Diocese of Chichester

Before you begin to ask new people to volunteer to work with children and young people, it’s essential to review your church’s policies and procedures. You will need the support of your PCC, Vicar, Parish Safeguarding Officer and Diocesan Officers.

For more information and advice please visit the Church of England website.

• When a staff vacancy arises, it’s helpful to plan ahead. Begin by updating and involving your PCC or other key parish groups, and make sure you have an agreed budget in place. This should cover the full employment package—salary, pension and National Insurance costs, and any equipment the person will need, such as a computer or desk.
• All parish recruitment must follow the Church of England’s Safer Recruitment Code of Practice. This covers every stage of the process, including application forms, confidential declarations, role descriptions, references, interviews and criminal record checks (DBS checks).
• The ACAS Guide to Hiring Staff also provides practical advice on advertising roles, running interviews and avoiding discrimination. Their Recruitment Checklist is a useful tool for PCCs when managing each stage of the process of recruiting staff.

A conflict of interest arises when there is a conflict between a duty to be carried out and a private or personal interest. It is recognised that in some church bodies, conflicts of interest are difficult to avoid. e.g. where a spouse or parent is an employee or member of clergy.

Wherever possible, conflicts of interest should be avoided throughout the recruitment and selection process. Any potential conflict of interest should be identified and discussed, and steps put in place to manage and mitigate the conflict. The conflict and the steps taken to mitigate it should be recorded. Steps may include removing the person from the process, restricting their role in the process or ensuring there is an independent person involved in the process e.g. on the interview panel.

Before advertising a role, it’s important to be clear about what the job involves and the experience, skills and abilities of the person you are looking for. This is not part of the contract of employment but will help you to define the role.

Job Description

A job description sets out the main duties and responsibilities of the role, along with the skills and experience needed to carry them out. It should include:

• The overall purpose of the role
• Who the role reports to, and whether it has any supervisory responsibilities
• Who the role works with—both within the parish and externally
• Key tasks and responsibilities
• The extent of the role’s contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and the responsibility for safeguarding.
• A statement that the person appointed will be expected to work within the policy and procedures of the relevant safeguarding policy. E.g. “[Insert name of Church body] is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.”
• Where appropriate, a statement that the person appointed will require an enhanced DBS disclosure (with/without barred list/s check).
• General statements relevant to all roles, such as requirements relating to health and safety.

Job descriptions should be reviewed regularly so they stay accurate and up to date. It’s helpful to include a note explaining that duties may change over time. For example: “This job description is a guide to the main duties of the role. It is not exhaustive. As our work evolves, the duties may be reviewed and updated. You may occasionally be asked to carry out other reasonable tasks as required.”

Person Specification

A person specification describes the qualifications, skills, knowledge and competencies a candidate needs to succeed in the role.

These are usually listed as:

• Essential – requirements the candidate must have
• Desirable – helpful qualities that would support the role

You should also decide how each criterion will be assessed (e.g., application form, interview, practical task).

You should also list whether there are any Occupational Requirements under the Equality Act 2010 – e.g. if there is a genuine requirement for an individual to be a practicing Christian. ACAS guidance found here

Template Job Descriptions & Person Specification for employees which you can adapt and tailor to your setting are here:

Template Job Description & Person Specification- Parish Administrator .docx

Template Job Description & Person Specification - Operations Manager.docx

Template Job Description & Person Specification - Youth Worker.docx

Template Job Description & Person Specification – Children & Families Worker.docx

Template Role Description – Organist/Director of Music

• Think carefully before employing a trustee or even someone who worships in the congregation. Employment would likely work well; but sometimes situations occur where it isn’t working, which can mean there is not only the employment relationship to rectify, but it also creates issues pastorally.
• The Charity Commission has guidelines relating to employing Trustees. The PCC’s governing documents (The Church Representation Rules and The Parochial Church Councils (Powers) Measure 1956) do not normally allow trustees to be paid, so the PCC would need to apply to the Charity Commission for permission before employing the individual.
• Ensure that the PCC has a conflict of interest policy. The PCC can view the Charity Commission’s short 5-minute video on conflicts of interest here.

A template conflict of interest policy can be found here.

Volunteers are the bedrock of parishes, serving and supporting both their parish community and the wider community. The Church of England gives advice about recruiting, selecting and managing volunteers here

We recommend that specific role descriptions & person specifications are developed and agreed for a volunteer role that:

• Falls under the scope of Safer Recruitment. For example: Readers, Authorised Lay Ministers, Pastoral Assistants, Lay people volunteering with children or young people, Parish volunteer drivers for vulnerable groups, volunteer organist or director of music
• Has a reasonable amount of responsibility in the parish
• Has a reasonable time commitment in the parish

We recommend a more generic role description for roles such as sidesperson or music group member.

The role description should include:

• The expectations of the role
• the commitment anticipated (including, for example, setting up, clearing up, preparation during the week, meetings, training).
• The extent of the role’s contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and the responsibility for safeguarding.
• A statement that the person appointed will be expected to work within the policy and procedures of the relevant safeguarding policy. E.g. “[Insert name of Church body] is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.”
• Where appropriate, a statement that the person appointed will require an enhanced DBS disclosure (with/without barred list/s check).
• General statements relevant to all roles, such as requirements relating to health and safety.

An example of a generic template volunteer role description can be found here:

Template generic volunteer role description

An example of a specific volunteer role description can be found here:

Template role description Organist Director of Music

To help volunteers understand the expectations of their role it is helpful to have a volunteer agreement that sits alongside their role description. A template volunteer agreement that the PCC can adapt for its own purposes can be found here.

Once the application deadline has passed, a small panel — usually 3 to 4 people with different roles in the parish — should review the applications together. This might include a PCC member, Church Warden, Office Manager, and someone who will work closely with the new post‑holder. Their role is to check whether each applicant meets the essential criteria in the person specification.

Shortlisting should be based only on the job description and person specification. It’s best to shortlist no more than five candidates for interview. If you receive a large number of applications, this can be challenging, but it’s important to record clear, objective reasons for the decisions you make.

Do:

• Agree the shortlisting and interview panel – the same people should be involved in both processes.
• Shortlist candidates against the essential criteria in the person specification.
• Prepare competency based questions based on the job description/person specification.
• Make notes during the interview so you can score candidates against the criteria you have set.

Don’t:

• Ask health-related questions unless this is an intrinsic part of the role (e.g (for example a care home assistant may need to be able to lift and physically support patients) – see FAQ below.
• Hold on to recruitment paperwork longer than necessary –see the Church of England record retention schedule which recommends that you destroy after 6 months.

The interview is your opportunity to present the parish and the role in a positive light, be honest about the job and emphasise your values.

• The interviews should be conducted by the same panel.
• It is a requirement of the Equality Act 2010 that interviews are accessible for all candidates so you will need to check in advance if any special requirements are needed, for example, wheelchair access.
• Prepare for the interview with questions to assess the specific requirements of the role and each candidate should be asked the same questions. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to ask questions that may discriminate, for example asking about a candidate's personal life or ‘protected characteristics’.
• Under the Equality Act 2010 it is illegal to ask an individual about their health before you offer them a role, apart from in a limited number of situations such as if you wish to find out whether any adjustments are required for the interview process and beyond.
• Ensure the candidate knows the interview format in advance - if they will be required to complete a task or give a presentation and how long that will need to be.
• Advise who will be on the interview panel.
• Make notes during the interview so that you are able to score candidates against the criteria you have set.
• It is recommended that the interview section itself lasts between 45 minutes to 1 hour (plus time for any presentation or task) and allow time for the opportunity for the candidate to ask questions
• At the end of the interview, confirm how a decision will be communicated and when.
• Allow for at least 15 minutes between candidates for writing up notes.

For roles falling under the scope of Safer Recruitment and People Management Code of Practice:

• One member of panel should have completed Safer Recruitment and People Management training in the last 3 years
• An interview must take place even if there is only one candidate
• Questions should be asked relating to safeguarding
• Gaps or discrepancies in applications should be questioned and recorded by panel

For further guidance visit the Safer Recruitment and People Management Code of Practice.

You can find a template interview assessment form here.

When you are ready to offer someone a role, it’s best to start with a verbal offer, explaining that it is conditional on a few important checks being completed. These usually include:

• Receipt of satisfactory references
• Evidence of right to work in the UK
• Evidence of qualifications required for the role.
• A DBS check (if appropriate)

Always ensure that you get permission from the candidate prior to asking for the reference. In many circumstances, a referee is their current employer, and you should provide them with the opportunity to inform them before you make contact.

This should be followed with a written offer of employment letter and contract of employment once the candidate has accepted the role.

A template conditional offer of employment letter can be found here.

• Right to Work check
• References for volunteers and employees
• DBS check if required
• DBS Eligibility checker

• Before you employ anyone, you must make sure they have the legal right to work in the UK. This applies to new employees and your existing staff.
• The Home Office provides clear guidance on what documents you need to check, how to confirm someone’s identity, and how long you must keep copies. You can find the full list of acceptable documents and the official guidance on completing right‑to‑work checks on the Home Office website.
• It’s important to follow this process correctly. Employing someone who does not have the right to work, and not carrying out the proper checks, could result in a civil penalty (fine).

• Before appointing someone to a role, it’s important to carry out reference checks to help ensure they are suitable—especially for positions involving children, young people or vulnerable adults.
• As part of this process, you may occasionally notice differences in the information a candidate has provided (for example, employment dates or reasons for leaving a previous job). If this happens, simply give the applicant the opportunity to explain. It’s good practice to make a brief note of any clarification and keep it with their application form.
• References are an important part of these checks, but they don’t always give a full picture. For this reason, it can be helpful to consider what additional information or steps might help you gain a clearer and more rounded understanding of the person you are looking to appoint.

A template reference request email can be found here.

For employed and volunteer roles that fall within the scope of the Safer Recruitment & People Management Code of Practice you must arrange the correct DBS check.

DBS checks are valid for 3 years and it is the responsibility of the parish to have a system in place to ensure that re-checks are completed every 3 years.

A list of employed and volunteer roles which require DBS checks can be found on the Safeguarding page of the diocesan website.

Before advertising, you will need to decide the type of contract being offered and the key terms and conditions of employment. These could already be set in place in your Parish (Staff) Handbook or if you do not have one, you would need to consider the following:

Who is the employer?

This is likely to be the PCC

What type of contract are you offering?

A contract of employment is an agreement between an employer and employee which is legally binding. The term is defined by the Employment Rights Act 1996 as a contract of service or apprenticeship.

An employee has the statutory right to a “written statement of employment particulars” outlining their core terms like pay, hours and holidays on or before their first day of work.

You can get more information and advice about employment contracts on the Gov.uk website and ACAS website.

A template contract of employment as supplied by ACAS can be found here.

To help volunteers understand the expectations of their role it is helpful to have a volunteer agreement that sits alongside their role description.

A template volunteer agreement that the PCC can adapt for its own purpose can be found here.