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March 17, 2016 at 4:08 PM

Family violence organisations required to have Child Protection Policies

*From the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse*

The Government is requiring more organisations that work with vulnerable children and their families to adopt child protection policies from April 2016. This includes family violence services.

Currently, under the Vulnerable Children Act 2014, government-funded organisations that work directly with children are required to have child protection policies.

The Vulnerable Children (Children’s Services) Order 2016 widens this requirement to include organisations that work with adults living in households with children, including organisations which receive government funding and provide the following services:

• family violence
• addiction
• mental health
• disability
• victims of crime services

The Children's Action Plan has produced guidance for organisations including:

• Safer organisations, safer children: guidelines for child protection policies to build safer organisations
• Safer recruitment, safer children: guidance for choosing safe people to work with children

The policies are required to be in place as soon as practicable from 18 April 2016.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said "These services often have significant contact with vulnerable children and their families." Ms Tolley said "A good child protection policy helps them to know what to look for and what to do about it if child abuse or neglect is suspected."

The Children's Action Plan website says state services and district health boards will require these service types to have child protection policies as part of their contractual or funding arrangements with providers.

Background

For background information, see the 2014 NZFVC stories on the Vulnerable Children Bill becoming legislation and Child protection policies and safety checks required under Vulnerable Children Act.

Find more information about the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 from the Children's Action Plan website.