Pastoral Care Worker

Chaplaincy is a well-accepted and valued pastoral care model in many parts of society (eg defence forces, sports, industry, hospitals etc)

The Chaplaincy Service at this school is provided by a Pastoral Care Worker, on behalf of the local combined Christian community, employed by Schools Ministry Group (SMG).

The Chaplaincy Service is funded by the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP), administered by the Department for Education, with additional contribution from the local community.

The aim of this service is to offer pastoral support to students, staff and the school community.

Our Pastoral Care Worker supports our school community in the following ways:

• Working closely and in partnership with leadership and other wellbeing staff in the school to provide pastoral care and practical support to students, families and staff as requested

• Providing pastoral care in a ‘first response’ capacity to critical incidents, referring to specialist support, and to provide ongoing presence and follow up

• Being well positioned to work across the whole school to ‘build a sense of’ community, harmony and cohesion

• Being trained and equipped to provide our school with a unique dimension of social, emotional and spiritual support in line with the Department for Education wellbeing framework

Chaplaincy Services promote student wellbeing, engaging young people in activities that are preventative and which support early intervention and referral of mental health issues.

Other facts about the SMG Chaplaincy Service in SA Government Schools:

• The recruitment process for a Pastoral Care Worker is acknowledged by Department for Education, and meets the standards required for a religious based role such as a Pastoral Care Worker / Chaplain.

• The Pastoral Care Worker job description does not include provision of Religious Education, and proselytising is explicitly prohibited.

• Pastoral Care Workers appointed are required to have a minimum qualification of Cert IV in Youth Work (or equivalent), and to undertake relevant, ongoing Professional Development.

• All Pastoral Care Workers have a DCSI child related employment screening check and are Department for Education trained mandated notifiers.

• Access to the Pastoral Care Worker by students is voluntary and parents must give written approval for the Pastoral Care Worker to provide ongoing personal support

• Over 300 Pastoral Care Workers are employed in 64% of SA government schools by Schools Ministry Group, who has over 20 years of experience in supporting and partnering with school communities

• SMG and Pastoral Care Workers partner with local churches and other community groups to provide financial, practical and volunteer support to schools where possible and relevant.

The School community is consulted and makes the decision to proceed with an application for NSCP funding for a Chaplaincy Service. Please talk to the School Principal for further details.

A Grievance Procedure for any formal complaint is available from the School Principal.

Disclaimer

The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Department for Education.

For further information, download our Pastoral Care Worker Brochure.