Risk management strategies

From 1 January 2007, employers and businesses regulated by the Commission’s Act must have a written risk management strategy in place which complies with the minimum requirements specified in the Commission for Children and Young People Amendment Regulation (No. 1) 2006.

Although employment screening is a vital child protection mechanism, the blue card is not a guarantee of a child’s safety and is no substitute for an appropriate range of risk management strategies.

Risk management allows organisations to identify and assess possible sources of harm, and take steps to decrease or prevent it from occurring. It must include evidence of procedures, processes and documents which show an organisation's commitment to maintaining the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

What must a risk management strategy contain?

To comply with the requirements under the Act, as a minimum, a risk management strategy for child protection must include:

• a policy with a statement of commitment to the safety and wellbeing of children and the protection of children from harm
• a Code of Conduct for interacting with children and young people
• recruitment, training and management procedures for staff (including appropriate employment screening – i.e. blue cards and registers of staff who hold blue cards)
• reporting guidelines and directions for handling disclosures and suspicions of harm
• a policy for managing breaches of the risk management strategy
• policies and procedures for compliance with blue card legislation
• risk management plans for high risk activities and special events, and
• strategies for communication and support such as:
  • Information sheets for staff, volunteers and parents about policies, procedures and Codes of Conduct, and
  • Training materials and strategies to help staff, volunteers and parents identify and manage risks of harm

The following hyperlink can be accessed to obtain those specific requirements:

http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/SLS/2006/06SL102.pdf

Although the Commission provides free training, it cannot approve or ratify risk management strategies. Each organisation is required to determine whether their policies and practices are adequate to protect children in their care from harm and to promote their wellbeing.

If a child is harmed in some way, the organisation caring for them may be required to prove staff took 'reasonable steps' to prevent 'foreseeable harm'.

Those interested in finding out more about the training can go to http://www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au/about/risk_management.html

Last Updated: November 22, 2006