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Commitment to child safety

Annual Statement of Compliance with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework 2024

Commitment to safety

The Director of National Parks (DNP) is committed to building a positive and proactive child safe culture to support child safety and wellbeing. It endeavours to ensure children and young people feel safe, supported and respected, and that their rights, needs and interests are met.

The DNP believes it is the shared responsibility of all employees who work at Parks Australia Division (PAD) within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), to keep children and young people who visit our locations safe.

The DNP commits to protecting and safeguarding children and young people by:

  • creating policies and procedures to protect children and young people
  • ensuring all staff are aware of the policies and procedures and abide by them
  • creating conditions that reduce the likelihood of harm
  • regularly undertaking a risk assessment of all child safety related risks, and acknowledging and managing any child safety incidents effectively
  • undertaking requirements of the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework (the Framework)
  • adopting and implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (the National Principles).

Interaction with children and young people

The DNP, through PAD, undertakes a number of activities that involve children and young people. These fall into two categories:

Direct

  • PAD-endorsed events, stalls and exhibitions where children and young people may visit stands, displays and booths
  • PAD-endorsed events whereby children and young people may visit workplaces
  • parents occasionally bring children and young people onto Parks Australia premises for short periods while working. For example, to use the carers room between end of school hours and end of work hours
  • national park school group visits, work placements, student-based apprenticeships, group tours, lost children, first responders to emergencies, junior rangers, incidental interaction with children while performing work duties
  • school/educational institution visits, community events and expos to discuss PAD work.

Occasional

  • staff may have indirect contact with children and young people while assisting with security implications or employees working arrangements
  • Christmas parties and team building events where children and young people may attend.

Risk assessment and mitigations

The DNP has completed its annual child safe risk assessment for the period commencing 31 October 2024. The assessment determined our level of risk to be medium.

The key risk to child safety identified in the risk assessment is injury to a child while involved in any of the activities noted under ‘interactions with children and young people’ within this statement.

Consequences include:

  • physical injury or abuse
  • psychological/emotional abuse
  • neglect
  • lack of cultural respect, racism or other vilification
  • exposing child to or involving them in sexual acts, direct or indirect sexual exploitation and/or grooming
  • reputational damage
  • other crimes committed.

The DNP has undertaken measures to address and mitigate these risks.

Compliance with the Framework and future improvements

There are four core requirements under the Framework:

  1. Undertake risk assessments annually in relation to activities of the entity, to identify the level of responsibility for, and contact with, children, evaluate risks to child safety, and put in place appropriate strategies to manage identified risks.
  2. Establish and maintain a system of training and compliance, to make staff aware of, and comply with, the Framework and relevant legislation, including Working with Children Checks (WWCCs) / Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) Checks and mandatory reporting requirements.
  3. Adopt and implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
  4. Publish an annual statement of compliance with the Framework, including an overview of the entity’s child safety risk assessment (conducted under Requirement 1).

Through PAD, the DNP is committed to exercising continuous efforts to be a child safe organisation through implementation of the Framework.

Compliance with Requirements 1 and 4 of the Framework has been demonstrated by completing the 2024 Annual risk assessment and publicising this Statement of Compliance on the PAD website.

Over the past 12-months, the DNP, through PAD:

  • reviewed and promoted DCCEEW’s ‘Working with Children and Vulnerable People Policy’ (and other child safety related policies) to ensure alignment with the Framework
  • distributed communications aimed at supporting greater awareness and understanding of our obligations under the Framework and promoting DCCEEW’s commitment
  • included working with children training requirements in the Training Need Assessment for Parks Australia.

To ensure compliance with Requirement 2 and 3 of the Framework the DNP, through Parks Australia, will undertake the following child safety measures and activities:

  • continue to improve staff awareness of the department’s Child Safety Policy and obligations
  • review internal systems to enhance processes relating to training and maintaining relevant checks
  • ensure child safe clauses are included in grants or procurement documents for funded third parties where required.

Ricky Archer, Director of National Parks