As a parent or guardian, you play an important role in making sure your children are spending time in places that are safe.
About overnight respite care
Overnight care for a child outside their family home is regulated in NSW as specialised substitute residential care.
The Office of the Children’s Guardian regulates specialised substitute residential care providers to support them to be safe places for children and young people.
Choosing an overnight care provider
Providers must take active steps to keep children and young people in their care safe.
Parents and carers can tell an overnight care organisation puts children first in a few different ways. The most important thing they can do is ask questions and talk about any concerns.
When looking at a new service, they can:
- review the organisation’s child safe policies, procedures and code of conduct.
- ask for a tour around the service area. The care environment should be clean and have rooms and spaces that allow easy supervision by carers.
- find out how the organisation can meet the needs of your child. Child safe organisations are more likely to understand things children may have difficulty with in the care environment and ways to support them.
- ask about staff recruitment and training. Staff working with children must have a verified Working with Children Check clearance and may need an NDIS Worker Check.
- find out how the organisation involves families in decision making. Ask their leaders about how they communicate with families about any events that involve children.
- learn about the organisation’s complaint processes.
It’s also important for parents to ask children about their experiences and show them they are interested in what the children do. Parents should talk about safe behaviours and let their children know they can communicate to them if they ever feel scared, worried, upset or uncomfortable.
Learn more about how to spot a child safe organisation.
We also have resources to help parents learn more about specialised substitute residential care.
What overnight care providers should do
Specialised substitute residential care organisations should show they are child safe by implementing the Child Safe Standards and the SSRC Code of Practice.
These organisations should:
- make sure decision-making and service delivery are child centred and consider the child’s preferences, strengths and goals
- encourage and facilitate ongoing communication, both between the organisation and parent(s)/guardian(s) and the child and their parent(s)/guardian(s)
- consult with the child, the parent(s)/guardian(s), support providers used by the child and the family and other overnight care organisations in their decision-making and service delivery
- consider the child and the family’s cultural needs
- adapt and respond to the diverse needs of the child and their family so they have equitable opportunities to feel welcome and participate in activities
