SAFE COMMUNITY
Voice Community Outreach is dedicated to establishing and maintaining secure physical and emotional environments that prioritise the safety of all individuals associated with our organisation. This principle is actively upheld by every member of VCO under the banner of the ‘Safe Organisation’ initiative.
VCO is committed to addressing concerns relevant to the welfare of vulnerable individuals, particularly children and young adults, as well as the behaviour of our Staff, Board, Leadership, Volunteers and community.
To make contact with a Safe Organisation representative, please email safecommunity@voiceoutreach.org.au.
For more information please read below.
CHILD SAFETY
Voice Community Outreach’s Statement of Commitment to Safeguarding Children and Young People
Child safety and wellbeing is fundamental to the fulfilment of our organisation’s mission and vision. VCO is committed to providing child safe environments, through the adoption and implementation of strategies that promote child wellbeing and prevent harm to children and young people.
OUR COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
We intend to:
1. provide a safe and supportive environment ensuring that the experiences of children and young people are free from any form of harmful conduct, including child abuse, neglect or grooming
2. empower children and young people so they feel able to respond to any behaviour that is not acceptable
3. ensure children and young people know who to approach if they feel unsafe or have any child safety concerns, including abuse, neglect and grooming
4. provide age - and ability - appropriate codes of conduct to everyone who interacts with our organisation
5. establish a reporting framework so reports are:
- easy to make for anyone in the organisation
- responded to in a timely and fair manner
- recorded appropriately
- forwarded to relevant authorities where necessary
- provide support for any children and young people who report or are suspected of being
exposed to concerning conduct, including abuse, neglect or grooming.
OUR COMMITMENT TO PARENTS, CARERS, FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES
Voice Community Outreach is committed to supporting all the adults involved in our organisation, to keep children and young people safe from harm and abuse.
We intend to:
- communicate with adults involved in our church our expectations around creating, maintaining and improving a safe environment for children and young people
- share information with adults about keeping children and young people safe, including:
- -where they can find further information and advice
- -how to make a report if they suspect or know a child is being harmed, or if they observe a
breach of our codes of conduct.