The heart and soul of our beliefs- child safe practices….. always!
Working with Children Week 2026: Start Safe, Protect Children, Empower Educators
This week marks Working with Children Week, an initiative led by the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian that highlights the collective responsibility we all share in keeping children safe.
This year’s theme, “Start Safe: Smarter Recruitment for Child Safety,” reminds us that protecting children begins long before a person enters the workplace. Safe recruitment practices, strong organisational cultures, effective supervision and ongoing professional learning all play a critical role in creating environments where children can thrive.
Child Safety Starts with Us
For those of us working in early childhood education and care, child safety is at the heart of everything we do. Every interaction, every policy and every decision contributes to creating environments where children feel safe, valued, respected and heard.
Children flourish when adults are committed to their wellbeing and when organisations actively promote child-safe cultures. While screening processes such as the Working With Children Check are important safeguards, they are only one part of a much larger commitment to child safety.
Safe recruitment includes:
Clear role descriptions and expectations
Values-based interview questions
Meaningful referee checks
Thorough induction processes
Ongoing supervision and support
Regular child safety training for staff and volunteers
These practices help ensure that children are surrounded by trusted adults who understand their responsibilities and are committed to protecting them.
The Heart and Soul of Our Beliefs
At Elevate Success, we believe that every child deserves to be safe and every educator deserves to feel confident in their ability to protect children from harm.
The heart and soul of our work is supporting educators to understand their responsibilities under child protection legislation and empowering them to act when concerns arise.
We are passionate about ensuring that every educator can confidently:
Recognise signs that a child may be at risk
Respond appropriately to child protection concerns
Understand mandatory reporting obligations
Report when a child may be at Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH)
Contribute to a strong child-safe culture within their service
Child protection is not just a policy requirement—it is a professional and ethical responsibility that impacts the lives of children and families every day.
Building Confidence Through Knowledge
Many educators understand the importance of child protection but can sometimes feel uncertain when faced with complex situations. Knowing what to do, who to contact and how to respond appropriately can make all the difference.
Elevate Success provides support, guidance and professional learning across all areas of child protection, helping educators and leaders build the confidence needed to make informed decisions and fulfil their responsibilities.
Through workshops, we help organisations strengthen their child-safe practices and create environments where children can learn, grow and flourish.
Because When We Start Safe, Children Thrive
Working with Children Week provides an opportunity for all educators, leaders and organisations to reflect on the important role they play in safeguarding children.
This week, let’s reaffirm our commitment to:
✔ Keeping children safe
✔ Strengthening child-safe practices
✔ Supporting educators through ongoing learning
✔ Building confidence in mandatory reporting and ROSH processes
✔ Creating environments where every child feels valued and protected
Because when we start safe, children thrive.
Happy Working with Children Week 2026!
To learn more about child protection workshops and support, connect with us and discover how Elevate Success can assist your team in building a strong culture of child safety.