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Fall/Winter

2019

Managing Volunteers Volunteers are a major part of any entity, but they play an especially major roll in most religious organizations, both school and parish. It is important to make sure that you provide a safe, well managed en-vironment for volunteers at all times. Managing volunteers can be difficult and time consuming. Establishing a coordi-nator who can focus their time and effort on the many aspects of managing the volunteers in your organization is very important.

Some things to remember when volunteers are being selected:

• Provide a volunteer position description

• Conduct an interview

• All safe environment training is completed as necessary (Virtus, background check is per-formed, driver approval…)

• Maintain and secure records on all volunteers

Consider the following prior to assigning a volunteer to a specific position

• Appropriate age for volunteer position

• Assess skills of volunteer

• Meets qualifications of the position

• Thoroughly understands what tasks are to be completed

• If under 18, appropriate parental permission must be obtained

• Dangerous activities should not be completed by volunteers (only qualified, insured contractors should be used.)

Background Checks Reminders • Background checks must be completed and approved PRIOR to any offer

of employment.

• When a current employee accepts a new position within the Diocese a

new background check is required.

• Background checks are also required for all volunteers who have regular

contact with minors and/or who chaperone on youth trips.

Chaperones are an important part of any trip or parish/school function. While there are rec-

ommended guidelines for chaperone ratios, it is important to take into consideration that

every trip or function is different and some may require more than the recommended num-

ber of chaperones per child. (Including but not limited to overnights and length of trip). All

chaperones must be 21or older, VIRTUS trained, and have a current approved background

check.

Recommended Chaperone Guidelines:

• 2 Adults per 5 students in grades K – 1st

• 2 Adults per 12 students in grades 2nd – 3rd

• 2 Adults per 16 students in grades 4th – 5th

• 2 Adults per 20 students in grades 6th – 8th

• 2 Adults per 24 students in grades 9th – 12th

Page 2

Chaperones

DI OCE SE OF S IOU X CI T Y

Cash Handling Athletic Event Best Practices:

• Start with a set amount of cash

• Use sequential numbered tickets

• Verify that the cash taken in equals the number of tickets sold.

• Concession stand inventory should be regularly checked and verified.

• Money should be counted by 2 unrelated individuals.

• Money should be placed in-to a tamper proof bag.

• Money should be deposited as soon as possible-this may include using a night deposit box at the bank.

F A LL/WI NT ER

When individuals, groups, or organizations request to use a parish or school facility it is crit-ical to transfer liability to them. Other times that liability must be transferred would be when construction is being performed and any contractors are working on your property such as plumbers, electricians, or any contracted workers.

Ways to transfer liability

•Facility use agreement

•Certificate of insurance-with acceptable coverage limits, naming the parish or school, and the Diocese, as additional insureds.

•Special event forms

•Addendums – Construction contract

•Service Agreement

•Hold Harmless Agreement

*For additional questions contact:

Mark

712-233-7559 mwetz@catholicmutual.org

or

Jessica

712-233-7548

Jessicaw@scdiocese.org

Page 3

Church Safety/Security AWARENESS-PREPARATION-REHEARSAL

In the coming months we will be rolling out plans for church security. Parish lead-ership should assign this task to a parish committee. Your plans should include

handling intruder situations, medical emergencies, and weather related warnings.

The Risk Management department will be meeting with pastors and church volun-teers to assist with the overall implementation of your plan.

P.O. Box 3379

Sioux City, IA 51102

Mark Wetz - Claims Risk Manager Phone: 712-233-7559

Fax: 712-233-7528

E-mail: MWetz @catholicmutual.org

Jessica Wilcox - Risk Mgmt. Coordinator

Phone: 712-233-7548

Fax: 712-233-7528

E-mail: jessicaw@scdiocese.org

Serving the temporal needs of the church since

1889

Page 4

CATHOLIC MUTUAL OFFICE OF RISK MANAG EMENT

Snow Removal Log

A snow removal log can be found online. To locate this form, navigate online to www.scdiocese.org, un-der the offices tab on the left side, click on Catholic Mutual Insurance, then under Documents you will

see Snow Removal Sheet. A sample log is shown below.

Help Prevent weather related claims:

Winter Maintenance Log

Date Initial Time of day Job done (salt, shovel, lo-cation cleaned, etc.)

Order your salt and sand and set the containers by doorways. Print a “Snow Removal Log” and place it by the doorways with snow removal equipment. Educate your staff on the importance of spreading salt or sand when they no-

tice an area is slippery and logging when this maintenance is done. It is a great way to prove that you have been taking care of your property and are doing all

that you can to prevent slips, trips, and falls.