“Recommendation 16.45 Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5, each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision with a trained professional or pastoral supervisor who has a degree of independence from the institution within which the person is in ministry.” Final Report: Recommendations pg 58
Courses
The University of Divinity is currently developing two new awards: a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Supervision. It is planned that these awards will be available from the start of 2021.
They have been developed in response to Recommendation 16.45 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, and are an initiative of the University of Divinity through its Strategic Goal Changing Culture: Responding to the Royal Commission.
For more information or to express interest in these awards, contact Amanda Smith at the University of Divinity This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Kooyoora offers a supervision space for clergy, lay and other church workers. A safe, independent space is created to explore, challenge and open conversations relating to self-exploration and functioning within the context of identity and the various roles we engage in.
NCCA Secretariat:
Royal Commission Round Table gatherings 
The NCCA held this Assembly meeting on Wednesday 18 July 2018 at St James Anglican Church Parish Hall, Phillip Street, Sydney.
What it is, how we get enough qualified supervisors to carry this out, how we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a supportive practice?
(Recommendation 16.45)
A Theological underpinning and reflection on professional supervision was given by Dr Alan Niven, Director of Research and Professional Development at Stirling College, University of Divinity. Alan is a Churches of Christ minister.
Discussion on the topic: How we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a mandatory supportive practice; How to regularise professional and pastoral supervision with independence from the particular organisation, was led by Nicola Lock. Nicky has been working in the counselling field for over 25 years and is Course Coordinator for the Masters of Pastoral Counselling program at Charles Sturt University.
This discussion looked at:
Professional supervision:
- What it is and is not.
- How we get enough supervisors to carry it out
The need for culture change;
- how we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a mandatory and supportive practice
The afternoon roundtable discussions were facilitated by Helen Blake, a counsellor and therapist in private practice in Sydney and lecturer in the Master of Pastoral Counselling at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra. Helen led our focus group discussions and assisted us to re-form into a larger group to talk about implementation.
Presentation PDFs below:
- Dr Alan Niven - Theological Supervision
- N. Lock - Professional Supervision
- Getting the most out of Professional Supervision - Uniting Church resource
- Professional Supervision and the Uniting Church in Australia
This NCCA Assembly was held on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at St James Anglican Church Parish Hall, Phillip Street, Sydney.
Sharing examples of what is working in churches; sharing experience of overcoming resistance to the fact that “I have a vocation and not a job”; how to implement a framework that emphasises it as an opportunity for learning.
Royal Commission Recommendation 16.44
Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5: each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, are subject to effective management and oversight and undertake annual performance appraisals.
Theological input and discussion was centred on the topic of Performance Appraisal Frameworks for clergy and church workers
A Theological underpinning and reflection on management and oversight was given by Rev Dr Geoff Broughton, Senior lecturer at St Marks National Theological Centre and Rector of Paddington Anglican Church
A practical case study, pastoral performance appraisal framework: developed and implemented across Sydney Anglican churches was presented by Rev Gary O’Brien Director of Ministry, Training and Development for the Sydney Anglican Diocese.
In the afternoon, the roundtable discussions were again facilitated by Helen Blake.
These sessions focused on:
- sharing examples of what is working with clergy and church workers
- sharing experience of overcoming resistance to the fact that “I have a vocation and not a job”
- how to implement a Performance Appraisal Framework that emphasises an opportunity for learning, for spiritual growth, good discipleship
Presentation PDFs below:
- Rev Geoff Broughton - Performance Appraisal Frameworks for clergy and church workers
- Rev Gary O'Brien - A Pastoral Review Process - presentation
This NCCA Assembly was held on Thursday 21 March 2019 and held at Ferguson Hall, St Stephen’s Uniting Church, 197 Macquarie St, Sydney.
One of the findings of the Royal Commission was that:
“the occurrence of child sexual abuse within religious institutions may in part be attributed to the poor selection and screening of candidates for religious ministry and the lack of appropriate initial training or formation.”
(Recommendations 16.38, 16.42, 16.4, 16.5)
Theological input and discussion was centred on the topic: Selection, training and screening for ordination candidates and church workers, including best practice in psychological testing for clergy and church workers.
A Theological underpinning and reflection on selection, training and screening was given by Janiene Wilson, a Clinical psychologist and lecturer in the Department of Christian Life and Ministry at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.
A practical case study was presented by Greg Milles, Director of Professional Standards, Anglican Diocese of Southern Queensland.
In the afternoon, the roundtable discussion sessions focused on:
- input based on experience with churches and Christian organisations
- risk factors to look out for
- examples of good practice ie;
- panels or selection processes involving a range of people giving feedback
- involvement of lay people, women, professionals etc. - a cross-section of those to whom they will minister
Presentation PDFs below:
