Complying with Child Safe Standard 4 – Equity and diversity (for transport providers)

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

How you can comply

Consider how you can support children (any person under 18) using your service feel valued, respected, supported and culturally safe.

How you may already be complying

The Code of conduct for school students travelling on buses (the Code) includes guidelines for creating a safe and inclusive travel environment for all children, including those with disability.

Your workers (as defined in the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024) may already undergo cultural safety and awareness training. You may already take part in or support local cultural events like NAIDOC Week or National Reconciliation Week to promote inclusion and cultural safety.

You may also already provide information in different formats or languages to cater to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children and families.

Best-practice ideas

Review your organisation's policies and procedures to ensure they address the needs of children from diverse backgrounds including:

  • Aboriginal children or Torres Strait Islander children
  • CALD children
  • children with disability – also refer to the Code for information on creating a safe travel environment for students with disability.

If you have workers, enhance your recruitment, induction and training policies to:

  • ask your workers about what they need to strengthen their capability to create a culturally safe environment and act on what they say
  • include ongoing cultural safety training and cultural awareness training for your workers. It is important for your leadership and human resources team to recognise and address unconscious bias and individual and institutional racism
  • promote the recruitment of workers from under-represented groups to reflect the diversity of the children served in your organisation
  • include accessible, inclusive and culturally appropriate resources which are in multiple languages and formats, including the use of audio descriptions or AUSLAN interpretation, where applicable.

Cultural safety and this Standard

Provide an environment that promotes and upholds the right to cultural safety for Aboriginal children and families and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Seek feedback from Aboriginal families, communities, workers and Torres Strait Islander families, communities and workers about cultural safety in your organisation, and act on what they say.

Where you can, design your spaces to be welcoming, accessible and respectful of Aboriginal people and cultures and Torres Strait Islander people and cultures.

Related Standards

Complying with this Standard can also help you comply with:

Also consider...