CAHS Child Safeguarding Unit
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Are you concerned about the welfare of a child? If you believe a child is in immediate danger or a life-threatening situation, please call WA Police on 000. If you are concerned about a child's wellbeing (and they are not in immediate danger), please call the Department of Communities - Child Protection and Family Support on 1800 273 889. Please visit Safer WA for Children and Young People for more information about keeping children and young people safe. Are you a WA Health professional and need advice? Please visit HealthPoint (access available for WA Health staff only) for links to policies, guidelines and information on keeping children safe. |
Children and young people have the right to be safe, feel safe and be treated with respect wherever they are.
CAHS has committed to becoming a child safe organisation by implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. This is a commitment to a strong culture, reflected through strategy, policy and day-today actions and behaviour, to ensure that children are protected.
What is a child safe organisation?
“A child safe organisation is one that:
- creates an environment where children’s safety and wellbeing is at the centre of thoughts, values and actions
- places emphasis on genuine engagement with and valuing of children and young people
- creates conditions that reduce the likelihood of harm to children and young people
- creates conditions that increase the likelihood of identifying any harm; and responds to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm."
The Australian Human Rights Commission
About the CAHS Child Safeguarding Unit
At CAHS, the Child Safeguarding Unit:
- collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to develop, implement and evaluate policies, projects and guidelines for the protection of children; including responding to the health needs of children in the care of the Department of Communities
- coordinates, monitors and reports on the implementation of the National Child Safe Principles in CAHS
- partners with the Department of Health to implement relevant recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The Children and Community Services Act 2004 is the relevant legislation for the protection of children in WA.