The Uniting Church is committed to developing a culture and their systems to encourage behaviour that helps all church people consider the ethics and responsibilities required of them. This is focused specifically to those in leadership - lay and ordained - as they are responsible for the oversight of the programs run at the church.
This is maintained by:
• Working With Children Check's required for every leadership position; from our employees to our organist.
• Safe Church Training - including a signing of a Code of Conduct, renewed every three years.
• Code of Ethics Training events for all ministry agents.
• All programs with under 18 participants have, at minimum, two trained over 18 leaders present at all times.
We also ensure the Church has systems in place to help people recover if they have been harmed by other people’s unethical or unsafe behaviour. Taken altogether, this is called Culture of Safety.
Quick links
Keeping Children Safe Synod of Victoria & Tasmania Resources:
Keeping Children Safe Policy:
Responding to and Reporting Child Abuse:
We are committed to implementing the Keeping Children Safe Policy of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria. All children who are involved in any of the Uniting Church’s activities, services, events or programs have aright to feel and be safe. We are committed to providing safe environments where children are cared for, respected, nurtured and sustained. We have zero tolerance of all forms of child abuse and will do all in our power to safeguard children from abuse. We are committed to creating and maintaining a child-safe culture to ensure the care, protection and safety of all children engaging with the Church in any of its entities.
Abuse thrives on secrecy. To prevent child abuse across the Church, we are committed to providing clear leadership and open and transparent governance to combat secrecy. We clearly affirm the Church’s commitment to upholding the law. This includes the requirement to report abuse to the appropriate authorities.
We commit to the following actions, as appropriate in our situation, to keep children safe:
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Promote strong leadership and governance and a culture of child safety
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Promote access, equity and diversity
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Promote appropriate behaviour amongst adults and children
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Recruit, train and supervise workers well
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Manage risk, promote safety and respond to concerns
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Promote child, family and community participation
When a child asks 'What do we mean when we say a 'Safe Church'?'
When an adult asks 'What do we mean when we say a 'Safe Church'?'