Child safety is an integral component of wellbeing in childhood. Organisations in the community – ranging from schools, health providers, local councils and other service providers – have the potential to play a critical role in shaping children’s wellbeing by creating a safeguarding culture. An organisational safeguarding culture is one that embeds practices, policies and processes focused on keeping children safe from abuse and preventing trauma.

New research identifies the key enabling factors and barriers shaping the success of organisations seeking to prioritise child safety. In 2021-22, the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Social Impact conducted an impact assessment of the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Safeguarding Children Services. This was a unique study, grounded in qualitative research with organisations who have worked with the Foundation over the past 15 years to build capacity and culture to protect the children and young people who engage in their services.

Insights from the research indicate that the Foundation and its partners are helping to shape an Australian and global story of the evolution of safeguarding practice and impact, boosting child wellbeing by building child safe organisations. Three key lessons emerging from the research are the benefits of organisations learning from each other in transparent and supportive partnerships, the importance of addressing community awareness alongside staff skills around safeguarding, and the value of increasing engagement with children and their families and carers particularly those from vulnerable and diverse backgrounds.

These lessons are paving the way to an even deeper understanding of best practice in building a strong and lasting safeguarding culture in organisations, equipping leaders and practitioners to ensure that the children and young people in their care are safe and valued.