Embedded Files
DIRECTIONS FOR ONLINE TRAINING
Please READ THE ENTIRE POLICY.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS found at the bottom of document.
SUBMIT A BACKGROUND CHECK to your ministry leader.
Safe Sanctuaries Training Video
Safe Sanctuaries Training Video.mp4Safe Sanctuaries Statement of Purpose and Commitment:
The 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a resolution aimed at reducing the risk of child abuse in the church. The Safe Sanctuaries program has been created as a guideline for churches to follow to keep our children, students, vulnerable adults and leaders safe.
Jarvis Memorial UMC is committed to providing a safe and nurturing church home, in which our children, students and adults can experience God’s love and grow in their Christian faith. As members of the Body of Christ we all share in this responsibility and we further commit to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ so that each person will be “surrounded by steadfast love…established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal” (Baptismal Covenant II, United Methodist Hymnal, p. 44). To this end, anyone who is concerned about the physical or emotional safety of a child or student in our congregation, or any student who believes they have been harmed, is encouraged to report the incident so that we may fulfill our commitment to maintaining a Safe Sanctuary.
Statement of Safe Sanctuary Terminology
Before we progress through the training the Family Ministries team has discovered the importance of clarifying terminology that you will hear us use throughout this document. Clarity of the terms used will serve as a point of reference of what types of workers serve at Jarvis Memorial UMC.
Family Ministries Team: The term “Family Ministries” describes all ministries within Jarvis Memorial UMC that work with babies, children, youth and young adults.
Paid: The term “Paid Leader” describes all individuals who are hired/paid by the church and have been given the responsibility of managing, leading or directly working with children/youth. All paid leaders are background checked and required to participate and sign off on Safe Sanctuary guidelines.
Volunteer Leader: The term “Volunteer Leader” describes individuals who are given the responsibility of managing or directly working with children/youth. This however, does not describe their role as a teacher. These individuals have been background checked, Safe Sanctuary trained and are (21) twenty one years or older.
Volunteer Helper: The term “Volunteer Helper” describes individuals who work or help alongside a Volunteer Leader and have not been given the authority to volunteer alone. These individuals are volunteers who are working on completing Safe Sanctuary training and may not have been background checked at this point in time.
Complementary Worker: The term "Complementary Worker” describes individuals who provide services to Jarvis Memorial UMC but are not regular, established JMUMC employees. These individuals must either (1) work where there is no direct contact with children, or (2) submit for a background check.
Volunteer/Staff Selection Policies
All volunteer and paid staff who work with children, youth, and other vulnerable people at Jarvis Memorial
UMC will be:
• At least 21 years old. Exceptions apply for approved youth helpers.
• At least five years older than the oldest child/youth they will be supervising.
• A regular attendee at Jarvis Memorial UMC for at least six months. Rare exceptions may be made in consultation with the pastor in charge in special situations.
All volunteer and paid staff (including clergy) who work with children, youth, and other vulnerable people at Jarvis Memorial UMC will:
• Read the entire policy. Please click below to review the policy https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KwRlb7XGkSY_l_mKtXZrtSxM42EUB0VPRm4uP-vuaQo/edit?usp=sharing
• Complete and sign an application and the related waivers giving permission to check references (please provide one non-familial reference).
• Undergo a criminal background check if they have leadership responsibility for children/youth/other vulnerable people. Individuals who have been convicted of physical or sexual abuse or neglect may not work in any church-sponsored activity or program for preschoolers, children, youth, or other vulnerable people. (All volunteers 21 years and older must have a background check)
о All persons working with children, youth, or other vulnerable people must be in compliance with the Safe Sanctuaries policy.
о All volunteers must be aware that: North Carolina has a mandatory reporting law, NCGS § 7B-301 that states "any person or institution who has cause to suspect that any juvenile is abused, neglected, or dependent, as defined by NCGS § 7B-101, or has died as the result of maltreatment, shall report the case of that juvenile to the director of the department of social services in the county where the juvenile resides or is found."
Standard Procedures for Operating Safely
The procedures that we have adopted to insure that our children and students are safe include but are not limited to the following:
A minimum of one adult who has been Safe Sanctuary trained and background checked in the room at all times. One adult can never be left alone with two or less children or students. In the event only one adult can be secured, the door shall remain open at all times; and there will be a leader assigned to roam, if there is not a window in the door.
Students or youth may be assigned to assist with children’s ministry programs; these students are subject to the “five-years-older rule” and are expected to participate in a training.
During all Family Ministry programming, a drop-in policy has been established. Leaders understand that coordinators circulate to ensure policies are followed.
Concern/Incident Report Forms are available in church office, in Family Ministry areas and may be requested from ministry leaders.
Restroom Policies
Only paid nursery staff and/or parents of children in our care are allowed to change diapers. All other diapering needs should be directed to the changing stations in restrooms outside the nursery.
Only paid nursery staff, “Volunteer Leaders” and/or parents of children in our care can take children into restrooms to assist with toilet needs.
Children are monitored from outside the restroom at all times.
Students are expected to go and come from restrooms on their own.
If parents prefer to change their children themselves, they should do so in the restroom changing facilities.
Adults responsible for special needs children, students and/or vulnerable adults should work with Family Ministries staff to create an individual Safe Sanctuaries plan.
Leader Screening Procedure
In response to the initiative set forth by the 1996 General Conference of the UM Church, we have taken the following steps to insure that our children, students, workers and church are safe:
All persons working with children and students are given information about our policies and procedures during their training process.
The Jarvis Memorial UMC Safe Sanctuaries policies are available in the church office upon request.
Leaders (including paid and non-paid staff) are asked to sign the ‘Leader Consent Form’ stating they will adhere to the policy.
Coordinators are in regular relationship with “Volunteer Leaders” in order to ensure that polices are followed.
Anyone wishing to be a “Volunteer Leader” in an area that directly relates to children and students must consent to a background check.
Completed background forms are to be returned to your coordinator who in turn will give the information to Business Administrator who will process the request. Results are kept confidential and locked. The Business Administrator will view the report. The ‘Background Check Authorization’ form is shredded to protect confidentiality and the ‘Safe Sanctuaries Leader Consent’ form is kept on file.
Safe Sanctuary Training is for a (3) three-year cycle and must be renewed after expiration. Background Checks are good for a (3) three-year cycle but can be requested at any time.
Guidelines for Trips and Off- Site Programming
The following additional guidelines address issues of safety that may arise when children and students participate in off-site trips and programs.
Transportation
An adult can transport 3 or more children in a vehicle. If an emergency situation arises where a student needs transportation and only one adult is available (e.g., utilizing two adults would compromise the supervision of remaining student), then every effort will be made to relieve the emergency situation.
All drivers transporting a child/youth on a personal vehicle during an activity must have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance (including the coverage limits of such insurance - 100/300/100) and must be (21) twenty-one years or older.
Lodging & Activities
All off site events and trips require written permission forms, unless a child’s parent/guardian is present.
At no time will a student and an adult leader stay in a room by themselves unless they are related. Students and adults who are unrelated will not sleep in the same bed.
Adults and students will be split by gender for overnight accommodations. Males and females may not share the same sleeping areas.
When large common sleeping areas are used, adults will remain in the immediate vicinity sleeping near the exits.
All participants should have privacy for showering/bathing. If there is a common shower, arrangements should be made to schedule showers separately for students and adults.
In independent activities (e.g., skiing, beach), students must stay in groups, checking in with an adult supervisor in a public place at designated times.
Procedural Guidelines For Handling Concerns or Reported Allegations Of Abuse
1. Any allegation of abuse of a minor by a leader (paid or unpaid) must be immediately reported to a member of the Family Ministries Team and then, subsequently, to the Senior Pastor immediately upon initial receipt of an allegation. Such notification shall be by personal statement, phone call, text, email, or whatever form of communication is quickest in the circumstances. If such an allegation is reported to a staff member, the staff person must report immediately to the Senior Pastor. If the allegation is against the Lead Pastor the report shall be made to the Chairperson of the Staff Parish Relations Committee and the following procedures should be followed absenting the Senior Pastor from each process.
2. Upon receipt of such allegation, the Senior Pastor, the Admin Council Chair, and the Chairperson of the SPRC will immediately determine whether the allegation in question is a reportable incident within the guidelines set forth by applicable N.C. statutes and the Pitt County Department of Human Services. If so, the allegation will be reported to the appropriate authorities by the Admin Council Chairperson or SPRC Chair and the Lead Pastor as soon as possible.
3. The allegation in question shall be then reported, to all clergy on staff; to the Chairperson of the SPRC and the Chair of the Administrative Council; and to the appropriate member(s) of the Family Ministries Team, to the extent that they are not the initial recipient of such an allegation or the subject of same.
4. The Senior Pastor shall immediately notify the District Superintendent of the allegation and will work with the District Superintendent (DS). If the allegation is against a clergy person, the DS will determine if the allegation is a chargeable offense under The Book of Discipline. If the allegation is against the Senior Pastor, The SPRC Chair will contact the DS.
5. If the allegation in question is not a reportable incident, the Lead Pastor, the Council Chair, and the SPRC Chair along with the appropriate pastor and/or staff member(s) described in the paragraph above, will immediately determine how best to further investigate the allegation in question, and/or address the same with the accused, the minor, and the minor's parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
6. Any concern or allegation of abuse regarding a minor who is affiliated with Jarvis Memorial UMC that is directly observed or reported requires an immediate report to the civil authorities per The Book of Discipline. Therefore, any report, allegation, or observation of abuse made to any pastor or staff member must therefore be immediately reported to the Senior Pastor. The Senior Pastor (and said pastor or staff person) will immediately contact the appropriate authorities.
Procedural Guidelines for Distributing and Handling Concern/Incident Report Forms
1. Distribution: Concern/Incident forms will be available to all Jarvis Memorial UMC leaders (paid and unpaid), church members, parents, students, and/or visitors in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:
- Available in Family Ministries areas
- Available in the church's receptionist area
- Available in the Youth and Children's ministry office
2. Handling of Concern/Incident Reports
All concern/incident reports received by anyone affiliated with Jarvis Memorial UMC shall be immediately directed to the appropriate persons as set forth in the guidelines established in the Safe Sanctuaries Manual.
Access to such reports during the implementation of the procedures listed in these guidelines shall be strictly limited to the designated persons.
Following completion of such procedures, all such reports shall be stored in a segregated file cabinet or storage compartment, kept locked at all times, and made available for subsequent review only by clergy or paid staff who are directly responsible for making employment and/or leader selection decisions.
3. Handling of General Concern Reports: All reports received by anyone affiliated with Jarvis Memorial UMC that relate only to general concerns shall be immediately directed to coordinators and pastors.
4. Acknowledgement of Receipt: Upon receipt of the Concern/Incident Report Form, the Lead Pastor or other appropriate personnel will acknowledge the receipt of the form to the submitter of the form.
PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW
Report abuse