FAQs

  • We work with organisations of all sizes, from small community groups supported largely by volunteers through to large, multi-site organisations employing hundreds of staff.

    Some of our clients include:

    • local governments

    • sporting clubs and associations

    • schools

    • community service organisations

    • recreation camps and groups

    • faith-based organisations

    • arts and cultural organisations.

    We are open to supporting any organisation on their child safe journey. If you work with children or young people in any capacity and are looking for support to become child safe, we'd like to hear from you. Every organisation's needs are different and we tailor our approach accordingly.

  • AKT works with organisations across the Perth metro area as well as regional and remote WA.

    We're based in Perth, but travel is part of the job — if you're in Kalgoorlie, Broome, Albany or anywhere in between, we can come to you. We are also more than comfortable working remotely with regional organisations.

    Get in touch and we can discuss your location, your needs and the best way to make it work.

  • A good child safeguarding consultant should feel more like an extra pair of hands than a report generator.

    At AKT, that's exactly how we approach it. We sit down with you, understand how your organisation operates — your people, your risks, your resources — and work alongside you to build something that meets your needs.

    In practice, this can look like:

    • Reviewing what you've already got in place and figuring out what's working and what isn't.

    • Helping you develop policies, procedures and training that your staff and volunteers will read and use.

    • Talking through the tricky, real-world situations that don't have a neat answer in a policy document.

    • Supporting you to embed child safety into everyday practice, not just tick a compliance box once a year.

    If you're trying to work out whether your organisation needs support, or you're not sure where to start, get in touch with AKT to have an initial discussion.

  • Right now, some WA organisations that work with children already have some legal obligations in place, including:

    But things are changing for child safety in WA. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations set out 10 principles covering leadership, culture, staff training, complaint handling and more. They're not yet law in WA, but the WA Government is moving toward making them mandatory, with the Ombudsman WA appointed as the independent body that will oversee and monitor compliance once legislation is in place.

    AKT can walk you through what's likely coming and how to build the National Principles into your everyday practice at a pace that works for you — including guidance on your existing obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, Working With Children Checks and Mandatory Reporting.

    Information current as at September 2026.

  • Not yet. WA is working towards legislation, with the Ombudsman WA set to oversee compliance with the National Principles once legislation is introduced.

    In the meantime, implementing the National Principles is voluntary but strongly encouraged — see our answer on WA's broader child safeguarding requirements for more detail on where things currently stand.

    Information current as at September 2026.

  • The 10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations provide a framework for organisations to create cultures, policies and practices that promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

    They are:

    1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

    2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

    3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

    4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

    5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

    6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.

    7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

    8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

    9. Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.

    10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

    AKT helps organisations translate the National Principles into policies, practices and everyday actions that are appropriate for their organisation.

    Information current as at September 2026.

  • Yes, they are the same thing, just known by two different names depending on where you are.

    The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended the Child Safe Standards. When Australian governments agreed to adopt them nationally, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed them as the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

    Since then, some states and territories have legislated using the term "Child Safe Standards," while others use "National Principles for Child Safe Organisations". The content underneath each term is broadly the same either way — it's just a naming difference from one jurisdiction to the next. It is still being determined how WA will reference them under the incoming legislation.

    Information current as at September 2026.

  • Becoming a child safe organisation isn't about completing a policy or delivering a training session — it's about building child safety into the way your organisation operates day to day.

    A good place to start is understanding where you currently stand against the 10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. This would include:

    • Working out your organisation's specific child safety risks, based on what you do and who you work with.

    • Reviewing how well your current policies and practices are understood and followed, not just whether they exist.

    • Checking that children and young people have real, meaningful ways to speak up and be heard.

    • Making sure staff and volunteers understand their responsibilities.

    • Identifying your biggest risks and prioritising those first, rather than trying to fix everything at once.

    Child safeguarding is a process, not a one-off action. A staged approach – tackling the highest-risk areas first, then building out from there – is better than attempting all ten principles simultaneously, particularly for organisations with limited resources.

    AKT can help you work out where your organisation is, what risks need to be addressed as a priority, and assist you in building a staged plan to get there.

    Information current as at September 2026.

  • A child safe organisation assessment  can help your organisation understand how well its current systems and practices align with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

    If you want a quick starting point, our free Child Safe Pulse Check is a short self-assessment tool that gives you a general sense of where your organisation sits and what to focus on next. Take the AKT Child Safe Pulse Check.

    For a more thorough picture, AKT can carry out a full, independent child safe assessment for your organisation. An effective assessment looks beyond whether policies exist — it considers whether they're understood, implemented and reflected in everyday practice, and whether child safeguarding is understood, prioritised and embedded in the culture of the organisation.

  • Child safeguarding is focused on prevention. It means taking deliberate steps to prevent children and young people from experiencing abuse, harm and neglect in your organisation, and making sure your staff are ready to respond appropriately if incidents occur.

    Local governments, sporting clubs, schools, community service organisations, recreation camps, religious organisations or arts organisations all have different interactions with children and young people and different safeguarding risks to consider.

    For example, an organisation might need to consider:

    • How staff, volunteers and contractors are recruited, supported and expected to behave.

    • How concerns and complaints are raised, handled and followed up.

    • How children and young people participate and have their voices heard.

    • The safety of your physical and online environments.

    Child safeguarding will look different in every organisation. The important thing is to understand your own activities, risks and responsibilities rather than simply adopting a generic set of policies, procedures and practices.

    AKT  works collaboratively with organisations across different sectors to create tailored child safeguarding solutions relevant to their operation.

  • AKT works with organisations to help them understand what child safeguarding means for them and turn good intentions into practical action.

    We can work with your organisation at any stage of its child safe journey. For example, you might need help to:

    • Understand the National Principles and what they mean for your organisation.

    • Assess your current practices and identify the gaps that matter most.

    • Develop or strengthen policies, procedures and complaints processes.

    • Deliver training for staff, volunteers, leaders and boards.

    • Build a practical action plan and put it into everyday practice.

    We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to child safeguarding. The right approach depends on your organisation, the children and young people you work with, your activities, your existing systems and your unique child safety risks.

    If you are not sure where to start, AKT’s practical and collaborative approach can help you work out what your organisation needs and how to prioritise your efforts.

  • Every quote is different, because it depends on what your organisation needs — a small sporting club seeking a policy review is a different job to a large, multi-site organisation working through a full implementation plan.

    The main considerations  that affect cost are the size and complexity of your organisation, how far along you already are, and the scope of work involved.

    Rather than guess at a figure that won't apply to your situation, get in touch and tell us a bit about your organisation. We'll give you a straightforward, no-obligation quote based on what you need. Contact us at info@aktadvisory.com.au.

  • Beyond our core child safeguarding work, the AKT team has experience in:

    • Grant applications and budget submissions

    • Consultation with children and young people (all AKT Directors hold a valid Working with Children Check)

    • Strategic policy development

    • Research and evaluation

    • Stakeholder engagement and management

    • Activities relating to the National Redress Scheme

    • Trauma-informed practice.

    If you need help with something that doesn't fit neatly into a category, ask us anyway — chances are it overlaps with one of our areas of expertise.