Child Safe Child Friendly Framework

To help you move around the Child Safe Child Friendly Framework – the CSCF Wheel is interactive.

Child Safe Child Friendly Framework

Overview

Girl Guides Australia (GGA) is committed to being Australia’s leading organisation for girls and young women in leadership and personal development.

GGA’s mission is empowering girls and young women to discover their potential as leaders of their world. Girl Guides provides an innovative, relevant and high quality flexible, non-formal educational program for girls and young women, anchored by a shared purpose of making the world a better place. Girl Guides develops leadership skills and a sense of personal responsibility in an inclusive, supportive, safe and friendly girl-only environment.

GGA together with the State Girl Guide Organisations (SGGOs) recognise that the long-standing reputation and effectiveness of Girl Guiding in Australia (GGiA) is dependent on the behaviours and attitudes of the people who make up the Girl Guiding movement in Australia.

The Girl Guide Promise and Guide Law is fundamental to all aspects of Guiding and provides a foundation of expected behaviours.

GGA acknowledges the significant role culture plays in keeping children and young people safe. Guiding worldwide focuses on giving girls and young women a voice and an opportunity to build lifelong friendships and networks. These two core elements alone encourage those in Guiding to speak up for themselves and others, an essential part of creating a child safe culture. Girl Guides Australia has a zero tolerance of child harm, abuse and neglect.

Structure

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are embedded within GGA and its Member State Girl Guide Organisations (SGGOs) with the following structure.

Strategy

The GGA Board-approved strategy embeds being a child safe child friendly community as a strategic foundation.

GGA Code of Conduct

The GGA Board-approved Code of Conduct reflects its adherence to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

Child Safe Child Friendly Policy

The GGA Board approved Child Safe Child Friendly Policy outlines the principles underlying it being a child safe, child friendly organisation and identifies ten fundamental elements.

Child Safe Child Friendly Procedures

The GGA Board endorsed Child Safe Child Friendly Procedures and Guidance Notes are available for each of the ten fundamental elements and support child safe, child friendly practice in Girl Guiding in Australia.

The Fact Sheet – Introduction to Girl Guiding in Australia: a Child Safe Child Friendly Community

The GGA Fact Sheet, introduction to Girl Guiding in Australia: a Child Safe Child Friendly Community, informs and directs Members, Volunteers, and Employees with basic and introductory information about Girl Guiding in Australia and its obligations with respect to being child safe and child friendly.

About the Child Safe Child Friendly Framework

Purpose

The purpose of the Girl Guides Australia (GGA) Child Safe Child Friendly Framework is to provide an overview of how the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are embedded within all aspects of GGA and its Member State Girl Guide Organisations (SGGOs).

This document does not limit the powers or duties of GGA.

Background

As an organisation with a mission to empower girls and young women to discover their potential as leaders of their world, Girl Guiding in Australia (GGiA) is committed to fostering a child safe and child friendly culture where children and young people are safe, respected and protected.

As a Member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), GGA has been guided by the provisions of WAGGGS global policy ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’ including the endorsement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Scope

This framework recognises the shared roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders of GGiA, including GGA, SGGOs, Guiding Members, Volunteers and Employees in supporting the commitment to a Child Safe Child Friendly community.

Please note: Girl Guiding in Australia (GGiA) is the collective name for Girl Guides Australia and all the State Girl Guide Organisations.

All relevant State based policies and procedures are to be consistent with this Framework.

Implementation

The Girl Guides Australia Child Safe Child Friendly Framework has been launched on 11 October 2021.  It includes many existing practices of Girl Guiding in Australia. It is noted that SGGOs are at different stages of being able to satisfy the requirements of the Framework. GGA will work with each SGGO through the implementation process as needed.  SGGOs will provide members with information regarding any changes that impact processes in their State. Two eGuiding training modules have been developed to support all Adults in Guiding understand their responsibilities under the Framework.

The Guidance Note – Frequently Asked Questions CSCF may provide some additional information to support you understand a little more about the Child Safe Child Friendly Framework and how it applies to you.

Please also note  – Girl Guides Australia will be updating and adding more hyperlinks in the Child Safe Child Friendly section on Guide Lines. Your patience as we add these links is appreciated. If you have any questions about the functionality of the site please email guides@girlguides.org.au.

Last Modified: 18/07/22 at 11:50 AM