Screening Church Staff And Volunteers Fall River MA

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

More Clients More Profits
401 7421231
917 Warwick Ave
Warwick, RI
Southcoast Business Information Center
(508) 679-7996
200 Pocasset St
Fall River, MA
Small Business Development Center
(508) 673-9783
200 Pocasset St
Fall River, MA
Majestic Management Inc
(978) 251-8564
7 Doris Dr
North Chelmsford, MA
Crk Interactive Inc
(978) 474-8659
2 Dundee Park Dr
Andover, MA
Employment Practices Inc
(617) 244-0172
1553 Beacon St
Waban, MA
Parthenon Group the
(617) 478-6300
200 State St Ste 14
Boston, MA
Bay State Corporate Services Inc
(617) 742-8484
6 Beacon St
Boston, MA
Midior Consulting Inc
(617) 864-8813
22 Putnam Ave
Cambridge, MA
Springfield Professional Services
(413) 788-0059
66 Industry Ave
Springfield, MA

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

  • Featured Local Company

    More Clients More Profits

    401 7421231
    917 Warwick Ave
    Warwick, RI

    Related Articles
    - How to Find Employees Fall River MA
    The process of finding the right employee is a daunting task for many employers who are unsure how to go about the task, or even where to begin. Fortunately, there are a number of services and methods available that can make an employee search much easier.
    - Creating A Winning Staff Team Fall River MA
    - How To Select a Background Screening Service Fall River MA
    - Building Your Team Fall River MA
    - Employee Screening Fall River MA
    - Supporting Charities Fall River MA
    - Keys To Maximize Employee's Performance Fall River MA
    - Background Searches Fall River MA
    - Web Sites for Non-Profits Fall River MA
    - Recruiting And Training Fundraiser Volunteers Fall River MA
    Related Articles
    - How to Find Employees Fall River MA
    The process of finding the right employee is a daunting task for many employers who are unsure how to go about the task, or even where to begin. Fortunately, there are a number of services and methods available that can make an employee search much easier.
    - Creating A Winning Staff Team Fall River MA
    - How To Select a Background Screening Service Fall River MA
    - Building Your Team Fall River MA
    - Employee Screening Fall River MA
    - Supporting Charities Fall River MA
    - Keys To Maximize Employee's Performance Fall River MA
    - Background Searches Fall River MA
    - Web Sites for Non-Profits Fall River MA
    - Recruiting And Training Fundraiser Volunteers Fall River MA
    Related Local Events
    November Networking Breakfast
    Dates: 11/17/2009 - 11/17/2009
    Location: Holiday Inn Boston - Somerville
    Somerville, MA
    View Details

    Executive Forum - Drew Faust
    Dates: 10/22/2009 - 10/22/2009
    Location: Boston Marriott Copley Place
    Boston, MA
    View Details

    Executive Forum - Drew Faust
    Dates: 10/22/2009 - 10/22/2009
    Location: Boston Marriott Copley Place
    Boston, MA
    View Details

    SBA Workshop
    Dates: 10/21/2009 - 10/21/2009
    Location: Career Works
    Brockton, MA
    View Details

    Executive Board
    Dates: 10/21/2009 - 10/21/2009
    Location: Metro South Chamber of Commerce
    Brockton, MA
    View Details

    Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin

    Topics:
    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