National Child Protection Week
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Child abuse and neglect is preventable. If we all work together as a community we can create an Australia where all children can grow up safe and well. What role can you play in supporting children and their families? ~ Richard Cooke, CEO, NAPCAN
National Child Protection Week invites all Australians to play their part to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
National Child Protection Week (NCPW) will take place from 1-7 September in 2024.
This year, the theme is:
‘Every conversation matters’
WHAT PART CAN YOU PLAY?
We can all play a part by creating stronger, safer neighbourhoods. This can be achieved by talking to your neighbours, checking in with friends, being a good role model, supporting and being kind to parents rather than judging or being competitive, offering to assist where possible, and speaking up if you see something that is unsafe.
It is important that we listen to, and value, what children have to say. Where possible, include their voices in decision-making and be advocates for their best interest.
By speaking regularly with children about their personal safety and how they can protect themselves, as well as “tuning in” to their worries, children are more likely to trust us and feel comfortable to talk with us when something big is going on.
Make your influence positive; start a conversation today with your colleagues and families about listening to and valuing the voice of children and young people.
Decorate YOUR SPACE
Decorate Your Space invites our Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle communities—including Catholic Schools, St Nicholas, CatholicCare, and Parishes—to decorate a space that uniquely reflects their commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing in line with the theme of National Child Protection Week ‘Every conversation matters’ for the chance to win some fantastic prizes.
‘Decorate Your Space’ is the evolution of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s highly successful ‘Decorate Your Gate’ initiative, which was held as part of National Child Protection Week in 2022 and 2023.
Our communities can still decorate their gate if they choose, or they can decorate their fence, wall, door, desk, or floor – the only limit is your imagination!
Prizes
There are a number of exciting prizes available to our Diocesan communities, including:
Catholic Schools (Primary) – $4,000
Catholic Schools (Secondary) – $4,000
St Nicholas (Early Education) – $500
St Nicholas (OOSH) – $500
CatholicCare – $500
Parishes – $500
How to enter
To enter, simply submit your entry in jpeg format (max 3 images) along with a 150-word description explaining what your entry means and how it is connected to this year’s theme, ‘Every conversation matters.’
While we welcome video content to be created, these entries will not be accepted as part of Decorate Your Space.
Entries will be judged based on:
- Creativity
- Involvement from children and communities*
- Visibility or presence at your site
- Relevance to this year’s theme.
*As relevant per agency
Deadline: 5pm Friday 6 September 2024
Upload here: http://mn.shor.tn/DYGenter
Check out some of the amazing entries from 2022 and 2023’s ‘Decorate Your Gate’ competition below.
Contact
For any questions relating to Decorate Your Space, please contact:
Noumali Roddenby-Jenkins
Executive Support, Office of Safeguarding
P: 02 4979 1155
E: n.roddenbyjenkins@mn.catholic.org.au
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY BOOKLET
The Children’s Activity Booklet is now available for download. Featuring engaging activities that encourage children to express their feelings and thoughts, the booklet is a great tool for educators and caregivers to facilitate discussions about safety.
WEBINARS
OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
- General event ideas – click here
- Ideas for churches and faith-based organisations – click here
- Ideas for early learning centres and schools – click here
- Ideas for staff and professional development – click here
- For further ways to get involved – click here
How is our Diocese safeguarding children?
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has an abiding commitment to promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children. The Office of Safeguarding is the structural expression of the Diocese’s commitment to demonstrate the highest standards of recognising and upholding the dignity and rights of all children.
The Office of Safeguarding provides training to diocesan personnel to ensure they adopt safe work practices when working with children, and to increase their awareness of the indicators of abuse to equip them to provide the correct response. The Office of Safeguarding also provides an intake service to assist diocesan personnel in ensuring they meet both their mandatory reporting obligations to statutory authorities as well as their duty of care obligations. Risk assessments and comprehensive compliance audits are also undertaken to ensure the diocese is compliant with various safeguarding regulatory and contractual obligations and to reduce and manage identified risks.
