A church is an organisation – a body of people with different roles, some ordained, most lay; some paid, most unpaid. Wherever there are different roles and structures, wherever there are paid staff and dedicated volunteers, it is important to have good, principled, management and leadership. Within these pages you will find a range of resources to support churches who wish to employ administrators, youth or family workers, caretakers or other paid staff as well as support for managing volunteers effectively.
From our underpinning theology and principles, to adopting good practice and living out our values, it’s important that the church is a good employer.
Whilst the content on these pages is accurate at the time of writing, the documents on the website are not a substitute for legal advice and the WDBF cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. If you would benefit from specific advice, please do not hesitate to contact the HR Team - Jo Hyrons and Becky Lowe on 01905 730730
Useful Links
- Government Website
- ACAS - The ACAS telephone helpline – free! 0300 123 1100
- HMRC
- Church of England Parish Resources
HR Advice for Parishes
Being or becoming an employer can seem daunting but the key is to get the basics right. In the HR team we want to help our parishes to navigate the administrative and legislative burdens that employing staff can bring, understanding that it’s difficult to keep up with legislative changes and the ever-increasing complexities of being an employer. We are happy to assist with your employment-related queries using our understanding of the parish context.
We can help with a range of topics; maybe you are employing a person for the first time and would like to talk through pay, pensions and employment contracts; or would like to ask questions about safer recruitment processes and managing volunteers well. Get in touch for handy templates, information and advice about recruitment advertising, application forms, interview guidelines, contracts of employment, policies, procedures, handbooks and letters relating to employment matters. We have a bank of policy templates which we are happy to share with you.
The Diocesan HR Team runs a 2 hour training course which will help you navigate the administrative and legal side of employing someone in your parish (including administrators, youth or family workers, caretakers or other paid staff). It will offer clergy and PCC members information, guidance and best practice in an easy to understand, interactive format including the use of short videos and case studies. Find out more here.
For more complex matters or those requiring more time resource we can signpost you to additional HR support.
If you have any questions or queries please do get in touch with us.
