Australia is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international human rights treaty that protects the rights of children and young people. As a signatory to the Convention, Australia has a responsibility to ensure that the rights of children are recognised and upheld, and reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child every five years about progress. See the Australian Child Rights website for more information about this process and child-friendly version developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission. UNICEF have created useful educational resources about the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Important to health services, a Charter on the Rights of Children and Young People in Healthcare Services in Australia was developed following extensive consultation by Children's Healthcare Australasia – Supporting excellence in health care for women, babies, children and young people (wcha.asn.au) and Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare (AWCH).
Health services in NSW are strongly encouraged to:
Also see the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network website section for parents and carers and video about the experiences of young people at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
The Bureau of Health Information Admitted Child and Young Patient Survey asks for feedback from children and young people (and their parents/carers) who have been recently admitted to a NSW public hospital. The survey results will show hospitals, healthcare facilities and policy makers where they can make improvements to provide better health services for patients.