Welcome to Creating Safe Spaces
Creating Safe Spaces provides essential training in child protection, WHS, legal responsibilities and church culture. The training consists of an online module and a face-to-face workshop. Creating Safe Spaces is offered across Baptist Churches in NSW and ACT but also in collaboration with Fresh Hope NSW and the Baptist Union of Victoria. Creating Safe Spaces is generously supported by Baptist Financial Services.
The Creating Safe Spaces material is constantly updated to reflect relevant legal changes. In addition, every three years we undertake a comprehensive review and refresh of the content and presentation. The most recent review has just taken place and we are pleased to announce that:
Creating Safe Spaces 3.0 now available!
Creating Safe Spaces Training
Creating Safe Spaces training seeks to ensure safe ministry policy and practice to protect children and all vulnerable people from harm and abuse. As we establish and maintain safe ministry in our church events and programs we will fulfil our biblical, ethical, denominational, risk management, insurance, and legal responsibilities. Creating Safe Spaces includes a focus on child protection but seeks to protect all vulnerable people, including fulfilling our duty of care under Work Health and Safety legislation to provide a safe physical environment. The Baptist Association strongly recommends that all those working with children and young people or vulnerable adults, including SRE teachers, as well as those with oversight responsibilities such as worship leaders, elders, deacons and church council members complete Creating Safe Spaces training every 3 years.
Creating Safe Spaces training requires completion of both an online training module and a face to face workshop.
The online module includes information on issues such as Duty of care, Definitions of Abuse, Reporting Obligations, and Safe Church Practices and usually takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. For instructions to purchase and access the online module, please click on the “Login Instructions” button.
In the three-hour face to face workshop the presenter will lead participants in group activities and discussion in order to give a deeper understanding of Safe Church ministry policy and practice. To find a workshop running near you, please click on the “Find a Workshop” button where you will be able see and register for upcoming workshops.
We encourage all affiliated Baptist churches to host a workshop in your local church at least once every three years (if minimum numbers can be met).
Please complete the webform on the “Host a Workshop” button to schedule a workshop at your church.
We also offer an extra half hour “Leaders Implementation Consultation” immediately following the face to face workshop to assist senior leaders (those with decision making authority) to implement the safe church recommendations covered in the workshop. This additional half hour is designed for senior church leadership including pastors, elders, deacons, church council members, and the church’s Safe Church Concerns Officer/Team and WHS Officer/Team.
If you have any questions regarding Creating Safe Spaces training, please contact us via the “Contact Us” button.