Safeguarding Experts
Health Services
Health services care for children and young people at times when they may be unwell, in pain, frightened or separated from family. Hospitals, clinics and community health services must ensure that clinical care is delivered in environments where children are safe, their privacy and dignity are respected, and concerns are responded to promptly.
Expert legal services to health services
Step by Step implementation
Here when you need us
Child Safety in Health Services
Health settings involve circumstances that require particular safeguarding care, including physical and intimate examinations, children receiving care without a parent present, adolescent patients seeking confidential care, telehealth consultations and the handling of highly sensitive health information.
In many states and territories, health services that provide services to children are required to comply with the Child Safe Standards, and some health services are captured by Reportable Conduct Schemes. Registered health practitioners also have professional obligations, including mandatory notification requirements under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law.
Health services should have clear policies on chaperones and intimate examinations, professional boundaries, communication with children and young people, and responding to disclosures of abuse. Clinical and non-clinical staff, contractors and volunteers all have a role to play.
Safe Space Legal also supports private therapy and counselling practices with tailored safeguarding advice.
Our Services
Child Safety Policies
Developing child safety policies, codes of conduct, and complaints handling processes for health services
Child Safety Investigations
Independent, trauma-informed workplace investigations into allegations involving staff, contractors and volunteers, compliant with Reportable Conduct Schemes
Audits
Audits and gap analysis against the Child Safe Standards with practical safeguarding recommendations for health services
Child Safety Training
Tailored child safety training for clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative staff and volunteers
Legal Advice
Expert safeguarding legal advice for health services, including compliance obligations, complaints and critical incidents
Incident Management
Root cause analyses of critical child safety incidents with crisis management and regulatory compliance support