Introduction to Victorian Child Safety Standards for Neighbourhood Houses

From 1 January 2023, Victoria’s updated Child Safe Standards became law. These 11 Standards aim to better protect children and young people from abuse by embedding safety into the culture, policies, and practices of organisation. It is important to understand the Standards are not just about preventing or reporting harm, but about upholding Children’s Rights across all aspects of the organisation.

Neighbourhood Houses—whether or not they run children’s programs—must comply. This includes events, room hires, and any situation where children may be present. Compliance is not optional: it’s a legal obligation under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005, and failure to meet the Standards can result in serious consequences.

The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) enforces these Standards to ensure:

Unsafe behaviours are identified and addressed early
Reporting abuse is normalised and supported
Recruitment and screening of staff and volunteers are strengthened
Cultural safety and inclusion are embedded—especially for Aboriginal children, children with disabilities, and those from diverse backgrounds

Whole of Organisation Responsibility

Committees hold ultimate legal responsibility for compliance. Standard 11 provides the range of requirements Committees must maintain oversight on to be a safe and compliant organisation.
Managers lead implementation: updating policies and processes, training staff, conducting risk assessments, and reporting breaches.
Managers must report any breach of the Child Safe Code of Conduct via the Reportable Conduct Scheme, which oversees allegations of abuse or misconduct.
Staff and volunteers are responsible to uphold the requirements of the child safety standards, participate in training and follow the organisations Code of Conduct.

Child Safety Standards Information Resources

NHVic information Page, including Child Safety Standards Complete Resource

CSS-complete-resource

CCYP Short Guide to the Child Safe Standards

Continuous Focus and Improvement

The Child Safety Standards require ongoing focus and improvement. The minimum expectation is an annual review process: self assess – identify action area – implement – review. Schedule Child Safety Standards as a annual action by the Neighbourhood House Governance Committee to assess progress made and identify next steps for action.

CHANH has developed a Position Description for a university Student Placement to deliver the annual review as part of their position in a Neighbourhood House. In combination with information on this page, existing child safety documents, information and initiatives in your house, this can be used to support recruitment and drive a valuable learning experience for student and organisation.

Position Description – Student Placement Child Safe Assessment – 13-01-2026 Download

The Department of Families Fairness and Housing have made the following self assessment tools – use either one to document progress for year to year:

Excel Document format: CSS All In One Assessment Tool

Simple Word Document format: CCS Assessment Tool Template

NH Example Safety Plan – demonstrating assessment responses

Documentation Needed

Achieving compliance with the Child Safety Standards requires a set of core documents, as well as updates to existing policies, procedures, and resources across your Neighbourhood House.

These updates should be identified through your Child Safety Assessment Tools, which help determine gaps and areas for improvement.

Essential Documents

To support your compliance journey, the following template documents are available to help you develop or refine your organisation’s:

Child Safety Policy – Outlines your commitment to child safety and the principles guiding your approach.
Child Safe Code of Conduct – Sets clear expectations for behaviour when interacting with children and young people.
Reporting and Response Procedures – Details how concerns, disclosures, or breaches are reported and managed, including obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme.
- Child Abuse Report Form

These templates can be adapted to suit your Neighbourhood House’s size, structure, and community context.

Policy Integration

In addition to standalone child safety documents, you will need to review and modify other organisational policies to reflect Child Safety Standards, including:

Recruitment and induction procedures
Risk management frameworks
Volunteer management policies
Privacy and information sharing protocols
Cultural safety and inclusion strategies

Display Resources:

CHANH has developed the following child-friendly CANVA Template Resources, which can be copied, branded and edited to suit your organisations needs.

A3 How to Make a Complaint Poster – Access from Canva
A3 Every Child Has Rights Poster 1 – Access from Canva
A3 Kids Have Rights Poster 2 – Access from Canva
A4 General NH Rights and Responsibilities Trifold Brochure – Access from Canva
A3 Cultural Inclusion Poster – Access from Canva (This resource does require some background work – see document for details)A3 Cultural Inclusion Poster – Access from Canva (This resource does require some background work – see document for details)

NOTE: Resources are locked so they cannot be altered. To edit, copy into your NH Canva suite. If you do not have one or need any assistance, contact CHANH.

Further related resources for display:

Come across a great information resource? Please send a link through to networker@chanh.org.au to have it included here.

Training

Training is a core requirement of the Child Safety Standards and is mandatory for all staff, volunteers, and committee members. It ensures that everyone understands their responsibilities and can confidently identify, respond to, and prevent child abuse and harm.

Determining Training Scope

Each Neighbourhood House must determine the scope and depth of training required through a risk assessment that considers:

The level of engagement individuals have with children and young people
The culture of the organisation and its surrounding community
The number and diversity of staff and volunteers
The committee’s risk appetite and understanding of legal liability

Based on this assessment, your organisation may choose:

A documented, self-directed training program
A reputable external provider
A blended approach

The chosen method must be clearly documented, regularly reviewed, and remain fit for purpose.

Note: Child Safety training can be confronting and may trigger past trauma. Ensure participants can pause or leave sessions as needed, and provide access to counselling or support services.

Training Options:

Organisations may access external trainig or develop their own training programs tailored to their needs. These should be:

Planned and documented
Include clear goals, outcomes, and evaluation measures

Required Topics – training must cover:

Recognising and responding to abuse
Supporting disclosures
Risk management
Child empowerment
Record keeping and information sharing
Reporting obligations
Cultural safety and inclusion

Even those not directly working with children should understand:

Who the Child Safe Officer is and what the Code of Conduct entails
How to respond to concerns
That abuse can happen anywhere
That your House is committed to child safety

External providers:

There are many external training opportunities available online. CHANH endorses and supports access to ChildSafe Australia.

ChildSafe Australia (via CHANH subscription):

Tier 1 Online Module – Comprehensive overview of the Standards ($19.35 per license)
Tier 2 Webinars – Suitable for Managers, Committees, Team Leaders (~$80 each)
Tier 3 Bespoke Webinars – Customised for NH Managers and Committees (~$1500)

NOTE: Contact CHANH for access, discounts, or free spots under membership.

In house training:

PROTECT is a Child Safety Standards training package developed by the Victorian Government for schools and early childhood providers. Training slide decks are available for:

School Councils
School Staff
Volunteers

Whilst not specifically designed for neighbourhood houses, the content of the PROTECT training is highly relevant in a neighbourhood house environment. Use of these training resources can be considered in relation to your neighbourhood houses overall risk assessment and requirements.

Other member recommended relevant training:

NHVic Indigenous Worldviews – highly relevant for Standards 1 and 2, emphasising the difference between stating and demonstrating commitment.
Rainbow Health – Introduction to LGBTQI Inclusive Practice – applicable to safety for LGBTQI families, children and young people, and inclusion culture in general
Safeguarding Children – Australian Childhood Foundation – short course training options
National Child Safe Principles – Australian Human Rights Commission – free training programs on the National Principles (NOTE – these are similar, but not the same as the Victorian Principles)

Come across a great training program? Please send a link through to networker@chanh.org.au to have it included here.

Suggested Delivery Methods:

Video + quiz
Video + discussion group
Live training session or webinar
Scenarios and roleplaying

Tip: Capture evidence of participation and learning through declarations, feedback forms, or quizzes.

Other supporting resources:

Commission for Children and Young People Videos:

Introduction to the Child Safety Standards, 1.5 hours. This could be used as an overall introduction for all staff and volunteers.
Revisit a Standard in this Series of Overviews on individual standards. These could be used to promote engagement and response to a specific action area.

Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Videos:

Webinar for organisation leaders on ‘Need to Know’ information on Standards, requirements and regulation.

Department of Education Training:

DET produced Child Safety Standards Slide Decks for School Councils, Staff and Volunteers. Content in these is applicable in a NH environment, and could be used to deliver training courses.

NOTE: If you are interested in developing a child safety training program and would like assistance, discuss your ideas with CHANH, for potential collaboration across houses and support in developing the materials you need.

Further Information

Below are recommended links to support your organisation:

National Principles (National Approach- Office for Child Safety-Prime Minister & Cabinet).

Commission for Children & Young People- (State- Vic Standards and Reportable Conduct)

eSafety Commissioner

ACCE (Australia Centre to Counter Child Exploitation)

Australian Federal Police – child protection

BlueKnot Foundation

Free Counselling and support to write Redress Applications

PartnerSPEAK

Got feedback for us?

For further assistance in developing your Neighbourhood House’s approach to Child Safety, please contact the CHANH Network Manager on networker@chanh.org.au