Key Features of the Programme

• The National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP) aims to support schools and their communities that wish to establish school chaplaincy services or to enhance existing services.
• This is in recognition that school chaplains are already making valuable contributions to the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of school communities across Australia.
• The NSCP is a response to the call that these services be made more widely available.
• The nature of the service and the religious affiliation of the chaplain are to be determined by the school and its community. There appears to be no barrier to having chaplains from more than one religious group in the school.
• It is a voluntary service - schools are not obliged to have a chaplain and students are not required to use the service if they do not wish to.
• NSCP chaplains will be bound by a Code of Conduct which, among other things, respects the rights of parents to ensure that the religious and moral education of their children is in line with their own convictions and undertakes not to engage in proselytism.
• Schools and their communities are expected to demonstrate their support for school chaplaincy services through contributing cash and/or in-kind support.
• NSCP funds cannot be used to pay for services that have already been provided.

Overview of the Nature of Chaplaincy Services

• By the local school, its community and the appropriate governing authority as having the skills and experience to deliver school chaplaincy services to the school and its community; and
• Through formal ordination, commissioning, recognised qualifications or endorsement by a recognised or accepted religious institution or a state/territory government approved chaplaincy service.

• Providing general religious and personal advice to those seeking it, comfort and support to students and staff, such as during times of grief;
• Supporting students and staff to create an environment of cooperation and respect, promoting an understanding of diversity and the range of religious affiliations and their traditions;
• Respecting the range of religious views and cultural traditions in the school and the broader community and also respecting the rights of parents/guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of children is in line with their own convictions;
• Working in a wider spiritual context to support students and staff of all religious affiliations and not seeking to impose any religious beliefs or persuade an individual towards a particular set of religious beliefs;
• Being approachable by all students, staff and members of the school community of all religious affiliations;
• Abiding by the NSCP Code of Conduct; and
• Operating within a strong ethical framework which supports and upholds the Values for Australian Schooling.

• Assisting school counsellors and staff in the delivery of school welfare services;
• Supporting students to explore their spirituality;
• Providing guidance about spiritual, values and ethical matters; and
• Facilitating access to helping agencies in the community, both religious-based and secular.

SRE and School Chaplaincy

Chaplaincy is distinct from, but complementary to, SRE in the school.
In order to help clarify the roles of school chaplains and SRE teachers and how they will interact, ICCOREIS has prepared the following document:

Guidelines for SRE and School Chaplaincy

Stakeholders

• The principal, in consultation with the parent body and recognised religious persuasions, is responsible for working with the funding recipient (project sponsor) to lead, coordinate and manage all aspects of the school chaplaincy project.
• The principal may appoint another member of the school's staff as project leader to undertake these tasks on his or her behalf. (The responsibilities of the project leader are set out in section 3.2 of the NSCP Guidelines.)
• The project sponsor is an organisation (incorporated under commonwealth or state legislation) that may enter into a funding agreement and manage funding under the programme on behalf of the school and its community. The project sponsor may be affiliated with or working with a religious institution.

Project Management

• There is a six month period after the application has been approved for the chaplaincy service to commence.
• Funding will commence once the chaplain is in place.
• The funding recipient needs to meet the following requirements:
  - Negotiating the funding agreement
  - The provision of public liability, professional indemnity and workers compensation insurance
  - Compliance with relevant state and territory laws and policies
  - Child protection compliance
  - Adherence to the Code of Conduct
  - An acquittal showing how the funds have been spent
  - Monitoring the programme
  - Progress reports/evaluations to demonstrate outcomes have been reached.
• DEEWR has the right to withdraw funding if the programme is not meeting its requirements.

Training

Pastoral Counselling Institute
The Pastoral Counselling Institute in North Parramatta offers a Certificate IV in Pastoral Counselling Skills course which contains units that are relevant for school chaplains.
For further details, contact the institute: e: pcinsw@ihug.com.au; p: 02 9683 3664; or see the website.

School of Christian Studies
The School of Christian Studies, at Robert Menzies College at Macquarie University offers the Chaplaincy in Educational Settings course.
For further details see the SOCS website.

Further Information and Updates

At the Australian Christian Lobby conference on 21st November 2009, the Prime Minister announced that the NSCP will be extended by at least another 12 months. The government will provide $42.8 million towards the programme, to extend funding for all participating schools until December 2011.

For more information see the National School Chaplaincy Association website.

The latest NSCP guidelines and updates on the programme can be found on the National School Chaplaincy Programme pages of the DEEWR website.