Lay Ministry

Safer Ministry Accreditation Information

Safer Ministry Accreditation consists of the screening process and education.

The Diocese of Adelaide wishes the church to be a safer place for all people.  To enable a safer environment protection policies are in place, including:

  • National Criminal History Record checks
  • National Register and local Professional Standards Register screenings
  • The Safer Ministry Education program, and
  • The consent to Diocesan Code of Conduct “Faithfulness in Service”.

In addition to the Archbishop’s license or authorisation which may be required, there are also specific Safer Ministry screening and education requirements for undertaking particular clergy and lay roles and associated responsibilities within the church.  These are detailed in the Safer Ministry Program 2012 sheet.

The church roles and responsibilities are classified as Level 1 or Level 2 with associated levels of Safer Ministry screening and education required for each level with a greater focus on protecting children and young people.

Level 1 includes:

  • All clergy holding the Archbishop’s licence or permission to officiate, candidates for ordination, paid lay ministry church workers
  • (Youth and Children's Ministry) - Lay people who undertake work with young people and children and;
  • (Lay Ministry Leadership) - Aged care, home communion visitors, bereavement follow-up, baptism preparation, leader of adult choir and;
  • (Lay Readers) - Those who lead worship and preach/teach.

Prior to receiving the Archbishop’s license or authorisation Clergy and Lay People occupying a Level 1 position must all successfully complete:

 

Level 2 includes:

  • (Lay Ministry Assistant) - Lay people authorised to assist in leading worship and administering the sacrament,
  • (Local Leadership) - Lay people exercising local leadership eg Priest's Warden, People's Warden, Secretary, Treasurer, Parish Council Member, Synod Representative;
  • all parishioners who wish to undertake Safer Ministry Education

Lay People occupying Level 2 roles as authorised Lay Ministry Assistants and undertaking Local Leadership sign the “Level 2 Application Form”. 

Processing of Safer Ministry Nominations and Applications

When the Level 1 Nomination Form is received in Diocesan Office, a designated staff member will verify that all necessary documents have been received and the appropriate documents have been signed and sighted and/or witnessed on the necessary pages. 

The Safer Ministry Screening documentation is reviewed on a confidential basis by the Registry Office.

All Level 1 nominations will be referred to the Professional Standards Director (PSD) for screening against the Local Professional Standards register and the Registrar will conduct a search of the National Register.

If issues are identified in the questionnaire or in local or national screening, the Professional Standards Director will be asked to provide advice to the Archbishop.  This advice will be confidential to the PSD and the Archbishop.  The Archbishop may then liaise with the appointing authority regarding the appropriateness of the appointment.

Where no issues are identified and the screening reveals no issues, then the Registrar advises the Archbishop there is no impediment to the granting of a licence, authorisation or permission.  The Archbishop may then issue a licence, authorisation or permission to officiate under seal which will be duly registered by the Registrar and entered into the diocesan data base.

Similar advice will be provided by the Registrar to the supervisor of paid ministry workers. 

The Parish Priest signs the Level 2 Application form on behalf of the parish.  The Level 2 Application Form is then forwarded to Diocesan Office for the Archbishop's authorisation. The form is then used to update the Diocesan Database and returned to the Parish Priest for the parish records.