{"id":8735,"date":"2023-03-29T20:35:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T20:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diowillochra.org.au\/new\/?page_id=8735"},"modified":"2023-03-29T20:38:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T20:38:01","slug":"safe-ministry-news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/diowillochra.org.au\/new\/safe-ministry-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Safe Ministry News"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Safe Ministry News<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As a Diocese, we\u2019re committed to doing everything we can to ensure that our churches are safe places for everyone who participates in church activities \u2014 including our visitors and volunteers. This means that, in adherence to state legislative and General Synod requirements, all ordained persons, and church workers if their role involves child-related activities must apply for clearance to function within their area of ministry.<\/p>

All news and updates pertaining to Safe Ministry will be posted to this page, as improvements and changes are applied to processes and procedures.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUpdate Safe Ministry Process<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Along with new\u00a0State Government requirements<\/a>, we\u2019ve updated our own systems to create a simplified, 4 step\u00a0Safe Ministry application process<\/a> . In order to meet legal and General Synod requirements, all church workers and volunteers will be instructed to fill out a single<\/em><\/strong> online<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Diocesan Safe Ministry application form<\/strong>, and will be prompted to fill out any additional forms necessary to meet State Government legislative requirements.<\/p>\n

Synod has been conducting\u00a0safe ministry\u00a0screening and training for clergy and volunteers since 2002.\u00a0\u00a0Changes to South Australian legislation together with the requirements of\u00a0the\u00a0Safe Ministry to Children Canon<\/em>\u00a02017\u00a0have prompted Synod to review our Safe Ministry policies, procedures and training.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

One\u00a0of the weaknesses in our current approach is that whilst we have\u00a0rigorous\u00a0screening process and record keeping at Synod Office level,\u00a0we have no means of knowing whether everyone who should apply for a Working\u00a0With\u00a0Children\u00a0Check\u00a0does so.\u00a0 Nor do\u00a0we\u00a0currently know that everyone who works with children in a church holds the relevant approval, and importantly when a family\u00a0arrives\u00a0at your\u00a0church,\u00a0they\u00a0may\u00a0have no\u00a0visible\u00a0means of knowing\u00a0whether\u00a0the people working with their children are appropriately screened, trained and approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Diocesan Council has\u00a0approved a series of reforms to\u00a0our\u00a0Safe Ministry\u00a0system:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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  1. We have\u00a0adopted a Safe Ministry\u00a0Policy setting out our vision, our commitments and the responsibilities for each stakeholder. The Safe Ministry Policy for the Diocese is attached;\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. Diocesan Council has accredited\u00a0Safe Ministry Check <\/em>as our Safe Ministry trainer. Safe Ministry Check\u00a0is an online\u00a0platform and suite of training\u202fcourses\u202fdeveloped\u202fin partnership with\u202fAnsvar Risk.\u00a0What this means is that all training for Safe Ministry will now be\u00a0offered\u00a0online, thereby saving time for volunteers and engaging them in a more convenient way while still maintaining\u00a0our high standards of training;\u00a0and\u00a0<\/li>\n
  3. A new position at the parish level is to be created\u00a0to ensure\u00a0that each\u00a0church\u00a0worker\u00a0ministering\u00a0to children\u00a0holds the appropriate approvals and that information is visibly available to\u00a0those attending the parish.\u00a0\u00a0 This role will be known as the\u00a0\u201cSafe Ministry Coordinator\u201d.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Who needs a\u00a0Working\u00a0With\u00a0Children\u00a0Check\u00a0clearance?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

    To ensure compliance with both South Australian State legislation and the Safe Ministry to Children Canon\u00a02017\u00a0the following list of roles must obtain a safe ministry clearance:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    1. All clergy and lay persons holding\u00a0an authority\u00a0from the\u00a0Bishop;\u00a0<\/li>\n
    2. All candidates for\u00a0Ordination;\u00a0<\/li>\n
    3. All lay church workers in paid employment involving\u00a0work with children;\u00a0<\/li>\n
    4. All lay volunteers who work with children;\u00a0<\/li>\n
    5. All members of Diocesan Council; and\u00a0<\/li>\n
    6. Members of Parish Councils only where the Parish concerned has lay paid staff or volunteers who work with children.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Who Doesn\u2019t need a Working\u00a0With\u00a0Children Check clearance?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Under current Diocesan safe ministry processes all volunteers in parishes are required to undergo a WWCC.\u00a0 The means that many volunteers in parishes who have only incidental contact with children are undergoing a WWCC even though they are not legally required to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Diocesan Council has adopted\u00a0legal advice\u00a0that\u00a0\u201ca person will\u00a0not\u00a0be performing \u2018child-related work\u2019 if they are performing \u2018any other service or activity\u2019 in the course of which contact with children occurs\u00a0incidentally or would not reasonably be expected to occur\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

      A WWCC is\u00a0not required\u00a0in relation to a person who believes on reasonable grounds that they will not \u2018work with children\u2019 on more than\u00a0seven days in a calendar year\u00a0(unless that person does \u2018work with children\u2019 on more than seven days (i.e. once they have \u2018worked with children\u2019 on more than seven days, they will need to obtain a WWCC)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

      This means that if your church does not have a children\u2019s program\u00a0or\u00a0youth group, the only persons required to hold a WWCC\u00a0are the clergy.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

      To assist parishes, a table that sets out who ought to undergo the WWCC and Safe Ministry training is in the\u00a0Safe Ministry resources<\/a>\u00a0page (https:\/\/diowillochra.org.au\/safe-ministry-resources\/<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0This should be read as a guide only.\u00a0 For further clarification parishes are encouraged to contact the Safe Ministry Unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      With these reforms,\u00a0many parishes\u00a0should see a significant reduction in the number of people who have to undergo the WWCC\u00a0and training.\u00a0<\/p>\n

      The Safe Ministry Coordinator<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Whilst the responsibility for Safe Ministry in any parish ministering to children or vulnerable people lies with the Parish Priest, Diocesan Council has endorsed the creation of a\u00a0Safe Ministry Co-ordinator role in each parish<\/strong>. The Safe Ministry Coordinator role is designed to assist the Parish comply with their\u00a0safe ministry\u00a0responsibilities.\u00a0\u00a0Safe\u00a0Ministry\u00a0Co-ordinators<\/strong> will be appointed by the Parish Priest as an \u201cother officer\u201d under Section 52 of the\u00a0Parochial Administration Ordinance<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

      Parish\u00a0Safe\u00a0Ministry\u00a0Co-ordinator role\u00a0is to:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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      1. assist parish volunteers in working out whether they are legally required to undergo a WWCC\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
      2. keep records of who is working with children in the church setting\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
      3. keep local records of who has WWCC (will be updated regularly by Synod Office)\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
      4. ensure no one works with children unless they have Synod approval\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
      5. forward regular (monthly) compliance reports to the safe ministry authority (Diocesan Council via the Secretary of Synod)\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        A Safe Ministry Coordinator should ideally:\u00a0<\/p>\n