The diocese of Edmonton has a new staff and volunteer screening policy, along with guidelines and procedures. A top priority for the policy is personnel who have ongoing or individual interactions with vulnerable people, including clergy, youth leaders, directors of children or youth choirs, and trainers and supervisors of young servers.
Parish vestries will conduct a risk evaluation of other personnel and premises in January, 2002. Vestries began to appoint screening committees, prepare job descriptions and make use of new application forms in September.
Committee chair of the executive council for the diocese Peter Monk said that many clergy and lay church people work in positions of trust, with access to money, children, youth, seniors, people with disabilities and people in crisis.
The new policy includes guidelines for overnight activities for children, access to meeting space and reference checks for potential youth volunteers.