Victoria

Victoria’s new Child Safe Standards

As well as the National Integrity Framework and its related policies, all Victorian Clubs, Associations and Discover Sailing Centres (DSC) must implement and comply with the Child Safe Standards. This is a legal requirement and there are penalties for failing to comply.

The Child Safe Standards are administered by the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP), which provides many helpful resources for implementing the Standards into your Club. In particular, the CCYP has created a short guide to the Standards (available here) and a more comprehensive guide to creating a child safe organisation (available here). Both of these documents include “Compliance Indicators”, which set out concrete steps that organisations can take to implement the Standards.

On 1 July 2022, the Child Safety Standards were updated and added to. There are now 11 Standards and, while the content is quite similar to the previous 7 Standards, there are some important differences. Click here for a summary of the changes, or click here to see a comparison of the old and new Standards.

For more information, speak to your local Club Support Officer or State General Manager, or you can contact the Commission for Children and Young People by email at contact@ccyp.vic.gov.au or by calling 1300 782 978.

Working with Children Checks

Everyone who works or volunteers in Victoria in a “child-related role” (that is, one which includes direct contact with children) at a Club, Association or Discover Sailing Centre must have a valid Working with Children Check.

Clubs, Associations and Discover Sailing Centres must take active steps to ensure that every person in a child-related role within their organisation has a WWCC. All new volunteers or employees should be required to provide their WWCC number, which should be verified with the Department of Justice, and a record kept of the WWCC. It is recommended to periodically check (at least once per year) that all relevant staff and volunteers have provided their WWCC, and that all WWCCs remain valid.

Validation can be done online on the Department of Justice’s website by clicking on this link. Enquiries about Working with Children Checks can be directed to the Department of Justice via an online form, or by calling 1300 652 879.

For Border Communities

Regardless of the State in which they reside, staff and volunteers must have a valid WWCC for each State in which they engage in child-related work. This may mean that two WWCCs are required. Note that there is no requirement to live in Victoria or NSW to obtain a Victorian or NSW WWCC.

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse

In Victoria, any adult who reasonably believes (or should reasonably believe) that a child under 16 is the victim of current or past sexual abuse must report it to the police as soon as possible, unless they have a reasonable excuse.

Further, all adults employed by, or who volunteer for, a “relevant organisation” (such as a Club) have a duty to protect children from sexual abuse. Specifically, such a person commits an offence if they:

Know there is a substantial risk that another adult associated with the organisation will commit a sexual offence against a child under 16 who is under the care, supervision or authority of an organisation; and
Have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk, but wilfully or negligently fail to do so.

The Department of Justice website has more information about the failure to disclose and failure to protect offences.

Contacts

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 000. Otherwise, to make a report to police, call 131 444.

Otherwise:

During business hours, call the relevant Child Protection Contact
After hours, call the Child Protection Emergency Service on 13 12 78