Child Safety
Children are warmly welcomed here at Holy Trinity Balaclava and Elwood, and we are fully committed to child safety and safe ministry.
We have in place a Code of Conduct for all clergy, staff and volunteers, as well as a Commitment to Child Safety, and procedures for reporting any suspected abuse. Volunteers, clergy and staff undertake ongoing training in accordance with the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne Safe Ministry Program.
We have a commitment to zero tolerance of child abuse.
Jesus taught us that we must always care for children: ‘Let the children come to me and do not hinder them’ (Matt 19.14). We want to be a church where children and young people are fully engaged and have every opportunity to thrive and grow in their faith.
We support and respect all children. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability.
All allegations and safety concerns will be treated seriously, and in accordance with legal processes, and relevant policies and procedures. We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities if there are concerns about a child’s safety, which we will follow sensitively and rigorously. We are committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.
What is Child Abuse?
Abuse and neglect includes but is not limited to:
Physical Abuse
Emotional Abuse
Family Violence
Sexual Abuse
Grooming
Neglect
Our processes.
The Parish expects all adult behaviours and attitudes towards children to be safe and appropriate. Any inappropriate behaviour will be reported through appropriate channels, including the Department of Health and Human Services and Victoria Police, depending on the severity and urgency of the matter.
In addition to participation in training, all people engaged in child-related work, including volunteers, are required to hold a Working with Children Check and to provide evidence of this Check. See the Working with Children Check website <www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au> for further information
Fair procedures
All allegations of abuse and safety concerns will be recorded using a Diocese-generated incident reporting form, including investigation updates. All records will be securely stored. If an allegation of abuse or a safety concern is raised, families and where age-appropriate, children will be kept up to date. Appropriate pastoral care will be offered to all.
Responsibilities
There are two key areas of legal responsibility:
Failure to disclose: Reporting child sexual abuse is a community-wide responsibility. All adults in Victoria who have a reasonable belief that an adult has committed a sexual offence against a child under 16 have an obligation to report that information to the police.
Failure to protect: People of authority in our organisation will commit an offence if they know of a substantial risk of child sexual abuse and have the power or responsibility to reduce or remove the risk, but negligently fail to do so.
Anyone who is a mandatory reporter must comply with their duties.
Allegations, concerns and complaints
Our organisation takes all allegations seriously and has practices in place to have matters investigated thoroughly and quickly.
We all have a responsibility to report an allegation of abuse if we have a reasonable belief that an incident took place (see information about failure to disclose above).
If an adult has a reasonable belief that an incident has occurred then they must report the incident. Factors contributing to reasonable belief may be:
a child states they or someone they know has been abused (noting that sometimes the child may in fact be referring to themselves)
behaviour consistent with that of an abuse victim is observed
someone else has raised a suspicion of abuse but is unwilling to report it
observing suspicious behaviour.
For immediate help (from the DHS website)
To report concerns that are life threatening, ring Victoria Police 000
To contact a child protection office close to you, call a local office.
To report concerns about the immediate safety of a child after hours, call:
After Hours Child Protection Emergency Service
Ph: 13 12 78 (5.00pm – 9.00am Monday – Friday, 24 hours on weekends and public holidays).
Note: this is an emergency service for week nights, weekends and public holidays only.
How to make a complaint
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne takes all complaints of misconduct very seriously. This information is intended to help you if you wish to make a complaint.
Kooyoora
Kooyoora Ltd has been appointed by the Melbourne Anglican Diocese to respond to all complaints of misconduct including sexual, physical, spiritual or emotional abuse by clergy or Church officers. Kooyoora Ltd is an independent Professional Standards company which undertakes Professional Standards work for not-for-profit charitable entities.
The first step in making a complaint is to call the recorded information line at any time on 1800 135 246
All information provided to this service is strictly confidential. The person taking a message on this number will ask you to give a name and your phone number or address so that the Director can contact you as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can write to the Director:
Director of Professional Standards
Kooyoora Ltd
PO Box 329
Canterbury VIC 3126
Other helpful websites:
Commission for Children and Young People
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne oversees all Child Safety policies and procedures which in turn reflect requirements as outlined by the Victorian Government and the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP). For details of the Diocese Child Safe Guidelines, please visit https://www.melbourneanglican.org.au/governance/child-safety/
