News Update

Disclosure forms are now available from the reception area of Church House and the Taking Care Office.

When new leaders are completing the form please ensure they read the instructions on the form itself.

Step by step instructions will soon be available on the Taking Care website. Designated Persons and Ministers are reminded that identification needs to be verified, simply by checking documents and signing the PCI part of the form only.

Taking Care Training for Congregations and Designated Persons

Taking Care Training continues at congregational level. Our thanks are due to our enthusiastic volunteers who give of their time and themselves. A special welcome to our five new Trainers! There are vacancies in the following Presbyteries: Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Derry/Strabane, Donegal, Foyle, Monaghan and Route. If you are interested and able to deliver training to leaders in congregations in your presbytery then please contact Deborah.

By June 2008 Deborah will have visited 20 Presbyteries and spoken to about 400 Designated Persons. Thank-you to everyone who attended these sessions, participated in discussion and took on board all that was said. Hopefully there is a greater awareness of what a Designated Person's job actually entails. If anyone has just recently been appointed or was unable to make any of these events, more will be planned in the future.

Dates for your Diary

27th SeptemberCEOP (Child Exploitation Online Protection) Training This is a repeat of the event in January to train leaders to speak to young people about the risks of the internet.

STOP IT NOW campaign!

The STOP IT NOW project has been set up by NSPCC. Its aim is to tackle Child Sexual Abuse. Please contact Sinead Hegarty to order further leaflets free of charge for your congregation. Email shegarty@nspcc.org.uk or phone 0287 1312187.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Gail McCullough who got married to Stephen on 7th March and is now Mrs Gail Gamble.

Gail continues to work in the office to process POCVA checks which are now processed via Disclosure forms. Gail also organised training for congregations. For enquiries about specific Disclosure forms or to book training for your congregation please contact Gail on 90 417290 or the taking care email.

Common Protocol with the Church and Independent Organisations

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland met in 2005 and devised an agreement between themselves and the uniformed organisations such as Girls Brigade, Boys Brigade, Scouts, Guides and Crusaders. The groups met together and produced what is known as the 'common protocol'. This protocol also outlines guidelines relating to other organisations that use church premises and are linked to the local congregation.

You can download a copy of the Protocol here or alternatively it can be sent out to you by post by contacting the Taking Care office.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has registered with Access Northern Ireland in order to continue to facilitate POCVA (Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults) checking. This will no longer be accessed through the current forms but a new form called a Disclosure Form. The Taking Care Office will no longer be accepting POCVA TCF/02/05 forms from 15th February. If POCVA forms are sent to us after this date they will be returned to sender and the applicant will have to fill in a new Disclosure form instead. See below for further information - Please make sure this information is relayed to those who send forms to us. Leaders in the Republic of Ireland will continue to use Garda Vetting forms as usual.

Access Northern Ireland

Access Northern Ireland was established by a joint programme between the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Education and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. With the set up of this organization it is hoped that the process of POCVA checking will become more efficient in order to better protect the children and young people in our care.

There will be three main changes: Identification Verification, a Disclosure Form and a Disclosure Certificate.

1. Identification Verification -- The Designated Person or other nominated person in each congregation is responsible to verify the identification of a new leader. They would do this by checking an applicant's documents e.g. Passport, Driving license etc. Detailed information regarding this will be sent out with the Disclosure form.

2. Disclosure Form -- There will be a new form, known as a Disclosure form.

What is the last date which we can send POCVA forms to the Taking Care Office? The last date which you can send TCF/02/05 forms to the Taking Care Office is 15th February 2008. The only exception to this is for paid posts, the final date for paid posts is 1 March 2008.
What happens if we send POCVA forms after this date? If we receive POCVA forms after this date they will be returned to sender with a copy of this leaflet. Applicants will have to complete the new Disclosure form.
When will new forms be available? The new Disclosure forms will be available from March 2008.
Where will I be able to obtain the new forms from? A copy of the new Disclosure form will be sent to all Designated Persons.
Can these new Disclosure forms be photocopied, emailed or downloaded? Disclosure forms can be photocopied as many times as needed. The forms can be emailed to Designated Persons or nominated person on a request basis. Do not download the form from Access NI's website as PCI will overprint the form.
Will I continue to send forms to the Taking Care Office? Yes, Disclosure forms will be sent to the Taking Care Office and NOT to Access NI directly or to a local Police Station.

3. Disclosure Certificate -- Applicants will receive a disclosure certificate once their form has been processed.

Will people who are already checked through the current system have to be re-checked?
NO! Like before, the only people who need to fill out forms are those who are new leaders and who have regular contact with children.

Who will pay for Disclosure forms?
There is no charge for Disclosure for volunteers however there will be a charge for those who have paid posts. This cost will be met by the congregation.

What will happen if I do not send forms in?
If you do not send Disclosure forms for your leaders you will not be complying with the policy of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and most importantly, you may be putting children's lives at risk. While it is not a legal requirement to use Disclosure forms it is illegal to use a volunteer to work with children if they are on the disqualification list.

Who needs to know about these changes?
Everyone within your congregation who currently sends POCVA forms to be processed to the Taking Care Office -- this might be a Youth Worker, Office Administrator or Organisational leader.

Whose responsibility is it to tell them?
This information is sent to all Ministers, Session Clerks and Designated Persons; it is up to them to notify anyone who currently sends POCVA forms to us from their congregation.

For further details on any of the above items contact:
Taking Care
Presbyterian Board of Social Witness,
Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW
Tel: 028 9032 2284 -- Fax: 028 9041 7229
Email: takingcare@presbyterianireland.org

Taking Care - Child Protection Guidelines

Taking Care - News Update