Local Government Child Safety Self-assessment 

A tool to assist local governments to understand the association between their level of involvement with children and young people and their obligations under child safe reforms. 

If you have an urgent concern about the safety, health or welfare of a child, contact emergency services on 000.

If you are a child or adult who has been the victim of child abuse, or if you have information about someone else being abused, you can contact police anytime on 131 444 and can request to speak to a member of the Child Abuse Squad.

If you have concerns for a child’s wellbeing, contact the Department of Communities on 1800 271 889.

Background

In its final report, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) highlighted and recognised the important role that local governments play in building a community approach to child safety. 

Among the child safe reforms recommended by the Royal Commission, many create obligations for the local government sector including the:  

  • Reportable Conduct Scheme (7.11)
  • Child Safe Awareness Policy template (6.12)
  • National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (6.5, 6.5, 6.6 and 6.7)
  • National Redress Scheme (Redress and Civil Litigation report recommendations 1-99).

The Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) is committed to: 

  • ensuring all local governments understand their child safe obligations
  • empowering local governments to improve, and maintain, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in their communities. 

The Child Safeguarding Implementation Unit within DLGSC is available to support local governments to implement child safe reforms recommended by the Royal Commission. As an important step in this work, the unit has developed the Local Government Child Safety Self-assessment. 

The self-assessment

The self-assessment has been developed as part of the broader body of work to help local governments understand and implement the child safe reforms from Royal Commission recommendations based on their individual level of engagement with children and young people through their services and operations.

The self-assessment has been designed with 3 aims:

  1. raise awareness of child safe reforms impacting individual local governments,
  2. create an extensive data set for the Child Safeguarding Implementation Unit to direct and tailor resources and support for the sector, and
  3. provide easy access to resources for local governments on the child safe reforms that impact their operation and that help promote child safety and wellbeing.

Figure 1: Levels of engagement with children and young people

Prolonged direct care

Prolonged direct care and supervision of children and young people. Potentially engaging with highly vulnerable children and young people on a regular basis.

Examples include:

  • school holiday program
  • childcare centre.

Limited direct care

Limited direct care and supervision of children and young people.

Examples include:

  • creche services at facilities
  • child-focused programs and events
  • youth centres and services.

Regular interactions

Regular interaction with children and young people but no direct care or supervision.

Examples include programs run for children and young people in the presence of parents and carers such as:

  • library programs
  • swimming classes.

Incidental interactions

Incidental contact with children and young people.

Examples include events that may be attended by children and young people in the presence of parents, carers or guardians.

 

How to use the self-assessment

The self-assessment is designed to meet its 3 aims and is comprised of questions relating to a local government's services, interactions with children and young people, and general awareness of child safe reforms. Local governments are encouraged to complete the self-assessment only once through the below link.

The self-assessment should be completed by staff who have extensive knowledge of the services their local government provides to children and young people. If that is not possible, questions should be answered by engaging with individuals and business areas within the local government to obtain the information required. 

Local governments who successfully complete the self-assessment will be provided with their level of child engagement based on their responses as well as information and links for the child safe reforms impacting their operations due to their level of engagement with children and young people.  

The Child Safeguarding Implementation Unit will use the data collected from the self-assessment to understand the range of services provided to children and young people as well as the number of local governments who have obligations under each child safe reform. This information will be used to design tailored and targeted supports for local governments identified within each level of child engagement.

If you require help to complete the self-assessment or support in implementing child safe reforms, you can contact the unit at childsafeguarding@dlgsc.wa.gov.au
Page reviewed 07 June 2024
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