1 NOTE: The Chat feature will be open throughout the webinar, so please feel free to type in a question or comment at any time. The Voice option will be activated several times during the webinar for anyone who would like to speak aloud rather than type a comment or question. OPENING PRAYER Welcome AGENDA (1) The Goal and Purpose of SafeR Church (2) Update (a) Re Ecclesiastical s List of Requirements and proposed revisions/clarifications (b) Re Part III, How-To Guide (3) (a) Basic process of creating a Plan (b) Adapting the process for multi-point parishes (4) Dates/Topics of Webinars Fall 2014 (5) Poll Question THE GRACE
2 (1) The Goal and Purpose of SafeR Church The purpose of SafeR Church is to create, restore, build, nourish, and sustain communities of trust and trustworthy communities in our parishes and diocese to create SafeR Church for everyone, by taking active measures to prevent and respond to the threat of all forms of abuse sexual, physical, spiritual, psychological, emotional, etc. including bullying and harassment; committed by anyone involved in our parishes and diocese children, youth, adults, seniors, men, women, laypeople, and clergy; committed against anyone involved in our parishes and diocese children, youth, adults, seniors, men, women, laypeople, and clergy.
3 (2) Updates: (a) Ecclesiastical s Requirements of Parishes for Responsible Ministry Policy Renewal January 2015: -Ecclesiastical expects that all parishes will have made significant/substantial progress toward the completion and implementation of their SafeR Church Plans. - Ecclesiastical will require each parish to complete selfaudit - Ecclesiastical may audit parishes SafeR Church Plans, ask to see documents, interview people, etc., as part of inspection of property - Ecclesiastical s specific requirements of parishes can be found in the document Responsible Ministry Policy Renewal Audit for Parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The document is in a PDF file, named Ecclesiastical - Self-Audit for Parishes NSPEI Diocese - 01Oc14.pdf posted on the SafeR Church page of the Diocesan website. It can be downloaded and printed from there.) - UPDATE: October 9, 2014 The list is going back to ecclesiastical with suggested revisions in response to comments and concerns raised during webinar #11 and in poll question. An updated list will be posted as soon as it s received. (2)(b) Part III, How-To Guide Check the SafeR Church webpage of the diocesan website next week for Part III.
4 (3) (a) Basic process of creating a SafeR Church Plan (b) Adapting the process for multi-point parishes (a) Basic Process of Creating a SafeR Church Plan (Steps 1-5) SafeR Church Framework: Ministries, Governance, Intangibles
5 Step 1: Bring team/committee together; gather information (e.g., program descriptions, terms of reference, position descriptions, bylaws, etc.) Step 2: Create SafeR Church Policy to govern and guide the work of creating a SafeR Church (Sample policy in Part II of How-To Guide; alternate policy to be posted to SafeR Church webpage of Diocesan website) Step 3: Focus on Threats (negative risks) The task in relation to Ministries, Governance, and Intangibles is the same: (1) Describe the reality(ies) thoroughly (2) Identify inherent or foreseeable risks (threats), especially risks of abuse (of whatever kind, posed by anybody in relation to anybody) (3) Identify/create risk management measures to address the risks identified Step 4: Focus on Opportunities (positive risks) The task in relation to Ministries, Governance, and Intangibles is the same: (1) Review completed audits (2) Identify the opportunities, i.e., aspects of the parish s Ministries, Governance, and Intangibles that promote, support respect and safety and discourage abuse (3) Identify measures to enhance, support, encourage these opportunities Step 5: Put the Plan together
6 SafeR Church Plan Sample Outline of Contents (1) SafeR Church POLICY The policy establishes the principles behind and the overall directions of your parish s SafeR Church Plan. (2) SafeR Church MEASURES* In this part of the Plan, you will identify the specific things your parish is going to do to combat abuse of all forms, based on your audits of Ministries, Governance, and Intangibles, and including, at a minimum, the measures required by Ecclesiastical. (a) SafeR Church Measures re Parish MINISTRIES (b) SafeR Church Measures re Parish GOVERNANCE (c) SafeR Church Measures re Parish INTANGIBLES (3) IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS (List of priorities; timelines; how measures will be implemented) (Sample implementation table) Priority Specific Measure 1. 2 3. etc. Parish Council approval required? Received? When? Implemented by when? Who is responsible? Cost? (4) SUPPORTING MATERIAL: Audits, other materials used in the development of the Plan. * Measures Measures can take a variety of forms, including procedures (e.g., screening procedures), protocols (e.g., protocol for reporting allegations of abuse), and practices or rules (e.g., such as the two-leader rule), as well as actions such as putting windows in doors, or writing a letter, or holding an information meeting or training session, etc.
7 (b) Adapting the Process for Multi-Point Parishes Here s the bottom line: The process of identifying SafeR Church measures for any parish has to be based on (1) Complete and thorough descriptions of the realities of the parish (audits) (2) Identification of risks (negative and positive) (3) Identification of measures to effectively address the risks The question is not whether we have to do it. We do. The question is how? How can we do this in a multi-point parish?
8 Options? - Conducting How does this church operate? audits instead of (or in addition to some) specific program and/or position audits. (See tool on SafeR Church webpage) - Conducting audits of single task positions (See sample on SafeR Church webpage) - Some audits of Governance, in particular might be done at the parish level rather than by each church individually - Other audits Intangibles, in particular really need to be done at both church and parish-wide level Other ideas? Resources that would help?
9 (4) Poll Questions: (i) Do you think it would be useful to have another webinar on? If so, what issues, concerns, questions should be covered in it? What other kinds of resources would help you to create a SafeR Church Plan for your multi-point parish? (ii) What other topics do you think should be covered in upcoming webinars? (5) SafeR Church Webinars Schedule to end of November 2014 SafeR Church Webinar #13: Thursday, October 30, 2014, 7-8:30pm Topic: SafeR Church and the Intangibles (Part 2) SafeR Church Webinar #14: Thursday, November 13, 2014, 7-8:30pm Topic: TBD (Possibly (Part 2) SafeR Church Webinar #15: Thursday, November 27, 2014, 7-8:30pm Topic: TBD Please note: There will be no webinars in December; they will resume in January 2015. Specific dates to be determined.
10 Please take a few minutes to respond to the Poll question. Thanks for participating in the Webinar. THE GRACE