The 11 Victorian Child Safe Standards work together to create environments where children and young people are safe, respected, empowered and protected from abuse and harm. 

1. Culturally Safe Environments – Aboriginal children and young people feel safe, respected and valued, and their cultures and identities are actively supported. 
2. Leadership, Governance and Culture – Child safety and wellbeing are embedded in leadership, governance, decision-making and organisational culture. 
3. Child and Youth Empowerment – Children and young people know their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously. 
4. Family and Community Engagement – Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing
5. Equity and Diversity – The diverse needs, abilities, backgrounds and circumstances of all children and young people are respected and supported. 
6. Suitable and Supported People – Staff and volunteers are appropriately recruited, screened, supervised and supported to uphold child safe practices. 
7. Child-Focused Complaints Processes – Children, families and staff can easily raise concerns, and complaints are responded to promptly and appropriately. 
8. Education and Training – Staff and volunteers receive ongoing training to build the knowledge and skills required to keep children safe.
9. Physical and Online Safety – Physical and online environments are managed to promote safety and minimise opportunities for harm. .
10. Continuous Improvement – Child safe practices are regularly monitored, reviewed and improved.
11. Policies and Procedures – Policies and procedures clearly document how the organisation prevents, responds to and reports child safety concerns. 

Together, these standards help organisations create and maintain a strong child safe culture where the safety, wellbeing and rights of children and young people are at the centre of all decisions and practices. 

The City of Greater Geelong is committed to providing child safe physical and online environments where children and young people are safe, respected, valued and empowered. We have zero tolerance for child abuse, harm, neglect, grooming and exploitation, and act in the best interests of children and young people at all times.

We recognise our responsibility to promote the safety, wellbeing, participation and rights of all children and young people. We embed the Victorian Child Safe Standards throughout our services, facilities, programs, events and activities.

The City of Greater Geelong is committed to:

• Listening to children and young people, taking their views seriously and supporting their right to be safe, heard and involved in decisions that affect them.
• Upholding the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and young people and respecting their identities, cultures, connections and experiences.
• Creating culturally safe, inclusive and accessible environments that are free from racism, discrimination, bullying and exclusion, and support children and young people with disability, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and of diverse genders, sexualities and identities.
• Partnering with children, young people, families, carers and communities to strengthen child safety and wellbeing.
• Ensuring employees, volunteers, contractors and elected representatives understand, meet and are accountable for their child safety responsibilities.
• Providing accessible, child-focused ways to raise concerns or complaints, and listening, taking them seriously and acting promptly and appropriately.
• Maintaining robust recruitment, screening, induction, training and supervision practices to protect children and young people.
• Continuously improving our child safe practices through consultation, risk management, monitoring, reporting and review.

Child safety is everyone’s responsibility. We are committed to environments where children and young people feel safe, heard, included and supported to thrive. Information about raising a child safety concern or complaint is available through the City’s complaints process and Child Safe Office.