The Tasmanian Government recently provided an update about the development of a Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework for the state.

The Framework will contribute to the development of child and youth safe organisations in Tasmania, which promote the safety of children and young people from all forms of harm in institutional settings.

In particular, the Framework will contribute to the prevention of sexual abuse against children and young people in institutional settings.

It will also improve investigation of, and responses to, child sexual abuse in institutional settings.

A large range of government and non-government services, businesses, clubs and associations will be required to comply with the Framework.

The Framework will be made up of two parts, both of which will be legally mandated:

  • the Child and Youth Safe Standards — which aims to uphold the right of children and young people to safety in institutional settings
  • the Reportable Conduct Scheme — which will require leaders of affected organisations to report certain types of conduct related to child abuse to an independent body.

You can get involved in the development of the Framework by:

  1. Going to the project website for more information, including the project plan.
  2. Signing up for an online statewide forum taking place in mid-September as part of the public consultation process for the proposed law to establish the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework. The forums will take place on Monday 12 September, Wednesday 14 September, and Friday 16 September.
  3. Taking this quick survey if you are the leader of an organisation that works directly with children and young people. The survey is designed to measure your confidence and awareness of child safeguarding.