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Thursday, 13 August 2020 15:30

Child Safety Standard: Two

SAFE CHURCH PROGRAM NATIONAL CHILD SAFETY FRAMEWORK
 

“Children are safer when institutions acknowledge and teach them about their rights to be heard, listened to and taken seriously.” (Royal Commission, 2017).

NCCA Professional Learning Webinar - 22 October 2021

The Salvation Army Australia

eSafety  Commissioner

Commissioner for Children and Young People WA

Advocate for Children and Young People NSW

Commission for Children and Young People Victoria

**NEW RESOURCE** Empowerment and Participation Guide for Organisations: https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/assets/resources/Empowerment-and-Participation-Guide/CCYP-Empowerment-and-participation-guide-for-Web.pdf 

 

NCCA framework

Child Wise resources developed for the NCCA Safe Church Program Framework 

 Advocate for Children and Young People NSW

NCCA framework

Child Wise resources developed for the NCCA Safe Church Program Framework 

 

ChildSafe

NCCA framework

Child Wise resources developed for the NCCA Safe Church Program Framework 

Other Resources

Catholic Professional Standards Limited

 

Australian Catholic University - Institute of Child Protection Studies  
Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously. 
 Principles and Indicators    ICPS Resource
     
2.1 Children and young people are informed about their rights, including their rights to safety, information and participation   Child friendly Video:

Children’s Safety Study

2.2 The importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, to help children and young people feel safe and be less isolated  

Report:

Taking Us Seriously 

2.3 Where relevant to the setting or context, children and young people may be offered access to sexual abuse prevention programs and to relevant related information in an age appropriate way  

Research Summary:

Not everything is imaginary: Children's conceptualisations of interpersonal safety

2.4 Staff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child- friendly ways for children to express their views, participate in decision-making and raise their concerns  

Conversation article:

Children's views about safety in institutions

    Professional Learning option for staff to engage in child centred practice

  

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Thursday, 13 August 2020 15:11

Child Safety Standard: One

 SAFE CHURCH PROGRAM  NATIONAL CHILD SAFETY FRAMEWORK
 

“A child safe institution is committed to child safety. This commitment should be supported at all levels of the institution and be embedded in an institution’s leadership, governance and culture, and all aspects of the institution’s business and practice. Institutional culture consists of the collective values and practices that guide the attitudes and behaviour of staff and volunteers.

It guides the way things are done and the way issues are managed, dealt with and responded to. A positive, child-focused culture could help to protect children from sexual abuse and facilitate the identification of and proper response to child sexual abuse” (Royal Commission, 2017). 

Uniting Church in Australia

Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church

The Salvation Army Australia

Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

Australian Catholic University

Churches of Christ Victoria and Tasmania

NCCA framework

Child Wise resources developed for the NCCA Safe Church Program Framework 

Uniting Church in Australia  

Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church

Lutheran Church Of Australia

Catholic Archdiocese of Perth  

Sydney Diocese of the Anglican Church

The Salvation Army Australia 

Churches of Christ Victoria and Tasmania

Uniting Church in Australia

The Salvation Army Australia

Churches of Christ Victoria and Tasmania

NCCA framework

Child Wise resources developed for the NCCA Safe Church Program Framework 

Churches of Christ Victoria and Tasmania

eSafety Commissioner

Other Resources

Catholic Professional Standards Limited  

The Lutheran Church in Australia  

 

Australian Catholic University - Institute of Child Protection Studies
Child safety and well-being is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
Principles and Indicators    ICPS Resource
     

1.1 The church makes a public commitment to child safety and well-being

 

Conversation Article:

Protecting children from abuse in organisations

1.2 A child safe culture is championed and modelled at all levels of the church from the top down and the bottom up 

 

1.3 Governance arrangements facilitate implementation of the child safety and well-being policy at all levels

 

Seminar recording:

Child safe organisations - Embedding culture through leadership

1.4 A Code of Conduct provides guidelines for staff and volunteers on expected behavioural standards and responsibilities towards- and in the presence of – children and young people.

 

Article:

Understanding Situational Crime Prevention

1.5 Risk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to children and young people, including situational risks which may arise in the church.

 

  

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Monday, 10 August 2020 16:39

Resource Hub

Child Safety Framework Resource Hub

The NCCA Safe Church Program's Child Safety Framework resource hub has been developed to assist you with the NCCA child safety documents and provide you with practical examples of how to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations in your church and Christian ministry.

The National Child Safety Framework has three overarching pillars

     

 Linked National Principles: 

           
 1 Child safety and well-being is embedded in organisational, governance and culture.
 4 Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
 5 People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and well-being values in practice.
 8 Physical and online environment promote safety and well-being while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
 9 Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
10  Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people. 


   
 2 Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decision affecting them and are taken seriously.
 4 Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
 6 Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused. 


         
 3 Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and well-being.
 4 Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
 7 Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.


 

The Ten National Standards in the Child Safety Framework:

- as aligned with 10 National Principles of Child Safe Organisations.
Click the Standard text or icon to access additional pages of resources.

Child safety and well-being is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture

Standard 1: resources

 

Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously

Standard 2: resources

 
     
            

Families and communities are informed  and involved in promoting child safety and well-being

Standard 3: resources             

Equity is upheld and diverse needs are respected in policy and practice

Standard 4: resources

 
     
         

People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and well-being values in practice 

Standard 5: resources

Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused

 

Standard 6: resources

 
     
         

Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training

Standard 7: resources

Physical and online environments promote safety and well-being while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed

Standard 8: resources 

 
     
         
 

Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved

Standard 9: resources 

Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people

Standard 10: resources

 
     
         

 

 

Monday, 10 August 2020 16:37

National Child Safe bodies

 

 

 

The National Office for Child Safety is an Australian organisation working across governments and sectors to deliver national policies and strategies to enhance the protection of children and young people, reduce future harm to children, and support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

The National Office leads the development and implementation of national priorities recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission), including the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, Australian Government child safety policies (Commonwealth Child Safe Framework), the National Strategy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, as well as collaborative projects to improve data, research and information sharing to enhance child safety and wellbeing policy and practice. Key institutions which appeared before the Royal Commission also report annually to the National Office on their progress in implementing Royal Commission recommendations.

http://www.childsafety.gov.au/

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

 

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is an independent organisation that has undertaken several major projects to draw community attention to the human rights challenges facing children, especially those vulnerable to human rights violations. Every five years, a report is made to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on how children are faring in Australia and what it is doing to protect children’s rights.

The AHRC appoints a National Children's Commissioner who advocates for the rights and interests of children and young people, promotes children’s participation in decisions that impact them, ensures that all children in Australia enjoy the rights set out in the international Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), undertakes research and educational programs to promote community awareness and discussion of children’s rights, and examines and makes recommendations on new and existing Commonwealth laws, policies and programs to ensure they protect and uphold the rights of children and young people. 

Contact the National Children’s Commissioner: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (02) 9284 9600 | 1300 369 711  

 

National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)

The National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) is a secular non-profit organization in Australia that focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it starts. They do this by influencing social change, enabling communities to act locally, and providing resources and training to support the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. 

NAPCAN’s strategy is focused on promoting high-quality child abuse prevention research, advocating for child-safe policies and strategies, coordinating National Child Protection Week, developing and promoting community led prevention programs and initiatives such as Love Bites Respectful Relationships Program, Safer Communities for Children, and 7 Steps to Safety, and providing a range of resources and training such as Child Safe Organisations Training, Mandatory Reporter Training, and Community Safety Workshops

Implementing these strategies involve NAPCAN working with all levels of government, businesses, community services and organisations, families and individuals, to help enable everyone to play their part in keeping children and young people safe and well.

Contact: 

NSW Head Office | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 02 8073 3300

QLD Head Office | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 07 3287 3533 

NT Head Office | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 08 8942 2254 

 

The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s national independent regulator for online safety, leading and coordinating online safety efforts across government, industry and the community. eSafety educates Australians about online safety risks, investigates complaints about cyberbullying and cyber abuse of children and adults, and helps to remove harmful content, such as illegal and restricted online content or intimate images/videos shared without consent, from the internet. eSafety also provides extensive online safety information and guidance through their website, offers educational resources and training to help parents, schools and communities, and leads the global Safer Internet Day initiative in Australia.

 Contact the eSafety Commissioner: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (02) 9284 9600 | 1300 369 711 

The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) is a national peak body and Aboriginal community-controlled organisation that serves as a National Voice representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. SNAICC works on the development of programs, practices and campaigns that intrinsically support the safety, development, and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, communities and organisations. 

SNAICCs focus areas include early childhood development, child and family well-being, connection to culture and community, and closing the gap in educational and opportunity inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. They also facilitate training programs and produce a comprehensive list of resources to further support people in this area.

http://www.snaicc.org.au/

Contact SNAICC: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 03 9419 1921 | 1300 762 422 

Monday, 10 August 2020 16:25

State & Territory Child Safe bodies

 

NEW SOUTH WALES

 

The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) is an independent government agency that works to protect children by promoting and regulating quality child safe organisations and services. The OCG administers the Working with Children Check, the Reportable Conduct Scheme, Child Safe Scheme, and other child protection functions. The OCG has also appointed Child Safe Coordinators who assist faith-based organisations to understand and implement the Child Safe Standards through resource development and tailored training.

The Advocate for Children and Young People is an independent statutory office reporting to the NSW Parliament through the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Children and Young People.

The office is established under the Advocate for Children and Young People Act 2014. The Advocate works to improve the safety, welfare and well-being of all children and young people in New South Wales.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

 

The Children and Young People's Commissioner (CYPC) is a position that is written into law in the Australian Capital Territory. The Commissioner is independent from the government and is part of the ACT Human Rights Commission. The CYPC promotes the rights of children and young people, consults and talks with children and young people, encourages other organizations to listen to children and young people, and take their views seriously when making decisions, and provides advice to government and community agencies about how to improve services for children and young people.

VICTORIA

 

The Commission for Children and Young People is an independent statutory body that promotes improvement in policies and practices affecting the safety and wellbeing of Victorian children and young people. Among other roles, the Commission also supports and regulates organisations, including religious and faith-based organisations that work with children and young people to prevent abuse and make sure these organisations have child safe practices.

These requirements include complying with the Victorian Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme established by the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

A guide for Faith Communities on the Reportable Conduct Scheme (PDF, 432KB) provides general information to support religious and faith-based organisations comply with the Victorian Reportable Conduct Scheme. 

A Guide for Creating a Child Safe Organisation provides practical ways you can meet the legal obligation of your organisation to comply with Victoria’s compulsory Child Safe Standards. 

The Child Safe Standards Community of Practice brings together people from organisations who need to comply with the Child Safe Standards, to learn from and with each other, and create linkages and networks. 

TASMANIA 

 

The Tasmanian Commissioner for Children and Young People is an independent statutory office that upholds, protects, and promotes the rights and well-being of children and young people in Tasmania. 

The role of the Commissioner also involves undertaking investigations and research, influencing relevant policy development, promoting best practice, providing recommendations on proposed policies and legislation, and encouraging organisations to establish child friendly mechanisms to assist children and young people to participate in matters that affect them.  

QUEENSLAND

The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) works collaboratively with government and non-government partners, including families and communities. The role of the QFCC is to respect, advocate for and protect young Queenslanders rights, well-being and safety by driving continuous improvement of the services and systems that support them.

The QFCC provides evidence-based recommendations to inform laws, policies, practices and services; monitors performance and produces authoritative analysis of complex social issues focussed on generating awareness and solutions to improve outcomes for children and their families; are responsible for a number of functions relating to child deaths; and collaborate with organisations in the sector to build stronger child protection and family support systems in Queensland.  

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an independent statutory office established to protect the rights, interests and wellbeing of adults with impaired decision-making capacity, and children and young people in the child protection system. The OPG advocates for rights and access to services for adult and children and young people clients, provides oversight functions and powers for those in the child protection system, investigates allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation for adults with impaired decision-making capacity and makes personal, health and legal decisions if the Public Guardian is their guardian or attorney. 

https://www.publicguardian.qld.gov.au/

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

 

The South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People is an independent position, established under the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016.

The Commissioner promotes and advocates for the rights, interests and well-being of all children and young people in South Australia, and ensures that, as a part of the Commonwealth, South Australia enacts its international obligations. The Commissioner also publishes reports and resources for stakeholders, summarising the conversations and consultation work undertaken with children and young people.

The Office of the Guardian for Children and Young People is an independent role legislated in the Children and Young People (Oversight and Advocacy Bodies) Act 2016 and has two main branches. The Guardian advocates for children and young people in care, and the Training Centre Visitor promotes and protects the rights of children and young people detained in the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre. 

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

  

The Commissioner for Children and Young People is an independent statutory officer who works closely with children and young people, their families, community, and government to make Western Australia a place where children and young people aged 0 to 17 years are heard, valued, healthy and safe. The functions of the Commissioner includes research, advocating for children and young people, monitoring and advising on legislation and policies, and promoting and valuing the voice of children and young people. 

  • Commissioner: www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/ 

The Commissioner’s Child Safe Organisations WA promotes the need for child safe practices and cultures, across all types of organisations.

The program encourages and assists leaders, staff and volunteers within organisations to place the safety of children and young people at the forefront of their activities. 

The program has developed a range of resources to support organisations to develop child safe strategies, and to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. The Commissioner has also developed important information for parents, carers and families, including a checklist. 

Child Safe Organisations WA: https://www.ccyp.wa.gov.au/our-work/child-safe-organisations-wa/

Resources include: 

NORTHERN TERRITORY

 

The Northern Territory Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) is an independent statutory office working to ensure that the rights and voices of children and young people are respected and elevated. There OCC has two core teams, the Monitoring and Investigations (M+I) team and the Strategy, Rights and Advice (SRA) team. 

The M+I team manages and investigates enquiries and complaints relating to the care and protection of children, while the SRA team analyses information from investigations and community engagement to identify emerging systemic issues, monitors, advises and influences legislative reform and policy, and improves community awareness on issues relating to vulnerable children. 

https://occ.nt.gov.au/

For links to more information: 

REPORTING CHILD SAFETY CONCERNS  

If you have concerns about the immediate safety of any person, please call Triple Zero (000). 

For child protection related matters, please refer to your state/territory Child and Youth Protection authorities:

New South WalesDepartment of Communities and Justice

Victoria – Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

QueenslandDepartment of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services

Western AustraliaDepartment of Communities

South AustraliaDepartment for Child Protection

Tasmania - Department for Education, Children and Young People

Australian Capital Territory - Community Services Directorate

Northern Territory - Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities   

Wednesday, 05 August 2020 23:22

National Child Safety Framework

This framework for child safety is the first of its kind for churches and faith-based organisations in Australia. It encompasses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Royal Commission recommendations and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

The NCCA engaged the services of Child Wise — an organisation which has pioneered the use of child safety standards in Australia — to consult with NCCA Safe Church Program members to develop the best resource possible.   

The NCCA Child Safety Framework is a suite of five documents that each builds on the other as outlined below. It is available for purchase by request and invoice - please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

 

 1/5

 

 

 

 

 

This document provides context for the creation of the Framework, and reinforces the NCCA’s commitment to the Royal Commission recommendations and the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations which have strongly informed it; and includes a Glossary and a summary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 


 

2/5

 

 

 

 

 

This document includes an explanation of each pillar’s importance: Leadership, culture and governance, Empowerment of children and young people and Capacity-building. It links theses with relevant National Principles and describes how each contributes to the cultivation of child safe environments.  


 

3/5

 

 

 

 

In this document the standards are broken down into key elements which are accompanied by guidance on how to implement each one. Corresponding resources for this document can be found in the NCCA website’s ‘Resource Hub’.   


 

4/5

 

 

 

 

This document sets out each Child Safety Standard alongside a Training Standard and accompanying Indicators to be used by organisations as guideposts along the way. Corresponding resources for this document can be found in the NCCA website’s ‘Resource Hub’.   


 

5/5

 

 

 

 

This document should be used to ensure that all existing policies and practices are effective and are aligned to the Child Safety Standards which underpin the Framework. The tool provides the ability to rate performance and create an improvement plan.   

 

Child Wise is an Australian social enterprise and registered charity that supports public, private and not-for profit organisations to develop child safe environments and cultures.  Child Wise has valued the opportunity to collaborate with the NCCA on the development of this Child Safety Framework, and is hopeful that it will support the continuous improvement of safeguarding practice in all member churches. 

This Framework has been designed to support member churches to be open, aware, learning organisations which centralise the rights and safety of children and young people. It is built around the core pillars of: Leadership, Governance and Culture; Empowerment and Participation of Children and Young People; and Capacity Building, 

Work to ensure children and young people are safe, and that their voices are heard, must never stop. Child Wise looks forward to seeing the NCCA and all member churches do their utmost to continuously assure the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.   

This NCCA Child Safety Framework is a step on that journey. 

 

 

Wednesday, 05 August 2020 23:20

Professional Learning Webinar 2021

22 October 2021 

NCCA Professional Learning Webinar

22 October is the Anniversary of the National Apology to Survivors and Victims of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse

NCCA’s Safe Church Network presented a Professional Learning Webinar to our safeguarding community on embedding:

National Child Safe Standard 2: Children participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

The Salvation Army of Australia shared areas of research and programming looking at participation of children and youth in church mission and services.

Representatives from The Salvation Army will be facilitated discussions related to:

  • Developing a Lived Experience and Participation Framework: Emergent learnings from Salvation Army’s journey
  • Case Studies of Youth & Children’s Participation in The Salvation Army.

Friday 22 October 2021 was also the third anniversary of the National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and the webinar commenced with a reflection and prayer to acknowledge this important day, given by John Cox of the Uniting Church in Australia. 

Session one - Uma Komalan

Developing a Lived Experience and Participation Framework: Emergent learnings from Salvation Army’s journey

In early 2021, The Salvation Army started the work on developing a Lived Experience and Participation (LEAP) Framework.  This started with a “discovery phase” that mapped what child and youth participation looks like across different TSA Mission Expressions through a nationwide consultation process. This presentation will provide an overview of the LEAP Discovery Process and the initial findings from the consultations, including discussing key enablers and barriers for child and youth participation.

Session two -  John Marion

Case Studies of Youth & Children’s Participation in The Salvation Army.

Exploring case studies of youth and children’s participation at local and organisational levels, to explore different approaches to empowering young people.

The case studies include examples of empowerment, co-design, service delivery, advocacy, and organisational policy. 

The NCCA is very grateful to the Salvation Army and both Uma and John for facilitating this webinar. 


Watch the video recording here   (1hr 35m)

A recording of the webinar can be downloaded here-

video NCCA Professional Learning Webinar 22 October 2021 (869.71 MB)


 

 

 

Thursday, 25 July 2013 17:05

NCCA Safe Church Program

 THE NCCA SAFE CHURCH PROGRAM      

The Safe Church Program was officially wrapped up at the start of 2024.

In recent years, we have witnessed churches around Australia responding and developing their own training and resources, and the need for the Safe Church Program to actively work in this area has been shrinking over the past few years.  

For over a decade, the NCCA Safe Church Program led the ecumenical endeavour to make Australian Churches safe for children and vulnerable people. It had its own membership base that included both NCCA member and non-member churches, and it worked across all denominations to support churches in their safeguarding journey.


SAFE CHURCH TRAINING - WHAT NOW?

If you are looking for a Safe Church Awareness Workshop (or equivalent), please contact your denomination's  Safe Church, Professional Standards, or other relevant office.


OUR JOURNEY

Since the commencement of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the release of the recommendations in December 2017, Australian churches and Christian ministries made historic changes.

The NCCA Safe Church Program consulted with member churches to equip them with the resources to address and respond to the recommendations arising from the Royal Commission, and assist with capacity-building in safeguarding issues and professional standards. 

As part of the NCCA's commitment to assisting our Churches and Christian communities to effectively meet the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, the Safe Church Program collaborated with Child Wise to develop the NCCA Child Safety Framework and all its associated resources.

The Framework and resources supported awareness-raising workshops and other training related to the safety and prevention of abuse of children and vulnerable adults. The Framework also encouraged and equipped churches to develop their own training around the safety and protection of children and vulnerable adults.

Through the Safe Church Training Standards and SCP Training Partners and Providers system, the program promoted national consistency in content and standards of training. 

In 2023 we trained additional Awareness Workshop presenters across several states/territories, and updated many of the resources provided through our program to reflect the various legislative changes. Presenters who were trained and assessed through our Presenter Endorsement Process will continue to facilitate Safe Church Awareness Workshops and collaborate to continue to provide up-to-date information. 


THANK YOU

We would like to thank all the churches and organisations that have worked with the NCCA Safe Church Program over the years, and all the leaders and volunteers who have worked diligently to develop, improve, and implement safeguarding training and strategies within Australian churches.

Although there is still much work to be done, we celebrate the Churches' passion and commitment to creating and maintaining spaces that are safe and welcoming for all people.  

 

Published in Safe Church Program
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