Leading a Child Safe Organisation: Victoria

Victoria's child safety regulation changed in February 2026. This lesson explains the current system and whether your organisation is covered. Key points: from 23 February 2026 the Social Services Regulator administers the Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme, a role previously held by the Commission for Children and Young People, and Working with Children Checks sit within the same regulator; the 11 Standards are mandatory law for organisations they apply to; organisations providing disability services are listed; a child is anyone under 18; and every organisation covered by the Reportable Conduct Scheme must also comply with the Standards.

Each Child Safe Standard is an outcome your organisation must achieve, supported by minimum requirements and compliance indicators. This lesson gives a leader's overview. Key points: the 11 Standards cover cultural safety for Aboriginal children, leadership and culture, children's empowerment, families and communities, equity and diversity, suitable and supported people, child focused complaints, education and training, safe physical and online environments, review and improvement, and documented policies; the regulator publishes compliance indicators listing the documents and actions that generally show a Standard is met; and you must meet all 11 at all times.

Standard 2 places child safety at the top of the organisation. This lesson explains what leaders and boards must do. Key points: make a public commitment to child safety; champion and model a child safe culture from the top down and bottom up; set governance arrangements so the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy is implemented at every level; provide a Code of Conduct; use risk management that prevents, identifies and mitigates risks; and make sure staff and volunteers understand information sharing and record keeping. Standard 11 adds that leaders champion and model compliance with policies.

The Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy is the anchor document for every Standard. This lesson explains what it should contain and how to make it work. Key points: policies and procedures must address all 11 Standards, be documented and easy to understand, be informed by best practice and consultation, be championed by leaders and be understood and implemented by staff and volunteers; the policy should include your commitment to Aboriginal children and cultural safety; the regulator publishes guidance, a template and an example; and the policy must be accessible to children, families, staff and volunteers.

A Code of Conduct turns your values into clear behavioural expectations. This lesson explains how to write one that protects children and staff. Key points: Standard 2 requires a Code of Conduct setting expected behaviour and responsibilities; it should state zero tolerance of racism and support for children's cultural expression; it should cover professional boundaries, physical contact, personal care, transport, gifts, one to one time, photography and online communication; it must be used to guide decisions, and breaches must be acted on; and staff and volunteers should acknowledge it and be reminded of it often.

Standards 2 and 9 require risk management focused on preventing, identifying and reducing risks to children, in person and online. This lesson shows leaders how to do it. Key points: identify and reduce risks without compromising children's privacy, access to information, social connections and learning; use risk management plans that consider your setting, activities and physical environment; manage online risks in line with your Code of Conduct and policy; make sure contractors and third party services are safe through procurement; record risks in a register; and review plans when things change.

Standard 6 requires that the people who work with children are suitable and supported. This lesson covers the full employment cycle from a leader's view. Key points: recruitment, advertising, referee checks and pre-employment screening must emphasise child safety; relevant staff and volunteers need current Working with Children Checks or equivalent background checks; everyone receives an induction covering their responsibilities, record keeping, information sharing and reporting; supervision and people management focus on child safety; and a clearance is a minimum, never a substitute for good recruitment.

Standard 8 requires staff and volunteers to be equipped to keep children safe through ongoing education and training. This lesson helps leaders plan training that works. Key points: train staff to implement the Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy; to recognise indicators of harm, including harm caused by other children; to respond to concerns and support colleagues who disclose harm; and to build culturally safe environments; use a learning action plan that sets who needs what and when; keep records; and check that training changes practice.

Standards 1, 3, 4 and 5 are about who children are and whether they are heard. This lesson gives leaders the actions that make these Standards real. Key points: make a public commitment to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, confront racism and build a plan of action; inform children about their rights and create child friendly ways for them to raise concerns and take part in decisions; involve families and communities in policies and decisions; and pay particular attention to children with disability, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, unable to live at home, and LGBTIQ children.

Standard 7 requires complaints processes that are child focused. This lesson explains what that means for leaders. Key points: have an accessible, child focused complaint handling policy setting out roles, approaches to different complaints, breaches of policy or the Code, and obligations to act and report; make sure children, families, staff and volunteers understand the process and that it is culturally safe; take complaints seriously and respond promptly and thoroughly; report concerns to relevant authorities whether or not the law requires it and cooperate with police; and meet reporting, privacy and employment law obligations.

The head of an organisation carries the Reportable Conduct Scheme's legal obligations. Key points: the head is usually the CEO or Principal Officer, or a nominated person; the head must have systems to prevent reportable conduct, let anyone notify the head, let anyone notify the regulator about the head, and investigate allegations; the head must notify the SSR within three business days of becoming aware, advise who will investigate, give a 30 calendar day update, and report findings when the investigation ends; failing to meet the three day and 30 day obligations without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence; and the five types of reportable conduct.

After an allegation, keep all children safe and investigate fairly. Key points: report suspected crimes to Victoria Police and do not start your own investigation until police give clearance; contact Child Protection where a child needs protection; assess risks to all children, not just the alleged victim; options include standing the person down, changing duties, removing unsupervised contact and restricting system access; plan a fair, timely investigation using an internal or external investigator; interview children unless there is a good reason not to, using the regulator's guidance; and the head must still investigate even if the Working with Children Check is suspended.

Leaders need to know, with evidence, how well their organisation meets each Standard. This lesson shows how to use the regulator's tools. Key points: the SSR publishes an all-in-one self-assessment tool, a self-assessment evidence guide, an evidence mapping guide and an improvement action plan for social services; assess each minimum requirement honestly against the compliance indicators; map documents and actions as evidence; turn every gap into an action with an owner, resources and a timeframe; and repeat the cycle regularly.

Standard 10 requires that child safe practice is regularly reviewed and improved. This lesson explains how. Key points: regularly review, evaluate and improve child safe practices; analyse complaints, concerns and safety incidents to find causes and systemic failures; report review findings back to staff, volunteers, families, communities and children; review after any serious incident; and connect reviews to your improvement action plan so learning leads to change.

This case study brings the course together through a Victorian disability service preparing to meet the Standards under the new regulator. You will make decisions about outdated documents, a disclosure involving another child, and reporting to the board. Key points: update documents that still name the previous regulator; respond to harm between children under the Standards; use self-assessment results to drive board oversight; and lead a culture where concerns are raised early. The lesson ends with the course wrap up and the final assessment.