From the Professional Standards desk
We have been eagerly awaiting the handing down of the final report of The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. Although this was expected in March, a short extension was granted. It is now on track to deliver recommendations to the Minister of Internal affairs by 30 May and the full final report to the Governor-General by 26 June.
Although we may be saddened and dismayed to hear of the level of abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand, this is an opportunity for the nation to put in place some very robust measures to address the problem. Churches, including our own Lutheran Church, can respond positively and lead the way in modelling high levels of awareness, alertness, and actions to protect children and the vulnerable.
Safe Church Training Update
It has been a delight for me to travel in Aotearoa New Zealand to deliver face-to face Safe Church workshops over the last few years (despite Covid disruptions!)
In 2024 the LCANZ is phasing out face-to-face training and introducing Live Online Training. This will be in the format of webinars presented in real time by Professional Standards Officers, and participants will be able to join as individuals or as part of a congregational group. There is no charge for Safe Church training. The introduction of Live Online Training is good news for members of the LCNZ as you will not have to wait for me to visit to update your training.
In addition to Live Online Training, the online self-paced training, which has been available for several years, will continue to be an option and will closely mirror the Live Online version.
All training materials have been revised, some new topics added, and the sessions shortened. I have gone through the training material and contextualized it for the LCNZ, and the team at Australian Lutheran College is currently working hard to prepare the materials for our use. At this stage we are not quite ready to provide dates for proposed NZ webinars, but we hope to be able to do very soon. I will provide registration links for both online versions as soon as they are available. “Watch this space!!”
I will continue to be available to support you all, either at congregational level or individually, and am available to meet with you via Zoom as required.
Please continue to support the work of Safe Church in your ministries – God bless you as you do so.
Denise Muschamp
Professional Standards Officer – LCNZ
