Child Protection Audits
Ensuring safe environments for children
Child protection audits help organisations assess and strengthen their child protection policies, procedures, and practices. Our audits are designed to ensure your organisation consistently meets legislative requirements and industry best practices, while giving you the tools to effectively manage and navigate child protection situations.
Take the next step in proactive safeguarding
Having a Child Protection Policy in place is important - but it’s only part of the picture. An audit helps you understand whether your policies and procedures are working in practice, and whether your people, culture and environment are genuinely supporting child safety. A thorough audit can identify gaps and recommendations that can strengthen your response to child safety. Taking pre-emptive steps by undergoing an independent audit can lead you towards a child protection practice that is proactive, rather than reactive to a situation.
Choose from a comprehensive or compact audit
Whether you require a compact audit of your child protection practices and systems, or a more comprehensive approach, we will use our evidence-based framework to assess your organisation's child safety procedures, review our findings, and provide clear recommendations for implementing and maintaining practices that foster an environment of safety for children.
Comprehensive Audit
The full audit process includes assessment against four standards; policy, procedures, people, and facilities. This is concluded with an assessment of standards and review of findings.
Enquire below for a tailored pricing estimate.
Compact Audit
Conducted remotely, we can identify areas of strength, highlight any gaps, and provide clear, prioritised recommendations to strengthen child protection compliance within your organisation.
Enquire below for a tailored pricing estimate.
"We felt valued and respected at every step of the way. There was a level of care in the process that was outstanding. This is a serious and vitally important area. Child Matters lives and breathes this; their passion and desire is clear.
Child Matters staff checked in and kept us updated as the work progressed. The reports were well researched and well written. They were clear, easy to understand and not only told us how we were doing but provided great recommendations on how we could improve. These were specific and showed they understood who we are and our values and structure.
Staff from Child Matters were always warm; engaging; highly professional; on task and extremely helpful. They could not have done more to assist. In addition, their training in this area is highly recommended. If you are seeking to work with an organisation that will provide outstanding professional service; deep care; and appropriate training in the area of child protection, I most warmly commend Child Matters."
Wayne Matheson | Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
01
Policy review
An analysis of your existing Child Protection Policy to ensure it is in line with best practice and current legislative requirements. Child Matters will provide specific feedback including any areas that require rewriting or additions, and suggestions of resources available to strengthen the existing Policy.
02
Procedure assessment
Child Matters will assess whether the organisation fosters a child-safe environment, implementing child safeguarding procedures that are applied across the organisation. This will include recruitment procedures, managing child protection concerns and reporting pathways, and compliance.
03
People and culture
We survey key staff within the organisation to better understand their child protection knowledge and prior training. We then conduct in-person or online interviews with up to 15 key staff and personnel to gain further insight and context.
Interviews aim to:
Explore the understanding of child protection in the organisation
Contribute to an overall understanding of the culture of the organisation
Identify strengths, risks, and potential mitigation
04
Facility reviews
Child Matters can complete on-site evaluations* of the organisation's facilities and spaces to assess whether they are child-focused and promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of all tamariki.
*Travel expenses incur additional charges.
A facilities review would consider:
Physical spaces and any particular risk areas
The extent to which child-friendly information is on display
Signing in and out procedures
Site security, including reception, lighting, and camera coverage
Next steps...
Upon completion of the Comprehensive Audit, Child Matters provides a report of the findings. The report will include a list of prioritised recommendations to strengthen the organisation's policies, practices, and overall culture of child protection.
At a later date, Child Matters can review the organisation against the recommendations made, providing comment on the implementation of each recommendation and further guidance if necessary.*
*This service incurs an additional charge.
01
Policy review
A review of the organisation's current Child Protection Policy to provide feedback and improvements that align with best practice guidelines and legislative requirements.
02
Staff interviews
Online interviews with 1-2 staff members in leadership roles to assess current practices, systems and processes including reporting procedures, recruitment, and safe working practices.
03
Staff survey
An anonymised online survey for all staff and contractors to complete. This will assess their current knowledge, confidence and awareness of child protection responsibilities.
Next steps...
Upon completion of the Compact Audit, Child Matters provides a report of the findings. The report will include a list of prioritised recommendations to strengthen the organisation's policies, practices, and overall culture of child protection.
At a later date, Child Matters can review the organisation against the recommendations made, providing comment on the implementation of each recommendation and further guidance if necessary.*
*This service incurs an additional charge.
Get Started
To learn more, or request an audit for your school or organisation, contact our team by completing the form below, or call 07 838 3370.
