Frequently Asked Questions

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Looking for FAQs about the Safe Church Health Check?

A separate FAQ page for the Safe Church Health Check can be found here.

I do regular child protection training as part of my professional role (e.g., as a teacher, counsellor, health professional). Do I need to do Creating Safe Spaces to work or volunteer at my church?

We appreciate that many different professions require some form of child protection training to work in that profession. We appreciate that there can be crossover in the material that is presented in the work context and Creating Safe Spaces, in particular legal reporting requirements. We appreciate that there is a once every four-year time commitment involved in completing training to encourage and develop safe church culture in our Christian communities.  

However, we strongly advise all churches that staff and volunteers engaged in leadership, child related work and work with vulnerable people are required to complete Creating Safe Spaces training (or other SCTA approved training). This is because: –

  • The Creating Safe Spaces training has been specifically tailored for a volunteer based, church environment. This environment results in important and significant differences in the training content and methodology which church staff and volunteers need to be aware of. Training from other contexts is unlikely to adequately address the needs of the church context.
  • The opportunity for staff and volunteers of a church to come together around the same training affords the opportunity to speak and plan practically around how the safe church culture of that individual church can be built and grown.
  • Creating Safe Spaces training covers not just child protection training but also broader safe church issues including elder abuse and domestic and family violence.
  • The Creating Safe Spaces training has the endorsement of the Safe Church Training Agreement of the National Council of Churches. This provides a level of assurance to the church that their staff and volunteers are undergoing recognised church-based training in this area. It is very difficult for a local church to have confidence about the quality and breadth of training sourced from other contexts. 
  • As part of regulatory and insurance requirements, training in child protection for staff and volunteers in leadership, child related work and work with vulnerable people is needed. The Creating Safe Spaces training provides a thorough, church tailored training program to not only meet these requirements, but also build safe church culture. 
  • Participating in this training as part of my church community demonstrates to my church community my commitment to keeping children and vulnerable people safe in that context.  

Can people from outside the Baptist church attend/host Creating Safe Spaces training?

Yes. Creating Safe Spaces is endorsed by the National Council of Churches in Australia’s Safe Church Training Agreement (SCTA). Therefore, attendees from other denominations/organisations may be trained through our Creating Safe Spaces training and be recognised by their own denomination/organisation depending the policies of the particular denomination/organisation. The Baptist Association will recognise all face to face training conducted by other SCTA endorsed denominations in NSW & ACT.

Can Creating Safe Spaces be run in other languages?

Currently, all of our presenters only speak English, however we would like to partner with churches who have attendees from non-English speaking backgrounds to provide training in languages other than English.  We currently have resources translated into Chinese language and we would like to add other languages.  If you would like Chinese language or are interested in partnering with us in translating in other languages, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us via the “Contact Us” page on the website, or by css@nswactbaptists.org.au or phone on 02 9868 9221.

What does Creating Safe Space training involve?

Creating Safe Spaces covers topics including duty of care, transparency and accountability, protecting vulnerable people, training, recruiting and supervising leaders, and reporting obligations. It’s aim is to assist church leaders to create a safe environment within our churches for all people, and to ensure that churches comply with our spiritual, legal, and social responsibilities.

Creating Safe Spaces training requires completion of both the online module, and a face to face workshop.

There is an extra half hour meeting immediately after the face to face workshop for senior church leadership (pastors, elders, deacons, church council members) known as a Leaders Implementation Consultation.

How do I purchase and login to the Creating Safe Spaces online module?

Please see the “Purchase Instructions” page for further details.  If you continue to experience problems, please liaise with your local church contact person, or the Creating Safe Spaces Coordinator via css@nswactbaptists.org.au or phone 02 9686 9221 and we will try to resolve the issue as soon as we can.

How long does the online module take?

The amount of time to complete the online module will depend on the participant’s internet connection and reading speed.  We estimate that the online module should normally take about 120-150 minutes to complete.

How can those that do not have internet or are not computer savvy access the online module?

If someone is having difficulty accessing the online training the first point of contact is the local church. Ideally someone at church would be able to assist individuals who can’t access the online module. It could mean that the person would visit the church office or someone’s home to access the internet from there, or for someone from church to sit and help that individual as they navigate through the online module.

If access continues to be an issue, please contact the Creating Safe Spaces Coordinator via css@nswactbaptists.org.au or phone 02 9868 9221.

How do I find and register for a face to face workshop?

Workshops can be found on the “Find a Workshop” section of our website. 

Individual churches are encouraged to host a face-to-face workshops for their staff and volunteers to attend together, but these are usually open to other participants as well. In addition, we regularly run workshops via Zoom which are open to anyone.

Once you have found a suitable workshop, you can purchase a ticket on the website.

Who do I talk to if I have further questions about Creating Safe Spaces?

For any further questions with about Creating Safe Spaces, please contact the Creating Safe Spaces Coordinator via the “Contact Us” page on the website, or email directly on css@nswactbaptists.org.au or call 02 9868 9221.