Intro to Safety and Care

Requirements for leaders in the Uniting Church:

A UCA Screening.

This screening is required to be updated every 3 years. The information and form is available here for downloading and printing: 

Child Safe Environments:
Recent changes to the Children's Protection Act have seen the introduction of regulations upon which organisations which provide services to children must comply with.

By Feb 2011 a compliance audit response is required to be sent to the Department for Families SA. The response for the Uniting Church SA is being coordinated by the Duty of Care Officer.

Congregations will not have to individually respond.

As an organisation who provides services to children/ young people, we have polices and practices that help us to provide safe environments. One of the legal responsibilities is being a Mandated Reporter of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Who is mandated to report Child Abuse and Neglect?

Under section 11(1) and (2) of the Children's Protection Act 1993, any person who is an employee of, or volunteer in, an organisation formed for religious or spiritual purposes (i.e. the church) are obliged by law to notify the Department (Families SA) if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child/young person has been or is being abused or neglected and the suspicion is formed in the course of the person's work (whether paid or voluntary) or in carrying out official duties,

Notification to the Child Abuse Report Line (13 14 78) must be made of that suspicion as soon as practicable after he or she forms the suspicion.
Part of our existing practices and policies is to provide training to enable people to understand their legal responsibility for Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect. Training courses are currently being conducted around the state.

The training is the accredited package from Families SA and in most cases it is the full 7 modules delivered. Refresher training will also be offered at locations marked * for those who have participated in training before (within the last 3 yrs)

For Duty of Care enquiries and further information see http://sa.uca.org.au/called-to-care/

 

Familiarity with the Called to Care Package.

This package is available in your local congregation. If you are unable to find it please email Turn on Javascript!

Called to Care

The Church is Called to Care because congregations have a gospel imperative and a legal responsibility to do so. The Called to Care package was released in early 2004. It builds on A Safe Place for Children - a manual produced by the Assembly in 1999.

The aim of the Called to Care package and training is to equip church councils, church leaders and employees to provide a safe environment for mission and ministry.

This package encourages people to continue sharing the Good News, while managing our risks and responsibilities.
It is also important that the Uniting Church is proactive in showing the wider community that the church is a safe and caring place.

The Called to Care package includes resources for key target audiences:
•    Handbook for Church Council 
•    Data/information/Fact sheets 
•    Handbook for Key Leaders (Children and Young People) 
•    Workbook for Leaders (Children or Young People) 
•    Handbook for Key Pastoral Leaders

Who runs this training?
The Uniting Church.
More information or to enquire about orientation session contact: Turn on Javascript!