General
Government Agencies
Reporting Obligations
Safeguarding Complaints
- Flowchart: Reporting Safeguarding Complaints
- Form: Reporting Details of Safeguarding Complaint
- Form: Initial Assessment of Safeguarding Complaint
- Fact Sheet: Managing Safeguarding Complaints
- Flowchart: Managing Safeguarding Complaints
- Protocol: Managing a Safeguarding Complaint
- Fact Sheet: National Response Protocol
- Whistle-Blower Guidelines: Safeguarding Children
- Fact Sheet: Vos Estis Lux Mundi
- Protocol: Reporting and Managing allegations of crimes of sexual abuse against minors committed by clerics
Reporting Obligations to the Police, Office of the Children’s Guardian and the Department of Communities and Justice
- Fact sheet – What is a Reportable Crime
- Guidance Document – What Constitutes a reportable crime?
- Protocol: Reporting Reportable Crimes to the NSW Police
- Table of Reportable Crimes
- Protocol: Reducing or Removing Risks of Child Abuse
- Fact sheet: What Conduct Must be Reported reported to the Office of the Children’s Guardian?
- Guidance Document: What Conduct Must be Reported to the Office of the Children’s Guardian?
- Protocol: Reporting Inappropriate Employee Conduct to the Office of the Children’s Guardian
- Fact sheet: When is a Child at Risk of Significant Harm?
- Guidance document: When is a Child at Risk of Significant Harm?
- Protocol: Reporting a Child who is at Risk of Significant Harm to the Department of Communities and Justice
- Protocol: Reporting for Clergy and Workers for Any Child Related or Vulnerable Adult Concerns
Recording and Storing Child Protection Records
Employment Matters
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- Fact sheet: What is Child-Related Work?
- Guidance Document Who Must Obtain a Working with Children Check
- Protocol Screening of Workers
- Flowchart Screening of Workers
- Protocol Child Related Activity
- Guidance Document Child Related Activity Register
- Template: Child Related Activity Register
- Sample Interview Questions and Red Flags
- Form: Interview Questions for Applicants who will be Engaged in Child-Related Work
- Tips for Conducting Reference Checks
- Form: Reference Check Questions for the Referee
- Safeguarding Position Assessment
- Fact Sheet for Parishes: Who needs a Working With Children Check?
- Checklist: Working With Children Check Checklist for Parishes
- Protocol: Visiting Clergy Protocol
- Form: Priests visiting from a Diocese within Australia
- Form: Priests visiting from Overseas
- Protocol: Mandatory Safeguarding and Child Protection Training
Dealing with Volunteers
Guidance when Working with Children
- Fact sheet: Behaviours to encourage and avoid
- Fact sheet: Use of technology and social media to communicate with children and adults at risk
- Protocol: Use of technology and social media to communicate with children and adults at risk
- Fact sheet: Use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
- Protocol: Use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs
- When does my Parish need consent to film or photograph children at the parish
- Cyberbullying Fact Sheet
Risk Management
- Protocol: Risk Assessment
- Guidance Document: Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies for Safe Environments
- Safeguarding Risk Matrix
- Safeguarding Risk Management Register
- Guide to completing a Risk Assessment for Activities involving children and Adults at Risk
- Template: Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies Template
- Template: Evaluation and Continuous Improvement
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 5813
Contact: Jennifer Orre, Acting Director
Postal Address: Locked Bag 5040, Alexandria, NSW 2015, Australia
Telephone: (02) 9390 5813
Email: safeguardingenquiries@sydneycatholic.org
A message from the Archdiocese of Sydney:
Child sexual abuse is a crime. The appropriate people to deal with crimes are the police. If you, or anyone you know, have been abused, please contact the police. Alternatively, you can contact the Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office at (02) 9390 5813 or safeguardingenquiries@sydneycatholic.org . You may also want to speak to your Parish Priest who will be able to provide support and guidance. The Archdiocese has a legal obligation to report crimes to the police.
Our Latest News
- Please see above the latest version of our Policy and Protocols, we welcome any feedback that you may have.
- The Safeguarding Office is pleased to announce the start of our Safeguarding and Child Protection Education Modules, designed to be completed after individuals have completed both Induction and Refresher safeguarding training. In order to access the Safeguarding Education Training Module, individuals will need to have completed the Safeguarding Refresher Training a minimum of three years ago and Safeguarding Induction training a minimum of 6 years ago. To register for the training please click here.
- Updates have been made to the template: Child-Related Activity Register to incorporate the new Education training modules being released.
- The new Training calendar for 2024 has been released, please see the training button below for details.
