Student services and support programs

Chaplain Role Statement for the Chaplaincy Service at  MORANBAH EAST STATE SCHOOL

 1. Support students exploring their spiritual beliefs and world views

• Assist students to explore their worldview and beliefs through education and conversation

• Facilitate Christian activities on school campuses with voluntary student participation

• Connect with students, staff and families and respond to their needs in ways that encourage community togetherness
  

2. Facilitate and provide pastoral care for students and be a role model to them

• Facilitate and provide pastoral care and personal support for students, staff and parents of the school community within a Christian framework in cooperation with the school’s support staff
• Facilitate and provide pastoral care and support following critical incidents

3. General activities in the life of the school

• Participate in school excursion, sports days, speech nights, assemblies, school committees
• Facilitate groups, events and activities with voluntary student participation, including lunch time groups, breakfast clubs, etc.
• Visit students who are absent from school (including school refusals, hospital visitation, bereavement)
• Assist with special needs and behaviour management programs
• Provide resource support for teachers
• Facilitate parenting programs

4. Engage with local Christian churches and other religious groups and community groups and with parental consent, connect students with resources and programs provided by these groups

• Liaise between the school and local Christian churches

• Visit  local Christian churches on a regular basis

• Connect students with local Christian churches with parents’ / caregivers’ permission

• Publish a regular newsletter for distribution to local Christian churches and Chaplaincy supporters

• Network with support services, other agencies and organisations in the local community to provide a broad range of support services to the school community
  

5. Events and activities (Outside of School Hours)

Promote, facilitate and participate (with students) in some of the following:

• SU Qld holiday camps, and/or

• Local church holiday activity programs, and/or

• Student leadership training events, and/or

• SU Qld Community Outreach programs, and/or
  

SU Qld School Chaplain Profile

A.  The purpose of the role of an SU Qld Chaplain (in view of the purpose of SU Qld and Education Queensland requirements)

Chaplains employed by SU Qld will model the unconditional love demonstrated and taught by Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible.  This will be demonstrated in unconditional love and care for all members of the school communities where they work.  Each SU Qld Chaplain will therefore be a person whose beliefs and lifestyle reflect a Biblical understanding of a commitment to the teachings, life and person of Jesus Christ.  This is necessary to fulfil the purpose of SU Qld as the employer of the chaplains.

In matters of faith development, SU Qld Chaplains have a particular role in supporting and nurturing the faith of students whose families have a Christian affiliation.  In doing so, each SU Qld Chaplain will be involved in local Christian churches and the local community informing, teaching, and at times communicating Christian messages.  SU Qld Chaplains will refer students from other faith backgrounds seeking nurture in their faith to appropriate avenues of support.  While exercising their roles from within a Christian framework and promoting positive Christian values, SU Qld Chaplains will be sensitive to and respectful of people who hold both religious and non-religious beliefs and values different from their own.  SU Qld Chaplains will be available to all students, staff and parents within their schools, regardless of religious affiliation.

B.  Reporting Relationships

SU Qld Chaplains will report to:

1. The School Principal in matters related to the Chaplain’s operation within the school.
   
2. The LCC (Local Chaplaincy Committee) Chair in matters related to the local management of the Chaplaincy Service.
3. SU Qld in matters related to agreed principles, employment issues and overall policy.

C.  Role Statement

The role of the Chaplain within each SU Qld Chaplaincy Service will vary, though there will be some common elements that appear in all SU Qld Chaplaincy Services.  The following list includes both essential activities (for ALL SU Qld Chaplains) and school-specific activities in which an SU Qld Chaplain may be involved in at the nominated school and within the local community.  The particular emphasis placed on each of these duties within this role will be fleshed out in more detail by the Local Chaplaincy Committee.  SU Qld Chaplains exercise their duties and all aspects of their role from within a Christian framework, promoting positive Christian values.

D.  Requirements of the SU Qld Chaplain

SU Qld requires Chaplains to:

1. Agree to and operate in line with the SU Qld Approach to Working in Schools document, AND one or more of the creeds of the Christian Church (Apostles’ Creed and/or Nicene Creed).
2. Be actively involved in a local Christian church.
3. Hold a valid, current “Blue Card” from the Commission for Children and Young People for the purposes of child-related employment, OR a valid, current registered teacher’s exemption.
4. Be willing to work in accordance with the Code of Conduct for SU Qld Chaplains, AND the Education Queensland Code of Conduct.
5. Demonstrate ability to:

• provide appropriate duty of care for young people at all times,
• set appropriate professional and interpersonal boundaries,
• establish effective self-care and accountability practices,fulfil the physical requirements of the role.  These requirements vary from school to school.