Safeguarding
Protecting children in our community is everyone's responsibility
What is Safeguarding?
Child safeguarding is about creating environments where children and young people are safe, respected and protected from harm. Child safeguarding is the actions, policies and practices we put in place to prevent harm to children and young people and to respond
appropriately if concerns arise.
It is about creating a child safe culture.
Children’s voices are heard, respected, listened to and their safety and wellbeing are front and centre.
Safeguarding is about:
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Prevention: Having a clear Code of Conduct, child safe recruitment and staff training. It includes identifying and managing risks in programs, activities and environments
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Protection: Knowing how to recognise signs of abuse, neglect and exploitation, acting quickly when a child is at risk and having clear reporting procedures
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Response: Taking all concerns seriously, reporting to relevant authorities and supporting families, children and staff during and after a concern or complaint.
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Culture: Promoting a culture where children’s voices are heard and encouraging people to speak up about unsafe behaviour. Leadership prioritises child safety.
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Safeguarding is different to child protection. Safeguarding is broad and preventive, it covers systems, behaviours and culture to stop harm from occurring in the first place. Child protection is often about the statutory response after harm has occurred.​
Safeguarding with Social Care Solutions
How we can help
Social Care Solutions can offer a range of ways to support an organisation or business with creating and maintaining a child safe culture.
Safe Spaces program
Our Safe Spaces program is offered at no cost for small recreational businesses in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay area. The Safe Spaces initiative offers hands-on support to build safeguarding capability within the small business recreational sector.
It offers each participating business a tailored support package which includes a three-hour safeguarding consultation, staff capacity survey, access to sector specific tools and resources and a follow up consultation.
These supports will empower your business to meet their obligations under Queensland’s Child Safe Organisation Act 2024, including embedding the Universal Principle, align services with the Child Safe Standards, and create environment where children are safe, heard and
respected.
Child Safe program
Our Child Safe program is focused on organisations who are committed to creating a child safe culture and meeting requirements under the Child Safe Organisations Act 2025. All organisations or sole operators who work alongside or for children are captured by the legislation, including:
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Therapeutic services
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Sporting clubs and activities
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Child care centres
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Educational services, including tutoring
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Dance, music, theatre and drama services
To support services to meet the Child Safe Standards prescribed under the Act, our Child Safe program offers:
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up to three hours in person with our child safeguarding consultant. Our consultant will talk through your business’s strengths and opportunities for development to support you to work towards meeting the Child Safe Standards.
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a review of the physical space you use to deliver services to understand your physical environment.
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written snapshot report which highlights what your organisation is already doing to meet the Standards, plus recommendations of how you can make.
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access to a self-guided training module on the Child Safe Standards for you or your team
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a resource pack designed specifically for your organisation, which could include training links, practical information and policy templates.
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Cost: from $1900**
**not including travel costs and subject to variation depending on the size of your organisation.
If you are interested in knowing more about the Child Safe Spaces program, please contact admin@socialcaresolutions.com.au
Safeguarding at Social Care Solutions
Our Statement of Commitment
Here at SCS, we too are committed to being a Child-Safe Organisation. We have a strong and passionate commitment to the safeguarding of all children and adults-at-risk. Our Statement of Commitment has been written by our staff, for our staff, to ensure we expressly share our commitment to the safeguarding of all who interact, work with or work for Social Care Solutions.
Our Statement of Commitment
to our clients, to our community and to one another
Social Care Solutions recognises and is committed to upholding children and young people’s civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
We are committed to ensuring children and young people’s protection from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and to having their voices heard and respected in all matters which affect them.
Social Care Solutions places the safety, wellbeing and dignity of children and people-at-risk at the heart of everything we do, fostering a culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating inclusive and nurturing environments where individuals are empowered to participate in decisions affecting their lives, supported by robust policies, rigorous staff screening and training, and trauma-informed practices which prioritise prevention and early intervention.
Through open communication with families and communities, regular review of our practices, and zero tolerance for any form of abuse or neglect, we continually strengthen our safeguarding framework to ensure the highest standards of care and protection.
Links to Policies and related Procedures
Child Safe Policies
We have a range of policies which talk about how we are committed to being child safe. Please click the download icon for our written versions, or the play button for our audio, child-friendly version.
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​Complaints Policy​
Public
Child Friendly
Child Friendly Video
Complaints Policy
Complaints Policy
Child Protection Policy
Making a Complaint
It is important to us that our clients, from children, young people, families and carers, to our agencies, departments and partner organisations, know there is always an open line of communication to the Chief Executive, Mel James.
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If you have a complaint to raise, please do so via this link
Policy Name | Public Document | Child Document | Policy Video |
|---|---|---|---|