Frequently asked questions: Changes to the National School Chaplaincy Program

The Government supports the valuable work that chaplains are already doing in schools around the country, and will deliver all funding previously committed through this Program. The Program guidelines will also be broadened to allow the employment of other suitably qualified support staff over the life of the Program.

Schools which are unable to identify a suitable chaplain within six months of their funding offer will be offered the option to utilise other suitable services, such as counsellors, youth workers or other secular support staff. These support workers will need to be appropriately qualified and will be subject to the same child protection checks as chaplains funded through this Program.

Schools were able to apply for funding without yet having identified a chaplain. They are then given a suitable period of time (six months) to locate and employ their chaplain, including completing the required working-with-children checks. A number of schools have reported difficulties with finding a chaplain. For this reason, the Government has decided to allow these successful schools to use an alternative worker if they cannot locate a chaplain by July 2008. This offer has been made to assist those schools that cannot find a suitable chaplain and thus would not be able to take up the offer of funding.

This option will be available to schools from 1 July 2008.

The support workers may include non-denominational pastoral care workers, youth workers or other secular support staff. The qualifications of this worker will need to be appropriate to the type of service you want them to provide in your school. You will need to have a clear job description for the support worker, and they must be able to provide a similar service to the one you described in your original chaplaincy application. DEEWR will provide you with more details regarding these issues closer to July 2008.

2,630 schools were successful in the two funding rounds held in 2007. A proportion of these schools applied for chaplaincy funding without having identified a chaplain, and have since been providing these details to DEEWR. We expect the number of those yet to identify a chaplain to steadily decrease over subsequent months as recruitment, checks and placements take place. Many schools are receiving substantial assistance from state or territory chaplaincy providers in completing this task. We expect that the number of schools still unable to locate a chaplain by July 2008 will be relatively low.

Yes. If your school is able to locate a suitable chaplain, this should be your first course of action. This offer has been made to assist those schools that cannot find a suitable chaplain and thus would not be able to take up the offer of funding.

No. The funding amount you were offered will remain the same.

DEEWR will be able to identify from its records all schools that have not found a chaplain and are eligible to use an alternative provider. This option will be available to schools from 1 July 2008. If your school is in this situation we will contact you prior to this date with further information about how you should proceed. This information will also be available on the chaplaincy website.

No. DEEWR will be able to identify from its records all schools that have not found a chaplain and are eligible to use an alternative provider. This option will be available to schools from 1 July 2008. We will contact you prior to this date with further information about how you should proceed. This information will also be available on the chaplaincy website.

Yes. Those schools from Round 1 that individually applied for an extension of time to find a chaplain will also have the option of using an alternative provider. You will also have until 1 July 2008 to locate a chaplain.

You may continue to try to recruit a chaplain until July 2008. However, if you do not wish to continue looking, please let DEEWR know in writing that you do not wish to proceed with the offer of funding.