Child Protection Policy
How can Child Matters help?
Templates - $120 + GST
Child Matters has developed a Child Protection Policy template, which provides a basic outline of what should be included in a Policy and is compliant with legislative and ethical obligations. The template covers the following areas:
- Statement of commitment
- Purpose and guiding principles
- Scope
- Review period
- Definitions
- Roles and responsibilities
- Procedures for identifying and responding to abuse
- Working with families, whanau, and external relationships
- Child protection training
- Recruitment
- Information sharing
Appendices attached to the Policy include indicators of abuse and a flowchart for responding to concerns.
Child Matters recommends that alongside your Child Protection Policy, a Safe Working Practices document should be used, which provides procedural guidance to help staff understand what constitutes appropriate and safe behaviour within an organisation. These templates are designed to be flexible, allowing organisations to adopt the sections most relevant to their specific context. By using the Child Protection Policy template alongside the Safe Working Practices template, organisations can promote a safer environment for children and support staff in maintaining professional boundaries and responsibilities.
The Child Protection Policy and Safe Working Practices templates have been developed by Child Matters in alignment with best practice standards and in compliance with the legislative requirements outlined in the Children’s Act 2014. Organisations are welcome to adapt these templates to meet their specific needs; however, it remains their responsibility to ensure that any modifications continue to uphold current best practice and comply with all relevant legal obligations.
The Child Protection Policy template, the Safe Working Practices template, and guidelines for developing your Child Protection Policy can be purchased for $120.00 + GST.
To purchase or discuss further please contact megan@childmatters.org.nz
Development - $180 + GST per hour
For a more in-depth review or expert guidance on child protection matters, organisations are encouraged to contact Child Matters for consultation services and associated costings.
Why Policies are important
It is important that every organisation operates in ways which ensure that children and young people are protected from harm. Even if your organisation is not legally required to have a child protection policy under the Children’s Act 2014, it may still be established best practice within your industry or profession. A child protection policy ensures that the safety and well-being of children is the paramount consideration in all circumstances, placing child protection at the forefront of what you do.
The Law
The Children’s Act 2014 aims to strengthen measures for the protection of children. It is this Act that sets out the legal requirements for an organisations child protection policy, ensuring that those working with children are safe to do so.
Under the Children’s Act 2014, selected organisations must have a child protection policy which:
- Is written
- Guides staff to identify and report child abuse and neglect
- Is reviewed a minimum of every three years
- Is made available on the Internet
The organisations which are required to adopt a child protection policy under the Act include:
- The Ministries of Education, Health, Justice, Social Development, Business Innovation and Employment, Maori Development (Te Puni Kōkiri);
- The New Zealand Police;
- District Health Boards;
- School Boards - Including private and partnership schools (Kura Hourua);
- All providers of children’s services contracted or funded by any of the above organisations.
The purpose of a Child Protection Policy is to create a safe and supportive environment for children by outlining how your organisation will prevent, respond to, and report abuse, neglect, or exploitation. A Child Protection Policy should ensure that children’s safety and wellbeing are front and centre of all decision making and provide clear guidelines on how to identify and respond to actual or alleged abuse or harm.
