Statement of Commitment to Child and Youth Safety

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​At NSW Health, we want every child and young person to feel safe, respected​, and welcome when they visit a health service or are in our care. We are using the 10 Child Safe Standards to help make sure health services are safe and friendly places for children and young people.​​

We know that keeping children and young people safe is something we must always work on. We are learning from what has happened in the past and making changes to do better.

To help us write this commitment to child safety, we asked children and young people what matters to them. They said they want adults to listen to them, include them in decisions about their care, and treat them with respect. They also want to know how to speak up if they feel unsafe, and to be taken seriously when they do.

What NSW Health will do

​​We will:

• ​Support your rights, like your right to feel safe, be heard, and be treated kindly
  
• Not allow any abuse, harm, racism, or unfair treatment
• Make sure health services care for Aboriginal children and young people in ways that respect Aboriginal ways of knowing, doing and being
• Make sure health services are safe and welcoming for children and young people from different cultures, languages, and religions
• Make sure health services are safe and easy to use if you have a disability
• Make sure health services are welcoming for all children and young people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community
• Train our staff and volunteers so they know how to keep children and young people safe
• Make sure our leaders set a good example and act quickly if there are safety concerns
• Make sure our rules and plans help keep children and young people safe.

What you can expect

As a child or young person, you can expect:

• ​Staff will listen to you and treat you with respect
• You will have a say in decisions about your care
• We will talk to you in ways you can understand
• We will respect your privacy and make sure information about your health is protected. We will not share your information unless we need to for your healthcare or to keep you safe
• You can speak up if you feel unsafe and we will take you seriously and act quickly
• Your culture will be seen as important to your health and wellbeing
• ​​You can share your ideas about how to make health services safer for children and young people.