WelCom September 2023
New Zealand’s professional safeguarding organisations work in close partnership with one another in their commitment to the protection of children. Every year through their partnership organisation safeguardingchildren.org.nz they actively support Child Safeguarding Week.
Child Safeguarding Week is a campaign to promote individual, organisation and community action to prevent child abuse and neglect in Aotearoa New Zealand. It provides a platform to increase public awareness about child abuse and neglect, how it occurs and what can be done to prevent it.
The 2023 campaign, 4–10 September, has a spotlight on ‘preventing child sexual abuse’. It aims to raise awareness of the issue, to promote adults’ responsibilities to prevent and protect, and to remind people of what help is available in the form of resources, services and advice.
Sr Catherine Jones smsm, Safeguarding Adviser for the Archdiocese of Wellington, encourages your awareness and support of Safeguarding Week, which helps children live a life free of abuse. Go to childsafeguardingweek.org.nz for more information.
Te Kupenga–Catholic Leadership Institute runs a national safeguarding course, ‘Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand’ (SCCANZ). This course is part of the Catholic Church’s provision of training under the National Safeguarding Guidelines. tinyurl.com/SCCANZ.