Tasmania

“Systems alone don’t protect children. Individuals, working collectively towards the goal of keeping children safe, can." 

(Victim-survivor of child sexual abuse in a Tasmanian institution.) 

From 1st January 2024, religious community services or religious organisations in Tasmania that carry out activities or services through which adults have contact with children will have to comply with the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework, which includes the Child and Youth Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme. This means that churches in Tasmania are legally required to follow the framework from the start of next year. 

The Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework sets out: 

• how organisations prioritise and promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• how organisations respond when there are concerns about a workers’ behaviour towards children and young people engaging with the organisation
• the importance of independent oversight of how organisations fulfil their obligations under the Framework
• when it is appropriate or inappropriate to share information concerning a workers’ conduct towards a child or young person

When putting these 10 Standards into place, organisations must also give effect to the Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety. The Universal Principle says organisations must provide an environment that ensures that the right to Cultural Safety of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children and young people is respected. 

When: Want more information about the Framework?

Visit the Tasmanian Government Department of Justice website.

Looking for resources and information sheets about how to start preparing?

See “What can my organisation do now to prepare for the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework?”. 

Online Forum

Sign up for the online forum on 7 November 2023 at 5-6:00 pm AEDT.   

National Children's Week

21 - 29 OCTOBER 2023

Children’s Week is run by different organisations in each state and territory and many of these have their own websites. To link to information about Children’s Week in your state or territory go to the national Children’s Week website.

NAPCAN supports Children’s Week in the Northern Territory (see information below) and is also a member of the Queensland Children’s Week Committee.

Resources

Children's week posters

  pdf CW POSTER AUSTRALIA (4.55 MB)

  pdf CW GuidetoCelebrating A4 (910 KB)   “A Big Person's Guide to Celebrating!”   

More information on NAPCAN.org.au

NAPCAN Webinar

Play, participation and poverty

When: Monday 23 October 2023

Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm AEDT

Cost: Free

Register: via NAPCAN.org.au event page 

NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian

Child Safe Self-Assessment Tool 

The Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) has created a free online Child Safe Self-Assessment tool to assist organisations (such as churches) to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in how the organisation implements the NSW Child Safe Standards. This tool is an excellent resource, and takes around 30mins to complete. A personalised Assessment and Action Report is automatically generated at the end, and includes useful resources to help the organisation improve its current level of child safety. 

Additional events and training are regularly available and can be found on the OCG events page. 

Community of Practice 

The OCG has also recently commenced a Community of Practice for faith leaders, with a primary focus on resource collaboration and identification of areas where additional support may be needed for religious organisations in implementing the Child Safe Standards and other safeguarding and reporting obligations under the NSW Child Safe Scheme. 

Representatives from diverse faiths are already becoming involved, including Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Baha’i faith leaders, together with Christian denominations: Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Australian Christian Churches, Seventh Day Adventists, Salvation Army and Uniting Church. 

To find out more, or if your religious organisation would like to be included in this Community of Practice, please contact the OCG at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .