Protecting Children in the Catholic Church

We, at Sacred Heart Parish Thornlie and the Archdiocese of Perth, believe everyone has the right to physical and psychological safety at all times and are committed to ensuring this is upheld in our Parish community.

Our Safeguarding Commitment Statement can be found here.

Many policies and procedures are now in place in our Parish and all clergy, staff and volunteers are trained and required to comply with the policy and practices outlined.

In addition to this, four trained Safeguarding Officers have been appointed in our Parish and their role is to assist and respond to any/all concerns regarding the safety of children and vulnerable adults in our community.

Our Parish Safeguarding Officers

Our Parish Safeguarding Officers ensure our Parish meets the Archdiocese of Perth’s safeguarding responsibilities. They are required to:

  • Be a source of support, advice and information on all matters of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the Parish.
  • Be the first point of contact for children, vulnerable adults and other members of the Parish community regarding suspicions of abuse and other safeguarding concerns.
  • Respond to all safeguarding concerns in line with the Archdiocese’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedures manual, reporting these concerns to the Safeguarding Project Coordinator and/or other authorities, as needed
  • Keep the Parish Priest informed of all concerns, responses and activities relating to safeguarding children and all members of the Parish community.
  • Raise the profile of safeguarding and assist with proactive measures to ensure safeguarding of all members of the Parish.
  • Report any issues or concerns.
  • Ensure that all statutory requirements are met within their Parish with respect to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

Roles and Responsibilities of Parish Volunteers

All volunteers at Sacred Heart Parish must abide by the Archdiocese’s Ethical Code of Conduct and complete a Personal Declaration Form.

Click here to download the handbook.

After reading the Ethical Code of Conduct,  please fill it out, sign and return the Personal Declaration Form to the Parish Safeguarding Officers.

 

For further information on the project contact:

Barb Blayney – Safeguarding Project Coordinator

29 Victoria Square, Perth WA 6000
Telephone: +61 (0)8 9221 7762
Fax: +61 (0)8 9325 7459
Email: safeguarding@perthcatholic.org.au

Documents

Below are links to further information on the protection of children in our community. These documents are sourced from the National Committee for Professional Standards :

  1. Children Safe From Sexual Abuse
  2. Listening to Children
  3. Listening to Young People
  4. Parent’s Guide to Online Safety
  5. Boost Child’s Confidence