Safeguarding in our parishes
Opinion
Over the past few weeks, training and safeguarding officers from the Integrity and Safeguarding Department have been busy visiting several parishes and multicultural Catholic communities to introduce the new-look Safe Environments For All (SEFA). This is a framework to guide parishes and communities to embed a culture of safeguarding across all aspects of the parish and community.
Whilst parishes and multicultural communities are already familiar with implementing safeguarding requirements that have a child protection lens, the new SEFA also includes safeguarding measures for ‘adults-at-risk’ in alignment with the requirements of the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards version 2. Adults-at-risk is an umbrella term for a wide range of individuals and groups of people in our parishes and communities who are at an increased risk of experiencing abuse such as those who are elderly, or with a disability, or have diminished capacity, or are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The task of building and maintaining a culture of safeguarding for all in parishes and communities is one that requires commitment and a collective effort. In line with this, a team approach has been adopted to ensure support is provided at every stage with a dedicated training and safeguarding officer from the Safeguarding Operations Team (Integrity and Safeguarding Department) being assigned to support each parish and multicultural Catholic community as they embark on implementing each of the four SEFA goals. Currently, parishes and multicultural communities are working through Goal One which focuses on committed leadership, governance and culture, as well as implementing systems to ensure continuous quality improvement.
Likewise, parishes have been encouraged to share the responsibility of safeguarding as a parish or multicultural team, with a dedicated volunteer appointed as a safeguarding contact person. They will work closely with the training and safeguarding officer from the Integrity and Safeguarding Department, to share safeguarding resources, risk assessments, posters, policies and guidelines with their parish priest/chaplain and Parish Pastoral Council, so that safeguarding is incorporated into all aspects of the parish and community.
Continuing the work of the former Child Protection Unit, the Safeguarding Operations Team (Integrity and Safeguarding Department), will work with parishes and multicultural communities to help acknowledge and celebrate national and international days of significance which remind us of the importance and relevance of safeguarding in our parishes and communities.
As such, the team will work on bringing the 2025 National Child Protection Week theme, ‘Every conversation matters: shifting conversations to action’, to life in ways that make safeguarding efforts visible in parishes. This will culminate with the annual Safeguarding Sunday on September 14, a day when the Catholic Church acknowledges the work and efforts of all to create a safe environment for all.
For June, our focus will turn to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. This day is celebrated globally and provides an opportunity for our parishes and multicultural communities to stand together against the abuse, mistreatment and neglect of older people. In addition to raising awareness about this important issue, the Safeguarding Operations Team has been providing a series of posters detailing the available support services for adults-at-risk, and encouraging an attitude to speak out and seek supports as needed.
Parishes and multicultural communities who have not yet had a visit with their designated training and safeguarding officer can expect to be contacted shortly to arrange a suitable time and ensure they are well supported and prepared ahead of a safeguarding audit conducted by Australian Catholic Safeguarding Limited.
Integrity & Safeguarding Department phone 8210 8150 or email caasafeoperations@adelaide.catholic.org.au
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