Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework

As part of our efforts to become an organisation which can contribute to this cultural shift, and to promote and support the changes necessary in child and youth focused organisations across the community, Council adopted a Statement of Commitment to Becoming a Child and Youth Safe Organisation at the Council meeting held on 5th September 2024. That statement can be found below. 

Context

The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (2023) is the first nationally representative study of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its associated health outcomes in Australia. It found, from a survey of 8500 Australians aged 16 – 65+, that:

• More than 1 in 3 girls experience child sexual abuse
• Almost 1 in 5 boys experience child sexual abuse

Addressing these appalling statistics requires a cultural shift across the entire community. The City of Launceston recognises that it has the opportunity to play a significant role in creating a community which is safe for children and young people. Additionally, following a national Royal Commission and a state inquiry into child sexual abuse in institutional settings, the Tasmanian Government passed the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023. This act establishes a legislative framework which all child and youth focussed organisations, including local Governments, are legally obliged to comply with.

Statement of Commitment to the Safety of Children and Young People

All children and young people have the right to feel and be safe.

Keeping children and young people safe is everyone’s responsibility.

At the City of Launceston, we will continuously improve the way we engage with, and care for, children and young people. Children and young people want to be heard and to be believed. They have opinions and perspectives about their safety, which must be respected, and they must be empowered to voice them.  

At the City of Launceston, we are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people that we engage with. We have a responsibility to recognise the signs of harm to children and young people and a legal and moral obligation to respond appropriately and in a timely manner.

We recognise that some children face additional risk of harm. Children and young people have the right to be respected, feel safe and be protected from harm, irrespective of their gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, or cultural, religious, economic, and family circumstances.

We will establish and maintain an administrative and governance framework which serves to promote the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people; to empower them and to prevent harm to them. Where harm has been caused by us, we will take responsibility for that harm and act to ensure that it does not continue and is not repeated.

We will create an environment where children and young people feel safe and are safe, have their voices heard and are involved in the decisions that affect their lives.

Child Friendly Version of Statement

Our promises to you…

Respect…

We will treat everyone equally no matter where they are from or who they are. We will make sure everyone feels included and welcome.

Inform…

We will give you information about your physical, emotional and online safety, and what to do if you feel unsafe.

Give you a voice…

We will make sure there are lots of ways for you to have a say and be involved.

Help…

We will listen and act on what you tell us. We will help you with your hopes and dreams as well as your worries and fears.

Trust…

You can trust that we will care about your needs and feelings and will support you. We will continue to get better at what we do.

Safety…

We will make our place happy and comfortable for you.