RECORDS
Applications and related forms for staff and volunteers will be locked in a confidential file under the jurisdiction of the Pastor and Safe Sanctuary Coordinator. Clearances are confidential and will only be made available to a Pastor under "call" to the congregation and to the Safe Sanctuary Coordinator.
The Safe Sanctuary Coordinator and LSMC Secretary will be responsible for maintaining these records and following these recordkeeping steps:
1. Create and maintain a master list of all personnel and volunteers who have regular contact with children in the course of their work.
2. Determine which reports you possess, and note the dates of the reports on the list:
· For staff and volunteers who have the required background check reports and those reports are less than three (3) years old, no new reports are required until three (3) years from the date of the existing reports.
· For such personnel and volunteers who do not have the required background check reports, or in cases where the required reports are over two (2) years old, new reports are required.
3. Note on the list when the reports need to be renewed, and note on the list the date 60 days before to initiate the process of obtaining renewed reports:
· New reports are to be obtained every three (3) years from the date of the existing reports.
· New reports are required for all personnel and volunteers who have had a one (1) year break in continuous service.
4. Retain copies of all reports, even ones that are superseded by renewed
reports, in confidential locked files.
Record Retention
Because any records pertaining to children and youth, and staff/volunteers who work with them, may become the subject of legal proceedings at some future date, no such records should be part of any automatic records destruction plan by the church. This includes child and youth registration and permission forms, as well as staff and volunteer clearances. Such records should only be destroyed with the written approval of the SSC, and in accordance with the state statute of limitations related to sexual abuse of minors. In PA, the statute for filing criminal and civil charges for certain types of sexual abuse of a minor extends to 50 years past the victim’s 18th birthday. Records may be digitized and stored electronically.
Applications and related forms for staff and volunteers will be locked in a confidential file under the jurisdiction of the Pastor and Safe Sanctuary Coordinator. Clearances are confidential and will only be made available to a Pastor under "call" to the congregation and to the Safe Sanctuary Coordinator.
The Safe Sanctuary Coordinator and LSMC Secretary will be responsible for maintaining these records and following these recordkeeping steps:
1. Create and maintain a master list of all personnel and volunteers who have regular contact with children in the course of their work.
2. Determine which reports you possess, and note the dates of the reports on the list:
· For staff and volunteers who have the required background check reports and those reports are less than three (3) years old, no new reports are required until three (3) years from the date of the existing reports.
· For such personnel and volunteers who do not have the required background check reports, or in cases where the required reports are over two (2) years old, new reports are required.
3. Note on the list when the reports need to be renewed, and note on the list the date 60 days before to initiate the process of obtaining renewed reports:
· New reports are to be obtained every three (3) years from the date of the existing reports.
· New reports are required for all personnel and volunteers who have had a one (1) year break in continuous service.
4. Retain copies of all reports, even ones that are superseded by renewed
reports, in confidential locked files.
Record Retention
Because any records pertaining to children and youth, and staff/volunteers who work with them, may become the subject of legal proceedings at some future date, no such records should be part of any automatic records destruction plan by the church. This includes child and youth registration and permission forms, as well as staff and volunteer clearances. Such records should only be destroyed with the written approval of the SSC, and in accordance with the state statute of limitations related to sexual abuse of minors. In PA, the statute for filing criminal and civil charges for certain types of sexual abuse of a minor extends to 50 years past the victim’s 18th birthday. Records may be digitized and stored electronically.
