Version 20250310

by M. Flynn

Safe Ministry Training is a regular course of online training renewed each three years.

  • Level 1 is required for all on church rosters or volunteering in our op shop. This is an online questionnaire based course.
  • Level 2 is required for all working directly with children. This is an online questionnaire based course.
  • Level 3 is required for all clergy, those on parish council or leading children’s ministry. This training is conducted in a live online meeting.


It is the responsibility of the parish to ensure its volunteers have the appropriate training.


Clearance for service is a safe ministry check for lay people run by Kooyoora, an independent professional standards body. A clearance for service is currently required for those who work directly with children as well as lay members who are trustees of the Diocesan corporation, members of Diocesan council or the Diocesan corporation.


Working with Children Checks (WWCC) is an ongoing background record check
administered by the Victorian Department of Justice. These are required by State law for those working directly with children and are renewed every five years.

National Police Record Checks (NPRC) is a once off background record check administered by the Victorian Police. The NPRC covers a broader range of offences than the WWCC. These checks are arranged by the parish and applied for online using the Diocesan agreement with the not-for-profit agency, Crimcheck. A NPRC is required for those working directly with children. A new NPRC is required every five years by the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne as part of the regular clearance for service process.

Referees are required for those volunteering in our op shop according to St. John’s own policy (see below). They are also part of the clearance for service (for lay people) and clearance for ministry (for ordained people) processes required by Kooyoora for those working directly with children.

Archbishop’s licences are required by all working as clergy in the Melbourne Diocese who have received a clearance for ministry from Kooyoora. This clearance involves all the checks above plus a more extensive questionnaire and background check. Licences are renewed at different times, three years for permission to officiate for locum ministers, five to ten years for incumbents of parishes or whenever new roles are taken on or changed. However, the three year training schedule and five year NPRC and WWCC schedules also apply to licensed clergy. These requirements are administered by the Diocese directly and are not the responsibility of the parish.

Parish policies (set by St John’s parish council)

  • References are required for those working in our op-shop as volunteers.
  • People known to us. Along with all the other requirements listed here, St John’s will only have people who have been attending the parish for 12 months or more working directly with children.
  • Lanyards. In 2024 St John’s brought in a system of lanyards to identify those who are
    cleared for service (lay people) or cleared for ministry (clergy) by Kooyoora. This is to meet a Diocesan requirement that such people be readily identifiable during public gatherings of the parish (see Diocesan safe ministry check lists published in 2023)