Summary: When a trainee is pending for more than one reason, Safe Ministry Check shows screening reasons (such as a referee response or Working With Children Check) ahead of training. For example, if someone is waiting on a referee and still needs to finish training, the reason shown will be the referee response. This is deliberate: screening is the foundation of safety, and training builds on it.
Why screening takes priority
Immediate safety: screening checks (police checks, WWCCs and self-disclosures) are the first line of defence in identifying anyone who may pose a risk.
Legal compliance: many screening processes, such as the WWCC, are required by law.
Community trust: thorough screening shows parents, guardians and your congregation that you're taking every step to keep people safe.
Risk management: screening helps identify and address red flags early, before incidents occur.
A foundation for training: screening and training work together, but screening establishes a baseline of trust and safety first.
Insurance: many insurance policies require thorough screening as a condition of cover.
A culture of safety: putting screening first shows that safeguarding vulnerable people is your highest priority.
What this means for administrators
Training status still matters, but it can't replace the safety and compliance that screening provides. If a profile is pending because of a referee response, that's because we want every person vetted by multiple sources before they serve.
Tip: To see every outstanding item for a trainee, open their profile and check each category's status.