Safe Spaces

Tin Can Bay Community Church is committed to safeguarding the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of all who attend our Church, and particularly of Children and Young People who are involved in any ministries or activities within the Church. This involves protecting their rights and ensuring they are safe from harm.

We are in the process of implementing a Safe Spaces Safeguarding Policy to assist us in fulfilling our pastoral, legal, organisational, and duty of care obligations. Alongside this we have a Cultural Safety and Equity Policy which focuses specifically on strengthening Cultural Safety, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for our Children and their families.

The Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 outlines 10 Child Safe Standards for embedding child safety, wellbeing and cultural safety into Church leadership, governance and everyday practice. The Standards are interconnected and support us to prevent harm, respond appropriately to concerns, and strengthen safeguarding over time. A Universal Principle applies across all 10 Child Safe Standards and requires us to promote and uphold the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children.

The following summarises the 10 Child Safe Standards and the relevance for our Church:

1. Leadership and Culture – Child safety and wellbeing are embedded in Church leadership, governance and culture, with the Church Governance Group demonstrating accountability and oversight.

2. Voice of Children – Children are informed, listened to and taken seriously, with age-appropriate and culturally safe opportunities to share their views.

  • Guidelines for Hearing the Voices of Children

3. Family and Community – Families and carers are informed and encouraged to partner with the Church to support Children’s safety and wellbeing.

  • Guidelines for Engaging Families and Communities in Child Safety and Wellbeing

4. Equity and Diversity – Churches provide inclusive, accessible and culturally safe environments that respect the diverse needs of all Children, including Children from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

  • Guidelines for Upholding Equity and Respecting Diversity of Children
  • Cultural Safety and Equity Policy

5. People – Staff and volunteers working with Children are appropriately recruited, screened, inducted, trained and supported.

  • Procedure for Recruitment and Selection of Staff and Volunteers

6. Complaints and Concerns – Churches have clear, child-focused and accessible processes for responding to complaints and concerns.

  • Procedure for Handling Complaints and Concerns against Staff, Volunteers and other Workers
  • Procedure for Child Protection Concerns

7. Knowledge and Skills – Staff and volunteers receive ongoing training and support to fulfil their child safety responsibilities.

  • Procedure for Training and Supporting of Staff and Volunteers

8. Physical and Online Environments – Physical spaces, programs and online environments are managed to minimise risks and promote Children’s safety.

  • Guidelines for Creating Safe Environments

9. Continuous Improvement – Churches review safeguarding practices, learn from feedback and incidents, and strengthen child safety over time.

  • Guidelines for Continuous Improvement in Child Safety and Wellbeing

10. Policies and Procedures – Clear and current policies and procedures document how the Church is safe for Children.

  • Guidelines for Policies and Procedures for Child Safety and Wellbeing

The Church Leadership is currently working through each of these Child Safe Standards with documentation published here once they are approved. Please click on the links above to view a copy of the approved documents.