ChildSafe is a safety management system used by the Lutheran Church of Australia to maximise safety for the children and young people who participate in our programs. It is designed for people working with children and young people, and provides an integrated system of safety and care at all levels. It is a lot more than a safety manual or a set of policies – but incorporates both of these.

It is produced as a partnership between the Lutheran Church of Australia and Scripture Union Australia.

Who is it for?

ChildSafe is for people in ministry with children and young people.

What does it cover?

ChildSafe has two key thrusts - Safe People & Safe Programs:
The system has a strong emphasis on preventing the maltreatment of children, and responding appropriately when child abuse comes to light.
ChildSafe assists the Lutheran Church of Australia to plan safe activities and programs using a Risk Management framework.

The system covers a broad range of topics such as:
Screening and recruiting of volunteers and ministry leaders.
Duty of care issues, with a code of practice for working with children and young people.
Supervision and work within a safe team.
Signs and indicators of child abuse, responding sensitively to disclosure of abuse.
Dealing with suspicions, disclosures and allegations relating to child protection issues.
Transportation and water-based activities as a particular risk focus.
Hygiene, medical safety, infection, food handling.
Accident and incident reporting, processing and analysis.
An emergency response process.

How to get ChildSafe training?

There will be ChildSafe training occuring in the NSW District throughout 2009. For more information about training events in your region contact the District Office on (02) 9736 2366 or childsafe@nsw.lca.org.au.

Safety Management Online

ChildSafe Team Leaders can use Safety Management Online to manage Team Member apppointments and risk management plans. To access the online system please contact the District Office on (02) 9736 2366 or childsafe@nsw.lca.org.au.

If you already have login details, you can access Safety Management Online at lca.childsafe.org.au.

More information?

An overview of the ChildSafe system can be downloaded by clicking here.

A "Guide to Getting Started with ChildSafe" (for congregations) can be downloaded by clicking here.

For more information about ChildSafe implementation and training options in LCANSW contact the District Office on (02) 9736 2366 or childsafe@nsw.lca.org.au.

For general information about ChildSafe go to www.childsafe.org.au.

Please note: The ChildSafe system should not be confused with the LCA's Safe Place policy. Although ChildSafe complements the Safe Place policy, they are distinct. ChildSafe training is not Safe Place training. More information about the Safe Place policy can be found at www.lcansw.org.au/safeplace and www.lca.org.au/action/safeplace.