All Topics > Business Services > Screening Church Staff And Volunteers >

Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Delaware

Whether you are in the process of formulating a screening policy for your congregation, or already have a screening program in place, here are some tips to help you with your efforts to protect your church family.

Local Companies

Beane Associates Inc
(302) 479-5438
3411 Silverside Rd
Wilmington, DE

Refco Consultants Inc
(302) 571-8588
4001 Kennett Pike Ste 222
Wilmington, DE

Austin Business Consulting
(302) 996-2566
1708B Newport Gap Pike
Wilmington, DE

Tamms Management Corp
(302) 999-8346
2801 Centerville Rd
Wilmington, DE

Zeisler Associates
(302) 234-2761
Hockessin, DE

First Southern Bankers
(302) 477-1020
Wilmington, DE

E D S A Management Assistance Service
(302) 349-4889
6782 Hickman Rd
Greenwood, DE

Craig Porterfield PHD Consulting
(302) 697-6849
219 Old Camden Rd
Camden, DE

Emergency Management Consultant Corp
(302) 764-6557
806 W 34th St
Wilmington, DE

Business Office
(302) 762-9582
1212 Foulk Manor Rd
Wilmington, DE

1. Get your house in order.

Decide who will oversee the screening process and keep track of the paperwork. This person must be well respected in the congregation, be trusted to handle confidential information, be well organized and if possible have human resources and management experience. Recognize this ministry within the life of the congregation. Place an announcement in the Sunday bulletin and bless the ministry within the Sunday liturgy.

Set up a filing system. All screening documents should be stored in a locked file cabinet (within the congregation or offsite) for an indefinite period of time. Files should never be left out in the open or in a readily accessible location.

2. Assess risk and determine the screening requirements for the position in question. Assess the level of power, authority and control of those who minister, the level of vulnerability of those being ministered to, and the risk that harm could be committed by sexual harassment, exploitation, assault, emotional, verbal, physical, spiritual or financial abuse. Screen appropriately for the level of risk inherent in the position.

3. Gather information from those to be screened, including the following:

A well crafted Application Form that contains key questions concerning past incidents of inappropriate behavior.

A Reference List of all the candidate's schools, employers, congregations, and religious supervisors over the last five years. A minimum of three references should be checked.

A broad Release Form to permit these references to freely divulge information about the candidate, and allow you to perform other investigative inquiries.

4. Check with the candidate's references - preferably in writing. Ask them a series of key questions to reveal any past history of inappropriate conduct. Well worded inquiries will reveal the most information about a candidate.

5. Check appropriate public records. Based on the candidate's residential address history, perform a criminal history records check at the state level (almost all states have a central repository available), and the county level (all are available) going back five to seven years. Similarly, check with the appropriate state Sex Offender Registries (most state's now have free on-line checks available). If the candidate will have access to church financial assets, include a credit bureau check. If the candidate will be driving for church related activities, include a driving record check.

6. Comply with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Employers that use outside agencies to assemble background information on their candidate's must comply with certain disclosure and notice requirements. Consult your legal council, or link to http://www.oxforddoc.com/pdf/fcra.pdf for an overview of the FCRA requirements and free samples of the disclosures and notices.

About the Author:

Glen Johnson, founder of Oxford Document Management Company, has worked exclusively with denominational leadership, legal experts, and risk management professionals for over 14 years to create and administer screening programs that are the "standard" in the religious community. For more information about the screening of church personnel, call 1.800.801.9114 or visit Oxford Document's web site at http://www.oxforddoc.com.

Article Source:

thePhantomWriters Article Submission Service

Read more about Screening Church Staff And Volunteers

- How To Select a Background Screening Service Delaware

Employment screening can help your company select responsible and ethical employees, as well as ensuring that your employees are open and honest during the pre-employment process.

- Web Sites for Non-Profits Delaware
- How to Find Employees Delaware
- Building Your Team Delaware
- Employee Screening Delaware
- Background Searches Delaware
- Supporting Charities Delaware
- Creating A Winning Staff Team Delaware
- Recruiting And Training Fundraiser Volunteers Delaware
- Keys To Maximize Employee's Performance Delaware

Regional Articles

- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Bear DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Claymont DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Dover DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Hockessin DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Millsboro DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers New Castle DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Newark DE
- Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Wilmington DE

- Background Searches Delaware

People from all walks of life conduct background searches in an effort to make informed decisions in regards to protecting themselves, employees and family members, property and investments. To learn more about background checks, read the following article.

- Employee Screening Delaware
- Creating A Winning Staff Team Delaware
- How to Find Employees Delaware
- Keys To Maximize Employee's Performance Delaware
- How To Select a Background Screening Service Delaware
- Supporting Charities Delaware
- Web Sites for Non-Profits Delaware
- Recruiting And Training Fundraiser Volunteers Delaware
- Building Your Team Delaware

Advertising	Food & Beverage	Nightlife
Business Services	Franchise	Online Database
Career	Health	Pets
Cars	Holidays	Real Estate Resources
Computer Hardware	Home Appliances	Retail & Consumer Services
Construction	Home Electronics	Software
Education	Home Services	Technology
Entertainment	Industrial Goods & Services	Telecommunications
Environmental	Insurance	Trade Shows
Family	Internet	Travel
Fashion	Legal	Weddings
Financial Services	Miscellaneous	World History

Advertising	Family	Home Services	Real Estate Resources
Business Services	Fashion	Industrial Goods & Services	Retail & Consumer Services
Career	Financial Services	Insurance	Software
Cars	Food & Beverage	Internet	Technology
Computer Hardware	Franchise	Legal	Telecommunications
Construction	Health	Miscellaneous	Trade Shows
Education	Holidays	Nightlife	Travel
Entertainment	Home Appliances	Online Database	Weddings
Environmental	Home Electronics	Pets	World History