Code of Practice for Appointment of Church Quenquennial Inspector
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR APPPOINTMENT OF CHURCH QUINQUENNIAL INSPECTOR
These guidelines are issued under Clause 2(f) of the Scheme for Inspection
of Churches 2001, established under the Inspection of Churches Measure 1955
and the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991, and are
to be read in conjunction with that Scheme and the appendices thereto.
The Archdeacon and/or the Diocesan Advisory Committee Secretary can suggest
names to a Parochial Church Council, if asked, and will offer two or three for
the parish to consider - they do not constitute an 'approved list'. A shortlist
of three suitable candidates, appropriate for the church in question and with
a reliable record, should be produced for the PCC. They may be either qualified
architects or qualified building surveyors. If the candidate who is finally
selected is not drawn from the Quinquennial Inspectors already working within
the diocese (and therefore known to the DAC), he or she will be required to
attend an interview with a panel of members of the DAC before the appointment
can be confirmed. The PCC may wish to restrict the appointment to a fixed number
of years.
The candidates should each be invited to attend an interview at the church
with the incumbent, churchwardens and one or two (at most) other appropriate
church officers. The structure of the interviews may be as follows:
- Each candidate is shown around the church building/s and the panel note
his/her reactions and degree of interest (maximum 15 mins)
- A "formal" interview follows, with each panel member using the
Interview Sheet: prior
to the day, each member has chosen the questions on the list which they will
ask (this will be the same for all three candidates). The format is,
ideally, a conversation, with panel members engaging in dialogue with the
candidate (maximum 45 minutes)
- During the course of each interview, each panel member will be evaluating
the candidate's response to each question and marking the sheet in the appropriate
box according to how well they answer.
- After each interview, panel members will complete their 'score' on the sheet
by adding points for 'general impression' which will incorporate their observations
during the pre-interview tour of the church.
- After all three interviews are concluded the panel will reveal their final
'score' on the sheets. Usually there is a clear-cut result, albeit
with a close margin: the key issue often hangs on how well the church feels
they could work with the candidate.
If the PCC decides to proceed with the change in QI, they should obtain the
candidate's agreement as well as letting him/her know that the nomination is
being submitted to the DAC
The PCC resolution should then be sent to the secretary of the DAC. When the
DAC approves the nomination, it will supply a model appointment letter for the
parish to use. When the new appointment has been made it is important to inform
the current Inspector that the PCC have decided to make a change.
It should be noted that
- it is a named person who is to be appointed Quinquennial Inspector, not
his or her firm
- any change in Quinquennial Inspector is entirely independent of any appointments
the PCC may make of architects or other consultants for the purposes of project
work, such as a new church hall. These appointments are entirely for the Incumbent
and Parochial Church Council to determine and do not require Diocesan Advisory
Committee consent, although the work itself may well require a faculty.
- The fee for Quinquennial Inspections is paid by the London Diocesan Fund
according to the rates decided by the Diocesan Finance Committee.
