Background
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:
- The overall prevalence of child sexual abuse in Australia is 28.5%
- Almost 1 in 4 experienced one or more types of contact child sexual abuse
- Almost 1 in 5 experienced non-contact child sexual abuse
The Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023 (the Act) is the Tasmanian law that establishes standards for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. The Act was established in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2012 – 2015) and the Commission of Enquiry into the Tasmanian Governments Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings (2021 – 2023).
The Royal Commission found:
- Many organisations failed to protect children in their care from abuse
- These failures were historical and contemporary, meaning they didn’t only happen ‘in the past’
- The institutional cultures and practices that allowed abuse to happen and stopped people investigating it properly were still happening
The Royal Commission made recommendations designed to put these things right, including:
- The development of a national set of child safe standards (which became the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations)
- That places in Australia that didn’t already have a reportable conduct scheme in place should develop and implement one
Notice of Motion
At the 21 September 2023 Council Meeting a Notice of Motion from Councillor Dawkins entitled ‘Establishing a Leadership Role for City of Launceston in the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse’ was passed 11-1.
The recommendation, in part, called upon Council “To show local community leadership and responsiveness to the revelations of widespread historic and contemporary child sexual abuse in Launceston”
The Framework
The Act establishes the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework (the Framework) which Councils are required to comply with from January 1st 2024. The Framework is made up of four key elements:
The Child and Youth Safe Standards and Universal Principle of Aboriginal Cultural Safety
- Ten principles organisations must put into practice to develop and maintain a culture with child safety and wellbeing at its centre
- A universal principle which overlays all standards ensuring the cultural safety of Aboriginal people.
The Reportable Conduct Scheme
- A compulsory scheme that requires leaders of certain organisations to report and investigate concerns about conduct related to child abuse involving a worker to an independent regulator
Office of the Independent Regulator (OIR)
- An independent regulatory body that will oversee the Framework to make sure organisations have the support, advice, and education they need to do the right thing
Information Sharing Provisions
- Specific rules written into the law that mean people and organisations connected to the Framework can share personal information in certain circumstances.
City of Launceston's Progress to becoming a Child and Youth Safe Organisation
September 2023
The Council passed a motion presented by Councillor A E Dawkins - Establishing a Leadership Role for City of Launceston in the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. "To show local community leadership and responsiveness to the revelations of widespread historic and contemporary child sexual abuse in Launceston…"
October 2023 - August 2024
Council officers engaged in research and participated in training and education opportunities to establish the groundwork to becoming a Child and Youth Safe Organisation.
September 2024
Adoption of the Statement of Commitment to the Safety of Children and Young People.
What's next?
Council will undertake consultation with stakeholders - including children and young people, victim/survivors of child sexual abuse and child and youth focussed organisations in the Launceston municipality to inform the development of a Child and Youth Safe Organisation Policy.
Council officers will undertake a review of internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework and to ensure best practice principles are adopted to lead by example as a Child and Youth Safe organisation.
June 2025
Child and youth focused organisations survey
Why are we conducting this survey?
The national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings have demonstrated that organisations in a range of sectors have previously failed to safeguard children from abuse.
Both inquiries found that poor organisational cultures and practices enabled abuse and hindered proper investigation and reporting.
A fundamental cultural shift across the broader community is required to rectify these issues.
The Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act, 2023 (Tas) establishes The Child and Youth Safe Organisations Framework (the Framework) which imposes mandatory standards and reporting requirements aimed at ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, which all child and youth-focused entities must put in place.
Council has elected to take a leadership role in its response to the Framework, and this survey will inform how it meets that commitment.
Why are we asking organisations to take part in the survey?
The City of Launceston hopes to provide the opportunity for child and youth focussed organisations to inform the role it plays in creating a culture of safety for children and young people in Launceston, and to influence the development of its own policy as part of its commitment to becoming a child and youth safe organisation.
How will this information be used?
Organisations participation will remain confidential. Any material or information they provide will have identifying information removed and will be used to inform the City of Launceston's role in building a culture of safety for children and young people in Launceston, and the Council's Child Safe Organisation Policy (the Policy).
When adopted the policy will be shared on Council's website.
The City of Launceston does not have a role in monitoring or reporting on your organisations progress towards compliance, and this is not the purpose of this survey.
What are the benefits of this consultation?
We hope that the consultation will deepen our knowledge of the impact of the Framework on Child and Youth focused organisations and therefore help us refine the role that Council can play in creating a safe city for children and young people.
What do organisations need to know?
There is a risk that discussing issues of child sexual abuse will cause distress for people involved in the discussion.
The information being shared may be of a sensitive nature for an organisation's reputation.
Who should I contact if I have concerns or issues?
Concerns or complaints about the consultation can be directed to Linda Page, Team Leader Community Development at contactus@launceston.tas.gov.au or (03) 6323 3000.