This page lists our annual statements of compliance with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework. Our Secretary has authorised these statements.
2024 Commonwealth Child Safe Framework compliance statement
We are committed to promoting and maintaining a culture that does not permit or tolerate child abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
We recognise the role we play in protecting the safety of children and continue to embed child safety and wellbeing into our leadership, governance, and culture.
The department’s Child Safety Policy addresses all 10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. We require staff in identified child-safe positions, or undertaking child-related work, to complete Child Safe training modules.
During the 2023-24 financial year, we acted to further strengthen our compliance with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework and to minimise key risks, including:
- reviewing and updating the Department's Child Safety Policy, with additional guidance about risk management and working with children check requirements for all Australian jurisdictions
- providing additional guidance information about child safety risks for departmental staff undertaking annual risk assessment processes
- distributing departmental communications aimed at supporting greater awareness and understanding of our obligations under the Framework.
Our divisional business and risk planning process includes an annual risk assessment regarding the level of direct or indirect contact with children across our department.
Our overall aggregate risk rating is low-medium, with all but two risks identified within as being within tolerance. Additional controls have been identified and implemented to manage these risks where required.
In continuing to comply with the Framework and 10 National Principles, while leveraging the outcome of our annual risk assessment, our key initiatives include:
- improving staff awareness of the department’s Child Safety Policy and their obligations under the policy
- reviewing the department’s child safety training arrangements
- our senior executive continuing to support the application of the Child Safety Policy across our department
- ensuring child safe clauses are included in grants or procurement documents for funded third parties where required
- developing documents for children that are easy to understand
- ensuring relevant staff complete required training and get and/or maintain relevant checks where required.