Reaching out across Australia to protect children

The forum gave us the opportunity to share key updates, discuss common challenges and to identify opportunities for joint initiatives between jurisdictions.

Especially illuminating were presentations from the NSW Department of Education on their implementation of the Child Safe Standards in the early childhood sector and in public schools.

The group discussed risk-based regulation approaches and the ongoing challenge we share of reaching the broad range of organisations and sectors in our respective jurisdictions.

Together we agreed to explore opportunities to work with a focus on harmonisation and consistency in approaches wherever possible to maximise consistency, information sharing and data collection.

The group also heard from people involved in driving related safeguarding work – including representative from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the National Office for Child Safety and the eSafety Commission.

The National Office for Child Safety updated us on the implementation of Australia’s National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030. The national strategy is an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments, and considers child sexual abuse in all settings, including within families, online and within organisations.

The forum agreed to develop a paper of recommendations and proposals for the National Office for Child Safety to consider in developing its plans and program of work for the second of its 3 phases.

This interjurisdictional forum builds on a similar meeting held last year in Victoria that focused on reportable conduct schemes. Now expanded to include child safe schemes, it’s expected we’ll meet twice-yearly going forward.

I look forward to continuing our work together when the interjurisdictional forum meets again in March next year.