PROTECT OUR CHILDREN

All children have the right to feel safe at all times. The emotional, physical and spiritual safety, well-being and dignity of children is an integral part of the teachings and values of the Catholic Church.

Here at Our Lady of the Way, Kingsbury, we commit to help keep our children safe from all harm.

Our parish values children as an important part of its life and teaches of the need to respect their dignity.

Children encounters with adults in the Church can have lasting consequences. It is important for the formation of children that our encounters with them affirm them and create a positive experience of the Church.

On April 2015, the Victorian State Government introduced minimum Child Safe Standards that apply to organisations to help protect children from all forms of abuse. These Child Safe Standards have come about in response to the Betrayal of Trust Inquiry.

The Child Safe Standards consist of the following seven standards that aim to create and maintain a child safe environment..

Standard 1: Strategies to embed an organisational culture of child safety, including through effective leadership arrangements
Standard 2: A child safe policy or statement of commitment to child safety
Standard 3: A code of conduct that establishes clear expectations for appropriate behaviour with children
Standard 4: Screening, supervision, training and other human resources practices that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel
Standard 5: Processes for responding to and reporting suspected child abuse
Standard 6: Strategies to identify and reduce or remove risks of child abuse
Standard 7: Strategies to promote the participation and empowerment of children

Our Lady of the Way needs to ensure compliance with the above Child Safe Standards by January 2017.

Our lifestyle as Christians and the practices we are expected to live out will fulfil the requirements outlined in the above standards.

For this reason, Our Lady of the Way, has developed the following child safety documents which aim to protect the rights of all children and young people through raising awareness, preventing, reporting and responding to issues related to protecting our children.

Click here to download our Child Safety Policy

Listed below are the resources supporting child safety at Our Lady of the Way Parish:

• Mission Statement
• Child Safety Statement of Commitment
• Child Safety Code of Conduct
• Child Safety Reporting Flowchart
• Incident Reporting Form

Child Safety at Our Lady of the Way will be managed by a Child Safety Team as follows:

• The Parish Administrator Father Trac Nguyen - 0488020364

• Margaret Leonard - 0407841232
• Carolyn Nguyen - 0423433245

Listed below are the resources and requirement of Victorian Government:

• Privacy Policy
• https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/