Letters

18 August 2023

 Dear Australian and New Zealand Co-workers, Elders and Friends,

 Thank you to everyone for your response to our letter of 1 July 2023, regarding the prevention of child sexual abuse. We appreciate your patience as we work to address these issues in a measured and sensitive way and feel it is now important to provide you with an update.

We have communicated our zero tolerance with respect to the harming of children, young people, or anyone within our fellowship and have begun actions to support this stance. The impact of child sexual abuse is devastating and far reaching. Our thoughts are with each one of you who have been affected.

 Since we last wrote to you, work has commenced to develop a standard policy and approach towards child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support.  An advisory group consisting of 16 individuals from Australia and New Zealand has been formed to undertake this work. This advisory group includes members with lived experience of child sexual abuse and those who have supported survivors.  It includes members with experience in child safety and protection, child safe compliance, vulnerable persons advocacy, psychology, counseling, and mental health.  Several members hold professional roles including in risk avoidance and quality compliance, policy development and corporate governance.   The group includes ten females, three workers, elders, and elders’ wives. A broad age range is represented.

 The advisory group’s role, is to provide advice to the ministry, focusing on child safety and survivor support, drawing on personal and professional experience, sourcing assistance from specialist experts, external resources and professional bodies as required. Consultation and engagement will be needed from time to time, for example the voice of our parents and our young people will be critical.

 The advisory group will also rely upon reputable, published material, expert bodies’ formal guidelines and relevant research that is publicly accessible, to provide advice that is grounded in best practice and will operate fully within the bounds of the law. Australian national child safety standards and New Zealand child safety guidelines will form the basis of the review of current child safety practices and guide development of improvements within our fellowship. 

 The identity of advisory group members will remain confidential, and they will not be providing direct engagement with the broader fellowship. Member confidentiality is important for the protection of survivors within the group, and to enable the group to focus on this important work in an impartial manner without external pressure or distraction. We will be looking at mechanisms to provide additional support to survivors in future.

 All members of the advisory group completed independently recognised training on the prevention of child sexual abuse and advisory group level training. In addition, all members have obtained and provided current Working with Children Checks or Children’s Worker Safety Checks and police clearances.

 The scope of work to be completed is large and will take time to develop and implement. The advisory group has commenced a risk assessment to determine the areas of highest risk so these can be given immediate attention.

 We appreciate each one of you who have encouraged and supported us to move forward in addressing concerns about management of child safety and survivor support. We thank each one who has approached us with concerns about individual situations.  We have had to make some difficult and firm decisions to mitigate risks to children and will continue to do so.

 We understand that it will take time to restore your trust and we feel inadequate in addressing these issues but commit to working openly and transparently on preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. The advisory group will be valuable in guiding us however we will need the support of each one of you to progress. 

 We acknowledge processes may take longer than some may wish.  We expect to update you in the next month and will continue to communicate with you as the work progresses and we have further matters to address.

 We thank you for your efforts in supporting each other and any survivors who no longer feel able to meet with us in fellowship.

 Warm regards and encouragement

 Malcolm Clapham, Graeme Dalton, Wayne Dean, Trevor Joll, Alan Mitchell and Alan Richardson.

 Australia:  Get support | National Office for Child Safety or 24/7 support on 1800 737 732

 New Zealand: https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/listing-information-support-resources-child-abuse or 24/7 support on 0508 326 459

2023/2024 Australian and New Zealand Conventions

We are all looking forward to the privilege of convention this year. The consideration and respect we show to each other and to the owners of the convention grounds will add to our time together.

The focus of convention is the refreshing of our soul. At the same time, we would like to acknowledge that convention has been a challenging time for some in the fellowship, including those impacted by child sexual abuse or who have been harmed within our fellowship.

We want convention to be a safer place, and some changes are being introduced this year to enhance the safety of our convention environment.

Preparations and Conventions

• We appreciate those who help prepare for conventions and look forward to your help again this year.

• It is important you let either your elder or the worker coordinating convention know if you are coming for a meeting, a day or the whole convention. In addition, we would like you to confirm arrival and departure on the grounds and this process may look different for each convention. The process will be communicated on arrival.

• Any person with a history of, or an allegation of, harm to children is not to attend preparations or conventions.

• Attention is drawn to the potential hazards associated with convention preparations, and any child or young person attending preparations must be accompanied by an adult and supervised.

• Children are always welcome at conventions and their safety is the primary responsibility of parents or a designated responsible adult.

• Anyone wishing to bring guests from outside the fellowship (eg. evening mission meetings) is requested to check with the coordinating workers for that convention in advance. Guests on convention grounds should be always accompanied.

• We would encourage parents to educate school age and older children regarding appropriate behaviour by other people and where to seek help if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

• Children and young people are encouraged to be with a friend or sibling when not with their parents or responsible adult. Children and young people should check in with an adult regularly and remain with their friend or sibling.

• Every attempt will be made for job allocations to fit around parental commitments. For children under 12, we encourage one parent to be always available for child contact.

• Accommodation arrangements will be more flexible to allow families to make specific requests or bring their own accommodation. Family groupings are encouraged.  The time children are left in tents alone should be minimised. It is requested that children not be left sleeping alone for extended periods, especially during meetings.

Anyone requiring additional support is encouraged to speak with the workers coordinating each convention or a trusted friend who can advocate on their behalf. If anyone has concerns about attending conventions this year, please reach out to your elder or one of the workers so we can assist in making alternate arrangements.

Feedback

Considerable input has been received on improving the safety of our children and young people at conventions. We welcome further feedback, either via suggestion boxes at convention or via email to conv.feedback@gmail.com.

2023/24 Parents Information Sheet

We are eagerly looking forward to convention, and we understand that much of the information we're sharing may already be familiar to you. The purpose of this communication is to provide helpful suggestions that will assist all parents in maintaining the care and supervision of children and young people while still enjoying the spiritual benefits of the convention.

We acknowledge that written clarifications like these can sometimes be a bit daunting. However, our primary goal is to address any concerns you may have regarding attending the convention.

We are pleased to have visiting workers at this year's conventions. Our visiting workers have been confirmed by their home country as having no current allegations or concerns related to child sexual abuse or misconduct. They will undergo Ministry Safe training and adhere to the Workers' Code of Conduct, just as our local workers do.

Visiting workers will be accommodated with friends or families who do not have children under the age of 18, unless a specific family makes a request and provides their consent to accommodate them. This practice also extends to visiting workers travelling by car within Australia or New Zealand.

This year marks the introduction of convention attendees designated as Child Safe Contacts to address any child safety concerns. For each convention, some people with "Working with Children Checks" and/or "Police Checks" and child safety training will be identified. Those who work in childcare, healthcare settings, police, social work or schools may already have valid certification. If you possess these checks, please inform your elder when submitting names for the convention. The contact details for Child Safe Contacts, workers coordinating convention, local emergency information, and reporting lines will be prominently displayed.

In case of any concerns related to child safety, we encourage you to report them directly to one of the designated Child Safe Contact individuals, the workers coordinating for the convention, or the appropriate emergency authorities.

Any person under the age of 18 planning to attend the convention must be accompanied by a parent or an adult designated as the responsible contact person for that child. This parent or adult will always have primary responsibility for the well-being of the child or young person during the convention.

Accommodations in tents with children will include only immediate family members unless specifically requested by parents/guardians. Children are encouraged to stay out of empty tents or other empty buildings on the convention ground.

In the case of dormitories, it is encouraged that parents or designated responsible adults be assigned to the same dormitory area as the child or children under their care.

For visits to shower and toilet facilities, children should be accompanied by a parent, sibling, or a responsible adult.

Parents, please take the time to acquaint your children with the convention grounds. Safe areas, restricted zones, play areas, common spaces for socialising, walking paths, and well-lit evening socialising areas for young people will all be clearly designated. It is also advisable to establish an agreed meeting point.

We trust that these measures will contribute to a safe and enjoyable convention experience for all participants. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and we eagerly anticipate seeing you at the convention.

Malcolm Clapham, Graeme Dalton, Wayne Dean, Trevor Joll, Alan Mitchell and Stephen Thorpe.