NSW Child Safe Standards

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended 10 Child Safe Standards, drawing on its findings, research and consultation about what makes organisations child safe.

The Child Safe Standards are a benchmark against which the Archdiocese assesses our child safe capacity and sets performance targets. The Standards provide tangible guidance for us to drive a child safe culture, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first, to keep them safe from harm. These were accepted by the NSW Government in 2022.

Below are the 10 Child Safe Standards as well as examples of how the Archdiocese is meeting them:

The Archdiocese publically commits to child safeguarding and takes a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse. This is modelled and championed at all levels of the Archdiocese, including with information sharing and record keeping. We have child-safeguarding policies, guidelines and risk management strategies in place to ensure integrity, responsibility and behavioural standards as outlined in our Child Protection Code of Conduct.
The voice of children is important and taken seriously within the Archdiocese. Archdiocesan initiatives are run in cooperation with Catholic Education and Youth Ministry programmes. Relevant staff are trained to work with children and young people safely and polices for responding to and reporting concerns of harm are in place.
Archdiocesan policies and procedures are publically available and open for consultation. We are committed to providing child safeguarding advice, oversight and training to all members of the Catholic community.
The Archdiocese is committed to the safety and diverse needs of everyone in our community. This includes those with a disability, those who are vulnerable or of diverse cultural backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Archdiocese has robust processes in place for the recruitment of staff, volunteers and clergy. We are committed to ensuring compliance with all relevant state legislations, including for visitors to the Archdiocese. Ongoing training and support is provided to clergy, staff and Catholic groups.
The Archdiocese has processes in place to respond to complaints of child abuse, both current and historic. We are committed to the thorough investigation and reporting of all concerns or disclosures. Processes for responding to and reporting claims are communicated and accessible.
Ongoing training opportunities and support are provided for clergy, staff and parish members, including in the reporting of concerns of harm. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure that children are safe, staff are supported and a culture of child safety is maintained. Outside organisations are utilised often for training expertise.
The Archdiocese is committed to providing safe physical and online environments for children and young people. Policies and procedures are in place pertaining to risk assessments, appropriate behaviours, technology and social media use and for the management of persons of concern.
The Institute for Professional Standards and Safeguarding has an Advisory Panel, which provides guidance, support and continual review. All policies and procedures are publically available and updated regularly.
  • IPSS Manager responsible for review, revision and compliance and for communicating with Advisory Panel. Panel comprises six members with relevant experience and meets quarterly.
  • IPSS provide advice to parish/community groups regarding compliance with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
  • Feedback regularly sought on new policies, procedures, training or programmes   
The Archdiocese is committed to the implementation of all child safeguarding policies and procedures. Compliance is championed by all levels of the Archdiocese and policies and procedures are easily assessable to all.