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As we commence all our new congregational activities and programs for 2025, this comes as a reminder that all events must have a safety plan and risk assessment. Within the LCANZ, our planning and risk assessment process is known as “Permission to Proceed” (P2P).

Intentionally planning with an eye to safety (physical, online, emotional and spiritual) is how we demonstrate our duty of care where “Love Comes to Life” and also how we meet regulatory requirements of Work, Health, and Safety and Child Safe Standards.

If you haven’t been completing P2P to date, now is the perfect time to make a start. Templates and resources are available.

A safety plan and risk assessment need to be prepared for all ministries, not just those involving children. This doesn’t have to be over-the-top, but we do need to be intentional and systematic. All church councils are responsible for ensuring this is in place before programs and events take place.

Our worship services should be at the top of the list! Because of our familiarity with worship activity and venues, it is easy to overlook some potentially dangerous situations which might lead to harm. Additionally, some of our most vulnerable members and visitors gather for our worship services.

If you need assistance locating resources, or with completing Permission to Proceed for your congregational activities, please contact Denise – email: denise.mushamp@lca.org.au  (Ph: 0437 180 928).

No, I’m not referring to Grand Final weekend, or the sneezy season, or even the forthcoming General Convention of Synod!

Rather I’m reminding us all that it’s now time for Church Councils to conduct another self-assessment and draw up a new Child Safety Standards Action Plan.

Congregations are asked to have a strong culture of child safety, both in attitude and action, and to be continuously reviewing their practices, but every three years, they are to go through a formal process of self-assessment and planning.

What does this mean for each of us as congregational members? This will depend on your role within the congregation – you might have a specific task in this process, or you might be asked to share your thoughts about child safety in your congregation. Everyone in the congregation is responsible for the culture of child safety.

If you are a governance member (Church Council) now is the time to check the Child Safety Standards website Child Safety Standards – Lutheran Church of Australia (lca.org.au) and intentionally schedule the congregation’s response. You will be considering who might be asked to be the assessor(s) and when Church Council can meet to dedicate time to the process. Note that the finalised Child Safety Action Plans are to be submitted by 31/3 2025, so action needs to start now!

Since the first round in 2022, some improvements and adjustments have been made. These were communicated to all congregational chairpersons, and are also explained here.

It is expected that many congregations will have questions and require support as they work through the process. Please contact me as soon as possible so that I can assist you.

Contact Denise via EMAIL, or: 0437 180 928

If you are involved in serving in a role in your congregation, you will have been asked to obtain a Working with Children Check (in Victoria) or a Working with Vulnerable People Check (in Tasmania).

You might not understand why this is so, especially if your role is not with children or young people, or those you recognise as being particularly vulnerable.

In the Lutheran Church, before a person is appointed to a role*, we want to ensure that they are suitable and so we will conduct some background screening. This includes obtaining referees and having an intentional conversation with the person to confirm that they understand the role and can manage it. We will provide some training to inform and equip the person for their role.

Obtaining a WWCC is another component of background screening. The WWCC while established primarily for use in services to children, can also be used more widely in most states and territories, and organisations are permitted, and encouraged to do this. WWCCs of some sorts are in place in all states and territories in Australia.

Thus, in the LCANZ, we use WWCC type checks as part of a range of practices which help us meet our duty of care to provide safe ministries.

So…. if you are in a role* in your congregation and don’t have a WWCC, please apply for one as soon as possible.

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Extra notes for congregations:

* Within the LCANZ, the following persons must hold a current working with children type check:

• pastor on the roll of pastors (including emeritus in active service)
• Safe Church Coordinator, ministry leader (e.g. Sunday school superintendent)
• chaplain/elder/pastoral assistant
• person (paid or volunteer) who directly engages with children, young people, or vulnerable persons as part of their ministry/position.
• employee and volunteer, where and as specified in their position description.
• board member/council member/committee member/district or General Synod delegate.

While WWCCs/WWVPs have been in use for many years now and are a crucial part of our appointment process in the LCANZ, it is important to recognise they are not failsafe, and indeed, they are limited to only identifying known perpetrators. Over-reliance on WWCCs without other background screening mechanisms is a dangerous practice. Rather, the use of WWCCs needs to be coupled with other protective measures to maintain safety in our ministries.

There are very specific requirements around the correct administration of WWCCs which are not always understood or applied well by congregations.

• each congregation must appoint a person to have oversight of WWCCs (usually the Safe Church Coordinator). This includes keeping accurate, up-to-date, and secure records, checking congregational compliance, issuing reminders where required, and providing regular updates to Church Council.
• The organisational details of both the congregation and the Victoria-Tasmania District must be added to every WWCC.

Information and support are available from the District Professional Standards Officer, Denise.