Policy Review Videos for Vestries, Bishop's Committees, and Other Boards

As you know, members of Vestries and Bishop's Committees and other governing boards no longer need to be certified in SGP. The 2020 policies require only that these "Decision-Makers" be trained in the SGP policies. In January, we promised to provide guidance and resources on how to meet this requirement, but the pandemic complicated our good intentions.

 

With apologies for the delay, we have now posted two Zoom video recordings that educate Decision-Makers on the rules that support safe ministry with adults in their organizations. The first video is designed for Vestries and Bishop's Committee members and the second for members of other types of governing boards. Both videos are about 22 minutes long and cover not only the principle SGP policies, but also the standards of behavior for clergy under Title IV (the Disciplinary Canons of the Episcopal Church), and certain provisions in the Clergy Manual that affect organizational wellness and safety.

 

The videos can be found here and in the side-bar menu on the Safeguarding web-page, along with instructions and a form for tracking compliance with the new training requirement. The completed form is to be signed by the head of organization and attached to the Annual Safeguarding Status Report by the SRA. Decision-Makers are only required to be trained once during each term served on the governing board.

 

We recognize that many members of your Vestry, Bishop's Committee, or other governing board may already be certified in SGP and that the wardens of a congregation must continue to be screened and trained for SGP certification. Nevertheless, because the training videos cover material not covered in the normal SGP training, we are asking that all members of the governing board of your organization view the appropriate video before the 2021 Annual Safeguarding Status Reports are due. The videos do not need to be administered by an authorized SGP Trainer. Click here to download, view, or save these new training resources.

 

Moving forward, members of governing boards should be trained within the first three months of each term that they serve. We encourage training as a group (in person or over a virtual platform) to allow for questions and discussion, but the videos may be viewed by members on their own. Of course, a head of organization may always require that the video be viewed as a group instead of individually. 

 

We have also created and posted an optional SGC Policy Review (approximately 7 minutes long) that introduces governing boards to diocesan policies protecting children and youth. We hope that heads of congregations, schools, and other organizations will find it useful in promoting safe and nurturing environments for young people.

 

Thank you for your dedicated efforts to safeguard your communities despite the disruptions of Covid-19 and the movement to online platforms. Your creativity inspires our own. As always, please let us know how we can better meet your Safeguarding needs.