Policy Development & Risk Mitigation

Safe space legal safeguarding

Policy Development and Risk Mitigation

At Safe Space Legal, we support clients to ensure that they take active steps to mitigate risk of harm to children and vulnerable people. Our dedicated team of legal experts specialise in drafting comprehensive child safety and safeguarding policies and procedures, tailored to meet your organisation’s needs.

Expertise

At Safe Space Legal we work exclusively in safeguarding. Our team of experienced lawyers possess in-depth knowledge of the legal and moral obligations organisations are required to comply with. The law is constantly evolving, and we stay up-to-date with the latest developments to ensure that your organisation is compliant with all relevant legal requirements and best practice in safeguarding.

Tailored solutions

We recognise that one size does not fit all when it comes to safeguarding. Our lawyers work closely with you to understand your specific circumstances and risks, enabling us to create customised policies and procedures that address your unique challenges and objectives. We work with clients, both big and small, to provide cost effective and affordable solutions.

Comprehensive Approach

Safeguarding requires a holistic approach. We support organisations comply with legal requirements and implement best practice in safeguarding including risk assessments, and practical implementation strategies to protect children and vulnerable people in your organisation’s care.

Our Services

Policy Development

We assist you in creating comprehensive safeguarding policies that are legally sound and practical for your organisation.

Compliance Audits

Regular audits are essential to ensure that your safeguarding policies and processes remain effective and up-to-date. We conduct thorough assessments to identify areas for improvement.

Procedure Implementation

Drafting policies is the beginning of effective safeguarding. We guide you through the process of effectively implementing these policies within your organisation.

Legal Support

Our lawyers provide legal advice and representation to ensure compliance with regulators including responding to enforcement action so that we can support our clients to improve their safeguarding capacity.

Training and Education

We ensure that your staff and volunteers understand their safeguarding obligations. We offer tailored training and educational programs including induction and ongoing training to upskill staff, volunteers, board members and executive management in child safety and safeguarding .

Crisis Management

In the event of a critical incident, our legal team is here to provide support, guidance, and representation as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safeguarding is the active steps an organisation takes to protect children and vulnerable people from harm to ensure that their wellbeing and safety.  Organisations can safeguard from harm by having appropriate policies and procedures in place which provide safety and security, training staff about risks and identifying harm, and ensuring appropriate and transparent complaints-handling processes for incidents of abuse and harm

The Reportable Conduct Scheme requires organisations that are bound by the Scheme to respond to allegations of abuse and misconduct, notify the regulator of any reportable allegations, properly investigate reportable allegations and to notify the regulator of the findings and outcomes of the investigatoin.

In Victoria, organisations subject to Schedule 3 of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) are required to adhere to the Reportable Conduct Scheme. 

New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania also require organisations within the Scheme’s mandate to comply with the respective schemes.

In Victoria, the Child Safe Standards are the 11 standards organisations working with children must comply with to ensure they provide safe services to children.  The standards outline the minimum expected outcomes organisations must aim to achieve to considered “child safe”.

The 11 standards are based on the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. The 11 Child Safe Standards are:

  1. Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Frist Nation’s children and young people are respected and valued.
  2. Child safety and well-being is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
  3. Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
  4. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and well-being.
  5. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
  6. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and well-being values in practice.
  7. Processes for complains and concerns are child-focussed.
  8. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
  9. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
  10. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
  11. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

All states and territories in Australia have endorsed the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and some states have enacted the National Principles into legislation. 

In Victoria, all organisations who are listed in Schedule 1 of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) must comply with the Child Safe Standards.  If your organisation has the care, supervision and authority of children it is required to comply with the standards unless the organisation does not provide services specifically for children, does not provide facilities specifically for use by children, or does not engage children in employment.

At Safe Space Legal, we offer a complementary initial half hour consultation where we will discuss your safeguarding needs and how we can best support your organisation to meet those needs.  Being a law firm, our consultations are confidential and subject to legal professional privilege.  At the initial consultation we will get further information from your about your organisation, how it operates, your role in the organisation and what you are needing assistance with.  From there we will develop a Proposal for you to consider prior to undertaking any work, clearly setting out what services we will be undertaking to support your organisation.  W hether it be by reviewing policies and procedures, providing training and support, completing audits, or conducting safeguarding investigations – we will be there to support you every step of the way to ensure that your organisation is legally compliant and best practice leaders in safeguarding.

Safe Space Legal only works with organisations to ensure the organisation complies with their moral and legal safeguarding obligations to keep vulnerable people such as children, people with disability and the elderly safe from harm.  While Safe Space Legal cares greatly about individuals exposed to harm and abuse, our clients are organisations.  If you are an individual that needs help you can contact:

  • In an emergency contact emergency services on Triple “0”: 000
  • Your local police station
  • Child Protection service in your respect state
  • National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1800 880 052 or [email protected]
  • NDIS Commission: 1800 035 544 or here
  • Elder Abuse Phone Line: 1800 353 374
  • Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: 1800 951 822 or here
  • Regulators under the Reportable Conduct Scheme:
    • Strong Families, Safe Kids Tasmania: 1800 000 123
    • Australian Capital Territory Ombudsman: (02) 5119 5520 or [email protected]
    • Western Australia Ombudsman: (08) 9220 7471 or here
    • New South Wales Office of the Children’s Guardian: here
    • Victorian Commission for Children and Young People: 1300 782 978 or here

Contact Us

Schedule a complimentary consultation and take the first step towards a safer future for children and vulnerable people.

Prevent – Comply – Respond

At Safe Space Legal, we are committed to creating a safer environment for children and vulnerable people. 

Whether you are an educational institution, non-profit organisation, healthcare provider, council or religious institution we support organisations both big and small across Australia. 

Our expertise in child safety and safeguarding can help you fulfill your duty of care and protect the wellbeing of children and vulnerable people in your care.

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