Hobart Archdiocese’s “Safe Communities” initiative is going from strength to strength in its work with parishes to implement measures to protect children and adults at risk of abuse and neglect.
Safe Communities Co-ordinator, Andrea Probert, has been overseeing the implementation process for the past two years and has visited each parish across the Archdiocese to discuss the safeguarding requirements.
Ms Probert said she had been heartened by the enthusiastic response.
“I would say that the parishes are one hundred per cent on board … It’s been fantastic.”
After an initial visit, Ms Probert assists parishes to set up the safeguarding requirements.
Each parish is required to have a Safeguarding Officer, responsible for making sure the parish is complying with all the requirements, including ensuring that volunteers have Working with Vulnerable People cards and police checks.
A compliance check into safeguarding in parishes has recently been completed and Ms Probert intends to revisit each parish to discuss the findings with a view to ensuring continual improvement.
The Safe Communities Office is currently looking to recruit a second coordinator to help with the increasing workload and assist Ms Probert in this important work.
Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous set up the Safe Communities Office in 2016 to ensure safeguarding policies and practices are developed, maintained, and available to organisations, individuals and the broader Tasmanian community.
Details: hobart.catholic.org.au/safe-communities/
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Growing support for initiative to protect the vulnerable (By Catherine Sheehan, Hobart Archdiocese)
