Safe Place Policy of First Presbyterian Church Greer
Revision/Session approved 10/17/07
General Statement of
Purpose: Abuse of anyone, and especially of children, is a destructive
and shameful act that will not be tolerated at First Presbyterian Church Greer
(the “Church”). The purpose of the Safe Place Policy (the “Policy”) set forth
herein is first and foremost to protect the physical, mental and spiritual
well-being of all children while they are present at Church-sponsored
activities. Scripture teaches us how much Christ loves children. In Matthew
19:13-14 we read: “Then children were brought to him
that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people;
but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to
such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’"
Definitions:
1. Abuse:
Physical abuse
is that which results in physical injury, including but not limited to bruises,
burns, cuts, welts, fractures, and internal injuries.
Emotional
abuse is that which results in impaired psychological growth and
development, including belittling, rejection, constant unequal treatment, verbal
assaults, excessive demands on child’s performance, and isolation from normal
social activities.
Sexual
abuse is that which consists of sexual contact or interactions with a child,
including physical contact (fondling, genital/oral stimulation, sexual
intercourse) and nonphysical contact (exhibitionism, child prostitution,
pornography, and voyeurism). The perpetrator may be another juvenile.
2. Child: Any
person under the age of eighteen years old.
3. Church Activity:
Any activity involving Children that is sponsored by the Church. A Church
Activity may be held on or off Church grounds.
4. Youth: A
Child who is over the age of twelve or in the sixth grade of school.
5. Employee or Staff
member: Any person who is employed and/or compensated by the Church. Staff
member does not include independent contractors. Nothing herein is intended to
change the status of any employee or independent contractor as may be
established by federal, state, local or common law.
6. Volunteer:
Any person who spends at least five hours collectively in a calendar year
participating in any ministry of the Church involving children or youth without
pay.
7. Work or Working
with Children: Having responsibility as a teacher, teacher’s assistant or
chaperone in a Church Activity.
Policies and Procedures:
1. Selection/screening of volunteers and
employees
a. Employees
(1) All employees, prospective employees and independent contractors
having direct contact with children shall fill out an application in a form
substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1. Any person who
is found to have made a material misrepresentation on this application shall
immediately, after such discovery, be prohibited from working with children.
(2)
All prospective employees shall provide at least two references. Either the
Minister or the Chairman of the Personnel and Administration Ministry Team shall
contact these references.
(3) All prospective employees shall be interviewed by the Minister and
the Chairman of the Personnel and Administration Ministry Team.
(4) With respect to prospective employees who have been interviewed and
who are considered to be viable candidates for employment with the Church, and
with respect to independent contractors having direct contact with children, the
Church will perform or cause to be performed a criminal background check of the
prospective employee. The Church may accomplish this task by hiring a
third-party vendor that regularly performs such background checks.
(5)
Employee files shall be retained by the Church for at least ten years after an
employee’s employment relationship with the Church terminates.
(6) No person who has been convicted of any of the following crimes shall
be allowed to work with children: murder; rape; aggravated assualt; felony drug
charges; sexual abuse; sexual assualt; inducing sexual conduct or sexual
performance of a child; injury of a child; incest; indecency with a child;
possession or promotion of child pornography; sale, distribution or display of
harmful material to a minor; employment harmful to children;or abandonment or
endangering of a child.
(7) All current and prospective employees shall read this Policy and
acknowledge in writing that they have read and understood this Policy.
b. Volunteers
(1)
All volunteers and prospective employees shall fill out an application in a form
substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2. Any person who
is found to have made a material misrepresentation shall immediately, after such
discovery, be prohibited from working with children.
(2)
No volunteer shall be allowed to work with children unless that volunteer has
been a member of the Church for Six months. An exception to the six month
requirement would be allowed for staff spouses who would be assisting the staff
member in performance of their professional duties. A background check and
volunteer application would still be required.
(3) No person who has been convicted of any of the following crimes shall
be allowed to work with children: murder; rape; aggravated assualt; felony drug
charges; sexual abuse; sexual assualt; inducing sexual conduct or sexual
performance of a child; injury of a child; incest; indecency with a child;
possession or promotion of child pornography; sale, distribution or display of
harmful material to a minor; employment harmful to children; or abandonment or
endangering of a child.
(4)
No person who has been terminated from employment because of allegations of
child abuse shall be allowed to work with children.
(5)
All volunteers shall read this Policy and acknowledge in writing that they have
read and understood this Policy.
(6)
With respect to each volunteer, a member of Staff, a member of the Safe Place
Task Force, the Chairman of the Board of Deacons or the Clerk of Session, shall
perform a search on the South Carolina Sex Offenders Registry.
(7)
In addition to the foregoing, any current or prospective volunteer who
chaperones children on overnight trips or who, by the nature of their activity,
will spend unsupervised time with a child must:
(a)
Be interviewed by a member of Staff and a current member of Session.
(b)
Agree to submit to a criminal background check.
8)
For all children and youth activities that involve other churches, the
partnering church will be asked to provide written confirmation that their
volunteers have passed a criminal background check. If the partnering church
cannot do so, then FPCG will offer to pay for the partnering church's volunteers
to go through National Center for Safety Initiatives for clearance. If the
partnering church's volunteers refuse to undergo a criminal background check, a
member of our Church Staff will notify the parents of children from our Church
who would be involved in such activities that our Church will not participate in
such activity with the partnering church.
2. Supervision of volunteers and employees
a.
It is the goal of the Church to have at least two adults to serve for children’s
activities.
b.
Recognizing that it is not always feasible to have at least two adults to serve
in settings where children are involved, the following alternatives may be
implemented when finding two adults for a Church Activity is not feasible:
(1) One adult and two Youth are present;
(2) One adult and one Youth
over the age of fifteen are present
c.
The door to the room in which Children are present should remain open at all
times, provided, however, that a door need not remain open if the room contains
one or more windows or other openings allowing adults from outside of the room
to have direct lines of sight into the main portion of the room.
d.
During all Worship Services, Sunday School, Wonderful Wednesday and Vacation
Bible School sessions, a member of Staff, the Board of Deacons or Session, or a
designee appointed by the Board of Deacons or Session, shall be on duty to
monitor the progress of all Children’s classes. Such monitoring shall be
conducted by making periodic visits to the classes, although care should be
given to cause as little disruption as possible.
3. Reporting
a. Procedures for reporting instances of alleged abuse to law
enforcement officials shall be those set forth in South Carolina Code Ann
Section 20-7-510, as may be amended. This Code Section states as follows:
Persons required or permitted to report; method; confidentiality. [SC ST SEC
20-7-510]
(A) A physician, nurse, dentist, optometrist, medical examiner, or coroner, or
an employee of a county medical examiner's or coroner's office, or any other
medical, emergency medical services, mental health, or allied health
professional, member of the clergy including a Christian Science Practitioner or
religious healer, school teacher, counselor, principal, assistant principal,
social or public assistance worker, substance abuse treatment staff, or
childcare worker in a childcare center or foster care facility, police or law
enforcement officer, undertaker, funeral home director or employee of a funeral
home, persons responsible for processing films, computer technician, or a judge
must report in accordance with this section when in the person's professional
capacity the person has received information which gives the person reason to
believe that a child has been or may be abused or neglected as defined in
Section 20-7-490.
(B) If a person required to report pursuant to subsection (A) has received
information in the person's professional capacity which gives the person reason
to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may
be adversely affected by acts or omissions that would be child abuse or neglect
if committed by a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's
welfare, but the reporter believes that the act or omission was committed by a
person other than the parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the
child's welfare, the reporter must make a report to the appropriate law
enforcement agency.
(C) Except as provided in subsection (A), any person who has reason to believe
that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been or may be adversely
affected by abuse and neglect may report in accordance with this section.
(D) Reports of child abuse or neglect may be made orally by telephone or
otherwise to the county department of social services or to a law enforcement
agency in the county where the child resides or is found.
Where reports are made pursuant to this section to a law enforcement agency, the
law enforcement agency shall notify the county department of social services of
the law enforcement's response to the report at the earliest possible time.
Where a county or contiguous counties have established multicounty child
protective services, pursuant to Section 20-7-650, the county department of
social services immediately shall transfer reports pursuant to this section to
the service.
(E) The identity of the person making a report pursuant to this section must be
kept confidential by the agency or department receiving the report and must not
be disclosed except as provided for in this chapter.
b. Any
person who is required, pursuant to South Carolina Code Ann Section 20-7-510, to
report incidents of alleged abuse must also report such incidents to the Senior
Pastor, or in the alternative, the Associate Pastor.
c. Any
person who may, pursuant to South Carolina Code Ann Section 20-7-510, report
incidents of alleged abuse may also report such incidents to the Senior Pastor,
or in the alternative, the Associate Pastor.
4. Response to
report of alleged abuse
a. Upon any
staff member becoming aware of any report of alleged abuse, said staff member
shall notify the Senior Pastor, or in the alternative, the Associate Pastor, of
such report as soon as is practicable.
b. Anyone
accused of abuse will be immediately suspended from further responsibilities
involving direct contact with children in any Church activity. Such suspension
of the accused shall continue until an investigation of the report of alleged
abuse has concluded, and it is found that such allegations have no merit.
c. Upon
becoming aware of any report of alleged abuse, the Senior Pastor, or in the
alternative, the Associate Pastor, shall as soon as is practicable notify the
Clerk of Session and the Chairman of the CE Ministry of the report of alleged
abuse.
d. As soon
as is practicable following the report to the Clerk of Session and the Chairman
of the CE Ministry as required in subsection 4(c) above, the Senior Pastor, or
in the alternative, the Associate Pastor, along with the Clerk of Session and/or
the Chairman of the CE Ministry, shall visit the parents or guardians of the
child who is the alleged victim of abuse. Provided, however, that nothing herein
shall be deemed to require any member of Staff or the Church to take any action
that would materially interfere with an investigation of any law enforcement
agency.
e. Subject
to subsections 4(f) and 4(g) below, all reports of alleged abuse shall be
treated confidentially and should be discussed with no one except those whom
this Policy provides are to receive notice.
f. The
Session, in consultation with the Minister, shall determine whether, when and in
what manner the Congregation shall be informed of an allegation of abuse.
g.
The Session, in consultation with the Minister, shall determine whether, when
and in what manner the Church shall inform its insurance carrier and/or legal
counsel of an allegation of abuse.
5. Other laws,
policies and procedures
a. Whenever
it may appear that this Policy is in conflict with a federal, state or local
law, such law shall be controlling.
b. Whenever
it may appear that this Policy is in conflict with the Book of Order of the
Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. said Book of Order shall be controlling.