Harvest Journeys is committed to child safety. We want children to be safe, happy, and empowered. We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the safety, participation, and empowerment of all children.
As an organisation that provides travel services in the context of pilgrimages for church organisations and faith communities, particularly through the delivery of projects such as World Youth Days and Australian Catholic Youth Festivals, child safety and safeguarding are our top priority. Harvest Journeys is actively committed to fostering communities of safeguarding on pilgrimage that champion the dignity and rights of all children.
Every person associated with Harvest Journeys, including staff, volunteers, contractors and pilgrims, who comes in contact with children, seeks to uphold the dignity of every child and commits to establishing safe and supportive relationships.
We encourage open communication whereby clients, pilgrims, and those organising pilgrimages are informed of relevant issues and participate in decisions about the safety of children. It is particularly important to us to look for avenues to empower children to have a say, be taken seriously, and be listened to.
We actively seek to become and remain informed of the causes and signs of child abuse and neglect. When we receive information about concerns or witness any matter relating to the abuse of a child, we respond appropriately and report any such concerns to the appropriate authority. This includes contacting the police where there may be an immediate risk of harm to any person, especially a child.
Harvest Journeys has policies and procedures to prevent risks to children and build a strong culture of safeguarding. All employees, volunteers, and contractors are expected to follow these policies and procedures as applicable and contribute to the culture of care and protection of all children.
Harvest Journeys plans, organises, and reviews all activities with children, proactively considering potential risks and striving to ensure risks are reduced and eliminated where possible. Everyone is encouraged to communicate any area of concern or identify where our approach may need improvement.
Anyone who brings forward a suspicion, concerns, knowledge, or allegation of current or past abuse of a child to Harvest Journeys will be responded to sensitively, respectfully, actively, and in a timely manner, in line with our lawful obligations.
We have policies and procedures in place that support our governance, staff, and volunteers to achieve these commitments.
