Our Child-Safe Child-Friendly Policy Statement

Title

This policy is called the The Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul Child-Safe Child-Friendly Policy.

Introduction
This policy focuses on the participation of children and young people in the life of our Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul and on making the The Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul a safe environment for them.

It supplements the Policy and Procedure for Addressing Inappropriate Behaviour and the Child-Safe, Child-Friendly Policy of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia and provides guidance to The Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul’s clergy, officials, volunteers, members and all involved in The Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul’s life.

Definitions
For the purposes of this policy, ‘children’ are aged 0-12, and ‘young people’ are aged 13-18.

Child-safe means taking active measures to keep children and young people safe from physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

Child-friendly means creating a trusting environment that values, respects and
welcomes children and young people. This means children and young people feel confident to raise any problem or concern and know they will be listened to. Experience shows that abuse most often occurs when children lack that confidence and trust.

All references to the ‘parish’ and ‘parish life’ are to The Parish of Sts Apostles Peter and Paul and its activities. References to ‘the Diocese’ and to ‘Diocesan policy’ are to the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia and its policies.

The participation of children and young people in parish life

Our parish wants children and young people involved in the life of the parish to have a safe, happy and spiritually beneficial experience.

To this end, we welcome the appropriate participation of children and young
people in parish life, and will plan ways that they can be involved.

We will take into account the views of children and young people when making decisions that affect them.

A positive environment for children and young people

We will ensure that the parish’s church and its hall are places in which sources of physical harm  to all are eliminated or positively managed.

We will ensure that it is understood that in all parish and Diocesan activities inappropriate behaviour towards children and young people is unacceptable. This includes the conduct of children and young people towards one another.

Supporting our people who work with children and young people

We promote respect, fairness and consideration for parish clergy, parish officials, church workers, and volunteers who work with children.

All new parish clergy, parish officials, church workers, volunteers, and members will receive a copy of this policy, the Diocesan Policy and Procedure for Addressing Inappropriate Behaviour and Code of Conduct.

Clergy and volunteers

Our parish  is committed to ensuring that our clergy and our volunteers who work with children and young people are suitable to do so.

To this end, we will comply with W.A.  law and with Diocesan policy concerning Working with Children Checks and National Criminal History Checks.

Dealing with complaints

Each year the parish Annual General Meeting will appoint a Child Safety Contact Person to receive and manage any complaints that a child or young person is at risk or has been treated inappropriately.

The Child Safety Contact Person should be trusted parish member who have a demonstrated rapport with children and young people and who have received appropriate training.

Complaints will be managed in accordance with the Policy and Procedure for Addressing Inappropriate Behaviour, with the parish Child Safety Contact Person providing an intermediate step for dealing with complaints about harm or inappropriate behaviour towards children or young people. The parish priest must be immediately notified of the complaint.

Communication

This policy will be discussed with all new parish clergy, parish officials, church workers, volunteers, and parish members. A copy of this policy will be posted on our parish website.

A logo will be displayed at the entrance to the parish church, that clearly communicates the fact that the parish has a child-safe child-friendly policy.

Copies of the Diocesan Policy and Procedure for Addressing Inappropriate
Behaviour and Child-safe, Child-friendly Policy will be readily available.

We will hold information sessions for children and young people at the beginning of its school year during Church school lessons.  These information sessions will be organised and facilitated by the Child Safety Contact Person.

Review

With the assistance of the Child Safety Contact Person, this policy will be
reviewed by the Parish Council on an annual basis. Review of the policy will take into account comments and suggestions from children and young people, parish [clergy, parish officials, church workers, volunteers, and members, with a copy forwarded to the Diocesan office.