Child Safeguarding Measures at Institutions and Community Settings where Adults Interact with Children
Ministry of Social and Family DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether the Government will review child safeguarding measures and establish common minimum standards across institutions and community settings where adults interact with children. Mr Alex Yam raised this query in light of recent serious child abuse cases, focusing on early detection, reporting, and intervention. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M replied that the Government continually reviews its safeguarding measures and adopts a practicable, risk-proportionate approach across different settings. He explained that stronger requirements, such as requisite qualifications, training, and pre-deployment background screening, are applied to publicly regulated roles involving sustained contact with children. Minister Masagos Zulkifli B M M added that the Government is considering how to better support employers and organisations to strengthen the prevention and detection of potential harm.
Transcript
24 Mr Alex Yam asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of recent serious child abuse cases (a) whether the Government will review the adequacy of child safeguarding measures across institutions and community settings where adults interact with children, including measures for early detection, reporting and intervention; and (b) whether common minimum safeguarding standards should apply across such settings.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Government takes the welfare and safety of children seriously. We continually review our child safeguarding measures in light of emerging risks, operational experience and incidents, to ensure that children are protected across settings where they interact with adults.
Given the wide range of settings where children may interact with adults, the Government adopts a practicable and risk-proportionate approach to safeguarding. Stronger measures are applied in settings where individuals apply for roles involving sustained contact with children and young persons, if these roles are regulated by public agencies. Depending on the nature and risk profile of the setting, these may include requirements for staff to have the requisite qualifications and training, and for their backgrounds to be screened before deployment.
At the same time, we recognise the importance of strengthening measures for the prevention and detection of potential harm. We are therefore considering how to better support employers and organisations that deploy staff to work with children and young persons.