Empowering everyone

At The Salvation Army, we believe everyone has a role in keeping people safe. That includes our workers, volunteers, children, young people, families, and the wider community. 

We support people to speak up, share ideas, and help us build safer, stronger communities. 

What are human rights? 

Human rights are about treating everyone fairly and with respect - no matter where they’re from, what they look like, or what they believe. These rights help people make choices, feel safe, and be included. 

Respecting human rights helps us create communities where everyone belongs and can contribute. 

Watch a video about human rights 
Learn more from the Australian Human Rights Commission 

Empowering children and young people 

We want children and young people to feel safe, heard and involved. That’s why we: 

• Encourage them to share their ideas and experiences 
• Work with parents and carers to improve safety and wellbeing 
• Display “You can help improve Salvos” posters with QR codes at our sites 
• Run Youth Advisory Groups at local, state and national levels 

If you’re a young person who wants to help shape our programs, talk to your local leader or email us (insert link) to get involved.

Empowering parents and carers 

We value the lived experience of parents and carers. Their insights help us connect better with children and communities. 

Permission forms 

For programs involving children or vulnerable adults, we ask parents or carers to fill out a permission form before participation. This form: 

• Explains what activities are planned 
• Collects contact details and important information 
• Helps leaders plan well for everyone involved 
• We respect your privacy and follow our Privacy Policy. You can also talk directly with a leader if you have questions or want to share more information.

Empowering leaders 

We support our leaders to work safely and confidently. In addition to mandatory child safety training, we offer: 

Toolbox training on:  

• Understanding grooming 
• Running safe activities (people, place, program) 
• Setting healthy boundaries 
• Opportunities to give and receive feedback 
• Support conversations in teams and one-on-one 

Leaders are encouraged to speak up about concerns and help protect themselves and others. 

Learn more about how we empower leaders through our people, places, and programs

Everyone can help 

If something doesn’t feel right, or if you have ideas to make things better, we want to hear from you.