Suggested activities for use after an apology or a service of healing
Apology/Service of Healing Resources

Faithfulness In Service – 2017

Faithfulness in Service is the national code for personal behaviour and the practice of pastoral ministry by clergy and church workers. It is intended to identify the personal behaviour and practices of pastoral ministry that will enable clergy and church workers to serve faithfully those among whom they minister.
Faithfulness In Service 2017

Confidential Lifestyle Questionnaire

This form is only for use by clergy and people applying for an Archbishop’s Authority as a Lay Minister, as instructed by the Diocesan Registry.
Confidential Lifestyle Questionnaire

Safe Ministry Checks

Volunteer Children’s or Youth Ministry leaders
For use in an application for Children’s/Youth Ministry Volunteer.
Note:  This scheme is now on hold while Standing Committee reviews feedback on the form and decides on a way forward.
No action by parishes is required at this point.

Abuse Reporting Guide

For church workers (paid and voluntary) to use
Abuse Report Guide

Abuse Reporting Form

Use this form to record indicators or disclosures of abuse and refer to it when making a report to Family and Community Services (FaCS). This form must be dated and signed and kept in a secure location.
Risk of Harm Report

Incident Report

A form to be used when an incident involving injury to one or more people happens.
Incident Report Form
Incident Report (fillable Word doc)

Mandatory Reporter Guide

This is an online, interactive guide aimed a mandatory reporters (but usable by anyone). It is designed to help assess whether a case meets the ‘risk of significant harm’ threshold for reporting children and young people at risk in NSW.
The MRG can help to assess risks where a child or young person is demonstrating suicidal or self-harming behaviours and may be considered a danger to them-self or others.
Mandatory Reporter Guide

Faithfulness In Service – 2017

Faithfulness in Service is the national code for personal behaviour and the practice of pastoral ministry by clergy and church workers. It is intended to identify the personal behaviour and practices of pastoral ministry that will enable clergy and church workers to serve faithfully those among whom they minister.
Faithfulness In Service 2017

Safe Ministry Pledge

A resource that is now part of the online and face to face versions of Safe Ministry Refresher, Essentials.
Safe Ministry Pledge

Application forms for volunteer leaders

This form is recommended to be used as part of a screening process for volunteers:
It includes the Safe Ministry Pledge – a concise form of code of conduct now part of online Safe Ministry Training.
Safe Ministry Volunteer Application Form
(removed in the light of the new Safe Ministry Check about to be introduced)

Every worker in a church should have a job description. This document is a sample of a simple job description for a volunteer worker.
 Sample Job Description

This is the recommended Screening Policy that should be adopted by every church as part of it’s local Safe Ministry policies:
 Screening Policy (Note: this will be superseded in 2020 when the new Safe Ministry Check comes into force)

Discipling tool for volunteer children’s/youth leaders

Above Reproach – Application form/discipling tool for leaders (Word doc)
NOTE: This version of Above Reproach supersedes all previous versions.
This document is useful as part of discipling program – especially with youth leaders. Recommended.

Permission Forms

Permission forms are used extensively in children’s and youth ministries. The first of the following forms is a generic form designed to be used as a ‘one off’ form for a number of children’s or youth activities.
The second form is known as an ‘enduring’ permission form which may be completed (for example) at the start of a year, and is designed to cover all normal activities of a given group or ministry for the rest of that year. It is in the form of a template which may easily be merged into your church’s own stationary. It requires editing for dates and the church name before using.
Generic ministry permission form (pdf)
Enduring permission form (.docx)

Activity Approval Form

This form is important for all youth and children’s activities that take place off site (ie: away from the churches property).
Activity Approval Form (pdf)
Activity Approval form (fillable) (docx)

Incident Report

A form to be used when an incident involving injury to one or more people happens.
Incident Report Form
Incident Report Form (.docx)

Under 18 Year Declaration Form

This form should be completed by all childrens/youth leaders/helpers under 18 years old, and countersigned by their parent(s)/guardian. These should then be kept with the parish Safe Ministry records.
Safe Ministry – Under 18yrs Declaration (pdf)

Safe Ministry Guidelines

Contains both the Core Guidelines and activity-specific guidelines covering most church children’s and youth ministries, and relevant to ministries with other vulnerable people.
Safe Ministry Guidelines

Social Contact Policy

A significant challenge in our culture is contact with people in a ministry context. This document outlines recommended practices and policies for different age groups. It will be updated as the social media landscape changes.
Social Contact Policy v3.1

Transport Policy

Guideline for managing the transport of children and youth to be adopted by churches.
Safe Ministry Transport Policy

Signs of elder abuse

Older Australians are a growing group of vulnerable people in our community and churches. This guide (from a Government website) is useful in identifying elder abuse.
Elder Abuse types

Risk Identification Register

This guide can be used to create a realistic risk identification/assessment register for any ministry event. Duplicate as necessary.
Risk Identification Register

Incident Report

A form to be used when an incident involving injury to one or more people happens.
Incident Report Form
Incident Report Form (.docx)

Emergency Evacuation Procedure

Sample wording that you can use in your own church publications, and when conducting practice evacuations
Safe Ministry – Emergency Evacuation Procedure

Overseas Student Workers – Guide

Is your church/ministry considering using student workers from overseas?
If they will work with children or youth, this guide will take you through the process of preparing for them to take up a role in your church/ministry.
See also details of how overseas workers can obtain a NSW Working With Children Check in this PDF from the Office of the Children’s Guardian.
Overseas Student Workers – a guide