Background

On 12 June 2024, the Queensland Government introduced the Child Safe Organisations Bill 2024 (the Bill) to Parliament. The Bill establishes an integrated child safe organisations system in Queensland that includes:

• mandatory child safe standards by in-scope organisations
• a nationally consistent reportable conduct scheme for certain organisations.

The Bill passed Parliament on 11 September 2024 and received assent on 19 September 2024.

The Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 will come into effect on 1 October 2025 and be implemented in stages.

The Queensland Family and Child Commission is responsible for monitoring implementation of the system.

Organisations that take active steps to prevent harm and meaningfully centre children’s safety, wellbeing, and best interests in their policies and practices will be compliant with their obligations and considered child safe. Every organisation in Queensland will be at a different stage of its journey. Some sectors will have Child Safe Standards already underway, and some will have work to do. Implementation will require a unique approach for each sector. 

A child safe organisation is a place that consciously and systematically:

• creates an environment where children’s safety and wellbeing, including cultural safety, is the centre of thought, values and actions.
• upholds children’s rights and human rights.
• places emphasis on genuine engagement with and valuing of children.
• reduces the likelihood of harm occurring.
• increases the likelihood of harm being identified.
• recognises, and responds to, any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm.
• has values and practices embedded into the culture of the organisation and staff at all levels and volunteers embody children’s safety in everything they do.
• engages in a dynamic process of continuous improvement to analyse performance, identify opportunities, learn and make changes to ensure the needs, wellbeing and cultural safety of children is maintained.

Visit our Frequently asked questions webpage for more information.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are high-level principles that set out a national approach to creating organisational cultures and practices that promote the safety and wellbeing, and prevent harm and abuse, of children in Australia.

Safety includes (but is not restricted to) cultural, psychological and physical aspects that ensure children and young people are safe and supported no matter who and where they are, or what organisation they engage with.

Each state and territory is responsible for implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations or equivalent standards within their jurisdiction.  In Queensland, the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 reflects the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Implementing these state-based requirements is equivalent to implementing the National Principles.

Sectors know best how their organisations operate and how the Child Safe Standards, Universal Principle and Reportable Conduct Scheme need to be implemented so that organisations meet their obligations. Given this, we will empower and equip sectors to lead the implementation of the legislation in a way that best enables their organisations to create a culture of safety and wellbeing for all children.

This involves empowering the lead regulators, funders and governing bodies of each sector to work with organisations to become child safe. In most cases, these sector leads will be Queensland Government agencies. These sector leads may leverage established relationships with peak and representative bodies to connect with organisations. 

We will oversee the implementation, and we will collaborate with sector leads to ensure they are equipped to effectively create a child safe culture.

The below image represents our engagement approach and the roles of each group.

Oversight body:

• become a Child Safe Organisation
• raise awareness in Queensland of Child Safe Organisations System
• collaborate with sector leads on implementation
• equip and empower the sector to create child safe cultures
• quality assure resources
• connect organisations with their relevant sector lead
• oversee information sharing, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

 Regulators and Governing and Funding bodies:

• become a Child Safe Organisation (where relevant)
• align child safe legislative requirements within existing governance and quality frameworks
• prepare and provide resources appropriate for their sector and consult with QFCC
• ensure their sector is implementing requirements
• work with peak and representative bodies and child safe entities to implement requirements
• report implementation progress to QFCC as oversight body
• work with QFCC on establishing information sharing, monitoring and reporting mechanisms
• engage children and families in their work.

Peak and representative bodies:

• become a Child Safe Organisation (where relevant)
• prepare and provide resources appropriate for their sector and consult with sector leads
• consult with organisations on needs and seek support from sector leads and QFCC
• contribute to collaboration on insights, lessons learned and child safe practices from child safe implementation
• enable organisations to implement requirements
• engage children and families in their work.

*Representative bodies cover groups such as committees, reference groups, networks, associations, memberships and such, that aren’t considered ‘peak’ but hold significant influence. 

Queensland organisations:

• become a Child Safe Organisation
• build a culture of safety and wellbeing for all children
• provide input to development of sector specific resources through existing governance, peak and representative bodies
• work with sector leads and enablers to implement requirements
• contribute to collaboration on insights, lessons learned and child safe practices from child safe implementation
• seek support from sector leads and enablers where needed
• engage children and families in their work.