Safeguarding

We, the Missionary Sisters of Service Community,¹ recognise the inherit dignity of all people and the Gospel imperative to protect and nurture those who are vulnerable. As a consequence, we are committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is safe, supportive, caring and nurturing for all children and adults at risk.

We make the following safeguarding commitments:

• We commit to zero tolerance of abuse, harm or exploitation of children and adults at risk.

• We commit to creating a safe physical and online environment, where children and adults at risk are respected, and their rights are upheld.

• We commit to a culture of safeguarding. Everyone under the auspices of The Missionary Sisters of Service Community, including our leadership personnel, members, staff, consultants and volunteers, are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe culture for children and adults at risk.

• We commit to having people who develop their education and understanding of safeguarding.

• We commit to having safeguarding policies, which are regularly reviewed.

• We commit to having processes to respond sensitively to allegations and disclosures of abuse of children and adults at risk and reporting to the appropriate authorities within a timely manner.

• We commit to doing all we can to ensure that children, families and communities are informed, participate and are involved in decision-making.

• We commit to equity, promoting diversity and upholding justice for the most vulnerable within our community, including children and adults at risk who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, or are from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and/or live with a disability.

We commit to an effective and publicly available policy for the handling of complaints. Families and children are encouraged to communicate any of their concerns or suggestions for how we may improve our engagement with children and adults at risk.

If you or someone you know has been harmed or adversely affected by a member of The Missionary Sisters of Service Community, please use the link or phone numbers below to contact a Reporting Officer who will listen to your experience, respect your confidentiality and explain the available options to you.

[1]   The Missionary Sisters of Service Community is defined as the Missionary Sisters of Service and their entities (namely the Stewardship Council, the Business Finance and Property Committee, and Highways and Byways Ltd), partners, staff and volunteers.