COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matthew 28:19 PROCEDURE OPERATIONS SAFE CHURCH CHURCH OF CHRIST CHINCHILLA No.COFC-210Revision 1 Author Rick Whittle20 Oct 2023 Safe Church Operations Procedure Revised Rick Whittle8 May 2025 Checked Daniel Rogers12 May 2025 Approved 24/25 Board19 May 2025 COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Table of Contents No.COFC-210Revision 1 Author Rick Whittle20 Oct 2023 Safe Church Operations Procedure Revised Rick Whittle8 May 2025 Checked Daniel Rogers12 May 2025 Approved 24/25 Board19 May 2025 COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 No.COFC-210Revision 1 Author Rick Whittle20 Oct 2023 Safe Church Operations Procedure Revised Rick Whittle8 May 2025 Checked Daniel Rogers12 May 2025 Approved 24/25 Board19 May 2025 COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Purpose This operational document is developed with reference to, and should be read in conjunction with: The controlled versions of these documents, and other supporting documents, can be found on the Churches of Christ Queensland website or on the Chinchilla Church of Christ electronic file system. Chinchilla Church of Christ document version control is recorder in: COFC-000 - Document Register Documents referenced in this document: Documents that reference this document: NilCOFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Page 5 of 29 Page(s) Safe Church Operations Procedure COFC-210.1 Annual Adoption of Safe Church Policy After the annual meeting each year, the Governance Group (Board and Elders) will: • Review the Safe Church Policy and make any adjustments identified as necessary. • Note in the minutes of a board meeting (Governance Group) that the Governance Group adopts and will implement the CofCQ Safe Church Policy. • Send confirmation of our acceptance using wording as in Appendix A of the policy. Screening and Training Staff, Volunteers and Leaders All Staff, Governance Group, Volunteers and Leaders must complete Safe Ministry Check screening and training at least to the level specified in the Safe Ministry Check program for their role and obtain a positive Blue Card notification if required (see below under Who will require a blue card at Chinchilla Church of Christ?), and be accepted by the Governance Group prior to commencing any ministry activity. This Safe Ministry Check includes music ministry leaders, morning tea volunteers, property supervisor and welcomers. All paid ministry staff are required to obtain a satisfactory National Police Check and present the certificate to the Governance Group prior to commencing employment. EXCLUSION, TERMINATION and SUSPENSION of Staff and Volunteers. • No person convicted of Sexual Abuse will be employed by the church or allowed to volunteer in any church ministry activities. If a person is convicted of a sexual offense while employed by the church, the person’s employment is to be terminated immediately, subject to applicable government legislative requirements. • If there is a reasonable suspicion that a person may have committed Sexual Abuse, that person must be stood down until the investigation is completed. *Reasonable suspicion means fair and practical reason to believe an incident involving sexual abuse has occurred based on either verbal communication, hearsay, rumour or observance of behaviour.COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Page 6 of 29 Page(s) Safe Church Operations Procedure COFC-210.1 Guide for Training and Blue Card Requirements for Typical Church Staff and Volunteer Roles 1 A blue card will be required if there are children present in the household where the small group meets. * This would be run by the Ministry/Program Leader at a suitable frequency and be specific to the ministry or program ** At church discretion The governance group may also choose to run the ‘Member Group Training’ video at a suitable time to create greater awareness of the Safe Church for children and vulnerable people. A SMC coordinator may then enter attendees manually in the SMC. ROLE SMC Member T raining SMC Volunt eer s & Leader T raining SMC T eam Leader s T raining SMC S taf f & Boar d Member Tr aining Buil ding Induc tion Pr ogr am/Minis tr y Induc tion/ Tr aining* Polic e Check Blue C ar d or R es tric ted P er son Declar ation F orm Volunt eer Applic ation Pr oc ess ** Emer genc y R esponse T raining Ministering Personxxxxx Church General Staff/Employeesxxxx**xx Church Ministry Staff/Employeesxxxxxx Governing Group Memberxxxxx Treasurerxx**x Safe Ministry Contactxxxxxx Safe Ministry Coordinatorxxxxxx Programs/Ministries Program/Ministry Leader xxxxx Program/Ministry Volunteerxxxxx Children's Ministry Leaderxxxxxx Children's Ministry Volunteerxxxxx Home Group Leadersxxxxx¹ Rosters Worship Leaderx Communion Leaderx Welcomersx Communion Server, Bible Readerx Kitchen/morning tea dutiesxx** Grounds and maintenancex Website/social media administratorsxCOFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Page 7 of 29 Page(s) Safe Church Operations Procedure COFC-210.1 How does a person go about obtaining clearance to volunteer in a ministry activity? 1 Approach an elder, board chairman or ministry leader to express their interest and availability or a ministry leader, elder or board chairman may approach a person to discuss their availability for participation in ministry. 2 Approach the Safe Ministry Check Administrators to commence the process of approval. The process is less complicated and quicker electronically through the church office. 3 Complete the following steps online using the supplied internet • Sign a code of conduct; and • Complete a self-disclosure statement; and • Provide 2 referees who can attest to your suitability to work with children or vulnerable people; and • Complete the required training; and • Provide details of an existing Blue Card or Exemption Card; OR • Apply for a Blue Card if it is required for the ministry that you may be involved with. 4 For those unable to complete the application and training online: • Application and/or Training may be conducted as a group activity. If so, a register of those trained must be kept, including name, email address, phone number and date of birth. Each person must also complete the • A SMC coordinator must then enter all the information into SMC manually, and then check that referees respond and the blue card is cleared. 5 Complete 6 When the process of application is concluded, the results are to be notified to the Governance Group for final sign-off. 7 If a person volunteers in restricted employment under a blue card exemption, they must also declare that they are not a restricted person under Blue Card laws. • • Applies to: ◦ a volunteer parent in a program their Child is attending ◦ a volunteer under 18 years of age ◦ a person working with children for less than 7 days in a calendar yearCOFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Page 8 of 29 Page(s) Safe Church Operations Procedure COFC-210.1 Who will require a blue card at Chinchilla Church of Christ? For the current ministries, the following will require a Blue Card - Any person 18 years of age or older, working with children under 18 years of age or making decisions about children. This includes all Governance Group Members, all people working in Kids Church, FROGG and all other youth activities, all leaders in the music ministry when there are participants under 18 years of age, all worship leaders, and growth group leaders if there are children present. See also If a new ministry commences, the Governance Group must determine as to whether the activity may involve contact with children and therefore if a blue card is required for leaders and volunteers. Contractors, One-Off Event Volunteers: See under Risk Assessments Safe Ministry Check and Blue Card Organisation Portal: Administrators: At least two shall be appointed by the Governance Group. One shall be the Church Administration Officer if appropriate, and any others from trusted and competent church attenders. These Administrators will oversee both portals. These administrators will also act as Safe Ministry Check Coordinators unless the Governance Group appoints others to fill that role, either exclusively or in addition to the administrators. The coordinators’ role is to directly lease with volunteers and staff to ensure they complete all necessary requirements under blue card and safe ministries check. Administrators will enter the details of relevant staff and volunteers into the portals and update the portals as information becomes available or changes, review the Safe Ministry Check and Blue Card Portals at least monthly to ensure screening and training is completed promptly, to identify where blue cards are expiring, when re-training is becoming due, and to identify if there are negative blue card notices, or concerns from referee responses or self-disclosures. Administrators must also ensure those working with or making decisions about children at Chinchilla Church of Christ are linked to the church on the Church’s Blue Card Organisational Portal. They must also unlink those who cease to be work under the church’s ministry control. Administrators will provide quarterly updates on the status of training and screening and immediate notification of any concerns raised through referee responses or self- disclosures. Safe Ministry Contacts At least two (2) people (at least one male and one female) are to be appointed as Safe Ministry Contacts. In addition, one person from Churches of Christ Queensland Conference will be nominated as a contact from outside of the Chinchilla Church of Christ. These people will be identified to the Church as the Safe Ministry Contacts by permanent notice in The Messenger and by posting photos and contact details on a notice board in the church building.COFC-210.1 - Safe Church Operations Procedure ©Copyright Chinchilla Church of Christ 2025 Page 9 of 29 Page(s) Safe Church Operations Procedure COFC-210.1 The administrators of the Safe Ministry Check and Blue Card portals, and the Safe Ministry Contacts are to be recorded in the AGM minutes or the following board meeting after the AGM. Roles, Responsibilities and Delegation of Authority The current Roles of the church governance group and volunteers leading or participating in various ministries is listed in Appendix A. Other roles may arise to assist in governance of the church or to lead new ministry opportunities. New ministries of the church and appointed leaders are to be noted in the minutes of the Board or the Annual Church Meeting. Responsibilities of roles: These are to be listed in a role description for each appointed leader or assistant leader. Delegation of authority: The Governance Group (Elders and Board) may delegate certain authority to leaders of ministries; • where that delegation assists in the efficient running of the ministry, • the leaders have the skills and maturity to exercise that authority, • the leader holds a blue card if required for the role and has satisfactorily completed Safe Ministry Check, • the delegation does not significantly increase risk to the church or the leader to which delegation is given; and • the delegation is given in writing using • the ministry leader accepts and signs the delegation of authority. Delegation of authority for the approval of High-Risk activities as listed in the Safe Church Policy, or for other activities that the insurer or the governance group also considers High Risk, will not be delegated to ministry leaders. That responsibility will remain with the Governance Group.Next >