30th June 2015 For immediate release

Thousands of organisations ‘unaware’ that new rules on child protection apply to them from July 1st

Child protection education provider the Safeguarding Children Initiative (SCI) believes thousands of groups and organisations in New Zealand are unaware new rules on child protection apply to them from July 1st 2015.

The new rules, part of the roll-out of the Vulnerable Children’s Act, mean state-funded agencies or groups that provide services children and parents need to be:
In particular SCI believes organisations that receive indirect state funding may be unaware the rules apply to them.

• Implementing a child protection policy by 1st July 2015
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• Safety checking (including police checking) all new children's workers from July 1st 2015, and not allowing them to work with children until the checks have come through
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• Putting plans in place to safety check all established core workers in the next two years.
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Willow Duffy, practice leader for SCI, said: ‘I talk to people every day about child protection, and many organisations do not know whether, or how, the Act applies to them. In particular I am finding that organisations that receive indirect state funding may be unaware they need to be vetting their workers and putting a child protection policy in place.’

Examples of groups/individuals that receive indirect state funding that should be police checked include school bus drivers, families who billet children overnight for sports tournaments, and groups that visit schools to give talks.

‘The children action plan team is working hard to raise awareness and assist organisations to roll this out nationally however communities also have a responsibility to makes sure their local organisations recruit safety and have systems in place to protect children.'

Ms Duffy said: ‘Research, and recent high profile cases like James Parker, and in Nelson teachers like Stuart McGowan and Lawerence Shaw, and even Jimmy Saville, show that abusers tend to seek out positions of authority and trust that bring them close to children. That’s why these safety checks are so important. Checks should prevent those who are a risk to children from working with them as staff members or volunteers. A child protection policy and safe recruitment will also identify and stop emerging or established abusers who are demonstrating risky behaviour.

Ms Duffy added: 'At this stage the new rules do not apply to those who work with children through organisations or groups that are not directly or indirectly state funded. Children attend so many groups and activities that receive no state funding, such as sports groups, church groups, soft play areas and other leisure activities. Is a child less vulnerable to abuse from a non-funded organisation staff or volunteer than a state funded one? No they are not. If there is no police vetting in these groups that could make them very attractive to those wanting to harm children. The Safeguarding Children Initiative want the rules to be adopted nationally by non-funded organisations too.’

Finally, Ms Duffy added: These new rules have been put in place to protect our children. We all have a duty, as a community, to ensure children’s workers are checked. I urge every parent to have a conversation with any group organisations or group their child attends to ask about safe recruitment and their child protection policy.'

The Safeguarding Children Initiative based in Nelson are running FREE seminars to guide our community about the new legislation and assist any organisation to comply. Visit our website www.safeguardingchildren.org.nz to book a place.

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