As we start the New Year I’ve been reminded of the importance and value of our BTS policy and the necessity of putting our values into action.

Our policy states “We will ensure as far as possible that all people in positions of authority within the church and/or working with children and young people are aware of the appropriate standard of conduct and boundaries.  We require those who work on behalf of the church to indicate their agreement with this policy statement and work towards providing an environment that prevents abuse.”

People can find the process of recruiting and on-boarding leaders quite involved.  There are application forms, interviews, reference checks, job descriptions, Session minutes of appointments, more forms to complete, not to mention BTS training.  Why do we need to go through these layers?  The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse report found that well-informed and proactive communities can help create environments which are hostile to child sexual abuse.  We want to make it hard for people to groom and abuse children, increase the recognition of reporting of grooming behaviour and abuse, and make it easier for victims to disclose abuse.

Furthermore, Liz McClean recently shared an old BTS article with me and these words are still true today: “Breaking the Silence is not just about child protection. It is about dealing with and preventing abuse within the church. That includes adult relationships and interactions as well as children and young people. Some other denominations only include child protection or include a greater amount of detailed information about child protection. Why are we different? Because abuse is wrong whether it involves a child of 8 years, a young adult of 20 years or vulnerable adult of any age.”

May you use the beginning of the year to remind yourself of the BTS Policy to make every effort to prevent abuse, for the sake of the gospel and God’s holy name.  On behalf of the CPU team, thank you for all you do in giving of your time and effort to commit to preventing abuse.

-Vera Buvcevska, CPU Director.

IMPLEMENTING THE CHILD SAFE STANDARDS

The Royal Commission found that misperceptions, problematic attitudes and beliefs can lead to abuse being overlooked, minimised, tolerated and even denied.   

Training in identifying, reporting and responding to abuse is a key preventative strategy.  This includes understanding the nature of abuse, grooming practices and how to reduce risks in physical and online environments.  Our training, resources and guidelines referred to below all embed Child Safe Standard 7, so keep reading!

For further information on how to implement the Child Safe Standards in your church click on the link below:

Find out if in-person BTS Foundations Training is happening near you. 

Did you know the Breaking the Silence website has a page showing upcoming in-person BTS training sessions in NSW, ACT, Tasmania, and WA?

You or others needing to complete BTS training can attend BTS training at any of the advertised training events.  Navigate to the 'Training' page (and then click on 'Upcoming Sessions'), or click below:

If you are  hosting in-person BTS training and are happy for leaders from other churches to attend, please email cpu-training@pcnsw.org.au.

We can advertise your training event  on the Upcoming Sessions page. The earlier the notice, the better.  We provide an online training option in recognition of the flexibility this allows but encourage in-person training as the discussion arising from these sessions can help leaders better understand the ‘what and the why’ applying it to local and real-time contexts.

New PCNSW Camping Guidelines help you run safe and effective Camps for children and youth

Children and youth camps can have positive eternal significance. They help young people grow in faith, build friendships, and make cherished memories.

While there is much joy in running a camp, they also bring serious responsibilities. Without proper planning, issues like bullying, neglect, medical emergencies, or abuse can cause serious harm and even lead children away from the faith. That’s why following the Breaking the Silence (BTS) Manual regarding camps for children and young people (Section 16) is essential.

To help with this, CPU has released Camping Guidelines for children's and youth camps. They’ll help your church organise a safe children’s and youth camp. The Guidelines also contain best practices for such camps, aiming to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ and step-by-step document for your camping prep.

Visit breakingthesilence.org.au/resources to find the Camping Guidelines. 

Stay on top of Safe Ministry with these must-have resources from the BTS Website

Looking for the latest safe ministry resources? 

The Breaking the Silence Resources page has everything you need in one place.

You'll find the latest Breaking the Silence Manual (BTS 2024), plus key templates, forms, and guides to help your church run safe and effective ministries. For example, did you know we have:

• A range of tip sheets e.g. Responding well to domestic violence; youth ministry, pastoral care

• Job Descriptions for a range of ministry roles;

• Templates for child registration and consent forms

• Links to SRE Forms mention all the SRE forms and contact numbers? And lots, lots more!

This is your go-to spot for staying up to date, so bookmark it, check back often, and ensure you're always working with the best resources to keep your church safe.

Visit the page now: breakingthesilence.org.au/resources

Child-related Recruitment

One of the ways churches can significantly reduce risk is to have robust screening and recruitment processes when recruiting new leaders.  

These are outlined on the  Getting Started page and may require interviewing and reference-checks.  You can find the selection process on the page here .

‘Save the Date’

for Central Tablelands Presbytery

“Understanding and Responding to Domestic Violence Training”

Orange Presbyterian Church is generously hosting this training for anyone wishing to increase their awareness and understanding of domestic violence and how to respond well pastorally.

• Saturday 29^th March 2025

• 126 Matthews Ave, Orange NSW 2800 (Corner of Matthews Ave and Anson St, Orange)

• 10am-3pm (lunch provided)

• Bookings essential 

Keep your eye on the BTS DFV Training Sessions Page for when the booking site becomes live. 

Contact the Team:

Administration: 0490 434 667 | cpu-admin@pcnsw.org.au

Training: 0490 434 672 | cpu-training@pcnsw.org.au

Auditing: 0498 006 571 | cpu-auditing@pcnsw.org.au

Director: 02 9690 9325 | vbuvcevska@pcnsw.org.au

 
Our mailing address is:
Conduct Protocol Unit, 8 Perry St Dundas Valley, NSW 2117

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, 

the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 33:11

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