Commonwealth Child Safe Framework compliance statement 2025 (PDF 76KB)

The Department of the Senate is committed to promoting a culture that does not permit or tolerate child harm or abuse and protects children by creating and maintaining behaviours and practices that are safe for children.

Most of the department's involvement with children is through the work of the Parliamentary Education Office, which provides education programs to school children at Parliament House, through outreach visits to schools and through digital programs. From time to time, the department may also have contact with children through our work providing secretariat support to Parliamentary committees. For example, committee inquiries may involve interaction with children during hearings or site visits. The department may also interact with children through our support of special events, such as Parliament House open day.

We are compliant with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework, the core requirements of which are: (i) undertake annual risk assessments, (ii) establish a system of training and compliance, (iii) adopt the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and (iv) publish an annual statement of compliance.

In 2025, the department undertook a risk assessment which determined that the overall child safety risk rating for the department is 'low', which is consistent with risk assessments conducted in previous years. The key risks identified in the annual risk statement include:

• Physical, psychological, cultural or sexual abuse of a child in a departmental program, mitigated by:
  • educating and supporting staff on child safety requirements, including reporting and responding obligations,
  • managing the compulsory holding of and maintaining qualification to hold working with vulnerable people cards, including formalised attestation checking and recording using the performance management process,
  • prioritising child safety when designing and delivering programs, including during interactions that may occur during the work of the Committee Office, and
  • ensuring appropriate supervision and security measures are applied, including during online delivery of programs.
• Re-traumatisation of survivors in the workplace of vicarious trauma, mitigated by providing education about support to staff, including where to get immediate assistance when required.
• Accidental harm to a child in a PEO school program at Australian Parliament House, mitigated by:
  • regular area inspections where hazards are visually identified and managed,
  • visual contact with children is maintained,
  • teachers, parents and carers are briefed on their responsibilities while attending programs,
  • incidents are responded to and appropriately reported, and
  • policies and procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure child safe practices are up to date.

The assessment confirms consistency with the appropriateness of the department's child safety measures, training and systems. The department has in place a Policy on Child Safety detailing the department's commitment to child safety and what is required by departmental employees to support this commitment, such as mandatory reporting.

A schedule of review for all departmental policies and procedures is implemented to ensure that all guidelines are regularly reviewed and updated as required. The department understands that managing child safety risks is an ongoing process and will continue to regularly analyse and review the measures we have in place to mitigate risks.