Buddhist Council of Western Australia Inc.

Last week, the Home Affairs Deputy Secretary (DS) of Social Cohesion and Citizenship, Andrew Kefford PSM visited Perth.

In this role, he is responsible for Australia’s Citizenship Program, and social cohesion and Australian values, and is concurrently appointed as the Commonwealth’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator and Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator. Andrew Kefford PSM is also the Indigenous Champion for the department of Home Affairs.

While in Perth, he met with various faith leaders across WA (pictured below). Discussions centred on how to maximise social cohesion outcomes across community, and acknowledging the critical role that faith leaders play in leading and building resilience.

DS Andrew Kefford PSM also hosted an afternoon tea with various community representatives from across Western Australia. It was an opportunity to thank and acknowledge the important role community representatives undertake in advocating for positive social cohesion outcomes for their community and for their continued engagement with the Australian Government.

(The BCWA president is pictured second from the right)

Creating Child Safe Buddhist Organisations
Following the teachings of the Buddha against creating harm to others, the BCWA  is committed to ensuring the safety and well being of children and young people in our Buddhist communities. The BCWA urges its members and friends of BCWA to become child safe organisations that always put the best interests of children and young people first.

A child safe organisation does the following:

• Creates an environment which prioritises children’s safety and wellbeing
• Genuinely values and engages with children and young people.
• Creates conditions that reduce possible harm to children and young people.
• Creates conditions that increase the likelihood of identifying any harm.
• Responds to any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm.

All Buddhist groups have legal obligations to ensure that religious workers have a working with children check and are aware of their responsibilities as mandatory reporters under state laws.

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

The BCWA endorses the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. We strongly encourage all member and Friends of BCWA organisations to adopt Child Safety Policies and Codes of Conduct relevant to their state’s legislation and their particular needs.

The BCWA has provided the following tools and resources to help ensure children and young people are safe and protected whilst at our Buddhist centres.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations were developed in 2019 to provide a nationally consistent approach to creating organisational cultures that foster child safety and wellbeing. These principles reflect ten child safe standards recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, but also have a broader scope that goes beyond child sexual abuse to cover other forms of potential harm to children and young people.

The National Principles are:

1. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
2. Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
3. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
4. Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
5. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
6. Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
7. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
8. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
9. Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
10. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

Link: National Principles for Child Safe Organisations website