Louise Hickey
Phone: (02) 6331 1722
Email: louise@bathurstanglican.org.au
The Anglican Diocese of Bathurst is committed to safe ministry and has zero tolerance for any kind of abuse.
This includes our commitment to our pastoral and duty of care with the goal that all ministries are spiritually, emotionally and physically safe; based on the premise that diocesan parishes and ministries should be person-valuing and respectful places free from abuse and harm, for ministry to God’s glory.
This standard of Christian love is expected in the lives of all clergy and church workers. These people must agree to abide by the standard of behaviour contained in our code of conduct, Faithfulness in Service (FiS).
To aid in ensuring the Faithfulness in Services standards are adhered to, we have a Professional Standards process for handling complaints made against clergy and church workers as well as a Grievance Procedure Policy.
Complaints of inappropriate behaviour on the part of clergy or church workers may be reported to the Director of Professional Standards, Peter Barnett, via email to helpline@safercommunities.net.au or by phoning 1800 070 511.
We are committed to resolving all complaints as quickly as possible for the sake of all involved parties.
At our Synod in 2023, we as a diocese expressed sorrow and repugnance at all incidences of domestic violence or intimidation as being opposed to God’s good design for relationships and since then have actively promoted the Anglican Church of Australia’s ten commitments for the prevention and response to domestic and family violence. This includes a commitment to training ‘our leaders, pastoral staff and parish councils to understand and be equipped to respond in ways that prevent and address domestic and family violence’. A free online resource, endorsed by our Director of Ministry Standards, that meets this commitment is the ‘Know Domestic Abuse’ course developed by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.