and online environments including third parties
- implemented processes to monitor online and physical interactions
- a Child Safety Code of Conduct for all students, staff, volunteers and visitors to keep children safe in physical and online environments
- third party engagement policies and agreements that set out processes that protect children from risks of child abuse and harm.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with this Standard may protect child safety in physical and online environments through its:
- record management policies and processes
- governance frameworks
- risk management policies, documents and processes
- third party arrangements.
10. Implementation of child safety practices
Checking regularly that policies and procedures are up to date.
About the Standard
Being a child safe organisation requires ongoing effort with a focus on reviewing and continuously improving policies, procedures and practices.
This Standard contains obligations for RTOs to:
- analyse complaints, concerns and safety incidents to:
- identify causes and systemic failures
- inform continuous improvement
- report on the findings of relevant reviews of child safe practices to staff and volunteers, families, children and the community.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:
- how the RTO reviews, evaluates and improves child safe practices
- a complaints process that includes analysis and review to identify systemic failures
- meeting agendas and minutes that demonstrate continuous improvement in child safety policies and practices
- communications with staff, volunteers, communities, families and children about the outcomes of relevant reviews.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with the Standard may make sure it regularly reviews its implementation of the Child Safe Standards through:
- a monitoring or performance framework
- continuous improvement practices
- a record management system
- an annual compliance report
- governance frameworks.
11. Documentation of child safety practices
Putting all the requirements of the Standards into action.
About the Standard
This Standard contains obligations for RTOs to:
- make policies and procedures easy to understand
- develop policies and procedures using stakeholder consultation and best practice models
- make sure organisational leaders champion and model compliance with policies and procedures.
RTOs must have comprehensive policies and procedures in place to support child safety.
How to comply
An RTO must be able to provide evidence that it:
- has policies and procedures that:
- address all the Standards
- are easy to understand
- develops policies and procedures using best-practice professional development, research or consultation
- has systems to verify that staff and volunteers understand and implement child safety practices
- nominates champions or advocates who promote the Standards and compliance.
Examples of compliance
An RTO complying with the Standard may have implemented child safety through:
- policies and procedures that are part of a comprehensive working system
- a monitoring or performance framework
- continuous improvement practices
- communication strategies and practices.