1. INFORMATION SESSION on how congregations can implement the Synod’s
Keeping Children Safe Policy & outline The Victorian Child Safe Standards
and
Royal Commission Standards

2. Prayer- (Say together)
Gracious and healing God, we thank you for the many ways that you enrich our lives - giving us hope in the midst of despair; comfort and strength to live, when we are at our most vulnerable. Be with all those today who are suffering - living with brokenness and pain.
We particularly think of people who were sexually abused as children. May your Spirit be a comforting and healing presence in their lives. May they find peace and nurture within relationships and communities of safety and trust.
Open our eyes and give us wisdom to see where we can bring your healing and hope in our relationships, neighbourhoods and communities as your hopeful and compassionate people.
Give us courage, insight, power and passion that we might work with you for justice and liberation of all those who are abused and oppressed.
Lord, hear us
Lord, hear our prayer

3. Content for today Welcome My role
Introduction to the Victorian Government’s
Child Safe Standards & Royal Commission Standards
Synod’s Keeping Children Safe Policy
Sharing of relevant resources to support congregations to implement the KCS Policy
Key Contacts
Question Time

4. My Role
New & Short term contract with the Royal Commission Unit of Synod.
(I am 1 of 7 Child Safe Project Officers in Vic)
To contact each congregation in Gippsland and offer support & resources to implement the Synod’s
Keeping Children Safe Policy and thereby ensure
compliance with the Victorian Government’s Child Safe Standards.
To complete a Checklist/Progress Report for each congregation.

5. The Facts
Child Abuse in Australia:
In 2015
Almost 10,000 children were physically abused
Over 16,000 suffered neglect
Over 23,000 experienced emotional abuse (that we know about)
1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys will be sexually abused as children
Indigenous children are 7 times more likely to experience neglect or abuse
Children with a disability are 4 times more likely to experience abuse
95% of child abuse is by someone a child knows and trusts

6. Where did the Synod’s Keeping Children Safe Policy come from
Where did the Synod’s Keeping Children Safe Policy come from? (Background & Context)
In 2012, the Victorian Parliament embarked on a landmark inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious and other non-government organisations. The inquiry was launched in the context of growing community concern about not only the extent of child abuse occurring within organisations, but also the lengths to which some bodies would go to conceal or minimise this abuse. The inquiry heard of the devastating and often life-long consequences for abuse victims. The Betrayal of Trust report was tabled in Parliament in late This report contained a number of recommendations to prevent child abuse from occurring within organisations and ensure allegations of abuse are properly handled.

7. In responding to these recommendations, the Victorian Government is committed to introducing Child Safe Standards for organisations (over 26,000 organisations) , with direct and regular contact with children. The Synod’s Keeping Children Safe Policy sets out processes and procedures which will enable each UC church congregation to implement these standards. Synod are following the UCA Assembly National Child Policy Framework and requirements to include 10 standards from the Royal Commission in addition to the CSS.

8. Key things to know about the Child Safe Standards
Children have the right to feel safe and be safe at all times
This right is part of Victorian Law
A child safe organisation is everyone’s responsibility but some people will have particular roles to play
Nothing in these standards changes the responsibility to report child abuse to police.

9. Key things to know about the Child Safe Standards
These standards apply to:
• All organisations and businesses operating within Victoria who provide services or facilities for children.
• All personnel in your organisation or business: –
CEO and executive, Board of management, Employees, Volunteers, Contractors, Students on placement
From 1 January 2017, these standards will apply to organisations and businesses that provide services or facilities for children who receive little or no government funding.

10. Key things to know about the Child Safe Standards
Under the legislation: • A child is defined as a person under the age of 18. • Child abuse is defined as: – sexual abuse (including grooming with the intent to sexually abuse a child) – physical abuse or violence – serious psychological or emotional abuse – serious neglect. • There is no one size fits all approach to meeting the Child Safe Standards. They are designed to be flexible and are principle based.

11. The Child Safe Standards form the content of our Keeping Children Safe Policy, so we need to have an understanding of these standards.

12. Child Safe Standards (CSS)
The Victorian and Federal Governments respectively through the Victorian Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to child sexual abuse have developed Child Safe Standards (CSS) and instigated law reform.

13. In Victoria the CSS are legislated and implementation required from January 1st “The Standards are compulsory for all organisations providing services to children and aim to drive cultural change so that protecting children from child abuse is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of leaders staff and volunteers.” DHHS 2015

14. Child Safe Standard 1 and RC Standard 1
Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements.
Organisational Culture and Leadership
This means:
• embedding a culture that makes child safety paramount in all parts of the organisation
• applying strong governance arrangements, documenting how duty of care responsibilities to children will be met
• making child safety a top priority in your organisation’s operations
• taking a zero tolerance approach to child abuse
• respecting, embracing and supporting the diversity of children
This is not a once off exercise – you need to adopt a continuous improvement approach

15. (Keeping Children Safe Policy)
Child Safe Standard 2 and RC Standard 9 & 10
Implement a Child Safe Policy
(Keeping Children Safe Policy)
Creating a foundation for a child safe environment
This means:
• affirming your organisation’s commitment to child safety in a child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
• making your commitment to child safety clear and well communicated to staff, volunteers, children and families and the community
• requiring all staff and volunteers to uphold this approach

16. Child Safe Standard 3:
Implement a Code of Conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
Establishing clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
This means:
• providing clear written guidance on appropriate conduct and behaviour towards children
• detailing acceptable and unacceptable behaviours relating to the specific context of your organisation – for example physical contact, personal care, online communication or complying with organisational policy and procedures
• educating staff, volunteers, parents and children about the expected standards of behaviour and what will happen if a person does not comply
• acting on concerns or allegations of non-adherence to your Code of Conduct.

17. Child Safe Standard 4 and RC Standard 5 & 7
Adopt Screening, supervision, training and other human resource practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
Recruiting, inducting, supervising and managing
This means:
• communicating your commitment to child safety
• having clear duty statements
• engaging only the most suitable people to work with children (whether in a paid or voluntary capacity) and deterring unsuitable people from applying or being appointed
• having robust pre-employment background screening including WWCC (where required) and thorough referee checks
• providing high quality supervision and professional development, including understanding the nature and signs of abuse, cultural competency and the vulnerability of particular groups of children.

18. Implement processes for responding to and
Child Safe Standard 5:
Implement processes for responding to and
reporting suspected child abuse
Responding to and reporting abuse
This means:
• recognising the safety of children is everyone’s responsibility
• having a clear and understood procedure for reporting concerns and allegations
• encouraging children to report if they feel unsafe or concerned
• making people within the organisation aware of their duty of care and legal responsibilities, and knowing what to do to respond appropriately
• appropriately acting upon concerns and complaints
• keeping and securely storing accurate records.
Call the police on 000 if you have immediate concerns for a child’s safety or if you reasonably belief child abuse may have occurred.
Investigation of any matter by police must always take priority over internal investigations.

19. Risk planning and management
Child Safe Standard 6:
Implement strategies to identifying and reduce or remove the risk of child abuse
Risk planning and management
This means:
• thinking about your organisation, its activities and the children it provides services to, and planning how to make your activities as safe as possible - this is often called a risk management approach
• being proactive to reduce the likelihood of risks emerging or escalating, rather than responding when harm has occurred.
(In relation to both the physical and online environment)

20. Child Safe Standard 7 and RC Standard 2 & 6
Implement Strategies to promote the participation and
empowerment of children
Empowerment and participation
This means:
• supporting children and young people to understand their rights, contribute to child safety planning and to raise concerns
• actively promoting and encouraging children’s participation in decision making
• valuing and respecting children’s opinions
• seeking children’s views about what makes them feel safe and unsafe, including cultural safety
• establishing an environment of trust and inclusion that enables children to ask questions and speak up if they are worried or feeling unsafe.
RC Standard 3: Families & Communities are informed and Involved
Ensure families are provided the opportunity to provide feedback and are comfortable in raising concerns about the safety and well being of their child

21. Overarching Principles embedded in each standard (RC Standard 4) Equity will be promoted and Diversity respected
Promoting the cultural safety Aboriginal Children.
Promoting the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds. (CALD communities)
Promoting the safety of children with a disability.
Share Resource: Tip Sheets
Safety of children with a disability
Safety of children from CALD backgrounds
Cultural safety for Aboriginal children

22. The VicTas Synod has responded by developing it’s Keeping Children Safe Policy (KCS) which incorporates these standards Share Resource: UCA’s Keeping Children Safe Policy

23. How does KCS Policy impact Church Councils (CC)?
To comply with the CSS
each CC is required to:
Share Resource:
Overseeing Keeping Children Safe-Guide for Church Council

24. 1. Formally adopt or reaffirm the Synod’s KCS Policy and procedures, and record a statement of commitment in CC meeting Minutes. (This must be done each year.) Share Resource: Template 1- Our Statement of Commitment

25. 2. Advertising KCS Policy
Make the KCS Policy and
Statement of Commitment
accessible to the congregation.
Share Resource:
UCA’s Keeping Children Safe Policy & Brochure

26. 3. Appoint a Culture of Safety/ Safe Church Contact Person
Their role is to assist in undertaking leadership in child safe church, to support all parties in responding to reports or concerns as well as assisting with required administrative components.
Share Resource:
Culture of Safety Contact Person

27. 4. Working with Children Checks (WWCC) Ensure that Church Councilors, Elders, Lay Preachers, worship leaders, music leaders, organists, Bible study leaders, as well as those involved in programs with children and young people have a valid WWCC and have signed the Code of Conduct. Share resources: WWCC Guidance How to support someone applying for a WWCC. What is the difference between a WWCC and a police check? Template 2: Code of Conduct

28. 5. WWCC Register To keep an up to date WWCC register locally as well as enter the information on the Synod’s WWCC secure data base. Nominate a person to take on this role (may be a different person to Culture of Safety Contact person) Share Resources: How to enter data into the online database WWCC Register Synod Contact :Amy Wyld (will provide user name & password)

29. 6. Negative Notice Report immediately a
Negative Notice is received (ie. a failure to obtain or cancellation / suspension of WWCC) by contacting
The Synod General Secretary who will advise on the appropriate action in accordance with UCA Guidelines

30. Safe Church Training Ensure that all people requiring
WWCC attend Safe Church Training
at least every 2 years.
(records of this need to be kept)
Share Resource:
Template 4: Safe Procedures and Training.

31. 8. Engage in rigorous recruitment processes
Engage in rigorous screening, and selection processes when people are employed or engaged as volunteers.
This includes interviews, referee checks, WWCC, and CC ratifies and minutes this appointment.
(records of this need to be kept)
Share Resources:
Template 3: Recruitment, Selection & Screening
Checking with Referees

32. 9. Risk Assessment
Risk assessment plans must be developed for each regular and occasional child and youth activities.
CC is responsible for assessing and approving activities and programs.
This includes risk assessment and management plans.
Approval to be recorded by CC prior to the activity being undertaken, and the activity granted written permission to proceed.
Share Resources:
Template 5: Assessment of Risk
Attendance Records,
Media Release & Medical Information Forms
Information Sheet for Parents & guardians

33. Victorian Legislation
The Victorian Government has introduced legislation to ensure
that children are protected from child abuse.
A Failure to Protect offence – effective from 1 July 2015
This legislation relates to people with a position of authority within an organisation, which includes churches, schools, early childhood services and residential care homes, who become aware of a risk that a child may be at risk of sexual abuse and does not take steps to remove or reduce that risk.
A Grooming offence – Effective from 9 April 2014
Many perpetrators of sexual offences against children purposely create relationships with victims, their families or carers in order to create a situation where abuse could occur. For this reason, parents, carers or other family members who have been targeted by perpetrators in order to gain access to a child are also victims. The offence of grooming concerns predatory conduct undertaken to prepare a child under 16 for sexual activity at a later time
Failure to Disclose offence– effective from 24 October 2014
Reporting child sexual abuse is a community-wide responsibility. Accordingly, a new criminal offence has been created in Victoria that imposes a clear legal duty upon all adults to report information about child sexual abuse to police. Any adult who forms a reasonable belief that a sexual offence has been committed by an adult against a child under 16 has an obligation to report that information to police. Failure to disclose the information to police is a criminal offence.
Share Resource: Betrayal of Trust Fact Sheets (Failure to Protect/Grooming Offense/Failure to Disclose)

34. 10. Property and Equipment
Church property and equipment is to be maintained to standard acceptable for the safe conduct of activities. Regular maintenance and cleaning are to be carried out, and hazards promptly rectified.
An Annual Child Safe Checklist should be completed.
Share Resource:
Annual Child Safe Maintenance Checklist

35. 11. Child Focused Feedback.
CC must provide opportunities for focused feedback from children and youth, create environments where children know that they will be listened to and their complaints taken seriously and have a complaints process children can access and use.
Share Resource:
Children & Youth Feedback Forms

36. 12. Reporting Process
CC must have a clear process for reporting complaints, allegations regarding children and have a complaints process in place for children, youth and parents.
Share Resources:
Template 6: Responding to and reporting child abuse
Reporting Process Flow chart

37. Finally: A Message from our Moderator:
“Implementation of the KCS Policy is not optional and it takes time and effort.
It will lead to legal compliance with the Victorian Government’s CSS but more importantly it educates us all, so that we not only make our church spaces safe places for children but our wider communities as well.”
Sharon Hollis

38. KEY CONTACTS.
Dee Crosby- Child Safe Project Officer-Gippsland
OR (03)
Bill Degnan-Child Safe Presbytery Contact-Gippsland
Andrea O’Byrne- Executive Officer Child Safe Standards
Josh Woollett-Safe Church Educator
Amy Wyld- Synod WWCC Data Base

39. QUESTIONS
??.