Your responsibilities: for staff and volunteers

Staff and volunteers have a shared responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of children.

Staff and volunteers in an organisation with a child safe culture will:

• always engage appropriately around children and promote a child safe culture
• be aware of their own responsibilities to prevent harm to children and hold themselves and others accountable for carrying them out
• know how to identify risks of harm to children, make children and families feel safe to raise concerns, and act on what they hear
• promote every adult’s responsibility to do their bit to prevent harm.

Staff and volunteers are usually the primary way children, young people and their families interact with an organisation. They also play a critical role in identifying and reporting risks and concerns and in taking action.

Preventing abuse and neglect starts with spotting the warning signs. To keep children and young people safe, you need clear guidance on the risks children face and how to respond. Staff and volunteers have a responsibility to report anything that causes them concern and to act on any complaints they receive. You will need to know the processes in place for you to do this, and your organisation should provide this for you in the form of a policy, procedure and training on recognising and responding to risk and disclosures. If your organisation doesn’t have this, you will need to raise it with your manager.

It’s important that all staff and volunteers:

• follow your organisation’s Code of Conduct – most organisations working with children will have a Code of Conduct already, but if your organisation doesn’t have one yet, raise it with your manager
• know about your organisation’s child safeguarding policies – these can include documents, processes and practices that every staff member and volunteer can access and understand
• receive adequate training and support – you should feel confident to provide a child safe environment or feel that you can ask your manager for the support you need
• know about your organisation’s complaints processes – this includes processes that enable staff, volunteers, children and families to raise concerns about children’s safety and wellbeing.

If you aren’t sure whether your organisation has these in place, or if you don’t know how to access them, talk to your manager.

Our Resources webpage includes links to a range of different online courses which can support staff and volunteers:

• The Australian Human Rights Commission e-learning modules which provide a useful starting point for your staff to understand the National Principles, which have informed Queensland’s Child Safe Standards
• NAPCAN provides free, online workshops to support organisations to implement the Child Safe Standards.

You may find other child safeguarding training and courses. You should assess these for relevance to your business or organisation and how you work with children.

Families and communities are critical partners in keeping children safe. Children thrive when their families and communities are informed, engaged and are active partners in promoting safe environments. Open communication, trust and mutual respect are essential to building trust and ensures families know how concerns will be addressed. As staff and volunteers, you can foster these relationships with families and communities or speak to your manager if you have suggestions about how your business can strengthen those connections.

Last updated
16 September 2025