Safe Church

Child safety and wellbeing is fundamental to the fulfilment of our church’s mission and vision. Hillsong Church is committed to providing child safe environments, through the adoption and implementation of strategies that promote child wellbeing and prevent harm to children and young people.

Our commitment to children and young people

We intend to:

• provide a safe and supportive environment ensure that the experiences of children and young people are free from any form of harmful conduct, including child abuse, neglect or grooming
• empower children and young people so they feel able to respond to any behaviour that is not acceptable
• ensure children and young people know who to approach if they feel unsafe or have any child safety concerns, including abuse, neglect and grooming
• provide age- and ability-appropriate codes of conduct to everyone who interacts with our church
• establish a reporting framework so reports are:
  • easy to make for anyone in the church
  • responded to in a timely and fair manner
  • recorded appropriately
  • forwarded to relevant authorities where necessary
• provide support for any children and young people who report or are suspected of being exposed to concerning conduct, including abuse, neglect or grooming.

Our commitment to parents, carers, families and their communities

Hillsong Church is committed to supporting all the adults involved in our church, to keep children and young people safe from harm and abuse.

We intend to:

• communicate with adults involved in our church our expectations around creating, maintaining and improving a safe environment for children and young people
• share information with adults about keeping children and young people safe, including:
  • where they can find further information and advice
  • how to make a report if they suspect or know a child is being harmed, or if they observe a breach of our codes of conduct.

Our commitment to being a child safe organisation

We intend to:

• ensure that Hillsong Church staff and volunteers engaged in child-related roles follow our working with children and young people codes of conduct by:
  • making them publicly available
  • educating all our stakeholders about the importance of following them
• use child safe recruitment processes that include a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and other screening checks as appropriate for adults who require them
• induct all our staff and volunteers so they recognise their role in keeping children and young people safe, and ensure there are ongoing learning and development opportunities related to child safety
• take steps to ensure Hillsong Church staff and volunteers do not engage in concerning conduct with children and young people
• ensure that all Hillsong Church congregation know how and when to report any concerns, complaints or allegations of concerning conduct, including abuse, neglect or grooming
• ensure that all Hillsong Church congregation are provided with appropriate support if they are exposed to, or report, abuse, neglect or grooming.

How we help with your complaint or concern

Our specialised team are committed to offering guidance and prompt responses to unique situations that demand focused assistance. See ‘Recognise Types of Concerns’ for more information.

We do this by providing:

• Confidential support to understand and assess your concern.
• Formal and informal pathways to respond to your concern, depending on the seriousness and nature of the concern.
• Access to care and wellbeing support for you and those who have been impacted.
• Satisfactory outcomes based on workplace and regulatory expectations.

Understand you may already be obligated to report and respond

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the concern you may already be obligated to report to an authority. For matters that may be considered criminal, these should be reported directly to the Police. You can do so by reporting to your local authority or making an online report via crimestoppers.com.au

For a child in serious risk of harm, this should be reported to the relevant child protection authority in your state or territory. We can assist you by identifying what needs to be reported and to who. Note: By providing this information to a representative of Safe Church we will also be required to report and respond appropriately.

Next steps

Still unsure if your concern needs to be reported? Make contact with us. We can help you navigate through your concern and what response is needed, including providing appropriate care and wellbeing support.

To make contact with a Safe Church representative, please email [email protected] or call 1300 535 353 during office hours (i.e. Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm).

It is important that the following categories of concerns are recognised and responded to:

Bullying – is the ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behavior that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.

Child-related Concerns – relate to the safety and wellbeing of a child or young person (under 18), concerns of adult behaviour that is inappropriate with or in the presence of a child, children displaying harmful sexualised behaviours.

Data Breach – is when personal information is accessed, disclosed without authorisation, or is lost.

Discrimination – occurs when a person is discriminated against in the workplace and in certain areas of public life because of their age, race, sex, disability, religion, or other protected attributes.

Domestic and Family Violence – is violence between family members, which can include violence between current or former intimate partners, as well as acts of violence between a parent and a child, between siblings, and more.

Harassment – occurs when a person is harassed against in the workplace and in certain areas of public life because of their of age, race, sex, disability, religion, or other protected attributes.

Reportable Conduct – is concerns relating to the conduct of those who are on staff, work with children and young people or who volunteer in church.

Sexual Harassment or Assault – includes unwelcome conduct which is either of a sexual nature, or which is directed at an individual because of that individual’s sex.

Power Imbalance – is where certain conduct that may not otherwise cross boundaries, however due to the role, age, relationship between people, there is a power imbalance.  This is particularly relevant to those in pastoral leadership or management positions.

Violence – is behaviour that is intentional, unwanted, inappropriate, and harmful this includes coercion, intimidation, physical violence, sexual violence or assault and threats.

Workplace Health & Safety – relates to physical and mental health and safety in the workplace.

Other – there may be genuine concern that you are not sure who to ask for assistance with.

Response Required

All concerns falling into these categories should be reported to a Safe Church representative, by emailing [email protected] or calling 1300 535 353 during office hours (i.e. Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm).

Still unsure if your concern needs to be reported?

Make contact with us. We can help you navigate through.

Our commitment

Hillsong Church is dedicated to all matters relating to child safety. We work diligently to ensure a caring and appropriate response, should any suspicion, allegation, disclosure, or complaint of misconduct or abuse occur. Our response includes safety and support for any survivors who may come forward having experienced abuse as children in our care.

The Hillsong Board and Pastoral Leadership are committed to the recommendations resulting from the Royal Commission into Institution Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse and the welfare of children and survivors of child sexual abuse.

Our involvement

Hillsong Church and its associated entities in Australia are formally approved as a participant in the National Redress Scheme.

What is the National Redress Scheme?

The National Redress Scheme provides support to people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. The National Redress Scheme was established by the Commonwealth Government starting on 1 July 2018 and will run for 10 years. The scheme was a key recommendation from the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated that 60,000 people experienced child sexual abuse in educational institutions, religious groups, sporting organisations, state institutions and youth organisations in Australia between 1950 and 2010.

What can you apply for?

The National Redress Scheme can help you get access to three things:

• counselling
• a Redress payment, and
• a direct personal response from an institution (e.g. an apology). If you receive an offer of redress, you can accept any or all of these things. This is your choice.

Who can apply

• You can apply to the National Redress Scheme if:
• you experienced sexual abuse when you were a child (under 18 years of age), and o the abuse happened before 1 July 2018, and o an institution was responsible for bringing you into contact with the person who abused you, and
• you were born before 30 June 2010, and
• at the time you apply, you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.

Accessing the National Redress Scheme

All applications are processed directly with the National Redress Scheme. Free and confidential redress support services are available throughout the process including assistance to understand the scheme and who can apply.

For further information on eligibility and how to apply, please go to www.nationalredress.gov.au or call the National Redress Scheme on 1800 737 377 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, except public holidays – charges may apply).

Help and support

Child sexual abuse is a challenging issue. Help and support is available.