When recruiting any role, parishes should make sure they are meeting safeguarding standards.
The Church of England’s Safeguarding policy statement “Promoting a Safer Church” contains the commitment to “carefully select and train all those with any pastoral responsibility within the Church, including the use of Criminal Records Bureau disclosures where legal or appropriate.”
The responsibility for this can be given to whoever the PCC appoints (normally the Parish Safeguarding Officer).
FAQs
- If a candidate for a position that is eligible for a DBS check is coming from overseas, the person making the appointment should request an additional check and ask the applicant to obtain criminality information (also known as a certificate of good conduct/character) from his/her relevant embassy/high commission (or police force). See the House of Bishops’ Safer Recruitment Practice Guidance at paragraph 2.10 and Overseas DBS.
- Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK for 6 months or more in the last 5 years need to undergo the same checks as all other staff applicants. As much information as possible should be obtained in the form of references (e.g. from any relevant overseas employer(s)) including verification by telephone as part of the decision making process about whether to use applicants who have lived abroad.
Current practice in the Diocese of London is that checks are required for all Church of England clergy from outside of the Diocese who are invited to officiate (including preaching) within the Diocese.
Visit the Parish Practicalities section for more information
Permission to officiate in the Church of England needs to be obtained from the Diocesan Bishop and the Archbishop of Canterbury if the member of clergy was ordained overseas (this does not include the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church of Ireland, or the Church in Wales, whose ministry is already recognized).
To minister without having obtained the Archbishop’s Permission, even for one service, is an ecclesiastical offence for which proceedings may be taken under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003. Applications are made under the Overseas and Other Clergy (Ministry and Ordination) Measure 1967. Further details, including how to apply, can be found here.