The PCANZ Safety WOF is a video-based training course for all those working with children and young people under the age of 18, who do so as part of the PCANZ.
The WOF training takes approximately 4 hours and encompasses essential training on:
– An introduction to the PCANZ Child Protection Policy and Ethical Practice
– Health and Safety Practices
– Recognising, Recording and Responding to Abuse + Safe Recruitment Practices
Sessions are interactive and provide lots of practical scenarios and examples.
The full WOF training only needs to be completed once. After that those working with children or young people only need to do the WOF Refresher course which takes approximately 60 minutes every three years.
We acknowledge the tremendous responsibility churches have for the safety and well-being of children and young people attending their churches and programmes.
On the 11 Dec 2018 The Council Assembly published a Child Protection Policy(Dec 2020 update) for the Presbyterian Church, this is a stand-alone Supplementary Provision to the Book of Order. This Policy must be applied when people in the Church work with and or have responsibility for children and young people. Congregations must comply with this policy by the end of 2019.
The Child Protection Policy calls all of our churches to:
“…do all in our power to ensure that children and young people in our care will be nurtured and cared for in a safe environment and be protected from harm”
The PCANZ Safety Warrant Fitness Training provides practical tools and insights to assist all those working with children and young people. The training will equip parishes to comply with New Zealand law, the PCANZ’s Child Protection Policy and, most importantly, keep the children and young people in our care safe.
Who needs to do this training:
Due to the sensitive nature of some of the content in the WOF training day the minimum age of a WOF participant is set at 16 years of age.
This training is compulsory for all those working with children and young people under the age of 18 who do so as part of the PCANZ.
Part 1 Section Part A of the CPP states:
“This policy outlines what is expected of all parts of the church including voluntary or paid workers who work with or have responsibility for children or young people”
People specifically required to comply with the Training and Police Vetting Requirements etc of the PCANZ Child Protection Policy include but are not limited to:
People not specifically required to comply with the Training and Police Vetting Requirements etc of the PCANZ Child Protection Policy:
We understand that current New Zealand law and the PCANZ Child Protection Policy require far more people to be trained and vetted than ever before. The object of the policy isn’t to subject a lot of wonderful volunteers to unnecessary paperwork and training, it is to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep children and young people safe in our care. Sadly, even recent history shows us that one mishap with a child or young person in our care can undo decades of a church’s goodwill in the community.
Due to the sensitive nature of some of the content in the WOF training day the minimum age of a WOF participant is set at 16 years of age.