Resource Documents
A range of documents and forms relating to Safe Ministry in our churches. Note that some documents are now found under the relevant sections of this website. eg: Safe Ministry Representatives
Click on the category on the left to reveal the list of documents with brief descriptions.
Last Updated on March 26, 2026
Suggested activities for use after an apology or a service of healing
Apology/Service of Healing Resources
Faithfulness In Service – 2023
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 2023
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
Refresher Confidential Lifestyle Questionnaire
Anglican Diocese of Sydney Safe Ministry Check
Volunteer Children’s or Youth Ministry leaders
These are key documents relating to the Safe Ministry Check. But if you have not read more widely about this, we recommend you look at these pages before using the forms:
Safe Ministry Check – Information
Safe Ministry Check – A Church Guide
Visiting Leaders/SRE Teachers SMC Verification
If your church hosts leaders/SRE teachers from other Sydney Anglican churches for events like: holiday kids clubs, SRE in schools under your Senior Ministers authority, combined youth groups, etc, use this template form to get verification of their Safe Ministry Check clearance from their home church.
Visiting leaders/SRE Teachers SMC Verification
Files:
Volunteer SMC form for adults (18yrs+)
Volunteer SMC Form for 13-17 year olds
Pastoral Guide for Senior Ministers
Guide for Safe Ministry Reps
Referee Form
Abuse Reporting Guide
For church workers (paid and voluntary) to use
Abuse Report Guide
Diocesan Grievance Policy
In Sydney Anglican churches, complaints regarding certain conduct by leaders may be followed up in the local church using the Diocesan policy for dealing with allegations of unacceptable behaviour by clergy and church workers.
The policy aims to ensure that allegations of unacceptable behaviour by clergy or church workers are dealt with properly in accordance with a Bible-based process.
Diocesan policy for dealing with allegations of unacceptable behaviour
Complaints Process Comparison
A comparison between the complaints process of the Ministry Standards Ordinance 2017 and the Diocesan policy for dealing with allegations of unacceptable behaviour.
Complaints Process Comparison
‘Tell Your Story” – reporting abuse
Information for survivors and reporters of abuse and misconduct
‘Tell Your Story” – reporting bullying
Information for survivors and reporters of bullying and misconduct
Taking Abuse and Other Misconduct Seriously
Brochure for church workers regarding abuse
Abuse Reporting Form
Use this form to record indicators or disclosures of abuse and refer to it when making a report to the relevant authorities, e.g., Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). 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)
NSW Mandatory Reporter Guide (MRG)
This is an online, interactive guide developed by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice aimed at 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 also 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
Reporting a child at risk
Where a child is at risk of harm or abuse, a report should be made to the Child Protection Helpline – 132 111.
More information about making a report can be found on the NSW Department of Communities and Justice website.
Reporting an adult at risk
The NSW Ageing and Disability Commission provide access to a range of free tools and resources to increase awareness of abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people and adults with disability, and how to respond when matters arise.
Reports can also be made to their Helpline – 1800 628 221.
Faithfulness In Service – 2023
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 2023
Safe Ministry Pledge
A resource that is a required component of Safe Ministry training and the Safe Ministry Check.
By agreeing to abide by the behaviour and practices outlined in the Safe Ministry Pledge, leaders help to make our churches safer places for everyone.
Safe Ministry Pledge
Safe Ministry Blueprint documents
These documents are aimed at informing people across all levels of leadership and church engagement to help ensure greater awareness, transparency and accountability within our churches and to help foster a culture of safe ministry at all levels of the church.
Safe Ministry Blueprint documents.
Application form for volunteer leaders
This form is recommended to be used as part of a screening process for volunteers. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the Safe Ministry Check form introduced in June 2020. It is a Word document that can be ‘branded’ with your church logo and information.
Volunteer Application Form
Anglican Diocese of Sydney Safe Ministry Check
Under the Safe Ministry to Children Ordinance 2020, all workers undertaking ministry to children or youth must complete a safe ministry assessment including the Safe Ministry Check form as part of their application process.
There is a separate Check for adult leaders (18yrs+) and junior leaders (13-17yrs).
Safe Ministry Check
Job description
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 Volunteer Job Description
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
UPDATED March 2020
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. It is designed to be copied for styling and ‘branding’ by your church.
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.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These forms were updated in March 2020 to provide for permission for video-based meetings during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Generic ministry permission form (.docx)
Enduring permission form (.docx)
This third form is specifically to provide permission for children or young people to attend video meetings via Zoom or similar platforms during the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Permission-Online Meetings (.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)
Diocesan Grievance Policy
In Sydney Anglican churches, complaints regarding certain conduct by leaders may be followed up in the local church using the Diocesan policy for dealing with allegations of unacceptable behaviour by clergy and church workers.
The policy aims to ensure that allegations of unacceptable behaviour by clergy or church workers are dealt with properly in accordance with a Bible-based process.
Diocesan policy for dealing with allegations of unacceptable behaviour
Safe Ministry Guidelines
These guidelines can be used for specific children’s and youth ministries in conjunction with the Safe Ministry Blueprint documents.
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
Possible signs of abuse (children)
There are common physical and behavioural signs that may indicate child abuse or neglect. The NSW Department of Communities and Justice website provides an outline of what the possible signs of child abuse are and the associated risk factors that increase the risk of harm to a child.
Possible signs of child abuse
Possible signs of abuse (older people and adults with a disability)
Older Australians and adults with a disability are growing groups of vulnerable people in our community and churches. The NSW Ageing and Disability Commission’s website provides an outline of what the possible behaviours and warning signs of abuse and neglect may be when identifying abuse of vulnerable adults.
What is abuse and neglect?
Complaint handling resource
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that appropriate complaint handling and response is essential for an organisation to be child-safe. The National Office for Child Safety has provided a suite of resources in a variety of languages to empower children and youth to raise concerns. They also provide guidance for leaders and organisations in implementing the resources.
Speak up and make a complaint resource
Church resources for disability inclusion
Everyone Welcome – Accessible church for all aims to help churches welcome and include all people at church gatherings in a safe way and enable all believers to contribute to the community of faith, irrespective of their physical or intellectual abilities or disabilities.
Further related resources can be accessed from the Sydney Anglican Services website
Responding to problematic and harmful sexualised behaviours in children – a guide for churches
The purpose of this guide is to support church leaders in developing appropriate responses when children display problematic or harmful sexualised behaviours.
Responding to problematic and harmful sexualised behaviours in children – a guide for churches
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 (pdf)
Risk Identification Register (Word)
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
Volunteer SMC form for adults (18yrs+) (pdf)
Volunteer SMC Form for 13-17 year olds (pdf)
Pastoral Guide for Senior Ministers/Authorised Delegates
A guide for implementing the SMC for Senior Ministers
Guide for Safe Ministry Reps
PDF Referee Form
Visiting Leaders/SRE Teachers SMC verification form
The Safe Ministry Policy and Practice Overview summarises how the suite of ordinances, documents, resources and processes fit together to ensure churches engage in Safe Ministry to all people, and especially to children.
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.
Note that people arriving from overseas (or interstate) for a role working with children cannot apply for a NSW WWCC until they are in NSW.
Overseas Student Workers – a guide
Child Safe Resources
The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian has produced many resources to assist organisations in becoming child safe places.
The link below will give you access to policy templates and samples (for child safety and complaints management), resources from their training programs and links to relevant organisations and legislation.
We have a number of key documents available in the following languages:
Faithfulness in Service
Page of origin
Faithfulness in Service 2023 – Chinese
Faithfulness in Service 2023 – Arabic
Domestic Abuse documents:
Page of origin
Chinese language documents
- Appendix 14 The Use and Misuse of Scripture with Regard to Domestic Abuse (p57-60). 中文
- Appendix 1 An expansive description of domestic abuse.
- Domestic abuse flowchart (Chinese)
- Appendix 2 The Duluth ‘Power and Control Wheel’
Chinese/English Documents
- Appendix 14 The use and misuse of Scripture with regards to domestic abuse
- Appendix 1 An expansive description of domestic abuse
Korean and Korean/English Documents
- Domestic abuse flowchart (Korean)
- Appendix 14 The use and misuse of Scripture with regards to domestic abuse (bilingual)
- Appendix 1 An expansive description of domestic abuse (bilingual)
- The Duluth Power and Control Wheel (Korean)
Arabic Documents