Child or young person currently at risk
If you know of a child or young person who is at immediate risk, please contact the Queensland Police Service.
If you have concerns that a child or young person is or has been harmed by a UnitingCare Queensland worker/volunteer/contractor or has been harmed while participating in any of our services or activities contact:
- The Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs; and
- UnitingCare Child Safe Inbox: childsafe@ucareqld.com.au or Stopline*: 1800 297 745 or ucareqld@stopline.com.au
Survivors of abuse
UnitingCare acknowledges the pain and suffering of people who experienced abuse at the hands of institutions and individuals and emphatically states that abuse of children is never acceptable.
UnitingCare recognises that some children in the care of the Uniting Church or former Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches did not receive the care that they rightly deserved. The Uniting Church has expressed regret and sorrow to these children who suffered neglect and abuse while in institutional care provided by the Church and its agencies.
The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, apologised to survivors on June 4, 2018, while announcing the Church’s decision to opt in to the National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse. He said:
“We acknowledge the impact of child sexual abuse in the lives of those who have been abused in our institutions or those of our predecessor Churches. To each survivor and all of their families, I am truly sorry.”
On October 22, 2018, the Prime Minister of Australia delivered a National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. The Australian Government offered the apology to help the healing process.
UnitingCare Queensland has a Complaints of Past Child Abuse or Neglect Policy and Procedure to respond to anyone who was abused as a child while in the care of, or receiving services from, UnitingCare, or organisations which no longer exist but were community service organisations of the Uniting Church or its predecessors. UnitingCare and the Uniting Church work with survivors to offer hope and healing.
Survivors of abuse, or those representing them, are encouraged to contact the Queensland Police Service and/or:
- UnitingCare QLD Child Safe Inbox: childsafe@ucareqld.com.au, or alternatively Stopline* on 1800 297 745 / ucareqld@stopline.com.au
Survivors of sexual abuse may be eligible for redress. The Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod provides information about redress here. Survivors of other types of abuse as a child may also be eligible for redress and can seek information from the UnitingCare Child Safe Inbox: childsafe@ucareqld.com.au.
If you require support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit the Lifeline Queensland website.
*Stopline is UnitingCare’s third-party Whistleblowing hotline for any employee, supplier, customer or member of the public to anonymously report suspected or actual wrongdoing in UnitingCare’s services.