Safeguarding
Mary Mother of the Church Parish
is a Child Safe Parish
Our Parish Safeguarding Team would like to inform all Parish volunteers that it is now a safeguarding requirement for them to complete an online Essential Safeguarding Training Program. This is to make sure everyone understands the importance of child safety and our responsibilities.
To access this online training please click here.
To login, you will need your WWCC number and your email address.
All Parish volunteers are expected to complete this training as part of our compliance for child safeguarding and your participation will be recorded.
At Mary Mother of the Church Catholic Parish, we hold the care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a central and fundamental responsibility of our Parish.
Our commitment is drawn from and inherent in, the teaching and mission of Jesus Christ, with love, justice and the sanctity of each human person at the heart of the gospel.
Safeguarding Statement of Commitment of the
Mary Mother of the Church Parish Ivanhoe
We are committed to upholding the safety and dignity of each child and young person, and to ensure that they are able to grow and develop in a caring and supportive environment in our Church.
The Catholic Church proclaims that all human life is sacred, and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation and hope for the flourishing of humanity and society—a message that is at the heart of the Gospel. As such, all in the Catholic Church have a moral, legal and mission-driven responsibility to create nurturing environments where children are respected, where their voices are heard and where they are safe and feel safe.
We acknowledge that preventing child abuse requires proactive approaches across policies, procedures and practices consistent with the requirements of the Victorian Child Safe Standards. Through these policies, procedures and practices, we strive to prevent abuse in the first instance and to respond effectively and pastorally if abuse does occur.
We are committed to creating a child-safe culture across the Archdiocese that safeguards children and young people from all forms of abuse.
We are resolutely committed to ensuring that all those engaged in the Church are aware of the inherent vulnerability of children and young people, and that they acknowledge their own responsibility to promote the dignity of children and young people and their fundamental right to be respected and nurtured in a safe environment.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Every person involved in the Catholic Church has an obligation to understand the important and specific role he or she plays, individually and collectively. Together we ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people are at the forefront of everything we do and every decision we make.
We are committed to zero tolerance of all forms of child abuse and discrimination, and will always act to safeguard children and young people and report suspected abuse promptly to the appropriate authorities.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne sets clear behavioural expectations and has an overarching commitment to the protection of children and young people from all forms of abuse. All child safety concerns and allegations will be treated seriously and reported in line with our moral and legal obligations as articulated in the Safeguarding and Wellbeing of Children and Young People Policy and other Safeguarding of Children and Young People Framework documents.
We are committed to ensuring that all people who have, or may be expected to have, contact with children and young people acknowledge their responsibility to safeguard children and young people from abuse and discrimination.
We acknowledge and welcome diversity in our Church community. We recognise that cultural safety and inclusion serve as protective factors in relation to child safety—particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with a disability, and children and young people of diverse sexuality—and are sensitive to the impact these factors may have on child safety.
Safeguarding Committee
Our Safeguarding Committee is chaired by Lucy Dal Pozzo. Other members include Rosa Botoulas, Eugene Ballao, Di Dixon, our Parish School Principals and Fr. Tran. Members of the Committee can be contacted via the Parish Office.
Parish Employees & Volunteers
All Parish Employees and Volunteers are required to have a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) and completed the Safeguarding Code of Conduct training module.
Further Information
For further information, on policy documents, code of conduct, reporting abuse and safety and other resources please go to:
Safeguarding | Melbourne Catholic
Other resources: