Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me Mark 9:37
Child Protection Policy
Our Purpose
Discovery Bay International Community Church (hereafter the Church) considers children to be an integral part of the Church community. It is our aim to enable children, through regular interaction with the Church community, to learn about Jesus and be nurtured in their faith, free from concern about their personal and emotional safety. We provide dedicated and conscientious children's leaders who make all reasonable efforts to care for and protect the children under their supervision. The Church adopts these policies and procedures not only to maximise safety and prevent child abuse from occurring but also to guide and protect volunteers and employees from unwarranted allegations of child abuse.
Definitions
Child or Children - includes all children under the age of eighteen years in the care of the Church
Children's Leaders - are adults over the age of eighteen years providing supervision and/or leadership for a Church-sponsored activity
Church Employees - includes staff hired by the Church and the Senior Pastor
Standards of Conduct
The goal of the Church is to create a warm and caring environment for Children to experience the love of Jesus. Common expressions of affection, affirmation, support, or physical caretaking are appropriate in this community of caring Christians. Care must be taken, however, that physical expression of affection are appropriate for the age and are not excessive or imposed upon another individual. If a Child seems uncomfortable with any such contact, the Children's Leader should discontinue. If a young Child needs to use the toilet but is unwilling to do so with a Children's Leader, parents should be asked to come and assist.
Selection and Screening Process for Volunteers
Volunteer applicants for Children's Leader must complete and sign a Children's Leader Application Form.
This forms will be submitted to a Church Employee who will be responsible for meeting with the applicant, talking through the application questions and conducting reference checks. The Church keeps confidential all information received in the applicant selection process. Such information will be stored with access afforded only to appropriate Church Employee on a need-to-know basis. If the Church learns of false, misleading or amended information on an application that could cause potential danger to Children or liability to the Church, that person shall no longer be permitted to serve as a Children's Leader. Children's Leaders are asked to provide their HK ID or Passport number as part of the validation and background check process.
References
Church Employees shall conduct an inquiry into the character of the applicant volunteer. References may be checked by phone, email or in person. References must include a person who has known the applicant for 6 months minimum and preferably a referee known in the Discovery Bay community.
The information gained in these checks should be noted directly on the application by the person conducting the enquiry.
Minimum Age
All Children's Leaders must be 18 years of age or older. Younger persons may assist adults in a support capacity (e.g. as a small group assistant or as a buddy).
Six-month Rule
No volunteer will be allowed to work with Children in any capacity until they have been an active participant of the Church for a minimum of six months. The applicant must have been a regular attendee and involved in Church activities for that period of time. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with Children. Prior to completion of the six-month minimum period, individuals are welcome to assist or observe in the classroom.
Supervision of Children
Parents are responsible for their own children while their children are not engaged in a Church sponsored Children's activity. All members of our congregation should show concern for a Child who is unsupervised. So, during a Church function, Children should either be with their class or with their parent and if not, the Child will be directed to one or the other.
1. Safety of Children
It is the responsibility of all persons having contact with Children participating in Church programs to promote the emotional and physical safety of the participants giving regard to all factors and circumstances known to them. Nothing contained in any other Church policy, procedure or instruction shall be construed to relieve persons having contact with Children from this responsibility.
2. ‘Junior Kids Church’ identification system
The Church has in place an identification system so that the adult who drops off a Child is the same adult who picks the Child up or is approved by the parents to pick them up. The Junior Kids Church Children's Leader shall maintain the system to identify persons authorised to pick up and take responsibility for preschool Children leaving a Church activity. If their parent or guardian does not pick up a Child in Junior Kids Church on time, he will be kept by the Children's Leader in the classroom, where safe supervision can be continued, until the parent or guardian is located.
3. Two-adult rule
At least two Children's Leaders will be in attendance at all times when Children are being supervised during a Church activity regardless of the number of participants, location or activity. At least one of these must be the responsible leader. Where one of the Children's Leaders is required to undertake a duty with the Children, the remaining Children's Leader is to avoid being alone with one Child.
4. Observation of Children
At no time will anyone from the Church, Children's Leader or Church Employee, schedule an activity with a Child where no other adult is in attendance.
5. Cases of Child Abuse
See guidance notes in Appendix 1.
Appendix 1
A Child discloses abuse by someone external to the Church
Principles
It is important to listen to the Child. Do not treat any suspicion as frivolous. The teacher’s role is not to investigate abuse and as such, the Church will not be in a position to establish whether abuse has occurred, but the goal should be to support families to protect Children. Hence, we are always talking about ‘alleged’ abuse. Bearing in mind that there is potential for errors due to language, interpretation and the Child's skill level in expressing themselves it is helpful if you keep notes about what exactly the Child says rather than elaborate or try to interpret what you think might have happened.
Steps to be Taken
Within the same day inform the Senior Pastor of the alleged abuse. The Senior Pastor and the Church Leader to whom the alleged abuse has been reported will review and agree further action.
Do not speak to parents of the Child or the alleged abuser. This is the Senior Pastor's responsibility.
Ministerial Care
The Senior Pastor shall encourage and assist the Child and the parents in securing appropriate counselling, care and support. All persons shall act towards the Child, the parents and the accused in a Christ-like manner…speaking the truth in love.
Confidentiality
All reports of Child abuse or neglect shall be held in absolute confidence.
Discovery Bay International Community Church (hereafter the Church) considers children to be an integral part of the Church community. It is our aim to enable children, through regular interaction with the Church community, to learn about Jesus and be nurtured in their faith, free from concern about their personal and emotional safety. We provide dedicated and conscientious children's leaders who make all reasonable efforts to care for and protect the children under their supervision. The Church adopts these policies and procedures not only to maximise safety and prevent child abuse from occurring but also to guide and protect volunteers and employees from unwarranted allegations of child abuse.
Definitions
Child or Children - includes all children under the age of eighteen years in the care of the Church
Children's Leaders - are adults over the age of eighteen years providing supervision and/or leadership for a Church-sponsored activity
Church Employees - includes staff hired by the Church and the Senior Pastor
Standards of Conduct
The goal of the Church is to create a warm and caring environment for Children to experience the love of Jesus. Common expressions of affection, affirmation, support, or physical caretaking are appropriate in this community of caring Christians. Care must be taken, however, that physical expression of affection are appropriate for the age and are not excessive or imposed upon another individual. If a Child seems uncomfortable with any such contact, the Children's Leader should discontinue. If a young Child needs to use the toilet but is unwilling to do so with a Children's Leader, parents should be asked to come and assist.
Selection and Screening Process for Volunteers
Volunteer applicants for Children's Leader must complete and sign a Children's Leader Application Form.
This forms will be submitted to a Church Employee who will be responsible for meeting with the applicant, talking through the application questions and conducting reference checks. The Church keeps confidential all information received in the applicant selection process. Such information will be stored with access afforded only to appropriate Church Employee on a need-to-know basis. If the Church learns of false, misleading or amended information on an application that could cause potential danger to Children or liability to the Church, that person shall no longer be permitted to serve as a Children's Leader. Children's Leaders are asked to provide their HK ID or Passport number as part of the validation and background check process.
References
Church Employees shall conduct an inquiry into the character of the applicant volunteer. References may be checked by phone, email or in person. References must include a person who has known the applicant for 6 months minimum and preferably a referee known in the Discovery Bay community.
The information gained in these checks should be noted directly on the application by the person conducting the enquiry.
Minimum Age
All Children's Leaders must be 18 years of age or older. Younger persons may assist adults in a support capacity (e.g. as a small group assistant or as a buddy).
Six-month Rule
No volunteer will be allowed to work with Children in any capacity until they have been an active participant of the Church for a minimum of six months. The applicant must have been a regular attendee and involved in Church activities for that period of time. This time of interaction between our leadership and the applicant allows for better evaluation and suitability of the applicant for working with Children. Prior to completion of the six-month minimum period, individuals are welcome to assist or observe in the classroom.
Supervision of Children
Parents are responsible for their own children while their children are not engaged in a Church sponsored Children's activity. All members of our congregation should show concern for a Child who is unsupervised. So, during a Church function, Children should either be with their class or with their parent and if not, the Child will be directed to one or the other.
1. Safety of Children
It is the responsibility of all persons having contact with Children participating in Church programs to promote the emotional and physical safety of the participants giving regard to all factors and circumstances known to them. Nothing contained in any other Church policy, procedure or instruction shall be construed to relieve persons having contact with Children from this responsibility.
2. ‘Junior Kids Church’ identification system
The Church has in place an identification system so that the adult who drops off a Child is the same adult who picks the Child up or is approved by the parents to pick them up. The Junior Kids Church Children's Leader shall maintain the system to identify persons authorised to pick up and take responsibility for preschool Children leaving a Church activity. If their parent or guardian does not pick up a Child in Junior Kids Church on time, he will be kept by the Children's Leader in the classroom, where safe supervision can be continued, until the parent or guardian is located.
3. Two-adult rule
At least two Children's Leaders will be in attendance at all times when Children are being supervised during a Church activity regardless of the number of participants, location or activity. At least one of these must be the responsible leader. Where one of the Children's Leaders is required to undertake a duty with the Children, the remaining Children's Leader is to avoid being alone with one Child.
4. Observation of Children
At no time will anyone from the Church, Children's Leader or Church Employee, schedule an activity with a Child where no other adult is in attendance.
5. Cases of Child Abuse
See guidance notes in Appendix 1.
Appendix 1
A Child discloses abuse by someone external to the Church
Principles
It is important to listen to the Child. Do not treat any suspicion as frivolous. The teacher’s role is not to investigate abuse and as such, the Church will not be in a position to establish whether abuse has occurred, but the goal should be to support families to protect Children. Hence, we are always talking about ‘alleged’ abuse. Bearing in mind that there is potential for errors due to language, interpretation and the Child's skill level in expressing themselves it is helpful if you keep notes about what exactly the Child says rather than elaborate or try to interpret what you think might have happened.
Steps to be Taken
Within the same day inform the Senior Pastor of the alleged abuse. The Senior Pastor and the Church Leader to whom the alleged abuse has been reported will review and agree further action.
Do not speak to parents of the Child or the alleged abuser. This is the Senior Pastor's responsibility.
Ministerial Care
The Senior Pastor shall encourage and assist the Child and the parents in securing appropriate counselling, care and support. All persons shall act towards the Child, the parents and the accused in a Christ-like manner…speaking the truth in love.
Confidentiality
All reports of Child abuse or neglect shall be held in absolute confidence.