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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Australia

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Australia The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Australia QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY March 2019 This Risk Management Strategy has been prepared by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Australia (the “Church”) to comply with the provisions of the Child Protection Act 1999 and the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 and Regulations 2011. 1. Commitment to the Safety and Wellbeing of Children and Protection from Harm. The Church is committed to ensuring that all children participating in the Church are treated with kindness, respect and understanding, and that they suffer no harm in connection with Church activities. The Church officially declares: The Church’s position is that abuse cannot be tolerated in any form. Those who abuse or are cruel to their spouses, children, other family members or anyone else violate the laws of God and man. All members, especially parents and leaders, are encouraged to be alert and diligent and do all they can to protect children and others against abuse and neglect. To that end, the Church has adopted policies for safeguarding children in the Church which are published on the Church’s Child Protection webpage at https://www.lds.org/get- help/abuse and referenced or published on the Church’s Australia Child Protection webpage at https://www.pacific.lds/aus/child-protection. Queensland-specific policies are described in training documents entitled Memorandum from the Area Presidency (Child Protection Instructions for Queensland Priesthood Leaders) and Queensland—CHILD PROTECTION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS (together the “Queensland Instructions”), and the Church’s National Child Safety Code of Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”). The Church’s strategies are based upon Christian doctrine concerning the innocence and sanctity of children. Leaders of Church units (congregations) are encouraged to maintain a child safe culture by: a. Implementing Church policies and procedures relating to preventing and responding to abuse, including the Queensland Instructions and the Code of Conduct; b. Providing continual training of leaders, teachers, and members in such policies and procedures; c. Causing all priesthood leaders and members who work with children to obtain and maintain a Blue Card and to register it in the Church’s Child Protection Compliance System; 1 d. Contacting the Church’s Child Protection Help Line to obtain professional guidance in all cases of abuse. Church culture is organically inclined towards child safety. Establishment of families according to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ is regarded as the principal purpose of participation in the Church. Members are taught to love and nurture their children and to protect them from evil, including child abuse. Members meet in geographically based congregations where members know and help each other in a true community. There are no professional clergy or paid employees among the congregations. Leaders and members who work with children serve temporarily and are approved in advance of their service by common consent. Members are organized, supervised, and trained in their duties. The majority of Church organisations and programs are designed to help children flourish. Any instance of child abuse is treated as a serious sin, subject to strict Church discipline, and leaders and members are instructed to fulfill all legal duties to report child abuse to the state. The Church regimen consists of members bringing their children to Church for two hours on Sundays, regular weekly activities and service projects for young people aged 12-17 under the tutelage and supervision of adult leaders, elective weekday early morning Seminary for young people aged 14-17, and occasional multi-congregational activities for young people arranged and directed by Church leaders, including some overnight activities. Multi-congregational “conferences” are held four times per year. The Church does not engage in child-care, adoptions, orphanages, boarding schools, or other custodial arrangements of children. 2. Code of Conduct. The Church has adopted the Code of Conduct, which is printed on the Church’s Child Protection webpage, posted in all meetinghouses, and distributed to all priesthood leaders with a request to implement the Code of Conduct in their congregations. 3. Recruitment, Screening, Training and Management Procedures. Congregations meet in geographical units called branches or wards. There are no paid employees or professional clergy. All leadership and teaching positions in the Church are filled by lay persons. Children in each unit are served by members called to serve in temporary assignments (1-3 years) by their priesthood leader and sustained (approved) by their congregations. Members whose membership records are not located (electronically) in a unit or which are annotated for prior abuse are not allowed to work with children. All Church work with children is organised and directed by priesthood and subordinate leaders who call, train and supervise teachers and workers in Church “auxiliaries”: • Primary (aged 18 months - 11 years), and • Aaronic Priesthood and Young Men’s organisation for males (aged 12-17), and • Young Women’s organisation for females (aged 12-17), and • Sunday School for all children aged 12-17. 2 • Children ages 14-17 may attend early-morning Seminary classes on weekdays during the school year. • Activities for children are also arranged and supervised by such leaders. Priesthood leaders are directed to ensure that members working with children comply with Blue Card laws and that such is recorded in the Church’s Child Protection Compliance System (Strategy 7). Those members called to work with children are invited to read Church child-safe policies, including the Queensland Instructions and the Code of Conduct, prior to working with children. Leaders are encouraged to provide child safeguarding training at the time of such members’ callings and continually thereafter, and self-training is available on the Church’s Australia Child Protection webpage and the Church’s webpage “Abuse—Help, Healing, and Protection”. 4. Policies and Procedures for Handling Disclosures/Suspicions of Harm – Reporting Guidelines. All members are encouraged to be alert to any signs of child abuse. Members are encouraged to advise their priesthood leader of all issues of abuse and to report abuse to QLD authorities. Priesthood leaders are directed to contact the Church’s Child Protection Help Line for guidance in responding to abuse and complying with applicable laws. The Help Line also directs priesthood leaders to obtain assistance from LDS Family Services, a Church organisation of professionals who provide social services, counselling, and referrals to available community and government services. The Queensland Instructions provide a reference to procedures to follow in responding to child abuse and complying with reporting requirements. 5. Plan for Managing Breaches of the Risk Management Strategy. Participation in the Church by every member is voluntary. The Church influences its members by teaching correct principles and appealing to their better natures through moral persuasion to obey the commandments of God and the policies of the Church. The Church can punish breaches of its risk management strategy by releasing leaders or members from their callings and appropriately disciplining them through admonition, suspension of membership privileges, or excommunication. For example, any leader or member who engages in child abuse, or is alleged to have done so, or receives a negative notice, is immediately released from any calling to work with children. Church priesthood leaders may warn Church members of persons who present known risks. 3 6. Risk Management Plans for High Risk Activities and Special Events. Church activities are planned according to published Church guidelines designed to safeguard children and protect them from physical harm or abuse, e.g., Reaffirming Safety Guidelines for Activities (Outside the United States and Canada) 14 June 2018 (“Safety Guidelines”). 7. Strategies and Procedures for Managing Blue Card System Compliance. The Church maintains a “register of employees” known as the Child Protection Compliance System (“CPCS”), an online tracking system maintained by the Church. CPCS lists all callings that require Blue Cards or Exemption Cards and the names of members serving in those callings. Priesthood leaders can access CPCS in relation to their own Church unit. CPCS shows which Church members in a unit have a current and valid Blue Card (or exemption card), and when it will expire. Priesthood leaders must check CPCS before calling anyone to work with children and are advised of Queensland’s “No Card, No Start” policy. Priesthood leaders are required to ensure that members working with children have a current Blue Card or Exemption Card, or that they fall within the parent or guardian exemption which applies to any class or activity attended by one of their own children. 8. Strategies for Communication and Support. The Church has appointed an Australia Child Protection Committee (“ACPC”) to oversee compliance with child protection laws and to provide information and resources to Church members and priesthood leaders to enable them to safeguard children in the Church. The ACPC contact with Queensland authorities is Gregory Willson, tel. 02 9841-5448, e-mail: [email protected]. Church policies and procedures for safeguarding children are referenced or published
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