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Non-Negotiables in Youth and Family Ministry. All of the material on staffing and risk assessment is taken from the work of Reducing the Risk II Making Your Church Safe from Child Sexual Abuse Church Ministry Resources www.reducingtherisk.com
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All of the material on staffing and risk assessment is taken from the work of Reducing the Risk IIMaking Your Church Safe from Child SexualAbuseChurch Ministry Resourceswww.reducingtherisk.com I strongly recommend the each church purchase this valuable resource!
Presented by: Rebecca Avery, M.Ed. Teen/Young Adult Coordinator Kathryn Kellogg, B.M.E., CSE, LUT, Minister Children’s Ministry Coordinator Association of Unity Churches International Staff
What is risk management? Keeping children and adults safe with policies and procedures that reduce the possibility of loss, injury or dangers thereby reducing legal risk and liability exposure.
Why is risk management important? Children deserve to be safe. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually. Let the children come to me and do not hinder them for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.
Abuse and tragedy impact a child’s life forever.It can impact the life of a church for years.
Why is risk management important? Churches need to be safe. You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
Components of Risk Management Facility Programming Staffing
Facility Use common sense about where children meet and child-proof the rooms. • Windows in doors/walls • Location of bathrooms and other adult spaces • Ground floor for babies through 2nd grade • Clean rooms, unbroken furniture/toys • Communications system • Evacuation plan
Programming Be proactive instead of reactive. • Transportation – age of drivers, licenses, insurance • Insurance – who is covered, when and where and how much • Registration and check-in procedures • Medical releases (photography releases) and permission slips • Crisis care with matters such as suicide, sex, drugs, etc. • Location of children before, after and between services • Education of parents and adults of policies and procedures
Staffing • Who are you looking for? Teacher, guide, role model, mentor, self-disciplined • Time Factor: Give them time to get to know the ministry and for you to get to know them. • Recommended: One year for teen ministry, six months to one year for children’s. • Coming from another Unity? Call!
Selecting and Screening • Job Descriptions • Application form • Written • References • at least three • letter, reference form, call • signed release of liability form
Background check • Not required but recommended to prove church was not negligent in selecting a youth worker. • Criminal record checks only one piece of prevention. • In the future it may be required because other agencies have made it a standard of practice. • Recommendation: Conduct criminal checks on all paid employees and any volunteer who has frequent, unsupervised access to children/teens.
Interview • Create behavior-based questions.
Supervision • Training • Code of ethics, code of conduct • On-going • Supervising • Two adults in each classroom • Floating monitor • Windows in doors, open door • Risk assessment
Policies and Procedures Did you know? • Churches are not responsible for every injury but responsible for those injuries resulting from negligence. • Churches have not been found liable for not having a policy but rather for not following one they did have.
Reducing the Risk IIMaking Your Church Safe from Child Sexual AbuseChurch Ministry Resourceswww.reducingtherisk.com
Policies and Principles Principle provides an underlying sense of direction, that while general in nature, can be applied to specific situations. Policies guide behaviors under specific circumstances.
Assess Levels of Risk • Principle #1: As risk increases, supervision should also increase.
Risk increases as isolation increases. Situations that require more supervision. • Any activity that is located off of church property • Any activity on church property but at a different time or location
Assess risk • Classroom: two or more unrelated adults, open door or door with window, during church with other activities going on and people around • Classroom: one adult, door shut and without window, door has capability of being locked from inside • Classroom: after service two children back in classroom with door shut
Risk increases as accountability decreases. Involves justifying one’s actions. • Personal character and integrity • Have you screened your personnel? • Number of people present • Are there two or more unrelated persons? • Degree of openness and approval • Who knows about the activity? (parents, minister, staff)
Risk increases when there is an imbalance of power, authority, influence, and control between a potential abuser and a potential victim. • Establish balance of power with multiple adults or with child to child, an age span of less than five years. • Bathroom consideration: send two kids, ask parents to take them before, send approved adult • Ministers: what about spiritual counseling, picking up children/teens, private mentoring, etc. ?
Policies - Four critical are 1) Selecting and screening workers slides 10 – 12 2) Worker supervision slides 13, 17 - 21
3) State reporting obligations • What constitutes child abuse • Persons legally responsible for reporting • Length of time required to make a report • Nature and content of report • Agencies to be contacted • Penalties for failing to report • Protection from legal and civil litigation if report made in good faith
4) Responding to allegations • Understand the problem. (Take all allegations seriously.) • Provide a caring response. • Document the allegation (not an investigation but collecting information for reporting). • Seek professional assistance limited to need to know (insurance company, church attorney, denomination leader). • Provide support to the victim. • Fulfill state reporting obligations. • Decide on options regarding the alleged perpetrator. • Respond to congregational concerns. • Respond to media. • Maintain strict confidentiality in all of the above communicating on a need to know basis.
How will you answer these two questions? • What did you or your staff do to prevent this tragedy from occurring? • What procedures did you utilize to check the molester’s background and supervise his work with children?
What’s non-negotiable? • Two adults per classroom/group • Background check • Policy, principles and procedures • Plan of action
