Authorisation, Training and Formation

Every SRE Catechist in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn must be formally authorised for ministry, and this involves six key steps:

SRE Catechist Authorisation, Training and Formation Process

The first step in the authorisation process is for the person wishing to engage in SRE to meet with their Parish Priest and/or Parish Catechist Coordinator.
This meeting will involve getting to know the person’s background and experience, and to offer a brief explanation of the ministry, what it entails, as well as the space to ask any questions.
Click here to find the closest parish.
 
a) Following the initial meeting, if a Parish Priest / Parish Catechist Coordinator would like to proceed with engaging the person in SRE, the parish is to help the person obtain the required Government clearance if they don’t already possess this. For parishes in NSW, this is a Working with Children’s Check (WWCC) and for parishes in the ACT, this is the Working with Vulnerable People registration (WWVP). Both of these clearances are free for volunteers. If the the person is already in possession of the required clearance relevant to their state/territory, the parish is obliged to verify this clearance.
b) The person and/or parish office is to forward the volunteers’ government clearance details to IPSS at ipss@cg.org.au and the SRE Coordinator at catechists@cg.org.au
 
Once the person has obtained their government clearance, the Parish Office then needs register their new volunteer with the Archdiocese. The next part of this process is to read and acknowledge the Archdiocesan Child Protection Code of Conduct.
This code informs and reminds all employees and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn of the standards of behaviour as well as other requirements that must be adhered to when working with children.
It must be thoroughly read by the person seeking to be a SRE Catechist and the acknowledgement signed and given/sent to the parish office and SRE Coordinator at catechists@cg.org.au
Click here to access this document and the acknowledgement (PDF)
 
Once the person has completed the necessary government clearances and registered as a volunteer with their parish, they then need to complete an online registration form for the Archdiocese.
Please click here to complete this form online.
Upon receiving the volunteer’s registration, the Archdiocese will arrange and facilitate the mandatory training that is required for a SRE Catechist to be formally authorised for ministry.
 The training aligns with key areas identified in overarching government policies and procedures, namely:
  1. The safeguarding of children and young people;
  2. Classroom behaviour management;
  3. and how to use the approved curriculum within SRE. 
Once it is verified that the person has successfully completed their mandatory training, their parish will be informed by the SRE Coordinator who will provide the SRE Catechist with a starter kit as well as an authorisation name card (which SRE Catechists are also obliged to carry with them) permitting them to engage with SRE in their assigned school/s under the guidance and direction of their parish leadership. It is also an expectation that all SRE Catechists will adhere to any applicable directives issued by the Department of Education in NSW and/or the ACT.
The Archdiocese is required to provide each school with details of the catechists who are assigned to them, and this will include information such as their full names, their date of birth, and contact details of the local SRE Catechist Coordinator. Other relevant information such as authorisation procedures, approved curriculum outlines, training programs and complaints procedures are also made available to schools as part of this process.
While authorisation of all catechists is reviewed on a periodic basis, it is vital that parishes advise the Archdiocese of any new volunteers wishing to engage in SRE (and to follow the steps outlined above).
Equally, parishes and the SRE Catechists themselves need to inform the Archdiocese if they have volunteers that are discontinuing in their roles. Both the SRE Coordinator and IPSS will request that parishes confirm this information at regular periods throughout the year. This ensures that we are adhering to the highest standards in ministry, and that compliance with Government requirements is maintained.
 
All catechists engaged in SRE across the Archdiocese will be required to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to professional development in their ministry.
The Archdiocese will provide a schedule of training and formation opportunities and experiences to build the skills and confidence of SRE Catechists throughout each year.