New guide for handling complaints involving children

The Coalition Government has today launched a new guide to help organisations better handle complaints that upholds the rights and voices of young Australians.

The ‘Complaint Handling Guide: Upholding the rights of children and young people’ provides practical advice to organisations about how to develop, implement and maintain a complaint-handling system that prioritises child safety and children’s wellbeing.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse identified serious flaws in processes relating to complaints of sexual abuse prompting development of the Guide.

Marking National Child Protection Week, Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Michelle Landry, said the Government was committed to doing everything it could to make sure the atrocities of the past never happen again.

“It is important that every organisation is aware of its obligations to report and take action to protect the safety of children and young people in their care,” Minister Landry said.

The Government engaged the New South Wales Ombudsman to lead the development of the guide which was developed in consultation with a range of experts.

Minister Landry said National Child Protection Week reminds all Australians of the important role we each play in protecting and supporting children.

“Every Australian child has the right to a safe, healthy and happy childhood. That’s why the Morrison Government is investing $2.6 million a year in delivery of projects to promote better understanding of child wellbeing,” she said.

The Government continues to keep its strong commitment to child protection and earlier this year launched the Fourth Action Plan of the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020.

The Complaint Handling Guide is available on the National Office for Child Safety’s website. More information about National Child Protection Week and how all Australian communities can play a role, is available at napcan.org.au.