DIOCESAN POLICY

In the Diocese of Hamilton, many volunteers serve in positions of trust. The screening of volunteers helps to create and maintain a safe environment for all volunteers as well as those to whom they minister. In order to ensure that all concerned are protected, the following policies are to be observed.

IMPLEMENTATION

The Catholic Bishops of Ontario have suggested that screening be initiated in every diocese in the Province. Bishop Tonnos has mandated that the screening of volunteers be implemented in every parish in the Diocese of Hamilton.This includes both those presently serving and those seeking to do so.
All volunteers are to be screened according to the procedures and instructions presented in the diocesan manual. Standardized forms, provided by the Diocese, are to be used in the implementation of a uniform screening process. The pastor is to establish volunteer screening committees. A screening committee ranges from a minimum of two to a maximum of five people.

To fulfill its mandate, the Holy Rosary Screening Committee uses the forms developed primarily by the Diocese. Forms are available for volunteers and ministry coordinators. Click to download pdf files and print the needed form(s):

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INTRODUCTION

Screening Process

Screening volunteers is a process designed to create and maintain a safe environment. This process involves identifying any activity or ministry position that could place children, youth or other vulnerable persons at risk of being harmed.

Screening Committees

Upon the recommendation and appointment by the pastor, two to five members of the parish are to serve on a screening committee. Members of the committee are to familiarize themselves with diocesan policy, the procedures for screening and are to receive the necessary training to undertake the task of volunteer screening.

The screening process is an ongoing responsibility of all Ministry Leaders. What follows are some frequently asked questions about volunteer screening. If you have questions that are not answered by this document, feel free to contact any member of the Holy Rosary Parish Screening Committee. Please contact our Screening in Faith Coordinator by e-mail. Alternatively, call the Parish office at (519) 822-4701.

 

A. The Ministry Leader for that ministry is responsible to ensure that all active volunteers are screened. The Screening Committee is responsible for ensuring that the process is being followed and to provide assistance as required.

A. When there is a change in leadership in any Ministry, the departing Ministry Leader must pass along the Volunteer Screening Manual (binder) to the new Ministry Leader. The Screening Committee should be informed of the change so that they can provide a position description to the new leader and update their database.

A. No. The volunteer only needs to be screened once. Persons with multiple volunteer positions are to be screened to the risk of the highest risk position that they are serving. The screening committee should be informed of any new volunteer positions so that the volunteer’s file can account for their new assignment.

A. The Screening Committee maintains a listing of all volunteers in the parish and at what level they were screened. Contact any member of the Screening Committee to verify the screening of any new volunteers.

A. The first step is to determine the level of screening required. All volunteer positions in the parish have already been assessed for the associated risk level. High risk positions are those that require a candidate to handle money or have ongoing interactions with vulnerable people i.e. children, the elderly etc. If in doubt, contact someone on the Screening Committee to determine the level of risk associated with the position.

If the volunteer position is low risk, the new volunteer is given the respective position description and is instructed to complete Form A – Volunteer Information. The completed form should be sent confidentially to the Screening Committee.

If the volunteer position is high risk, then the volunteer is given the respective position description and instructed to complete Forms A, B and C – Volunteer Information, References Form, Consent for Reference Checks Form. Once completed, these forms should be submitted confidentially to the Screening Committee who will assist with the rest of the process. The volunteer will be interviewed by the Screening Committee, have their references checked and finally a police check will be required.

A. Ideally the volunteer should not participate in any activities until the screening process is complete. If necessary, the volunteer can perform some very limited volunteer duties in a probationary state. The volunteer should be at least interviewed by the Screening Committee before this occurs. The volunteer should be paired with a screened volunteer and the limitations should be clear to the volunteer and the supervisor.

A. Samples of all the forms are found in your Volunteer Screening Manual. If you need additional copies of the forms or copies of specific position descriptions, contact any member of the Screening Committee.

A. The volunteer files are locked in a filing cabinet in the Parish Office. Only the Pastor, Associate and Screening Committee have access. Two people must always be present before a file is retrieved. Files are maintained for a period of about 7 years after a volunteer stops volunteering or leaves the parish.

A. A volunteer can request access to their file for viewing purposes only. The volunteer must submit their request in writing to the Screening Committee. Two members of the committee will be present when the file is retrieved.

A. The Diocese is in the process of implementing some ongoing screening tools. All volunteers will be asked to renew their screening data every few years. The specifics on this have not been fully developed yet.

A. The members of the committee are:
Fr. Bernie Carroll
Pat McCann - Chairperson
Joe Waters

Leave a message at the Parish Office (519)-822-4701 or e-mail him.

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