Standard 8

Physical and online environments

Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing and minimise the opportunity for children to be harmed.

Creating safe environments, both physical and online, is a cornerstone of children’s safety and wellbeing.

Physical and online environments must prioritise the physical, social, spiritual, emotional, and cultural safety and wellbeing of all children. This requires a holistic, strengths-based approach to safety and wellbeing. It includes designing physical spaces to minimise risks and maintaining online platforms that are safe, well-monitored, and aligned with the Child Safe Standards.

Actions you can take to apply this Standard in your organisation

• take a holistic, strengths-based approach to safety and wellbeing, ensuring that all aspects of a child’s wellbeing (physical, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural) are prioritised
• conduct regular audits of physical spaces to identify and mitigate risks, including playgrounds, classrooms and communal areas
• develop plans for responding to incidents in physical and digital environments, such as injuries or cyberbullying
• establish clear protocols for supervising children in both physical and online spaces
• ensure that staff and volunteers identify and mitigate risks in the online and physical environments without compromising a child’s right to privacy, access to information, social connections and learning opportunities
• ensure the online environment is used in accordance with your Code of Conduct and Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and practices
• consider risks posed by organisational settings, activities, and the physical environment and identify mitigation strategies in your risk management plans
• if you contract facilities and services from third parties, have procurement policies and checks that ensure the safety of children
• gather feedback from children, carers, families and staff about the safety of your physical and online environments and act on concerns raised.

What if you’re a sole trader, small business or volunteer community group?

• if needed, seek advice from child safety community groups for advice about the safety of your physical spaces
• consider your online presence and how children are represented and how their images are used
• invite feedback from children and families involved with your business about the safety of your physical and online spaces and make changes based on what they say
• make sure any third-party providers have the necessary checks to work safely around children
• be mindful that some children will have specific needs that you may need to accommodate, for example, family and living arrangements, or culture.

How does cultural safety look?

• design your physical and online spaces so they are welcoming to and respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and co-design, where possible.

Successful implementation looks like a business or organisation where:

• physical environments meet safety standards and are regularly assessed for risks
• policies for online safety are documented, implemented and monitored effectively
• children report feeling safe in both physical and online environments, including culturally safe
• incidents of harm or breaches are rare and are responded to swiftly and effectively when they occur.