If you ever wanted to voice your support for the value of SU QLD chaplains and the contribution they make in our schools and communities, now is the time!
You see, the Federal Government recently released a Discussion Paper on the School Chaplaincy program, and it is now asking for responses. Your feedback on the Paper is vital. It will provide the Federal Government with information to make an informed decision about the basis of future funding of the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP).
You have until 18 March to comment on the four key issues in the Discussion Paper. If you would like some guidance with some of the questions, we have provided SU QLD’s response below.
Some of the questions asked on the questionnaire do require some “technical” responses. Please don’t copy this word for word, but use it as a guide only.
If you don’t have the time to complete the whole questionnaire, go straight to question 15 and write a positive paragraph about school chaplaincy.
Click here to submit your own response.
SU QLD’s response
1. Do you support the introduction of minimum qualifications for chaplains?
Yes.
2. Do you support the introduction of a minimum Certificate IV (Associate Diploma) in Youth Work or similar (e.g. pastoral care, community services)?
No, the qualification needs to be higher.
3. What should be the minimum entry qualifications?
(Please leave blank – SU QLD’s preferred option is not provided.)
4. What elements are most important for minimum qualifications for school chaplains?
(Tick the boxes: Youth Work, Referral Expertise, Theological Expertise, Counseling Skills. Please add the following comments in the box provided.)
- Youth Work – Of course this is very important. Please note that as the majority of chaplains work in primary schools, it’s imperative that they are skilled in working with children and their families as well.
- Theological Expertise – Although theological expertise is desirable, SU QLD believes it is more relevant for chaplains to have training in appropriate spiritual engagement in a secular setting.
- Counselling skills – The NSCP guidelines state that school chaplains are not Counsellors. We believe training in higher level pastoral care / support skills is more appropriate for school chaplains.
- Crisis / Critical Incidents / Grief – School chaplains are often called on to help in crisis situations. It’s imperative that they have training in this field.
5. Are there are any comments you would like to make about the qualifications of chaplains?
SU QLD’s minimum education standard is the Diploma in Youth Work (includes working with children). SU QLD is a Registered Training Organisation and offers a nationally accredited Diploma of Youth Work (the syllabus is attached). Whilst our minimum standard is at the Diploma level, we acknowledge that some states will find it practically difficult to provide training at this level in the short-term.
6. Do you support the introduction of minimum standards for service providers under the program?
Yes.
7. What elements are most important for minimum standards for service providers?
The following minimum standards were outlined in the NSCA submission to DEEWR of 1 July 2010:
- Accountability to a Religious Body – Because chaplains are intrinsically religious workers we maintain that they must be qualified through formal ordination, commissioning, recognised qualifications or endorsement by a recognised or accepted religious institution.
- Appropriate level of Qualifications – While DEEWR is not qualified to make requirements about the religious qualifications of persons who work as chaplains, it has a responsibility to ensure that service providers can demonstrate that chaplains are appropriately qualified for the services they provide in public schools.
- Professional Development and Support – Ensuring that chaplains are adequately prepared for working in a secular, multicultural context such as a public school, and have access to ongoing professional development.
- Approved Service Levels – Ensure the monitoring of service delivery according to specified standards, providing adequate levels of supervision and management support. This may include adequate data-collection systems to assist in monitoring the service delivery and assist in the provision of reports to DEEWR.
- Appropriate Governance Structures – The Institution seeking to provide chaplaincy services must be an appropriately constituted Religious body. The Religious body must demonstrate its capacity to provide chaplaincy services with all necessary management and supervisory checks and balances in place to ensure a quality service.
- Appropriate Risk Management and Compliance requirements – In order to protect DEEWR and its program, Service Providers must be able to demonstrate their capacity to meet all statutory obligations as an employer of religious workers working in educational settings. Other relevant risk mitigation instruments accessed by NSCA members may also be recommended.
- Adequate Complaints and Grievance Provisions – The Service Provider must demonstrate they have the capacity to receive, investigate and address complaints from students, staff, parents or members of the community about the chaplaincy service provided in public schools.
8. Are there any other comments you would like to make about the minimum standards for service providers?
SU QLD believes it is imperative that school chaplains are accountable to a recognised religious body and/or institution. Each state has an existing organisation that has experience in providing chaplains into public schools and has established a working relationship with their relevant State or Territory Departments of Education. These organisations provide appropriate structures and guidelines to ensure chaplaincy services meet minimum standards and are accountable. Dealing with state employing authorities rather than individual school providers reduces an enormous amount of administrative complexity.
9. Do you support the current arrangements which require schools to attempt to employ a chaplain before being able to employ a secular pastoral care worker?
Yes.
The original intention of the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) was to provide funding for school chaplains. This policy was a result of the positive feedback the federal government received about the already existing school chaplaincy program running in the different states. Formal research commissioned by the NSCA and feedback from school principals consistently reports that school chaplains, whilst complementing other school-based welfare services, offer a unique dimension of care.
Therefore, this funding should in the first instance go towards providing school chaplaincy services. Non faith-based workers are already provided in schools through other funding streams.
10. Do you support modification of the program to give schools the choice of a non-faith based support worker or youth worker?
No (see above).
11. Are there any other comments you would like to make about the choice of support worker?
No further comment.
12. What models of administration would support innovative delivery under the program?
An alternative model needs to be developed for chaplaincy services in rural and remote schools. The current system does not take into account the challenges associated with working in isolated communities. SU QLD is providing a separate submission, offering alternative options for these schools.
13. What innovative models of delivery would support rural, remote and disadvantaged schools to maximise the effectiveness of funding they could receive under the program?
Cluster models.
14. Are there any other comments you would like to make about innovative delivery models?
No.
15. Are there any other comments you would like to make about the program?
The amount of $20,000 per school is not sufficient to meet the future needs of school chaplaincy services.
If this policy was to remain, it would mean by the end of 2014, there would have been no increase in funding per school for the seven years of the program. This is simply unsustainable. Many communities can’t supplement the grant amount with other income. In fact, the very schools that the government wishes to target in the next round of funding (rural, remote and disadvantaged schools), will not be able to afford a chaplain with only $20,000 pa. We support the NSCA recommendation that this amount is increased to $25,000 pa in order to take into account the reality of increased salaries and other directly related costs.
Thank You!
We greatly appreciate you taking the time to make your submission in response to the discussion paper.
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