Department of Education Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

Overview

The Department of Education (the department) is committed to protecting all children and young people and upholding the rights of every child under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. Victoria’s commitment to child safety is demonstrated through the framework of the Child Safe Standards (the Standards) made under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

The department must have policies and practices to keep children and young people safe, prevent child abuse and respond to allegations, disclosures, incidents and suspicions of abuse.

This policy aims to ensure that protecting children and young people from harm and abuse is part of the department’s everyday culture, thinking and practice.

Scope

This policy sets out the department’s:

commitment to child safety and wellbeing
approach to implementing the Standards.

This policy should be read alongside the:

This policy applies to everyone who conducts work for the department in a paid or unpaid capacity, regardless of whether their role relates to children and young people. This includes:

employees and executive officers
officers and officeholders
labour hire workers engaged by the department
volunteers, interns, cadets, trainees and work experience students engaged by the department.

Acceptance of the policy is mandatory for external suppliers to the department (including those under sub-contract) and their employees and other personnel engaged to perform work related to children.

This policy does not apply to:

school staff. School staff will be guided by their school’s child safety policies.
organisations that the department funds or regulates. These organisations may need to take their own steps to comply with the Standards.

Our commitment to child safety

The department is committed to providing an environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe.

We commit to:

ensuring that Aboriginal children and young people are culturally safe and are involved in decisions that affect them
ensuring children, young people, families, communities and staff feel safe to speak up about child safety
listening to and supporting children and young people to understand their rights and have a say in decisions about them
listening to and learning from children and young people who have contact with the department’s staff and services
providing a safe and welcoming environment for all children and young people, including Aboriginal children, children from multicultural and multifaith backgrounds, children with disability, children who are unable to live at home or living in out-of-home care, international students and LGBTIQA+ children.
hiring suitable people to work with children and young people and ensuring that those people are properly screened
training and supporting our staff to provide a child safe environment
treating allegations, suspicions, disclosures and incidents of child abuse (including grooming) seriously and notifying authorities where required by law and department policy
providing support to victim survivors of historical abuse in education settings
aligning responses to children and young people at risk of family violence with Victoria’s legislated Family Violence Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management Framework (the MARAM Framework)
preventing harm to children and young people by identifying risks and taking steps to reduce or remove risks in physical and online environments that children and young people use. We do this in consideration of a child’s right to privacy, access to information, social connections and learning opportunities.

Implementation of the Standards

Open all

Standard 1: Culturally safe environments

The department respects and values the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people.

The department will ensure that staff acknowledge and appreciate the strengths of Aboriginal culture and its importance to the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal children and young people.

We support self-determination for Aboriginal people and will work to ensure that Aboriginal children and young people are safe, resilient, and able to thrive in culturally rich and strong Aboriginal families and communities.

To achieve this, we:

make Aboriginal cultural safety a priority in our Strategic Plan and our Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026, so that Aboriginal children and young people can express their culture and enjoy their cultural safety
support early childhood services and schools to establish a culturally safe environment including through working with Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI)
are strengthening Aboriginal inclusion, self-determination and cultural safety in the Victorian Public Service and Government Teaching Service through Dhelk Wukang – Aboriginal Inclusion Plan and our Aboriginal Employment Plan 2022 -2026 (staff login required)
continue to work with VAEAI on supporting Aboriginal people to become early childhood teachers and educators
draw on the expertise of dedicated teams, such as Koorie Outcomes Division, and Koorie Education Workforce across the department
have training available to all staff on Aboriginal cultural safety, and anti-racism empowerment training
take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and deal with inappropriate behaviour through our VPS Code of Conduct and the department’s Inclusive Workplaces Guidelines.

Standard 2: Leadership, governance and culture

The department prioritises child safety and wellbeing in our leadership, culture, and governance.

To achieve this, we:

make a public commitment to child safety through the department’s Strategic Plan 2024-2028
publicise our commitment to child safety and wellbeing in this policy and in our Child Safety Code of Conduct
call out and address behaviour that can lead to bullying, harassment and intimidation through our VPSCode of Conduct and Equal Opportunity and Anti-Discrimination policy
govern the department’s approach to child safety through an executive level subcommittee that reports to the department’s Executive Board
assess and monitor child safety risks across our business areas and continuously improve risk management strategies that focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to children and young people
ensure our staff and labour hire workers understand their obligations on information sharing (staff login required) and recordkeeping (staff login required) in relation to child safety
work with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Family Safety Victoria, Victorian Catholic Education Authority, Independent Schools Victoria, Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner and the Department of Government Services on the safety, health and wellbeing of children and young people in Victorian schools and early childhood services.

Standard 3: Children and young people are empowered

The department recognises the importance of empowering children and young people and strengthening their confidence, so they feel respected and have a say in decisions about them. We recognise the need to be responsive to their views.

To achieve this, we:

publish information about our child safe policies and practices on our website
publish child-friendly information about the rights of children and young people and how they can raise complaints or provide feedback
consult with organisations representing children and young people when developing policies or programs that affect children and young people
provide programs and policy that support children and young people to develop respectful relationships
support staff to seek, listen to and act on the voices of children and young people
ensure that staff understand and value diversity and have inclusive practices.

Standard 4: Family engagement

The department recognises that when we work with children and young people we understand that families and communities are important partners. This promotes child safety and wellbeing.

To achieve this, we:

publish information about our child safe policies and practices on the department’s website and draw families and communities’ attention to this when they participate in our activities
consult with organisations representing parents, families and communities when developing our policies or programs
create opportunities for families to be actively involved in decision making processes that affect their child
create multiple feedback opportunities for families, carers and communities promote the shared roles of parents, carers and school staff in creating a positive environment for learning for children and young people through the Respectful Behaviours in the School Community Policy
publish information on how to make a complaint on our complaints webpage.

Standard 5: Diversity and equity

The department will work to create an environment that recognises the diversity of children and young people. We create policies and programs that help all children and young people feel safe, welcomed and included. This includes children who are Aboriginal, have multicultural and multifaith backgrounds, students with disability, children who are unable to live at home or living in out-of-home care, international students and LGBTIQA+ students.

To achieve this, we:

commit, through our People Strategy (staff login required), to be an organisation with a continued focus on diversity and inclusion
commit, under the Cultural Diversity Plan (staff login required), to improve Victoria’s early childhood services to meet the needs of families, children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, particularly refugees
implement the department’s diversity plans and the Equal Opportunity policy (staff login required)
ensure our policies and programs pay particular attention to the needs of students with disability, students from multicultural and multifaith backgrounds, students who are unable to live at home or living in out-of-home care, international students, and LGBTIQA+ students
provide guidance and resources to support schools to meet the needs of diverse cohorts of students
promote workforce diversity, equity and inclusion within the department and education and care workforces
train our staff on diversity, equity and inclusion through workplace learning opportunities
provide advice on diversity and equity matters through the Wellbeing, Health and Engagement Division, Inclusive Education Division and Employee Safety, Wellbeing and Inclusion Division
act when we identify racism, discrimination or exclusion in our organisation
commit to ensuring our facilities and online activities include children and young people of all abilities and identities.

Standard 6: Suitable staff and volunteers

The department is committed to hiring suitable people to work with children and young people. We emphasise child safety in our policies for children and young people. We support our staff and volunteers to be child safe in their work.

To achieve this, we:

require staff to uphold the Victorian Public Sector Values and our Child Safety Code of Conduct
document our commitment to child safety in position descriptions for roles that involve child-related work
employ skilled people with necessary qualifications and experience
ensure our recruitment policies and guides have advice on asking interview questions about experience and qualifications of prospective employees and labour workers to work with children and young people
conduct pre-employment screening, including questions about child safety in interviews, reference checks and police checks for child-related positions
require staff engaged in child-related work to hold a Working with Children Check (unless exempt)
induct relevant staff in child safety, including information sharing and reporting obligations
train relevant staff in child safety responsibilities such as reportable conduct, mandatory reporting and assessing and managing family violence risks to children and young people
provide information and resources for staff about the Standards, Child Safety Code of Conduct, how to manage feedback from children and young people and reportable conduct (staff login required)
support staff as required through day-to-day supervision, peer support and learning and wellbeing programs to ensure child safety and wellbeing is a focus.

Standard 7: Complaints processes

The department wants all staff, families and children and young people to feel confident about reporting child abuse, family violence and other child safety concerns. We are committed to making our complaint system easy to access, responsive and focused on children and young people.

To achieve this, we:

ensure children and young people are provided with accessible, culturally safe and easily understood information on raising a complaint or concern
require staff to treat allegations, suspicions, incidents and disclosures of child abuse and harm seriously. This is made clear in our Child Safety Code of Conduct
ensure staff can confidentially report inappropriate conduct through the Speak up service
report all incidents that result in harm to children or young people in through eduSafe Plus
provide information and/or training for staff about how to respond to allegations and concerns
notify the appropriate authorities of alleged or suspected child abuse and harm in accordance with the law and department policy
will offer support to all those affected by a child safety incident (including children and young people, parents or carers, those who made the report, and the person the report is about)
manage information arising from complaints, notifications and investigations under the law, our Records Management Policy (staff login required) and our Privacy Policy

Standard 8: Child safety knowledge, skills and awareness

The department is committed to ensuring our staff have the knowledge and skills to keep children and young people safe.

To achieve this, we:

require staff to uphold the Victorian Public Sector Values and our Child Safety Code of Conduct
train key staff who are undertaking child-related or child-connected work on their child safety responsibilities including through completion of relevant mandatory e-learning modules
provide training and resources on Victoria’s legislated family violence framework (the MARAM framework) to help relevant staff to identify and respond to family violence and contribute to family violence risk assessment and management
provide information to all staff about the Child Safe Standards [link] and the Reportable and Notifiable Conduct Policy
support our staff through ongoing supervision and learning programs.

Standard 9: Child safety in physical and online environments

The department promotes child safety and wellbeing in-operated physical and online environments.

To achieve this, we:

assess child safety risks across our business areas and develop risk management strategies and plans that focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating physical and online risks to children and young people
outline how our online environment is to be used under our Child Safety Code of Conduct
require business areas procuring child-related work and or child-connected work from suppliers to ensure the safety of children and young people. This policy will be referenced in all relevant procurement activities. Contract managers must draw the policy to the attention of these staff.
outline controls in place for online conduct and safety, and the measures to support children and young people to engage with digital technology in a safe and responsible way under the Cybersafety and Responsible use of Digital Technologies Policy and the Bullying Prevention and Response Policy.

Standard 10: Review of child safety practices

The department will review and improve this policy and our Child Safety Code of Conduct at least once every 2 years in response to feedback from safety incidents, stakeholders and current research.

We will analyse complaints and concerns received and child safety data to identify causes and systemic failures to inform continuous improvements.

Standard 11: Implementation of child safety practices

This policy and our Child Safety Code of Conduct describes the department’s approach to child safety and wellbeing and our expectations of staff.

As a large organisation with many functions and services, we document our child safety policies and procedures, drawing on research, best practice, and feedback from regulatory and integrity bodies, other government departments, stakeholders and the community.

Roles and responsibilities

The policy is endorsed by the department Secretary.

An executive level subcommittee will govern the department’s:

implementation of the Standards
compliance with this policy
Child Safety Code of Conduct
Reportable and Notifiable Conduct Policy.

This section summarises the roles and responsibilities for implementing this policy and the Standards:

Role	Responsibility	Key documents
All staff	Be aware of this policy and the department’s commitment to child safety and wellbeing.Apply the Standards to their work.Comply with the Child Safety Code of Conduct, including:taking reasonable steps to protect children and young people from harm and abusetreating allegations, suspicions, incidents and disclosures of child abuse and harm seriouslynotifying appropriate authorities of alleged or suspected harm or abuse in accordance with the law and department policyreport all incidents that result in harm to children or young people in through eduSafe Plusasking their manager questions, seeking training and support when unsure of their child safety responsibilities.	Child Safety and Wellbeing PolicyChild Safety Code of Conduct Reportable and Notifiable Conduct Policy
Executive Officers and managers	Promote awareness of:this policythe Child Safety Code of Conduct.Apply the Child Safe Standards to their work.Ensure staff feel safe to speak up about child safety.Hire suitable people to work with children and young people and screen them appropriately.Engage suitable suppliers in child-related work.Ensure staff are appropriately trained and supported in child safety responsibilities.Identify child safety risks through a child safety risk assessment.Report and record breaches of the Child Safety Code of Conductand notify authorities where required by law and department policy.Act on breaches of the Child Safety Code of Conduct and our Guidelines for managing complaints, misconduct and unsatisfactory performance in the VPS.	Child Safety and Wellbeing PolicyChild Safety Code of Conduct Reportable and Notifiable Conduct Policy Child Safe Standards Risk Management (staff login required)

More information

Definitions

Terms used in this policy are further defined at Child Safe Standards-definitions.

More information

Staff who are unsure about their obligations under this policy should speak with their manager or contact the child safety team in the Wellbeing Health and Engagement Division.

Staff may also contact People, Strategy and Operations (VPS) Division if there are concerns about the impact of this policy on their employment.

For further information about reportable or notifiable conduct (including managing allegations about an employee, volunteer or supplier) staff should contact Conduct and Integrity Branch.

Divisions and regions who require support to assess and monitor child safety risks and develop continuous improvement strategies can contact the child safety team in the Wellbeing Health and Engagement Division.

More information about the Child Safe Standards can be found at the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) website.

Education & training

Updated 27 March 2026

Department of Education Child Safety Code of Conduct

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Department of Education Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy

On this page

Overview

Scope

Our commitment to child safety

Implementation of the Standards

Roles and responsibilities

More information

Definitions

More information

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