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Safeguarding children and young people in our Archdiocese

The Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is committed to the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people. We recognise the dignity of each individual and take responsibility for our role in keeping children and young people of our church safe.

NOTE: Please click on Policies and Resources to find information specific to COVID-19
 

 Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy.pdf


 

Our Commitment Statement

Click the link to view the full statement

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 Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide Commitment Statement.pdf


 

Our Child Protection Unit

The role of the Child Protection Unit includes:

  • Developing policy, procedures, and safeguarding initiatives to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our Archdiocese.
  • Training and education for individuals, parishes and communities to inform, empower and equip in safeguarding.
  • Developing and distributing resources for parishes, communities, and groups who work with children and young people in our Archdiocese.
  • Working with parish leadership to ensure the Archdiocesan Child Protection Framework, ‘Safe Environments for All’ is implemented in parishes across all levels of the Church.
  • Promote and advocate for the rights of children and young people as set out in the ‘UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’.
  • Supporting individuals who have concerns about the safety or wellbeing of children and families in our parishes and communities including facilitating reports to statutory authorities where necessary.
  • Consulting and engaging with children and young people in our Archdiocese to ensure their voice is reflected in our work.

 

Our Child Safe Contact People (CSCP)

The ‘Child Safe Contact Person’ is a role developed by the Child Protection Unit to ensure that there is an individual in every parish or community who can support children and families, and who assists the Child Protection Unit in implementing the SEFA framework in that parish.

The role of the Child Safe Contact Person includes:

  • Working in partnership with the Child Protection Unit and having a strong knowledge of Archdiocesan child protection policies and frameworks.
  • Attending special training and forums to ensure that all CSCPs are equipped to perform their roles.
  • Receiving and distributing resources from the Child Protection Unit.
  • Being available for children and families to speak to, not only to report any concerns but also to share ideas and ask questions about anything relating to children and young people in our parishes.

The names and contact details of the Child Safe Contact Person are clearly displayed in parishes and communities. All Child Safe Contact People have a current Department of Human Services Child Related Clearance and attend Child Safe Environments training to ensure they are aware of how to report suspected child abuse to statutory authorities.

 Position Description Parish Child Safe Contact Person.pdf

Our Child Protection Framework

The Archdiocese of Adelaide Child Protection Unit has an established program for safeguarding children and young people – the Safe Environments (SEFA) for All program. The SEFA program provides a framework which not only implements policy and procedures but also addresses gaps in practice and aims to enhance child abuse prevention initiatives through monitoring compliance to strengthen a culture which prioritises child safety.  The program also has a strong focus on embedding the rights of children young people and seeks to ensure that they are listened to, engaged and empowered to be part of decisions which affect them.