Childrens Work Application | Kintore Community Ch

Children's Work Application

Thank You

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

Firstly, let me say a big thank you for taking this pack and volunteering to be involved in the Children’s ministry at Kintore. We are blessed to have so many youth, children, toddlers and babies in the family and they bring such joy as we see them grow more and more into faithful followers of Jesus.

This blessing also comes with responsibility! We have an amazing group of volunteers who week in and week out faithfully teach the gospel message and help reveal more of who God is and what Jesus has done and continues to do for us. As you’ll be aware, the team does need some more help and we’re grateful that you have decided to join the team!

Before we can add you to the team we do need to ask you to fill out a few forms. This pack contains some information about the role, our code of conduct, an application form, and a self-declaration form. A PVG form will also need to be completed after this application. We’ll quickly go through what each of these are and why you are asked to complete the forms but feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

Job Discription

Before you sign up we want you to know what it is you are signing up for! This will give some details of the role but is not exhaustive. If you would like more information please contact the ministry leader who will be able to answer your questions.

Code of Conduct

This is fairly self-explanatory. Please have a read of this and contact the ministry leader if you have any questions.

Application Form

We’d really just like to get to know you a little bit more! It’s a chance for you to share what experience you have of working with children, toddlers and babies and that allows us to best place you in the ministry. We have a number of groups within Kids’ Church and we realise some people prefer to work with an older group rather than the younger ones! We’re also asking for you to give us a couple of references – at least one of which must NOT be from Kintore. We take our child protection very seriously at the church and this is now a recommended process that we are implementing. If you can provide us the contact details of your previous pastor and Sunday School co-ordinator (or good alternatives), we’ll get in touch with them and ask a couple of questions. Please don’t see this as us being suspicious! This is a recommendation that we believe is a good step and hopefully shows our commitment to all the young people at Kintore!

Self-Declaration Form

This form is a chance for you to mention any issues that you might have had with working with children in the past. One of the values we uphold is for everyone to be open and honest and we would like to chat through any situations that may have arisen in the past and talk through if that would impact the type of ministries you can be involved in or the level of involvement. This will information will only be viewed by the Child Protection Officer and if required the elders at Kintore.

PVG Application

There is now a new online PVG application process which allows applications to be submitted more efficiently and accurately. It will also speed up the turnaround time to get your certificate which then allows you to start helping in our Children’s or Youth ministries.

Initially one of the Safeguarding team needs to collect some basic information from you and verify your ID before submitting an online Application Request form. The information we require is title, full name, date of birth, email address (to which the application form will be sent), current home address and if you have had a PVG check done before or not.

Please provide three forms of original identification (no photocopies) to support your application:

One document showing your current home address, issued within the last 3 months (e.g. a council tax statement or bank statement).
One document with a photograph (e.g. a current passport or UK driving licence photocard—full or provisional).
One document confirming your date of birth.

Examples of acceptable documents include passport, photographic driving licence, Young Scot card, employee ID card, utility bill, bank statement, council letter, or credit/store card bills.

Once we have gathered your information and verified your ID, we will forward your application to Volunteer Scotland, who will input your details into the Disclosure Scotland system. You will first receive an email from Disclosure Scotland confirming receipt of your application. Shortly after, you will be sent an email from disclosurescotland@notifications.service.gov.uk, prompting you to complete your application within 14 days. Reminders will be sent to you on days 9 and 11 to help ensure timely completion. If the application is not completed within the 14-day window, you will need to start the process again with a new request. Please also check your junk or spam folder in case any emails are misdirected.

Once the PVG application is processed, you will receive an email granting you access to your PVG certificate online. Please note, you must actively choose to share your PVG certificate with the safeguarding team at Kintore, as the Church no longer receives automatic access.

Basic safeguarding Awareness Training

For all new members joining our team now, we are asking them to complete an online safeguarding course to ensure that everyone has at least basic safeguarding knowledge before starting their role. At the point of requesting an online PVG application form, we will also organise an invitation from thirtyone:eight (an Independent Christian charity which supports us in Safeguarding) for an online training course which will take an hour to complete. Once you have completed this course, please email your certificate to safeguarding@kintore.cc If you have an issue with completing this course, please also let one of the Safeguarding team know.

Any questions please contact Denise the Safeguarding team lead: safeguarding@kintore.cc

We realise that this process may feel rather cumbersome but we hope you see it in a positive light. We want to love and protect our Children as best as possible and also want to ensure we place you in the best position for you. Thank you once again for volunteering to help with the team!

Job Description

In all areas of working with children at Kintore Community Church, prepare to be blessed as you and the children get to know each other better! Leaders and Helpers have special roles in affirming and enabling children to understand what it means to be a Christian, nurture their faith to love Jesus and be part of the church family.

Elder with overall responsibility for children – Martin Clarke

Training

No formal training is required but we ask that you read through the enclosed Code of Conduct which provides good guidance for those working with children, and we would strongly recommend you attend our Child Protection training.

Kids’ Church Leaders

Leaders responsible – Lynsey Ross

Age ranges – age 4 – 12 (end of Primary 7)

Duties and responsibilities – Helping the children with their activities and assisting the leader as required. Helping to maintain a calm and safe learning environment.

Requirements – to have a heart for children and a clear Christian faith and character. Patience and initiative are useful too!

Crèche Leader

Leader responsible – Claire MacLeod

Age ranges – birth to 3 years old.

Duties and responsibilities – helping in either the baby room or the toddler room during the Sunday service, helping to create a safe and caring environment. Ensuring the children are cared for and theirs needs are met such as changing nappies/taking to the toilet. Helping with teaching God’s word using the materials provided.

Requirements – to have a heart for children and a clear Christian faith and character, patience and ability to have fun and teach them about God.

Code of Conduct

When working with Kintore Community Church, workers agree to act in the following manner, regardless of whether their position is paid or unpaid.

They will:

Seek to keep all children and young people safe, helping them to feel secure
Treat all individuals with respect
Value and listen to the children, young people and other workers we come into contact with
Adhere to Hillview Community Church Safeguarding Policy
Not be alone with children and young people where the activity cannot be seen
Not use inappropriate language, such as swearing or sexual references
Not engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games
Not start a romantic relationship with a young person under 18 years of age whilst in a position of trust with them
Be prompt and prepared for activities in which they are involved
Promptly provide documentation to Hillview Community Church for obtaining a PVG disclosure

Good Practice Guidelines

All leaders and team members should adhere to the following guidelines.

As far as possible a team member is not alone with a child where the activity cannot be seen. On church premises, this may mean leaving doors open, or two groups working in the same room.
In listening situations with a young person, where privacy and confidentiality are important, make sure that another adult knows the conversation is taking place and with whom. If possible, another adult should be in the building, and the young person should know they are there.
CONFIDENTIALITY: Normally, children and young people under the age of 16 should be regarded as having as much right to confidentiality as anyone else, therefore:
- - Normally private information given in the course of conversation will not be disclosed to outside agencies or individuals without the permission of the child or young person.
  - Normally private information given in the course of conversation will not be disclosed to carers or parents without the permission of the child or young person.
  - Normally private information will not be shared with co-workers
  - Leaders should be careful never to promise complete confidentiality and will have to balance the vulnerability and safety of the child or young person and others, over and against the normal practice of keeping information confidential.
  - When a worker or leader finds themselves out of their depth in terms of the information they are receiving, it is important that they encourage the child or young person to speak to someone with relevant experience offering to accompany them or to speak to someone on their behalf if that would help.
Ensure access to the building is safe and well lit.
Treat all children and young people with respect and dignity befitting their age: watch language, tone of voice and where they put their body.
Do not engage in any of the following:
- - Rough, physical or sexually provocative games
  - Sexually suggestive comments about or to a young person, even in ‘fun’
  - Inappropriate and intrusive touching of any form
  - Any scapegoating, ridiculing or rejecting a child or young person
  - Invading the privacy of children when they are changing, showering or toileting
Learn to control and discipline children without using physical punishment
Do not let children and young people involve you in excessive attention-seeking that is overtly sexual or physical in nature.
Do not give lifts to children or young people on their own, other than for short journeys. If they are alone ask them to sit in the rear of the car.
If at all possible the team leader (non-peer adult) is expected not to share sleeping accommodation with children or young people. Do not enter the area where young people of the opposite gender are sleeping without being accompanied by a leader of that gender.
Make sure another adult is present if, for example, a young child has soiled their underclothes and needs to be thoroughly washed.
Not have their mobile phones or personal cameras out during activities. This means that no photographs should be taken of the children or young people they are working with unless authorized directly by the Youth Leader and appropriate data protection permissions granted.

Praying with Children and Young People

Here are four good practice points to consider when praying with children and young people.

Obtain Consent and Respect Boundaries: Always ensure that both children and vulnerable adults have given explicit consent to participate in prayer. Respect their boundaries and avoid pressuring them to engage in activities that they are uncomfortable with.
Create a Safe and Comfortable Environment: Provide a safe and comfortable space for prayer. Make sure that the space is public and that you are in clear view of other team members. Ensure that the environment is free from distractions and that the child or vulnerable adult feels safe and respected. If they have a guardian or youth leader with them it is good practice to involve them in the prayer.
Use Age-Appropriate Language and Concepts: Tailor your prayers to the age and understanding level of the child or vulnerable adult. Use language that is appropriate and avoid introducing complex theological concepts that may be confusing or overwhelming.
Avoid Unnecessary Physical Touch: lt is generally best to avoid unnecessary physical contact. If it is appropriate to place a hand on a shoulder consent should be gained from the person being prayed for. Respect personal boundaries and prioritise the emotional well-being of the child or vulnerable adult.

Good Practice with Colleagues

If you see another member of the team acting in ways which may be misconstrued, be prepared to speak to them or to your Team Leader about your concerns. Team Leaders should encourage an atmosphere of mutual support and care which allows the whole team to be comfortable enough to discuss inappropriate attitudes or behaviour.
Watch for any child receiving exceptional treatment, being highly favoured or being treated unduly harshly.
If the Team Leader has any doubts about any team member’s relationships with a child or children, he or she should explore further by talking to him or her and, if necessary, confidentially with other team members as appropriate, and with the child concerned. The matter should not be dropped until the leader is sure there is no possibility of abuse.