Safeguarding & Child Protection

• Is our collective responsibility to protect the safety, well-being and dignity of children, young people and vulnerable adults within the our parish.

Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office

• The Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office was established in the Archdiocese of Sydney in November 2015. The role of the Safeguarding Office is to raise awareness regarding our collective responsibility to protect the safety, well-being and dignity of children, young people and vulnerable adults within the Archdiocese of Sydney and to respond swiftly and compassionately in circumstances in which children are harmed or at risk of being harmed.

• The focus of the Safeguarding Office is the prevention of abuse and harm to children, young people and the vulnerable within our Archdiocese.  To this end, the Safeguarding Office has been developing and delivering training programmes on a range of Safeguarding protocols and procedures that work together to protect children from harm.  These protocols and procedures embody the inherent values of the Catholic Church.

• The emotional, physical and spiritual safety, well-being and dignity of children is an integral part of the teachings and values of the Catholic Church.  The Archdiocese is wholly committed to ensuring the safety, well-being and dignity of all children, and acknowledges its important legal, moral and spiritual responsibility to create a safe and nurturing environment for those children.

• The community has very clear expectations in matters relating to child protection and expects children will be protected from all forms of harm including sexual, physical and psychological harm, ill treatment and neglect.

• The Archdiocese supports these expectations and strives to promote the safety and protection of children and other vulnerable persons in its care.

• If you or a person close to you has been abused by someone working or ministering within the Archdiocese of Sydney, we invite you to contact us. We will listen to you respectfully, offer support and discuss the options you have available to you. Please contact the Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office on ph 02 9390 8510