Child and youth risk management strategies
Safe service environments don’t just happen; they require ongoing planning, commitment and maintenance.
The blue card system aims to create safe and supportive service environments where children and young people can receive services and participate in activities essential to their development and wellbeing.
Organisations and sole traders who run businesses regulated by the blue card system must have a Child and youth risk management strategy (the strategy) to help create a safe and supportive environment for children.
What is a child and youth risk management strategy
Developing a strategy helps you to identify potential risks of harm to children and young people so you can create and implement solutions to minimise these risks.
A well-developed strategy will help your organisation achieve its objectives by providing a clear and consistent framework to guide and support the stakeholders who work/volunteer with your organisation or who benefit from your services.
We may request a copy of an organisation’s strategy at any time, and failure to comply with the requirement to have a child and youth risk management strategy is an offence under the blue card system.
A strategy has 8 mandatory requirements:
- Statement of commitment.
- Code of conduct.
- Recruitment, selection, training and management.
- Reporting disclosures and suspicions of harm.
- Managing breaches.
- Risk management plan for high-risk activities.
- Managing compliance with the blue card system.
- Communication and support.
How to develop your strategy
We have created a series of videos and resources to help you to develop and implement your strategy. They will help you to understand what your strategy should include and make sure the policies and procedures in your strategy identify and minimise the risk of harm to children.
Videos
- Overview of risk management
- Statement of commitment
- Code of conduct
- Recruitment, selection, training and management
- Reporting disclosures or suspicions of harm
- Managing breaches of your strategy
- Risk management plan for high-risk activities
- Strategies for communication and support
- Conclusion
Resources
- Child and youth risk management strategy organisation’s toolkit
- Child and youth risk management strategy self-assessment checklist
- Employee register template to manage your employees blue card information
- Risk management plan for high-risk activities or special events template
- Sole operator supplement outlines the requirements for business owners who do not engage other workers
- Useful references fact sheet provides links to other government and non-government agencies to help you develop your strategy
How to implement and manage your strategy
Find out how to implement and manage your strategy after it has been developed.
- Identifying and managing online risks fact sheet
- Implementing the restricted person and restricted employment laws to your organisation checklist
- Sample induction acknowledgment helps organisations with the induction acknowledgement for people relying on the frequency exemption and restricted persons.
Raise awareness of risk management
We have also developed more resources to help you raise awareness within your organisation of the relevant laws relating to risk management concerning children and young people.