A Safe Church for All People – Putting Children First

The Uniting Church’s National Safe Church Unit has released a new poster to coincide with National Child Protection Week 2020.

The poster designed by Melbourne-based illustrators Cat and Annie MacInnes depicts the ten National Principles for Child Safe Organisations applied in a Uniting Church context.

Those ten principles are:

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Diversity is respected and equity is promoted.
5. Our people are suitable for work with children and committed to the values of child safety and wellbeing.
6. Child-focused complaints processes
7. Our people are provided with ongoing education and training on child safety
8. Physical and online environments promote safety
9. Policies and procedures document child safety
10. Review and continuous improvement of policy, procedure and practice

National Safe Church Unit Director Rev. John Cox says engaging with the principles is essential if the UCA is to live up to its promise of being a safe church for all people.

“The theme of this year’s National Child Protection Week is ‘Putting Children First’,” said Rev. Cox.

“This poster is an accessible presentation in our Uniting Church context of what we have to do to achieve just that.”

“I want church members to look at this poster, think about and discuss the principles and talk with each other about how you apply them in your church, faith community, school or agency.

The poster and the artwork is available on the safechurch.uca.org.au website in editable PDF form, so congregations, schools and agencies can co-brand if desired. It can also be made available in a range of digital formats for presentations.

National Child Protection Week runs from 6-12 September.

Further information on the principles and the UCA’s commitment to child safety through national policies and frameworks is available on the National Safe Church Unit website or by contacting the Unit at info@safechurch.uca.org.au