Our Commitment
The parish of All Saints Blackbutt South within the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is committed to:
- Fostering communities of safeguarding, including open and respectful communication about issues of safeguarding with individuals, families and groups
- Upholding the dignity and rights of all children and vulnerable adults and seeks to empower them to have their voices heard
- Training all relevant personnel in safeguarding knowledge and skills including indicators of abuse, supporting people to disclose abuse and reporting abuse
- Working closely with statutory authorities to report alleged abuse and support them to investigate those allegations
- Developing our risk assessment and management systems for all diocesan activities and personnel
- Developing the breadth and depth of our auditing and compliance regimes
- Implementing and maintaining compliance with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.
Pope Francis has called all of us in the Catholic Church “to assume responsibility for preventing cases of abuse and to work for justice and for healing”. I now amplify and specify the Pope’s message. The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle takes a zero-tolerance approach to abuse. Every one of us must each day commit ourselves individually and collectively to safeguard each child and every vulnerable person to whom we minister and interact with.
Safeguarding Policy
Our response, related to reporting concerns for children or abuse of vulnerable persons, is guided by procedures within the Diocesan Safeguarding Framework Policy.
Resource language translations
A number of Office of Safeguarding Resources have been translated into different languages.
Safeguarding Children
Click on each line below for resource information.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons
Click each line below for resource information.
Click image below for Australian Human Rights Commission website
Useful Resources
NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) is a national organisation dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people. Website
The National Response Protocol
Church Authorities in Australia responding to concerns and allegations of child abuse. Website
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Holy See ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1990, along with most of the other nations of the world, including the Commonwealth of Australia. Website
eSafety Resources
eSafety resources to help parents support their children to deal with online safety issues. Website
Office of Safeguarding
The OOSG have resources available that have been translated into different languages. Website
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health
Information and advice on mental health and suicide prevention for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Website
Office of Safeguarding
The Office of Safeguarding is the organisational expression of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s abiding commitment to promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and vulnerable persons.
The Office of Safeguarding has been established with significant resources and a powerful mandate to support Catholic communities in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle in safeguarding all children and vulnerable persons involved in the life and ministry of our diocese.
You can access a range of information and safeguarding material on the Office of Safeguarding website.
You can report concerns for the safety of a child or vulnerable person directly through the Office of Safeguarding.
Find out more at https://officeofsafeguarding.org.au/ or phone 02 4979 1390.
Feedback is welcome
If you would like to provide feedback on Safeguarding in our diocese, whether that be a suggestion, question or to make a complaint, you can do so through an online form to the Office of Safeguarding. Feedback can be anonymous if you wish.
