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Screening in Faith
They shall not hurt or destroy in all
my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord.
Isaiah 11.9
Legal disclaimer
- Unless otherwise noted, all material is copywrited
by the Incorporated Synod, Diocese of Ottawa, Anglican
Church of Canada.
- This webpage and associated materials have been prepared
by the Screen in Faith Project Team, Incorporated Synod,
Diocese of Ottawa. It had been designed as a source of
general information and to provide guidelines only. Users
outside the Diocese of Ottawa should consult with legal
counsel prior to taking any action based upon this material,
to ensure that these guidelines and those actions comply
with law in their local jurisdiction. The Incorporated
Synod, Diocese of Ottawa, hereby disclaims any responsibility
for any action or inaction taken or not taken as a result
of the information contained in these webpages or in any
downloaded material.
- Any and all material downloaded from this site may be
used with permission, provided that the following credit
is given:
Produced by the Screen in Faith Project Team
of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa,
71 Bronson Ave., Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6 (613) 233-6271
ext 232.
April 2001
Our aim
The overall aim for this policy is to ensure that there
is a safe environment in all parishes, ministries, and activities
for children, seniors, any who are physically, emotionally,
or spiritually vulnerable, and those who are ministering
in our Church. Clergy, diocesan and parish staff, and volunteers
serve in situations where sexual misconduct, harassment,
or other abuse may occur. Screening is designed to exclude
any who are unsuitable or likely to offend. The sign of
our Church's life must be that our Lord teaches and invites
respect for all and that all in the Church must be safe.
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Our policy
We desire that our Church
be a clear symbol of the Kingdom of God?a safe and
holy place for all.
Therefore it is the policy of the Diocese of Ottawa that
all, including clergy, staff and volunteers, who come into
contact with vulnerable people be screened in a manner appropriate
to the ministry or job being undertaken.
This policy shall apply in all parishes and ministries of
the Diocese of Ottawa.
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What is screening?
Screening is a process designed to identify
and evaluate the suitability of a person, volunteer or paid,
who will be involved in a particular ministry. It is a process
designed to create and maintain a safe environment for all
participants and co-workers, and to protect the applicant
as well.
We have a moral and legal responsibility to care for those
who have difficulty protecting themselves from harm and
are at risk because of age, disability, handicap or other
circumstances such as emotional distress or mental illness.
It is often difficult for anyone, even trained professionals,
to tell who these people are.
Screening involves finding an appropriate match between
volunteer and ministry, assessing the risks involved in
that ministry, training, and perhaps altering the setting
and arrangement of ministry delivery.
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Why screen?
by Priscilla Copeland
Since
the earliest days of the church people have come together
to worship and to live out their faith in their daily lives.
That continues today. As people of faith we reach
out to others....we counsel, we help, we teach, we share
our unique God-given gifts and resources with others and
we depend on the church and its programs.
So, you ask, why do we need to screen people who do all
these things?
FOR
SAFE PEOPLE,
SAFE PLACES,
SAFE PROCESSES
We like to think that we do a good job of assigning
clergy, paid and volunteer staff and protecting both them
and the program participants . However, thinking we are
doing a good job is not good enough. All organizations,
whether run by paid staff or volunteers, that minister to
vulnerable people, have a responsibility to appropriately
screen their volunteers. This responsibility is moral, legal
and spiritual. It is not only "the right" thing
to do but it is required legally under the "Duty of
Care" concept, which is the legal principle that identifies
the obligations of individuals and organizations to take
reasonable measures to care for and to protect participants.
All of us are vulnerable at some time or other. Our volunteer
and paid staff members are in need of being protected from
unjust potential allegations just as much as our program
participants must be protected by being in a safe place
with safe people and be involved in safe programs.
The vast majority of our members are indeed above reproach
but we must not close our eyes to the facts. We must morally, legally and spiritually, do all we can to make
sure our church, its clergy, paid and lay workers and the
participants in our church-sponsored activities are as safe
as is possible.
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Our partners
The
development of these materials owes much to co-operation
with other faith partners and other community partners.
Some of these are listed below:
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Screen in Faith forms
Sample forms for interviewing, and record keeping are available from:
Synod Office
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Aveenue
Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6
Or call (613) 233-6271 ext 243
Consent form:
One of the key forms that all parishes will need is
the Common Form of Consent. We have attached this
form in the three common file formats used within the diocese.
Please right click the format of your choice
below and save it to your own computer.
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Police Records check (PRC)
Throughout the diocese, police in different jurisdictions
use different procedures for people applying for a Police
Records Check. Check with your local authority before
you begin. Ideally, people whould be screened where they live.
If your church is in the City of Ottawa, the police there
will screen groups of paid and/or volunteer staff who work
with "the vulnerable sector".
Your church or ministry should "register" with the police
as an authorized agent, using a letter similar to the attached,
on letterhead,with your own church details substituted where
indicated. The Ottawa Police will waive the $10 fee for volunteers.
Staff and volunteers may also choose to go in person, with a letter
from the Church or Ministry, verifying their status.
Apply early, as the Police Records Check could take 6-8
weeks.
The city of Ottawa has issued NEW FORMS in Sept, 2006. You should
download the new forms, in French or English, from
Ottawa Police
Ottawa Police Service
P.O. Box 9634, Station "T"
Ottawa, ON K1G 6H5
Background Clearance Section
Attn: Nicole O'Neil or Amie Scharfe
Phone: 613-236-1222, ext 5485
Covering Letters to the Police:
Attached is a model covering letter: Police Letter.
This letter is in .rtf format and can
be either viewed online or downloaded and modified on your
own computer. See below for Position Descriptions
forms.
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Screen in Faith pamphlets
The
following pamphlets are available from:
Synod Office
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6
Or call (613) 233-6271 ext 232
- SIF FAQ's:
Answers to frequently asked questions.
- SIF - The 10 Safe
Steps
- SIF records:
Creating, security, and disposal
- SIF clergy screening
- Safe places
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Screen in Faith job description
Sample job descriptions are available from:
Synod Office
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6
Or call (613) 233-6271 ext 232
Every position, paid and volunteer, within the
diocese now requires a detailed position description.
For your convenience we have provided the following:
- A blank Template showing the various headings
and
- A model description for a
sunday school teacher illustrating how these
forms are completed.
We have also attached blank templates and model
forms for some other parish positions that you can download
and modify to meet your own needs. To download these forms (rtf format)
right click on the desired title and save
it on your own computer.
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Previusly released articles
Reprints of these articles are available from:
Synod Office
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1R 6G6
Or call (613) 233-6271 ext 232
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The Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
71 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa ON K1R 6G6
Tel: 613-232-7124 Fax: 613-232-7088
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