• Concerns about the safety of a child or young person must be reported immediately.
• Child safety is everyone’s responsibility.
• The Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People is driving long-term, cultural change and continuous improvement in the Department so that we can be an exemplary child safe organisation.

The Department is committed to safeguarding the rights of children and young people to have an education, to be heard, and to be kept safe from harm. We are also working to ensure all children and young people in Tasmania are known, safe, well and learning.

If you have any concerns about your safety or the safety of a child or young person, you must report it immediately.

• Contact 000 for urgent police or medical help if a child is at immediate risk of harm.
• Contact the Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line on 1800 000 123 or make an online notification
• Call police on 131 444 if you have any information about child sexual abuse.

Your report will be taken seriously. The voices of children and young people are at the centre of everything we do.

If your concerns relate to a school, you should report them to your teacher or the school principal.

You can also contact the Community Liaison Manager for your region to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your school.

To help build a child-centred culture, a Safeguarding Lead has been appointed in every State Government school.

Your school’s Safeguarding Lead will help plan and implement strategies to support the wellbeing of all students and foster a culture where it is understood that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Behaviours that might cause a child to feel unsafe could come from a trusted adult, someone in authority or another child. They can include:

• physical harm or touching (direct or indirect contact, intervention or restraint)
• psychological harm by way of inappropriate verbal or unauthorised communication
• sexualised harm by way of sexual abuse, including grooming.

Read a guide on appropriate relationships between employees and children and young people.

The Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People is driving long-term, cultural change and continuous improvement in the Department so that we can be an exemplary child safe organisation.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are our benchmark and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child underpins this work.

The work of the Office includes:

• supporting the Government’s responsibility to protect children from violence, abuse and neglect
• protecting children from sexual exploitation (being taken advantage of) and sexual abuse.

It builds on the holistic approach we already take to protect the wellbeing of children and young people.

The Office is overseeing work to strengthen our systems, policies, processes and procedures.

This work is guided by the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

It is driven by our commitment to make sure we are embedding a culture where child safety is everybody’s responsibility. It includes the development and implementation of:

• clear protocols and guidelines for staff on how to respond to incidents, disclosures and suspicions of child sexual abuse
• a Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy
• new training for all school-based and non-school based staff, and
• new technology to ensure all incidents, disclosures and suspicions of child sexual abuse are recorded and followed up with the best interests of the child or young person at the forefront.

If you have any questions about this work, please email the Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People

Where to seek support

If this information causes you distress or raises questions or concerns, options for advice and support include:

Beyond Blue – Call 1300 224 636 or visit the Beyond Blue website 
Mental health and wellbeing organisation supporting those affected by anxiety, depression and suicide.    

1800 Respect – Call 1800 737 732 or visit the 1800 Respect website
Support and information for anyone affected by sexual assault, or domestic or family violence.

Lifeline – Call 13 11 14 or visit the Lifeline website
24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention.

Sexual Assault Support Service Inc (SASS) – Call 03 6231 1811 / 03 6231 0044 or visit the SASS website
Southern-based community service organisation providing support and information to survivors of sexual abuse.

Laurel House – Call 03 6334 2740 / 03 6431 9711 or visit the Laurel House website
Northern and north-western-based sexual abuse and sexual assault support service.

Knowmore – Call 1800 605 762 or visit the Knowmore website
Free legal advice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

Employee Assistance Program
Department for Education, Children and Young People staff can access the Employee Assistance Program, Newport & Wildman, by phone on 1800 650 204 or by email at admin@newportwildman.com.au