Our Policies

Child and Youth Safety and Well-Being Policy

City Baptist Inc. (the Church) and its members are committed to protecting and promoting the best interests of all children when they are involved in the Church’s authorised activities or services of any kind through which adults have contact with children.

The Church has no tolerance for child abuse, including but not limited to:

  • Emotional or psychological harm

  • Neglect (meaning failure to meet the basic needs of a child)

  • Physical violence

  • Sexual offences

  • Sexual misconduct

  • Grooming

  • Bullying

  • Cyberbullying

The Church shall put in place procedures to comply with the Act and implement the Child and Youth Safe Standards, including:

  • Establishing a culture of safety

  • Ensuring that all activities and services respect the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) children and young people

  • Informing children of their rights, and ensuring they participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously

  • Educating church members and adherents in Child Safe standards and practices

  • Educating and training all council members, team leaders, and team members to deliver

  • Child Safe activities and services

  • Defining and approving existing and new activities or services through which adults have contact with children

  • Selecting, vetting, training, and supervising leaders and workers (including volunteers) who are engaged in any activities or services through which adults have contact with children

  • Establishing a child‐focused code of practice and complaint process

  • Recording incidents

  • Dealing with disclosures and suspicions of abuse

  • Reviewing and improving the Church’s Child Safe activities and services

The Chairperson of the Church is legally responsible under the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023 (Tasmania) for reporting any allegations of reportable conduct to the Independent Regulator and for the investigation of any such allegations or the appointment of a suitably qualified investigator.

Other people, including children and young people, can also report allegations of reportable conduct to the Independent Regulator.

In addition, some leaders and workers may also have mandatory reporting obligations that they must fulfil.

Approved by the Church Council: 11 February 2024

Approved by the Church: 25 February 2024