Statement
The department is committed to the safety of children in all aspects of its work including in the delivery of the services it provides on behalf of the Australian Government (government). The Commonwealth Child Safe Framework (Framework) is an important initiative designed to ensure child safety and wellbeing within organisations and programs that engage with children. The Framework sets minimum standards for creating and maintaining child safe culture and practices across government entities.
The department is compliant with the Framework. The department’s overarching risk rating for 2024-25 is low.
The department’s direct contact with children is limited and largely occurs through interaction with funded third-party organisations. Child safety obligations of departmental funded third parties are identified in grant opportunity guidelines, requests for tender, contracts, grant agreements, and other relevant grant and procurement documentation for activities that involve interaction with children.
Grantees are required to provide a child safe statement of compliance to the department annually. The compliance period for grantees with child safe clauses in their agreements is by calendar year (2024).
The department extends its commitment to child safety through:
- requiring third-party organisations to provide it with a statement of child safe compliance.
- monitoring organisations that are non-compliant until they are compliant.
- undertaking an annual risk assessment to identify and mitigate risks to children through any interactions they may have with it.
- ensuring all departmental staff undertake the department’s worker screening processes.
- an internal communication campaign on child safety.
- an annual review of key policies.
- providing access to training relating to the Framework to all staff.
The department is responsible for the administration of the National Redress Scheme for institutional child sexual abuse. During the 2024-25 financial year, 19,726 applications, representing all applications received, were screened against Child Safe Reporting protocols, with 748 matters referred to jurisdictions.