On the way to becoming child safe; a package of tools and resources currently under development to support local governments take active steps to prevent harm to children.
The risk of child sexual abuse and other forms of abuse vary from institution to institution, and local governments in Western Australia are as diverse as they come.
To create conditions that reduce the likelihood of a child experiencing harm in organisations, conscious and systematic effort is required. This effort aims to empower children and young people, their families, the broader community and all local government employees with knowledge and understanding of how to identify and report harm, as well as respond appropriately when disclosures, allegation or suspicions of harm arise.
Working in partnership with the sector, the Local Government Child Safeguarding Package will include practical tools and resources that help progress efforts and develop local government capability as child safe organisations.
Package materials will be informed by broad feedback and input from the sector and key community stakeholder groups following a period engagement throughout October 2025 to March 2026. The resources are then expected to be available in late 2026.
As part of establishing a knowledge base of child safeguarding practice in local government context, a project reference group of local government officers are working with the department to develop case study examples and identify critical success factors to establishing child safe cultures.
To find out more and get your local government involved, fill out the below online form and a member of the project team will be in touch.
Interested in contributing feedback on the unique challenges and barriers your organisation might face in becoming child safe? Have clear ideas around the kind of tools and resources that will be required? Complete the below online form and a member of our project team will be in touch.
Information provided will be used for the explicit purpose of facilitating further exploration regarding participating in project engagement activity.