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Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

Australia (national)
vNational Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018 publication; endorsed by COAG 1 February 2019); unchanged at 30 September 2026
10 domains
42 controls

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations: ten principles and 42 key action areas for any organisation engaging with children, from leadership, participation and family involvement to screening, complaints, training, safe environments, review and policies.

Verified

Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) is a compliance framework from Australia (national) with 10 domains and 42 controls that map to 3 other frameworks. The largest domains are Principle 1: Leadership, governance and culture – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (6 controls), Principle 10: Documented policies and procedures – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (5 controls), Principle 6: Child-focused complaints and concerns – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (5 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.

Maintained by Gerard Blokdyk

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Framework Domains (10)

Principle 10: Documented policies and procedures – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

5 controls
Controls in the Principle 10: Documented policies and procedures – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 5 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p10-10.110.1 Policies and procedures address all ten Principles
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p10-10.210.2 Policies documented and easy to understand
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p10-10.310.3 Best practice and stakeholder consultation inform policies
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p10-10.410.4 Leaders champion and model policy compliance
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p10-10.510.5 Staff and volunteers understand and apply policies

Principle 1: Leadership, governance and culture – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

6 controls
Controls in the Principle 1: Leadership, governance and culture – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 6 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.11.1 Public commitment to child safety
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.21.2 Child safe culture championed from the top down and bottom up
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.31.3 Governance supports the child safety and wellbeing policy at all levels
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.41.4 A Code of Conduct sets behaviour expected of staff and volunteers
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.51.5 Risk strategies prevent, identify and reduce risks to children
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p1-1.61.6 Staff and volunteers understand information sharing and recordkeeping

Principle 2: Children informed, participating and taken seriously – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

4 controls
Controls in the Principle 2: Children informed, participating and taken seriously – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p2-2.12.1 Children informed of all their rights
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p2-2.22.2 Friendships and peer support recognised
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p2-2.32.3 Access to sexual abuse prevention programs where relevant
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p2-2.42.4 Staff attuned to harm and offer child-friendly ways to participate and raise concerns

Principle 3: Families and communities informed and involved – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

4 controls
Controls in the Principle 3: Families and communities informed and involved – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p3-3.13.1 Families take part in decisions about their child
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p3-3.23.2 Open communication with families and community about the child safe approach
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p3-3.33.3 Families and communities help develop and review policies and practices
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p3-3.43.4 Families, carers and community informed about operations and governance

Principle 4: Equity and diverse needs – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

3 controls
Controls in the Principle 4: Equity and diverse needs – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 3 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p4-4.14.1 Diverse circumstances understood and vulnerable children supported
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p4-4.24.2 Culturally safe, accessible information, support and complaints for children
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p4-4.34.3 Particular attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and other groups

Principle 5: Suitable and supported people – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

4 controls
Controls in the Principle 5: Suitable and supported people – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p5-5.15.1 Recruitment and screening emphasise child safety
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p5-5.25.2 Current working with children or equivalent checks
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p5-5.35.3 Induction covering responsibilities, recordkeeping, information sharing and reporting
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p5-5.45.4 Supervision and people management focus on child safety

Principle 6: Child-focused complaints and concerns – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

5 controls
Controls in the Principle 6: Child-focused complaints and concerns – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 5 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p6-6.16.1 Accessible, child-focused complaint handling policy
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p6-6.26.2 Complaint processes understood by all and culturally safe
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p6-6.36.3 Complaints taken seriously and dealt with quickly and fully
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p6-6.46.4 Reporting to authorities and cooperation with law enforcement
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p6-6.56.5 Reporting, privacy and employment law obligations met

Principle 7: Ongoing education and training – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

4 controls
Controls in the Principle 7: Ongoing education and training – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p7-7.17.1 Staff and volunteers trained and supported to implement the child safety policy
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p7-7.27.2 Training to recognise indicators of harm, including harm by other children
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p7-7.37.3 Training to respond well and support colleagues who disclose harm
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p7-7.47.4 Training to build culturally safe environments

Principle 8: Safe physical and online environments – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

4 controls
Controls in the Principle 8: Safe physical and online environments – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p8-8.18.1 Online and physical risks identified and reduced while respecting children's rights
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p8-8.28.2 Online environment used in line with the Code of Conduct and policy
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p8-8.38.3 Risk plans consider settings, activities and the physical environment
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p8-8.48.4 Procurement ensures third-party facilities and services keep children safe

Principle 9: Review and improvement – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)

3 controls
Controls in the Principle 9: Review and improvement – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) domain of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) — 3 controls
CodeTitle
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p9-9.19.1 Child safe practices regularly reviewed, evaluated and improved
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p9-9.29.2 Complaints, concerns and incidents analysed for causes and systemic failures
australia-national-principles-for-child-safe-organisations-2019::p9-9.39.3 Review findings reported to staff, volunteers, families, community and children

Maps to 3 other frameworks

42 total controls
Victoria Child Safe Standards (2022)
42 source controls mapped|49 target controls covered
100%
Australia NDIS Worker Screening Rules 2018
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
2%
Queensland Working with Children Check Act 2000
1 source controls mapped|1 target controls covered
2%

Coverage is not the same as your position

This page shows what Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) overlaps with in general. Where your organisation actually stands, against the standard you are going for and the certifications you already hold, is a different question. Same graph and the same recorded refutations, scoped to you rather than to a pair.

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What is Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) and who does it apply to?

Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) is a compliance framework from Australia (national) with 10 domains and 42 controls. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations: ten principles and 42 key action areas for any organisation engaging with children, from leadership, participation and family involvement to screening, complaints, training, safe environments, review and policies. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

What does Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) actually require?

Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) has 42 controls organised across 10 domains. The largest domains are Principle 1: Leadership, governance and culture – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (6 controls), Principle 10: Documented policies and procedures – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (5 controls), Principle 6: Child-focused complaints and concerns – Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) (5 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.

If I already comply with another framework, how much of Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) do I already cover?

Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) maps to 3 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are Victoria Child Safe Standards (2022) (100% coverage), Australia NDIS Worker Screening Rules 2018 (2% coverage), Queensland Working with Children Check Act 2000 (2% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.

How do I implement Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019)?

Start your Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about Australia National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2019) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 42 controls and track your progress.

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