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GC Child Protection Policy

Generocity Church Child Protection Policy ('Safer Churches)

Purpose

The purpose of this Child Protection Policy is to safeguard children and vulnerable persons involved in all activities of Generocity Church. We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment where children and young people are respected, valued, and protected from harm. This policy reflects our commitment to the welfare of all people and our biblical mandate to love our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

Scope

This policy applies to all individuals associated with Generocity Church, including:

  1. All workers, including paid employees, volunteers, and members of boards

  2. Guests or hirers of the church and its facilities

  3. Contractors, subcontractors, delivery persons, or others engaged to provide services

  4. Those who access our site and/or programs

Policy Statements

  1. Generocity Church commits to:

    • Embedding child safety in our institutional leadership, governance, and culture.

    • Ensuring children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

    • Informing and involving families and communities in promoting child safety.

    • Upholding equity and respecting diverse needs.

    • Ensuring people working with children are suitable and supported.

    • Implementing child-focused processes to respond to complaints of child abuse.

    • Providing staff with knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children safe through continual education and training.

    • Promoting the safety of children in physical and online environments.

    • Regularly reviewing and improving the implementation of child safety standards.

    • Maintaining comprehensive documentation of how we are keeping children safe.

  2. We acknowledge:

    • The need for sensitivity and consideration of all people of Aboriginal, culturally &/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as any person with a disability.

    • The primary role of parents and caregivers, as well as the role of children in child protection.

    • The shared responsibility of the whole community for child safety and welfare.

Code of Conduct

All individuals covered by this policy must:

  1. Treat children and young people with respect and dignity.

  2. Listen to and value children's ideas and opinions.

  3. Welcome all children and their families and carers by being inclusive.

  4. Respect cultural, religious, and political differences and act in a culturally sensitive way.

  5. Model appropriate adult behaviour.

  6. Use positive and affirming language toward children.

  7. Respect the privacy of children and their families.

  8. Adhere to role boundaries – refrain from using a position to initiate inappropriate relationships with children.

  9. Follow organisational policy regarding communication with children, including social media policies.

  10. Be proactive in reporting any concerns or allegations about child safety.

Recruitment and Screening

  1. All staff and volunteers working with children must:

  2. Under no circumstances will a person with a previous record of child-related offences be allowed to work with children or youth.



Training and Education

  1. All staff and volunteers must complete:

    • Initial child protection training as part of their induction.

    • Regular refresher training at least every two years.

    • Ongoing education about child protection issues and best practices.

  2. Training will cover:

    • The church's child protection policies and procedures.

    • Recognising the indicators of child harm including - physical, emotional, spiritual and sexual abuse.

    • How to respond effectively to child safety issues.

    • Building culturally safe environments for children.

    • Reporting obligations and procedures.

Reporting and Response

  1. All staff and volunteers must report when:

    • A child discloses abuse or harm.

    • Someone else discloses knowledge of child abuse or harm.

    • There is a reasonable concern that a child is at risk of harm based on observed indicators. 

  2. Reporting process:

    • In cases of immediate danger, contact the police immediately.

    • Report concerns to the designated Safe Ministry Officer/Team. saferchurches@generocitychurch.com.

    • Use the NSW Govenment Mandatory Reporting Guide , all users of MRG must be registered https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/mrg and share information in the incident report https://incident.generocitychurch.com.au/

    • Complete required incident report https://incident.generocitychurch.com.au/ Documenting all information. This will be saved and sent to our Safe Ministry officer/team. All documentation will be held on a secured separate server for record keeping purposes.

    • The Safe Ministry Officer/Team will take appropriate actions, including contacting authorities and conducting internal risk assessments.

    • ACC Safer Churches Helpline: 1800 070 511.

  3. All allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated by independent parties with confidentiality where possible, unless legislative requirements require information sharing.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed every two years and updated as necessary to reflect changes in legislation, church activities, or best practices in child protection.

By implementing this Child Protection Policy, Generocity Church demonstrates its commitment to providing a safe environment for all children and young people involved in our programs and activities. We recognise that child protection is everyone's responsibility, and we are dedicated to fostering a culture where children are valued, respected, and protected.

 

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