Policies & Procedures

• Every year, the Safe Church Team has to review the Abuse Prevention Policy
• Online at https://www.ccrc.on.ca/forms-and-policies
• For the most part, common sense prevails
• When an incident occurs, please refer to the Abuse Prevention Policy to know what to do
• The chart at the end of the policy outlines exactly what to do for each situation
• The incident report form is online as well

Goal

• We can’t prevent abuse, but we want to create awareness
• We especially want to protect our youth and vulnerable people
• We also want to protect our volunteers!
• We want all leaders and volunteers to know what to do when a situation arises
• We want to protect the church body as a whole from the damage that can result from allegations of abuse
• And we want to meet the contractual requirements of our insurance provider, which includes annual training for all volunteers

Important Highlights

• All volunteers are required to have a valid vulnerable person check completed every 5 years AND review the Safe Church Policy within 6 months of employment/volunteer service at CCRC
• The policy outlines requirements for each program (i.e.: GEMS/Cadets, Sunday School, etc.) such as how many volunteers are needed, how to report an incident, social media policy, transportation of minors, etc.
• We don’t expect you to read the whole policy, but please peruse the sections and read the parts that pertain to you – it should not take very long!

The Training

• Rather than go through each piece, we are going to trust that each volunteer reads the Abuse Prevention Policy
• We are going to give hypothetical situations with a multiple choice answer of what to do
• We hope that this will make everyone think through these issues and hopefully be better prepared if these situations arise in the future

Recap

• For the most part, if you follow the Abuse Prevention Policy and common sense, you will do just fine
• If there’s no immediate danger/need, you can always call someone (leader of the ministry, pastoral leader, etc.) for advice and consult the Abuse Prevention Policy
• Not every scenario is covered in the Policy, so do your best – you will never be faulted for trying to do what’s right
• This is why you should review the policy: to be prepared if and when something does occur!

1. Drivers must have a current valid Ontario driver's license that has not been suspended or revoked for any reason. All drivers must show their driver's license to the leader of their Ministry, who will take a photocopy for records, which will be kept confidential and destroyed at the end of the Ministry season. A Volunteer has the right to refuse to provide this but will be unable to drive for Ministry Events.
2. Drivers who drive for volunteer or employment purposes must have a valid Police Check.
3. Drivers and passengers, regardless of age, must at all times wear a seatbelt.
4. Passengers who are Minors/Vulnerable Persons must be properly secured in a seat that is appropriate for their age and size (e.g., a child's car or booster seat).
5. All passengers must remain seated while the vehicle is in transit.
6. All passengers must obey the driver and other Volunteers in transit.
7. Drivers are expected to use their good judgment to drive at a safe speed with the flow of traffic.
8. Minors must adhere to the provincial licensing requirements when transporting other Minors/Vulnerable Persons.
9. Proof of valid insurance is required in each vehicle, as well as an up-to-date validation sticker affixed to the license plate. All drivers must show their insurance to the leader of their Ministry, who will take a photocopy for records, which will be kept confidential and destroyed at the end of the Ministry season. A Volunteer has the right to refuse to provide this but will be unable to drive for Ministry Events.
10. No Staff member or Volunteer may travel one on one with a Minor/Vulnerable Person unless Parental/Legal Guardian permission is granted or there are extenuating circumstances. In those cases, the Parent/Legal Guardian and the leader of the applicable ministry, church staff or designated person must be notified prior to driving that person. A report must be submitted to the Safe Church Team outlining who was notified and the details of the extenuating circumstances.
11. No Staff member or Volunteer may travel one on one with a person of the opposite gender, unless extenuating circumstances apply. In those cases, the leader of the applicable ministry, church staff or designated person must be notified prior to driving that person. A report must be submitted to the Safe Church Team outlining who was notified and the details of the extenuating circumstances.
12. In case of breakdowns or emergencies, the leader of the applicable ministry, church staff or designated person must be notified.
13. In case of emergencies the applicable ministry leader will have a copy of all medical release forms which will be kept in an accessible location and readily available.

1. The individual tagging/check-in/check-out system must be used.
2. Only a Parent or Legal Guardian may pick up and drop off a Minor. The person who has dropped off the Minorand obtained the matching name tag will be deemed to be the Parent/Legal Guardian.
3. Volunteers or Helpers may not remove a Minor from the nursery area without the permission of the Parent or Legal Guardian or in the case of imminent danger to the Minor and/or the Volunteer or Helper.
4. Only regularly scheduled Volunteers/Helpers are permitted in the nursery area during nursery hours.
5. Once the applicable ministry has commenced, the nursery doors should be secured to prevent Minors from unplanned exits.
6. Supervision:
   1. At least one Volunteer and one Helper must be in the infant nursery (for those Minors under the age of 18 months) with no more than five Minors before an additional Volunteer or Helper is required.
   2. At least one Volunteer and one Helper must be in the toddler nursery (for those Minors between the ages of 18 to 30 months) with no more than five Minors before an additional Volunteer or Helper is required.
   3. Nursery cannot be provided if adequate supervision cannot be provided.
7. A couple (husband and wife) or two adult family members may serve in the nursery as Volunteers at the same time, provided that a 3rd non-related Volunteer/Helper is also present.
8. Minors must be picked up immediately after any event requiring the use of the nursery.
9. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for Minors under 18 months (i.e., infant nursery) is a minimum of 2 Volunteers/Helpers for the first 10 Minors, after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
10. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for Minors aged 18 to 30 months (i.e., toddler nursery) is a minimum of 2 Volunteers/Helpers for the first 10 Minors, after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
11. Washroom Policy:
    1. For Minors who do not require assistance in the washroom, the Volunteer or Helper must remain outside the washroom.
    2. For Minors who require assistance, the Volunteer or Helper must assist the child with the washroom stall door open.
    3. The diapering of a Minor will take place in the appropriate diaper changing areas.
12. If a Minor needs medical attention, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian must be notified immediately. If, after making immediate efforts, the Parent(s)/ Legal Guardian cannot be located immediately, they must be notified as soon as possible.

1. The sign-in/sign-out system must be used for all children age 5 and under.
2. Only a parent or guardian may pick up the child. The person who has dropped off the child and has signed in will be deemed to be the parent/guardian.
3. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for pre-school Minors aged 30 months to 5 years is 1 Volunteer per 8 Minors after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
4. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for Minors over the age of 6 is 1 Volunteer per 15 Minors after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
5. Volunteers or Helpers may not remove a Minor/Vulnerable Person from the ministry area unless in the case of imminent danger to the Minor/Vulnerable Person and/or the Volunteer or Helper or previously arranged by the Superintendent of Sunday School and with the written approval of the Parent(s) or Legal Guardian.
6. Enrollment records must be kept for all Minors/Vulnerable Personsin attendance and available at all times. These records include: contact information, emergency information, names of the persons to whom the Minor/Vulnerable Persons may be released, as well as any special parental instructions (e.g. diet, etc.).
7. Washroom Policy: For Minors/Vulnerable Persons who do not require assistance in the washroom, the Volunteer or Helper must remain outside the washroom. For Minors/Vulnerable Persons who require assistance, the Volunteer or Helper must assist the Minor/Vulnerable Person with the washroom stall door open.
8. If a Minor/Vulnerable Person needs medical attention, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian should be notified immediately. If, after making immediate efforts, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian cannot be located immediately, they must be notified as soon as possible.

1. Each GEMS and Cadets regular meeting should be supervised by at least one Volunteer provided that another Volunteer monitors the facility and observes all activities during the ministry.
2. Enrollment records must be kept for all Minors/Vulnerable Persons in attendance and available at all times. These records include: contact information, emergency information, names of the persons to whom the Minor/Vulnerable Person may be released, as well as any special parental instructions (e.g. diet, etc.).
3. At least 2 GEMS or Cadet Volunteers must be at the ministry location 10 minutes prior to the ministry start time and must remain at the location until all Minors/Vulnerable Persons are picked up.
4. Minors/Vulnerable Persons should be picked up within 15 minutes of the end of any activity. If not picked up within 10 minutes, a counselor/leader will telephone the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian to ensure someone is coming to pick up the Minor/Vulnerable Person. If a Parent/Legal Guardian cannot be reached after three attempts and 30 minutes after the end of the activity, a Volunteer must drive the Minor/Vulnerable Person home and deliver them to the care of a Parent/Legal Guardian as per the stipulations of the transportation policy.
5. GEMS and Cadets activities planned away from the Church facility/property, out of town, or overnight should be supervised by at least two Volunteers. The ratio ought to be 1 Volunteer to every 15 Minors.
6. Volunteers or Staff transporting a Minor/Vulnerable Person for purposes of these ministries must have Parental/Legal Guardian permission to do so and must meet the stipulations of the Transportation Policy.
7. Each Volunteer, GEMS or Cadets participant has the right to refuse any displays of affection and their decision will be respected. While the appropriate displays of affection between Volunteers, GEMS or Cadets participants are often part of conveying support and encouragement to one another, such displays can be misinterpreted. For that reason, displays of affections should be limited to such actions as a brief hug, an arm around the shoulder, a handclasp, or a light tough to the forearm and only when consented to by the other person.
8. At the end of any ministry activity:
   1. Volunteers/Staff may only release a Minor/Vulnerable Person into the care of the designated Parent(s)/Legal Guardian or a person designated by the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian.
   2. The Minors/Vulnerable Personscannot leave the Church building or sponsored activity unless accompanied by the Parent(s)/Legal Guardians or a person designated by the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian.
   3. Parents/Legal Guardian(s) must come inside to pick up their Minors/Vulnerable Persons. d) When applicable, Minors/Vulnerable Persons must wait inside the Church building to be picked up.
9. If a Minor/Vulnerable Person needs medical attention, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian should be notified immediately. If, after making immediate efforts, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian cannot be located immediately, they must be notified as soon as possible.

1. Each Youth Ministry activity should be supervised by at least one Volunteer provided that another Volunteer/Staff monitors the facility and observes all activities during the ministry.
2. Volunteers must contact a parent before a planned one-to-one visit with a Minor/Vulnerable Person.
3. Youth Ministry activities planned away from the Church facility/property, out of town, or overnight should be supervised by at least two Volunteers/Staff. The Volunteer/Minor ratio in these ministries is 1 volunteer per 15 Minors.
4. Volunteers or Staff transporting a Minor/Vulnerable Person for purposes of this ministry must have Parental/Legal Guardian permission to do so and must meet the stipulations of the Transportation Policy.
5. Enrollment records must be kept for all Minors/Vulnerable Persons in attendance and available at all times. These records include in part: contact information, emergency information, names of the persons to whom the Minor/Vulnerable Person may be released, as well as any special parental instructions (e.g. diet, etc.).
6. Each Volunteer/Staff and Minor/Vulnerable Person has the right to refuse any displays of affection and their decision will be respected. While the appropriate displays of affection between Minors/Vulnerable Persons and their leaders are often part of conveying support and encouragement to one another, such displays can be misinterpreted. For that reason, displays of affections should be limited to such actions as a brief hug, an arm around the shoulder, a handclasp, or a light tough to the forearm and only when consented to by the other person.
7. Participants should be picked up within 15 minutes of the end of any activity. If not picked up within 10 minutes, a Volunteer/leader will telephone the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian to ensure someone is coming to pick up the participant. On the first such occurrence, a letter with appropriate information will be sent to the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s).
8. If a Minor/Vulnerable Person needs significant medical attention, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian should be notified immediately. If, after making immediate efforts, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian cannot be located immediately, they must be notified as soon as possible.

1. Each activity must be supervised by at least one Volunteer provided that another Volunteer monitors the facility and observes all activities during the ministry. If the minimum number of volunteers is not met, the program is to be cancelled.
2. Volunteers or Helpers may not remove a Minor/Vulnerable Person from the ministry area without Parental/Legal Guardian permission or in the case of imminent danger to the Minor/Vulnerable Person and/or the Volunteer or Helper.
3. Activities planned away from the Church facility/property should be supervised by at least two Volunteers.
4. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for Minors under the age of 18 months is a minimum of 2 Volunteers/Helpers for the first 10 Minors, after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
5. The Volunteer/Minor ratio for Minors aged 18 months to 30 months is a minimum of 2 Volunteers/Helpers for the first 10 Minors, after which Volunteers and Helpers are added as necessary.
6. Enrollment records must be kept for all Minors/Vulnerable Persons in attendance and available at all times. These records include: contact information, emergency information, names of the persons to whom the Minor/Vulnerable Person may be released, as well as any special parental instructions (e.g. diet, etc.).
7. Volunteers or Staff transporting a Minor/Vulnerable Personfor purposes of this ministry must have Parental/Legal Guardian permission to do so and meet the stipulations of the Transportation Policy.
8. At the end of any ministry activity, Volunteers/Staff may only release a Minor/Vulnerable Person into the care of the designated Parent/Legal Guardian or a person designated by the Parent/Legal Guardian.
9. If a Minor/Vulnerable Person needs significant medical attention, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian should be notified immediately. If, after making immediate efforts, the Parent(s)/Legal Guardian cannot be located immediately, they must be notified as soon as possible.
10. Ordinarily, ministry activities take place in the Church building with all the appropriate Safe Church Policies enforced. However, in the event that a ministry activity takes place in a home, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that adequate supervision is provided for any Minors/Vulnerable Personson the premises.

Introduction

Friendship Ministries was created to encourage Friends – Adults and Minors with cognitive/developmental disabilities – to draw closer to God. The success of the ministry depends on numerous dedicated Volunteers who help Friends to develop fuller understandings of God's love and grace.

The design of the program places people in one-to-one interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, it is in the context of close interpersonal relationships that persons with cognitive/developmental disabilities are often abused. Because of the potential risk of abuse in one-to-one relationships, the following guidelines are designed to reduce the risk of abuse so that meetings and social events will be enjoyable and safe for everyone.

General Guidelines for Friendship:

1. Group Meetings
   1. If a Friend and Volunteer meet alone in a classroom, keep the classroom room door open.
   2. If possible, have pairs of Volunteers/Friends meet in adjacent rooms.
   3. If the meeting room is large enough, more than one Volunteer/Friend pair could meet at the same time.
   4. A Volunteer should be assigned to monitor the rooms where Volunteer/Friend pairs are meeting.
   5. If the classroom doors need to remain closed, each door should have a window with an unobstructed view of the room.
2. Washroom Guidelines
   1. If necessary, Friends should be assisted by someone of the same gender in such a manner as to ensure their privacy and safety. This may require more than one Volunteer.
   2. When Friends routinely need assistance or need assistance with medical devices, caregivers should provide this assistance. Plans for assisting the Friend should be made before attending the ministry.
3. Physical and Verbal Contact
   1. Physical affection initiated by a Volunteer should be limited to side-to-side hugs, pats on the back or forearm, touching the back of the hand and gently squeezing the hand.
   2. Both the Friend and the Volunteer can say "no" to physical affection and refrain from displays of affection. While the appropriate displays of affection between Friends and Volunteers are often part of conveying support and encouragement to one another, such displays can be misinterpreted. For that reason, displays of affections should be limited to such actions as a brief hug, an arm around the shoulder, a handclasp, or a light tough to the forearm and only when consented to by the other person. If a Friend is unable to verbalize "no", notice carefully their body language and facial expression that may indicate discomfort with physical affection.
   3. It is not appropriate to make lewd or suggestive comments to Friends, or tell dirty or off-colour jokes. Details or discussions about one's intimate life should not come up in a Friendship meeting.
4. Corrective Action
   Consequences or corrections to attitude and/or behaviors are sometimes necessary in a Friendship meeting. If a Volunteer thinks a correction or consequence is needed, these guidelines may help. They are not intended to be progressive steps of correction.
   1. Give a verbal reminder to follow the rules, if appropriate
   2. Involve another Volunteer, Guardian or Caregiver
   3. Ask the Friend to leave the room for a few minutes and take a time-out
   4. End the meeting
   5. Ask the Friend not to come to the program for a period of time until an agreement can be reached about acceptable behaviour
   6. If a situation arises away from the Friendship program, stay in a public setting because moving to a private or isolated setting may increase vulnerability for the Volunteer and the Friend. Use a cell phone to seek assistance or to relay what is happening to someone else
   7. If problems continue beyond minor correction, do not hesitate to share them with a Parent, Guardian, or Caregiver and apprise them of how the situation has been handled.
   Physical intervention including slapping, hitting, kicking, punching is never appropriate. Physical restraint may be necessary only to prevent harm or injury to the Friend, mentor, or other persons nearby. Lashing out in anger or verbal abuse will likely cause more harm to the other person and to the relationship.
5. Supervision Policies
   1. A Volunteer ratio for the Friendship Ministry is 1 Volunteer to 3 Friends.
   2. A Volunteer/Friend ratio for off-site activities is 1:1, not to exceed 1:3. Before and after Friendship, Volunteers and Guardians/Caregivers may be included in the ratio if they are supervising the Friends.
6. Volunteer Procedures
   1. All Volunteers are required to complete and sign-off on the Volunteer registration form.
   2. All Volunteers and Staff who work on a regular basis with Friends shall complete a Police Vulnerable Sector Check to be renewed every 5 years or unless they switch involvement in ministries prior to the 5-year mark.
   3. All Staff and Volunteers must agree to comply with the Church's Abuse Prevention policy and, if non-compliant, the individual will be required to relinquish his/her responsibility in the ministry.
   4. Anyone with a history of allegations or convictions of abuse/neglect of Friends or other Vulnerable Persons shall be prohibited from leadership and any involvement in ministries in which this person could pose a risk.
   5. The Church reserves the right to deny any Volunteer for any reason.
   6. All information obtained will be held in the strictest confidence and secured with limited access. Access is restricted to a pastor as delegated by Council,Chair of Safe Church Team and Office Administrator or as otherwise required by law.

1. Staff and office bearers should exercise good judgment when visiting alone with parishioners of the opposite sex in the privacy of their own homes. It is wise to visit in pairs and/or use public places such as restaurants.
2. Each Staff member, Office Bearer and Member of the congregation has the right to refuse any displays of affection and their decision will be respected. While the appropriate display of affection between staff members, office bearers and members of the congregation are often part of conveying support and encouragement to one another, such displays can be misinterpreted. For that reason, displays of affections should be limited to such actions as a brief hug, an arm around the shoulder, a handclasp, or a light touch to the forearm and only when consented to by the other person.
3. Consider requesting that an elder or deacon of the same sex be assigned to the person who needs frequent pastoral visits.
4. Pastors' offices should be equipped with windows in the doors and blinds that can be opened during pastoral visits.
5. The elders, deacons and pastors must report all pastoral visits to their respective coordinating bodies.

Introduction

Social media and a general online presence now form key pieces of a church's connection and communication with parishioners. While social media presents new ministry opportunities, this area can also be an avenue for abuse and inappropriate boundaries. The following guidelines are in place to promote healthy boundaries for Staff, Volunteers, and Minors, and to ensure that the overall Abuse Prevention Policy of Community Christian Reformed Church is applied to the use of social media in connection to the ministry of the Church.

This policy applies to the official social media presence of Community Christian Reformed Church, as well as the social media presence of Staff and Volunteers as related to the ministries of Community Christian Reformed Church.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of social media use, this policy will be reviewed and updated every year from the date of implementation.

Guidelines for Social Media Use:

1. General Conduct and Management of Social Media Accounts
   1. All official social media accounts of Community Christian Reformed Church will have 2 or more administrators consisting of Staff and authorized Volunteers only. Administrator authorization is given by both the Safe Church Team and Communications Team. When an authorized administrator steps down or is removed from that position, all passwords will be changed immediately for all social media accounts.
   2. Passwords, passphrases and recovery questions for all official social media accounts will be changed on an annual basis and will not be shared with anyone except authorized administrators.
   3. Any inappropriate material posted or inappropriate exchange or comments to official social media accounts are to be reported immediately to the Safe Church Team. Whenever possible, screen shots of the exchange(s) taken are to accompany the Incident Report Form prior to deleting them.
2. Online Engagement with Minors
   1. Staff and Volunteers will use prudent judgment in contacting youth through social media. Suggested guideline: Normally do not text, chat, e-mail back and forth with youth when you would not normally call their home phone line (before 8 AM or after 9 PM). If a youth texts you after hours and it is not urgent, wait until morning to reply.
   2. If Staff and Volunteers use their personal social media to communicate with youth, they must apply privacy settings that are consistent with all youth, across all platforms. Staff and Volunteers will not actively friend or add youth to their personal accounts rather they will respond to friend or add requests as initiated by the youth themselves.
   3. Parents should be made aware of how Staff and Volunteers utilize social network platforms.
   4. When possible, communication should be sent to entire groups, in public areas.
   5. When ongoing pastoral communication is private, Staff and Volunteers will disclose the person's name and the frequency of contact with the parents and the ministry leader. Video-chatting one-on-one is strongly discouraged. Transcripts and records of online messaging with minors should be saved and archived.
3. Taking and Posting of Photographs and Videos Online
   1. Images where a person under 18 years of age is easily identifiable will not be posted without the written permission of a parent or guardian. This permission may be obtained on an annual basis or for a one-off ministry event via consent forms for ministry and program enrollment.
   2. Pictures and videos taken at large group events are considered safe to post, provided that opportunity is given to individuals to indicate they do not wish to have their own or their child's image posted. Notification of this opportunity may be included in event announcements and/or periodic publication of these guidelines in the bulletin or website.
   3. Reasonable steps will be taken to honour requests by individuals who do not wish to have their own or their child's image posted. It is expected that these same individuals will notify Staff or Volunteers immediately should a photograph or video need to be taken down or modified.

You are part of a committee at the church and bring up a new idea at a meeting. Someone else on the committee belittles you and even yells at you later for having such a ‘silly idea’. What do you do?

You are volunteering in the church building and COVID-19 is still very much an ongoing issue in the pandemic. There are rules of the church and laws of the Region/Province/Country to follow but others around you insist on breaking them (example: wearing a mask when mandatory). What do you do?

You are a youth leader and one of the youths is texting you throughout the evening, much like a ‘conversation’ back-and-forth, which is totally innocent and not nefarious or inappropriate in any way. You receive the next text from the youth at 9:04 p.m. asking a question or continuing the ‘conversation’. What do you do?

You are a volunteer babysitter at the church during a church program or service. The policy says there must be a certain minimum number of volunteers to watch the children, otherwise you simply cannot: no babysitting will be offered. You are short on volunteers and the program/service is about to start. What do you do?

You attend a church-related event on or off church property. You notice that a fellow congregant drove up in their car. They parked crooked, stumbled out of the car, and you detected an odour of alcohol on their breath. What do you do?