Child Safety
Anglican Church of Australia Anglican Diocese of Melbourne Child Safe Policy
The Anglican Parish of St Matthew’s Glenroy
and St Linus’ Merlynston
Statement of Commitment to Child Safety
As a Christian community, meeting together to worship God, we affirm our commitment to ensuring the safety of each child who interacts with our community. God’s word is very clear in telling us that all people are created equal. We look to the bible to learn how to love and serve everyone, no matter their age, colour, ethnicity, gender or nationality. As part of this ethos, we specifically seek to promote the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and all other children who come to us from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. We also seek to ensure the safety of any child with a disability.
HOW WE DO THIS
The church is a place where young people can come to know and experience the love of God through those who care for and work with them. In order to ensure that we meet the highest standards of child safety for each child who comes into our community, we have the following procedures in place:
- Our organisational culture is one of child safety where, through effective leadership and clear lines of accountability, we ensure that all those in positions of influence with children are properly screened, supervised and trained.
- Our code of conduct is the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne ‘Duty of Care’ handbook. A copy of the handbook is provided to all those, in paid or voluntary positions, who have contact with children. The handbook is available at all our places of worship and can also be found online at:
- All those working with children in the parish are required to have current Working with Children cards. We will also conduct reference checks for those new to our parish who ask, or are invited, to be part of leadership teams.
- The process of responding to, and reporting, suspected child abuse is set out by the diocese. You can talk to the vicar, lay ministry team or churchwarden, and they will discuss with you what further action should be taken. You can also make a complaint direct with the diocese.
- You have the option of making a complaint to the police if you feel that a child’s safety has been compromised by the actions or words of someone operating with our programs.
- The booklet published by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, ‘Information for people thinking about making a complaint’, is available in each place of worship. It is also available online at melbourne.anglican.com.au