Child Safe Standards

Safeguarding & Child Safe Standards

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

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

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?

• The 10 Child Safe Standards flyer (1 page)
• What are the 10 Child Safe Standards

Is your club compliant with the Child Safe Standards

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

• Child Safe Standards – Self Assessment tool

Getting Started with the Child Safe Standards

• 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)

Templates

• Child Safe Standards template pack (document will auto download)

Guidelines to the Child Safe Standards

• A Guide to the Child Safe Standards
• A Guide for Board and Committee Members

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