1. Purpose

This policy sets out the position of Northside Community Voices Inc. (NCV) on the safety of children and young people. It explains why NCV does not involve people under the age of 16 in its membership, its data collection or its volunteer activities, and sets out how NCV conducts itself in the one situation where children are nonetheless present — when a parent or guardian brings a child to an NCV activity.

This policy is deliberately proportionate. NCV is a small, volunteer-run community association whose activities are directed at adult residents. It does not run programs for children. This policy is written to match what NCV actually does, rather than to claim a level of child-safe practice NCV is not structured to deliver.

2. Policy position

The Board adopts the following position:

• The minimum age for any form of registration with NCV is 16 years. NCV does not register, admit or enrol any person under the age of 16 in any capacity — not as a Member, not as a Friend of NCV, and not as an Interested Party.
• NCV does not collect, store or process personal information about any person under the age of 16 through its website or any of its forms.
• NCV does not induct, recruit, train or accept any person under the age of 16 as a volunteer, in any role, at any activity.
• NCV does not operate any youth program, youth service, or activity directed at children or young people under 16.

Any proposal to depart from this position — including any future youth engagement program — must come to the Board as a specific decision, and must be accompanied by a full review of NCV's obligations under the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 (Qld) before it proceeds.

3. Why NCV takes this position

Queensland's Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 commenced on 1 October 2025 and was phased in through to 1 April 2026, with the Reportable Conduct Scheme commencing on 1 July 2026. The Act requires organisations that provide services specifically for children, or facilities specifically for use by children under the organisation's supervision, to implement ten Child Safe Standards and a Universal Principle relating to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) oversees the system.

NCV does not provide services specifically for children, and does not provide facilities for use by children under its supervision. On that basis NCV is not a child safe entity for the purposes of the Act, and the ten Child Safe Standards are not mandatory for it.

The Board's view is that this should be a deliberate position rather than an accidental one. Several of the ten Standards — in particular the requirement that children participate in decisions affecting them — cannot meaningfully be implemented by an organisation with no children involved in it. Adopting a policy NCV could not honour would create a documented standard against which NCV would be measured and found wanting. The Board considers it more honest, and safer, to be clearly and intentionally outside the scope of the Act, and to say so plainly.

This position also removes an entire category of privacy risk. NCV holds personal information on approximately 790 individuals. By excluding under-16s from registration entirely, NCV holds no children's personal information at all, and therefore has nothing to lose, misuse or be compelled to disclose.

4. Children at NCV activities

NCV activities are open to the public and NCV welcomes members of the community who bring children with them. The following applies whenever a child is present at an NCV meeting, stall, event or activity.

4.1 Supervision remains with the parent or guardian

• A child attending an NCV activity remains at all times in the care and supervision of the accompanying parent, guardian or responsible adult.
• NCV does not accept custody or supervision of any child, does not provide childcare or supervised spaces for children, and does not offer activities in which a child is separated from their accompanying adult.
• NCV volunteers must not agree to supervise, mind or take responsibility for a child, however briefly, and however reasonable the request may seem.

4.2 Conduct of NCV volunteers and office holders

• No NCV volunteer or office holder should be alone with a child who is not their own. If a situation arises where this would occur, move to where others are present.
• No NCV volunteer should transport a child, arrange to meet a child, or communicate privately with a child by phone, email, message or social media.
• Any conduct toward a child that would be inappropriate between an adult and a child in any other setting is inappropriate at an NCV activity.

4.3 Photographs and images

NCV photographs its activities and publishes images on its website, in its newsletter and on social media. Children may appear incidentally in photographs of public events.

• Do not photograph a child as the subject of an image without the express permission of the accompanying parent or guardian.
• Where a child appears incidentally in a wider photograph of an event, that image may be used only if the child is not identifiable, or the parent or guardian has given permission.
• Never publish a child's name, school, suburb or any other identifying detail alongside their image.
• If a parent or guardian asks for an image containing their child to be removed, remove it promptly and without argument. Do not require a reason.

5. Raising a concern

Any person who has a concern about the safety or wellbeing of a child at an NCV activity should raise it. NCV would far rather receive a concern that turns out to be nothing than not receive one that turns out to be something.

• If a child is in immediate danger, call 000.
• If you believe a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm, contact the Queensland Child Safety After Hours Service Centre on 1800 177 135, or the Police.
• Concerns about the conduct of an NCV volunteer or office holder should be reported to the President or Secretary as soon as possible, and will be reported to the Board.
• NCV will not require a person raising a concern to investigate it, prove it, or confront the person concerned.

Individual mandatory reporting obligations under Queensland law apply to people in their own right regardless of this policy. Nothing in this policy prevents or discourages any person from making a report to any authority.

6. Blue cards

Because NCV does not provide services to children and does not supervise children, the Board's understanding is that NCV volunteers do not require a blue card under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000. The Board should confirm this position with the QFCC or Blue Card Services rather than rely on this document alone.

If NCV ever begins an activity directed at children or young people, this position changes and must be reviewed before that activity starts.

7. Constitutional alignment

The registered Constitution currently provides, under Interested Party, that “children under the age of 16 years of age or adults living outside our area” may register on the association's website. That provision is inconsistent with this policy.

This policy therefore requires a resolution of a general meeting to amend the Constitution. The Board should put the following to the Annual General Meeting:

Proposed resolution: That the rule headed “Interested Party” be amended to remove the words “Children under the age of 16 years of age or”, so that registration as an Interested Party is available only to adults living outside our area; and that the association's rules reflect that the minimum age for registration with the association in any capacity is 16 years.

Until that resolution is passed, the website will apply this policy — the practical effect being that no under-16 registration is accepted — and the Board should record that it has done so knowingly and for child safety reasons.

8. Review

This policy is to be reviewed annually by the Board, and immediately upon any of the following:

• Any proposal for NCV to run an activity, program or communication directed at people under 16.
• Any change to the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 (Qld) or the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 affecting community associations.
• Any incident or concern involving a child at an NCV activity.

Related documents: NCV Constitution, Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service.

This draft has not been adopted. It takes effect only if and when resolved by the Board.