Implementing the 10 Principles

Children and young people have the right to be safe and respected wherever they are. That is why the community expects organisations to take appropriate steps to promote their safety. The ten National Principles for Child Safe Organisations provide guidance about what behaviours and practices organisations should have in place. A clear organisational plan that focuses on how the principles will be implemented will increase the likelihood that the key actions and supporting practices will yield their intended outcomes. This table summarises best practice considerations in implementation.

P - Plan implementation

Leadership commitment to implementation and an open culture
Child safety is the clear and constant focus
Children and young people are empowered to participate
Create a supported structure for implementation and reporting back

R - Readiness of individuals and organisations

Assess the needs of individuals and the organisation
Self-assessment and review processes are suited to the complexity of the organisation
Training and continuous support for those leading implementation
Everyone is clear why improvement is needed

A - Ability and capacity of individuals and the organisation

Improve knowledge, attitudes and skills of staff and volunteers
Support individual behavioural change
Feedback mechanisms are in place

C - Coordination

Clear coordinator(s)
Active planning processes that foster involvement and team work
Clear roles and responsibilities across the organisation
Early focus on sustainability of child safe practices
Monitoring or evaluation of ongoing activities

T - Targeted

Adopt a risk management approach
Barriers to implementation are identified and addressed
Right mix of implementation strategies

I - Iterative cycles - continuous improvement

Plan, do, check, act
Areas of risk are mitigated
Learning from mistakes, complaints and successes
Accountable structure for moving change forward

C - Collaboration

Identify who can help
Active engagement of internal stakeholders, parents, community members and children and young people
Seek support from funding agencies or peak bodies
Source specialist knowledge or external review

E - Effectiveness and efficiency

Align to existing organisational development activities, accreditation or funder requirements
Exchange successful strategies with similar organisations
Embed principles into routine practices in your organisation

Adapted from: John Litt, Michael Weingarten 2010, Putting prevention into practice: how can you do it ethically, effectively and efficiently? Swiss Primary Care. 2010;10(14):266-7.147 and Parenting Research Centre 2016, Implementation best practice: A rapid evidence assessment, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Sydney.

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