An announcement was made last Wednesday by Peter Garrett (Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) concerning School Chaplaincy grants for 2012-2015. Press Release for this announcement is available at:
http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Garrett/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_110907_102159.aspx.
Noting that the opening date for chaplaincy grant applications is still to be announced, Peter Garratt’s announcement did foreshadow new benchmark standards for service providers and minimum qualifications for school chaplains:
- Introducing a minimum qualification for all new workers employed under the scheme – from 2012, all new chaplains or secular workers hired by schools will need to have a Certificate IV in Youth Work, Pastoral Care or equivalent qualification.
- Requiring existing chaplains without the minimum qualifications to complete two units of the Certificate IV course: Mental Health and Making Referrals. About 500 existing chaplains will have 12 months to complete the units, with the Government meeting the costs. Existing chaplains can also have their current experience and qualifications formally recognised under Recognition of Prior Learning.
- Introducing new benchmark standards for service providers, including the provision of ongoing professional development and support, monitoring of service delivery, and appropriate risk management and compliance requirements.
- Strengthening the program’s complaints management processes so that each school will be required to keep a complaints log and have a designated complaints officer, and parents and students are fully informed about how they can raise any concerns they may have.
(Thank you to Greg Gough from the Baptist Churches of NSW & ACT, for this
press release.)
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