Child Safe Standards

For the Information of Clubs and Associations

Mandatory Child Safe Standards

Child-safe clubs are built on a positive child-safe culture, clear policies, compliance with the Working with Children Check, Child Safe Standards, and child safe sport practices that create and maintain a supportive environment for every child.

In NSW, it is a mandatory requirement for all football clubs, associations, branches and referee branches to be compliant with both the NSW Working with Children Check and the Child Safe Standards.

The Child Safe Standards build upon and strengthen existing governance, policies and child safeguarding practices already implemented by Football NSW clubs, associations, branches and referee branches, providing a consistent framework to help create and maintain safe environments for children and young people.

What are the 10 Child Safe Standards?

• What are the 10 Child Safe Standards
• Snapshot of the 10 Child Safe Standards

Is your club compliant?

Use the Self-Assessment Tool to identify the areas where your organisation can strengthen its child safe practices and achieve compliance with the Child Safe Standards.

• Child Safe Standards – Self Assessment tool

Guidelines to the Child Safe Standards & Getting Started

• A Guide to the Child Safe Standards
• A Guide for Boards and Committees

Getting Started

• 6 Steps to getting started with the Child Safe Standards
• A Guide to getting started with the Child Safe Standards
• The getting started tracker (document will auto download)

Create your club’s Child Safe documents

Your club is required to have the following in place:

1. Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
2. Club Child Safe Policy
3. Child Safe Code of Conduct
4. Child Safe Reporting Policy
5. Child Safe Recruitment, Induction and Training Policy
6. Child Safe Risk Management Play

Download the Child Safe Standards documents template pack (zip file will auto download)

Training & Education for clubs, associations & branches

• Introduction to the Child Safe Standards (video)
• Understanding the 10 Standards (video menu)
• New E-Learning for Child Safe Organisations
• Register for Child Safe Standards training

Child Safe Risk Management

• Understanding child safe risks in sport (video)
• Risk Management and the child safe standards – Responding to risk (Guide)

OCG Compliance & Enforcement

Fines for Non-Compliance

The Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) is cracking down on non-compliance with the Working with Children Check (WWCC), with the launch of ‘Operation Sentinel’, having issued 18 fines totalling $21,500, to organisations for non-compliance with the WWCC.  The fine for not verifying a WWC Number is $11,000 and working without a WWCC can carry up to 2 years imprisonment.

• NSW OCG issues fines for non-compliance with the WWCC (news article)

Compliance & Enforcement of the Child Safe Standards & WWCC

The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian regularly monitors and audits sport clubs, associations, branches and organisations for compliance with the NSW Child Safe Standards and the NSW Working with Children Check, so it’s important that your organisation has everything in place to meet compliance and to keep children safe in football.

• NSW OCG Compliance and Monitoring
• NSW OCG Enforcement