Tasmania’s Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework (the Framework) is a law to keep children safe in organisations. The Framework is established under the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023.
The Framework creates the Child and Youth Safe Standards, the Reportable Conduct Scheme, information sharing provisions and establishes the Independent Regulator. Each of these is outlined below.
- The Child and Youth Safe Standards:
- 10 things organisations must do to respect and uphold children and young people’s rights
- includes a Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety
- creates accountability in preventing harm to children and young people.
- The Reportable Conduct Scheme:
- requires specific organisations to report concerns about an adult worker's behaviour towards children and young people to the Independent Regulator
- requires these organisations to undertake investigations of concerns about an adult worker’s behaviour
- ensures organisations respond to harm to children and young people in a timely and appropriate manner.
- The Independent Regulator:
- is independent from the Tasmanian Government and reports to parliament, not a department
- oversees a wide range of Tasmanian organisations that engage with children and young people
- assists organisations to comply with the Child and Youth Safe Standards including the Universal Principle and monitors ongoing compliance
- builds the capability of organisations to prevent, identify, and respond to harm to children and young people
- ensures organisations report and undertake investigations correctly in line with the Reportable Conduct Scheme
- is established and given powers under the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023
- has significant enforcement powers to ensure compliance
- can share information in the interests of protecting children and young people
- will collect and report on trends in relation to child and youth safe organisations
- is supported by a Deputy Regulator (yet to be appointed).
- Information sharing provisions:
- are specific rules written into the law that mean leaders of organisations covered by the Framework are permitted to share personal information in certain circumstances.
The Framework covers many types of organisations that engage with children and young people.
Learn more about:
Seeking help?
We encourage anyone affected by, or with concerns about, child sexual abuse or other types of child abuse to access advice and support on our Wellbeing and support services page.