Safeguarding
Our vision is to ensure that the young and the vulnerable are welcomed, cherished and protected to worship and grow in Christ
Abuse is experienced by many and can occur in a variety of ways. There are many places where you can receive help and support. Firstly, as abuse is a crime, you can contact the police on 000 (in an emergency) or on (02) 9548 4999 (Engadine Police). Alternatively, you can contact the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office at (02) 9390 5810 or safeguardingenquiries@sydneycatholic.org. Or contact our Parish Safeguarding Support team at boscosafeguarding@gmail.com
PARISH SAFEGUARDING TRAINING
All volunteers in our parish ministries/groups must complete Parish Safeguarding Training even if they have completed such training with another *organisation eg: school or place of work. You need to complete parish-based training to understand the parish context and unique processes and you refresh your understanding every three years.
Face-to-face training is available in March 2024.
Engadine Parish Centre:
Wednesday 13th 1 pm & 7 pm
Friday 15th 1 pm & 7 pm
Saturday 16th 7:15 pm
Sun day 17th 9:15 am, 10:45 am and 6:15 pm.
Heathcote Church
Thursday 14th 10:30 am
Alternatively, register HERE with the Archdiocese to undertake their online training. ALL parishioners are welcome and encouraged to register and complete this training
Please contact the parish secretary if you are unable to do the online training or attend the in-person training dates.
*The Archdiocese has given an exemption to Catechiest(SRE) who have completed the CCD Safeguarding training.
IMPORTANT LINKS
WHAT IS SAFEGUARDING
The Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office was established in the Archdiocese of Sydney in November 2015. The role of the Safeguarding Office is to raise awareness regarding our collective responsibility to protect the safety, well-being and dignity of children, young people and vulnerable adults within the Archdiocese of Sydney and to respond swiftly and compassionately in circumstances in which children are harmed or at risk of being harmed.
The focus of the Safeguarding Office is the prevention of abuse and harm to children, young people and the vulnerable within our Archdiocese. To this end, the Safeguarding Office has been developing and delivering training programs on a range of Safeguarding protocols and procedures that work together to protect children from harm. These protocols and procedures embody the inherent values of the Catholic Church. READ MORE
WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK
It is a legislative requirement all parish workers and volunteers that work with children apply for their own Working With Children Check every five years. Our parish verifies for all paid workers or volunteers in child related roles the following:
The person holds a valid Clearance Number provided by Service NSW.
The person will be continuously monitored for serious sexual or violent offences.
The person renews their Working with Children’s Check prior to the expiry date.
SAFEGUARDING FEEDBACK FORM
We value the input of families, caregivers, and our community members in shaping our safeguarding efforts. We encourage you to actively participate in discussions about how we can make our community a safer place. Please utilize the following link to access our feedback form. Your insights and contributions are highly valuable in helping us maintain the safety and well-being of our community. Your feedback will play a crucial role in keeping our community safe.
ONLINE SAFTY
As we all spend more time online the Safeguarding Office has launched a number of Fact Sheets that provide children, young people, parents, guardians, employees and volunteers with information and guidance on how to safely engage in online communication.
Information for Children about Online Safety
Information for Young People about Online Safety
Information for Parents and Guardians on Keeping Children and Young People Safe Online
The Safeguarding Office has developed a 5 minute CyberSafety Survey for all adults and children to complete; to allow them to develop further resources that will provide everyone with the knowledge and skills to help keep everyone safe online.
Please take the time to fill in this anonymous, fun and engaging eSafety survey.
WHAT'S REQUIRED IF YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER WITH US
The Safeguarding & Ministerial Integrity Office, in conjunction with the Parish, has identified all our volunteers for ministries require a
Working With Children Check (WWCC): Parish roles that DO require a WWCC; Parish Secretaries, Youth Ministers, Workers or Leaders, Pastoral Associates, Sacramental Coordinators, Sacramental Group Leaders, Catechists in State Schools, Children’s Liturgy Coordinators, Children’s Choir Ministry Leaders, Acolytes and Senior Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers
A signed Code of Conduct form is required for all parish volunteers (contact the parish office)
Safeguarding Induction Training is required for all parish volunteers