The Victorian Government has announced that the new Standards will commence on 1 July 2022, giving organisations time to plan, prepare and comply. This policy document outlines the changes that organisations covered by the Standards will need to enact to comply.

The eleven new standards will replace Victoria’s current seven standards and principles.

Key changes include new requirements:

• to involve families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe
• for a greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people
• to manage the risk of child abuse in online environments
• for greater clarity on the governance, systems and processes to keep children and young people safe.

Changes have been made to support greater national consistency, reflecting the National Principles for a Child Safe Organisation developed following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.