23. The Rev Gwilym Henry-Edwards asked -

With reference to item 9.5 Child Protection and for the need to ensure that appropriate people are appointed to leadership positions in the church, I have a question to ask about the Confidential Questionnaire for Ordination Candidacy or Licensing.

(a) What constructs is the instrument intended to measure?

(b) Has this instrument been scientifically tested to ensure its reliability and validity, (particularly discriminant and predictive validity)?

(c) If so, what are the results?

(d) If not, what steps are in place to ensure that appropriate testing is carried out?

To which the President replied -

I am informed the answer is as follows.

(a) The confidential questionnaire for ordination candidacy or licensing, referred to as Safe Ministry Check, has been designed to provide information relevant to the assessment of risk. The report of the Child Protection Committee to General Synod states that "Questions (in Safe Ministry Check) have been designed to elicit information relevant to the assessment of whether a person might pose a risk to the safety of children and other vulnerable people."

(b) Both in Australia and overseas there has been a linkage made in research between the breaking of appropriate sexual boundaries and other boundaries - whether they be financial, professional, legal or personal. This research supports a level of predictive validity. No test/re-test or inter-item reliability testing has yet been undertaken.

(c) No applicable.

(d) The utility of Safe Ministry Check will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Commission which is to be established by the General Synod Standing Committee under the Strategic Issues, Commissions, Task Forces and Networks Canon (Amendment) Canon 2004. The General Synod has provided for the revision of Safe Ministry Check by the General Synod Standing Committee.

It may also be helpful for the Synod to know that when relevant information is disclosed by an applicant it will be available to the 3 Advisers appointed under clause 16 of the Church Discipline Ordinance 2002 who have the task of advising the Archbishop whether the applicant poses a risk to the safety of any person. The Advisers must include an experienced lawyer, a person who has been ordained for at least ten years and a mix of genders. Those presently appointed include persons with expertise in the area of child protection.