SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Information on safeguarding requirements specific to SA can be found here:
Child Safeguarding | Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing (orsr.sa.gov.au)
In South Australia, all organisations that provide services to children and young people must by law (Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017) provide child safe environments.
Organisations include:
- national sport and recreation organisations based in South Australia
- interstate organisations that provide services in South Australia, such as national sporting championships
- South Australian sport and recreation organisations
- any other organisation that provides sport and recreation services wholly or partly for children.
The main requirements to providing child safe environments include:
Child-safe strategies promote safe and friendly settings where children feel respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential.
What do we need to do
Your organisation must:
- establish and maintain safe environments for children and young people
- ensure your staff and volunteers understand their child protection obligations as mandated notifiers
- ensure that staff and volunteers know how to make a mandatory notification should they suspect that a child or young person has been or may be at risk of harm
- ensure all staff and volunteers working with children and young people have a working with children check.
It is good practice to have:
Working with children checks
Please see the DHS Screening Unit webpage for more information on what is child-related work.
To have a South Australian working with children check, apply online at https://screening.sa.gov.au/applications. Organisations may also apply on behalf employees and volunteers.
Do I have to pay?
The Screening Unit charges a fee to do working with children checks for employees and businesses, including tertiary students are on practical training as part of an educational or vocational course.
There is no fee for volunteers who need a working with children check.
Find out the difference between a police check and a working with children check.
Report a child or young person at risk
How to report
If you believe a child or young person is in immediate danger or in a life-threatening situation, contact the South Australian police immediately by dialling 000.
To report your suspicions (on reasonable grounds) that a child or young person is, or may be at risk, this must be reported to the Department for Child protection by calling the 24-hour Child Abuse Report Line on 13 14 78.
Resources
Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing - Keeping children safe in recreation and sport
Department of Human Services
Department for Child Protection
National Principles for child safe organisations
National Office for Child Safety
Please note that this information remains guidance only. You should check with the relevant State/Territory organisations local to you to ensure you are accessing up to date information.
It remains the responsibility of each individual club/sporting organisation to ensure that their club policies and procedures are contemporary, up to date and meet your compliance and legal requirements. PBTR takes no responsibility for any content that is out of date or inaccurate due to the passage of time.
Updated: April 2022 in conjunction with Office for Sport and Recreation South Australia
