Committees
Conference Safe Place Committee
The Conference Safe Place committee is responsible to the Executive Committee of the Conference. It’s role:
- Facilitates the provision of resources, education and training for local church leaders, parents and carers of at risk persons and all church attendees in procedures for keeping the church a safe place
- Provides training and resources to assist local churches in caring for survivors of abuse
- Helps the local church in the processing and storage of screening forms
- Reports incidents of abuse to Safe Place Services and the relevant government authorities that have not already been reported
- Responds to requests from local churches for advice on establishing Limited access Agreements with persons attending who are the subject of an abuse allegation or persons who have been convicted of abuse offences
- Enlists professionals to provide an assessment to the local church of the likelihood of a person who has been convicted of an abuse offence, re-offending
- Receives risk assessments from Safe Place Services and acts on them
- Receives reports on compliance to Limited Access Agreements that are in place and monitors their effectiveness
- Advises trustee companies of the church of the risks attached to persons who are the subject of abuse allegations or persons convicted of abuse offences having access to school or care facilities
- Maintains a synergy and communication between the conference, the local church and Safe Place Services
Local Church Safe Place Committee
The local church Safe Place Committee is responsible to the local church Board. It:
- Develops and implements the Local Church Child Protection Policy document and submits the document and the implementation process to the Conference Safe Place Committee for review.
- Requests the Conference Safe Place Committee to assist in the provision of resources, education and training for local church leaders, parents and carers of at risk persons and all church attendees in procedures for keeping the church a safe place
- Reports the alleged incidents of abuse to the Police or the statutory body for children if the allegation has not already been reported to these organisations and reports all matters of alleged abuse to Safe Place Services for investigation/risk assessment.
- Forwards a report to the Conference Safe Place Committee for advice on the implementation of a Limited Access Agreement with the person who is the subject of the abuse allegation.
- Refers a request to attend the local church by a person who has been convicted of an abuse offence to the Conference Safe Place Committee for assessment and receives and acts on the advice of the conference committee.
- Participates with the Conference Safe Place Committee to develop and implement a Limited Access Agreement with a person who is the subject of an allegation or with a person who has been convicted of an abuse offence who is considered a “low” risk and has been approved eligible by the Conference Committee.
- Requests training from the Conference Safe Place Committee in the procedures for monitoring those persons who have entered into Limited Access Agreements with the local church and monitors compliance with the conditions of the Agreement.
The Committee for Sexual Ethics
Has members that are representative of both genders and at least one member with a legal background.
This committee receives reports of investigations of allegations made against church employees. It may make further enquiries. It considers the evidence for the complaint in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness. It determines the outcomes of the complaints and makes recommendations to the appropriate employing body.