Last September we shared important updates to our Diocesan Safe Church Policy.We are now several months into this transition and have made great strides toward making Safeguarding God’s Children and People more accessible. A number of in-person trainings continue to be offered throughout the diocese, as well as the newly implemented Safeguarding online trainings.
SAFEGUARDING ONLINE
In regards to the online training, you may recall that we instituted a requirement for a 1-hour follow-up with a trainer for compliance purposes. We are now requiring the submission of a survey in lieu of the 1-hour follow-up training. We have also updated our diocesan Safeguarding Online (Armatus) account to allow users to self-register, which makes the training available to anyone in the diocese, at any time. More information and instructions for Safeguarding Online can be found at HERE. Please be sure to follow the instructions carefully, and note that the Armatus certificate does not replace the Diocesan certificate.
SAFEGUARDING TRAINERS
We have also instituted a new pathway to become a Safeguarding trainer. We encourage each congregation to have someone available to hold in-person trainings throughout the year. If you or someone at your congregation would like to become a Safeguarding trainer, please follow the steps provided HERE.
LAY EMPLOYEE & VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECKS
A number of churches have also inquired about background checks. Current (within 5 years) criminal background checks are required for all paid employees and those who work regularly with youth or children. If your congregation does not already have an account set-up with a background screening service, you might consider setting one up with Intellicorp, VerifiedFirst, or SecureSearch Faith. Our office can also assist with running a background check for your congregation, particularly if the fees associated with the professional account are burdensome to your congregation and you anticipate performing less than 5 background checks per year for paid employees. CLICK HERE for more info.
CLERGY BACKGROUND CHECKS
Rectors, Vicars, and Priests-in-Charge, and other clergy members serving congregations should also have a current (within 5 years) Oxford background check on file. These can be requested using THIS FORM. Please note that an Oxford background check is conducted for each clergy member who is ordained, licensed or transferred to the diocese.
If you have questions about Safeguarding Online, Background Checks, or any other Safe Church issues, you may contact April Caballero, Executive Assistant to the Bishop and to the Canon to the Ordinary, at acaballero@ecww.org.
Information and Forms can all be found on our website at https://resources.ecww.org/safe-church.
UPDATED DIOCESAN SAFE CHURCH POLICY (SEPTEMBER 2018)
