CS11 - Child Safety Records Management

Purpose

To provide guidance to owners and operators of aquatic facilities regarding record management requirements in relation to incidents of child abuse, child harm and associated hazards and risks.

Description

Child safety records management ensures:

• Important records are stored correctly and easy to find when needed
• Records that are no longer needed are disposed of correctly and in a way that adheres to organisational policies and government legislation
• All persons including employees, volunteers, contractors, visitors and the organisation are protected by providing evidence should a legal matter arise

The owner or operator of an aquatic facility should keep records in relation to incidents of child abuse, child harm and associated hazards and risks.

An effective way to ensure records are kept and managed appropriately is to develop and implement a Records Management System which may assist in managing records relating to child safety which may be required for reporting and investigations purposes by law. The system may be incorporated into a Records Management section of the Child Safety Policy framework.

Records which should be kept within the Record Management System include:

• The Child Safety Policy
• The Staff, Volunteer and Contractor Code of Conduct
• Child Safety Risk Assessments and associated management plans and procedures
• Incident, injury, illness and trauma reports relating to child harm and abuse
• Allegation reports
• Investigation records (if applicable)
• Employee, volunteer and any third party training records
• Information should be retained and protected from unintended alterations.

Information should be retained and protected from unintended alterations.

Accident and incident reports may be the same form at an aquatic facility, as long as the correct information is recorded and sensitivity/confidentiality as appropriate is applied to the issue.

Reporting and Record Management

Reports should be uploaded into the Record Management System within 24 hours after any alleged incident, injury, illness and/or trauma has occurred.

All reports are to be securely stored and only accessible by authorised staff members. Authorised staff members are to be listed within the child safe policy, within the responsibilities section.

An incident, injury, trauma and illness record must be kept confidential and stored until the child or young person is 25 years old.

Capturing appropriate details for record keeping

When taking and storing records of incidents, allegations and investigations the following information is recommended to be kept:

• Details of any incident such as:
  • The name and age of the child or young person
  • Name and details of the child or young person’s parent or carer in the immediate area
  • The circumstances leading to the incident, injury, trauma or illness and any apparent symptoms
  • The time and date the incident, injury, illness and occurred
• Details of any action taken such as:
  • Any medication administered or first aid provided
  • Any medical personnel contacted
• Details of any witnesses
  • The name of any person the service notified or attempted to notify, and the time and date of the notifications
  • The name and signature of the person making an entry in the record, and the time and date that the entry was made.

REFERENCES

• Quality Management System AS/NZS ISO 9001:2016 (2016)
• Record Keeping. Fair Work Ombudsman Australian Government
• Guide to the National Quality Framework, Guide to the National Quality Framework (May 2022)
• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (2018) Child Safe Organisations National Principles