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Safeguarding
MDR
MDR is a national Church in Wales scheme designed to support the wellbeing, growth, and development of ordained ministers (clerics) and licensed lay ministers (LLMs/Readers) across its six dioceses.
The Purpose of MDR
MDR is designed to encourage:
- an ongoing process of reflection and learning based on affirmation and accountability
- a culture of life-long learning and ministerial development
- reflection on ministerial practice
- the setting of challenging, yet achievable, objectives
- an ongoing commitment to prayer, learning, and service
Ministry and Vocation
Ministers serve in many different settings across the Church in Wales, but at ordination or licensing, each promises to:
- be diligent in prayer
- faithful in their study of the Holy Scriptures
- continue to equip themselves for ministry in the Church.
The MDR process helps them reflect on that calling in their current context.
The Review Meeting
A key part of the MDR process is a formal meeting with a trained reviewer.
This provides an important moment for ministers to share their reflections, insights, and hopes with others who have a responsibility for their well-being and growth in ministry, providing an opportunity to:
- look back on the past year
- celebrate achievements and give thanks
- discuss challenges and concerns
- identify support that may be needed
- consider hopes and priorities for the future
The MDR Process and Forms/Documentation
The process you follow, and the forms you use, will depend on your role as a minister. Please click on the appropriate link below:
MDR Form
There is a specific MDR From which provides the framework for the ministerial review process. The form includes a cover page completed with the minister’s name and ministerial context, along with the name and title of the reviewer and the date of the Review Meeting. The whole scheme is designed to be electronically based, with guidelines to help ensure it is completed within a certain timeframe.
Please use the MDR Form that corresponds to your ministry, either ordained (cleric) or licensed (LLM/Reader).
For clerics undergoing MDR for the FIRST time please use the following form here:
For clerics who have already completed a cycle of MDR previously, please use the following form MDR_Form
For LLMs/Readers undergoing MDR for the FIRST time please use the following form LLM MDR Form
Ideally, the diocese should make initial contact with the minister before the formal process begins and discuss their proposed reviewer with them. If the minister is unhappy with the reviewer suggested, they should contact the Bishop’s Office. Otherwise, a date for the Review Meeting should be agreed between the minister and reviewer. This is then recorded on the Review Form, which can then be sent to the minister and the process has begun.
The Review Form itself is divided into 4 Sections.
Section 1
This section comprises a set of common questions which are to be answered by every minister across the Church in Wales, under the following headings:
- Prayer life
- Engagement with Scripture, study, and learning
- Welfare and well-being
- Safeguarding
- Vocation in the Church
There are further questions which are set by the minister’s diocese which are relevant to their individual vision, strategy, and context under the following heading:
- Ministry in the Church
Section 2
A summary of the conversation held at the Review Meeting around each set of questions should be agreed between the minster and the reviewer and recorded in section 2.
Section 3
A record of any goals and objectives agreed for the future should be noted in section 3.
Section 4
Both reviewer and minister should sign and date the form, preferably before the Review Meeting ends. This may be done electronically.
A copy of the completed Review Form should be provided to the minister at the time of the meeting or, failing that, no less than 1 week later. This should be in electronic format (via email) unless the minister specifically requests a paper copy.
A copy of sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Review Form will be placed on the minister’s personal file which is held by the Bishop’s Office. If a diocese also wishes to include a copy of the minister’s notes and reflections made in Section 1, they must first gain permission from the minister to do so. This is to ensure that conversations are as honest and transparent as possible.
The MDR Process
Step 1 Preparation for the Review Meeting
The MDR Form should be made available to the minister a month before the Review Meeting is due to take place. At that point, the minister should also be advised who their nominated reviewer for the process is going to be. If a minister is unhappy with the reviewer allocated, they should contact their respective Bishop’s Office.
The minister is encouraged to reflect upon the questions which are found in Section 1, and to write notes where space has been provided to do so.
The Review Form, with the answers to Section 1 completed, should then be sent to the reviewer no less than 10 days before the date of the Review Meeting to allow the reviewer adequate time for preparation.
Step 2 At the Review Meeting
The Review Meeting itself will be conducted using the minister’s own notes and reflections in Section 1 as a framework for discussion. The length of the meeting will vary, but as a guide it should last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours.
A brief summary of the Review Meeting should be made in Section 2, with both the minister and reviewer agreeing what should be recorded. It need not cover every topic that has been discussed, but should nevertheless be an accurate reflection of the conversation.
Any specific goals or objectives which are agreed should be noted in Section 3, and both the minister and reviewer should sign and date Section 4 before the meeting is brought to an end. This can be done electronically.
A copy of the completed Review Form should be provided to the minister at the time of the meeting or, failing that, no less than 1 week later. This should be in electronic format (via email) unless the minister specifically requests a paper copy.
Step 3 Following the Review Meeting
A copy of Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Review Form will be placed on the minister’s personal file which is held by the Bishop’s Office. If a diocese also wishes to include a copy of the minister’s notes and reflections made in Section 1, they must first gain permission from the minister to do so. This is to ensure that conversations are as honest and transparent as possible.
Monitoring the MDR Scheme
Whilst the administration of the scheme is the responsibility of each individual diocese, St Padarn’s has responsibility for monitoring and for identifying any broad training patterns that arise.
Each diocese makes a quarterly return to St Padarn’s. This should be done electronically using a set form which is available to download here:
Training for Reviewers
Reviewers play a key role in the MDR process. Dioceses should make initial contact with the minister to advise them of the name of the reviewer who will accompany them through the process.
If the minister is unhappy with the reviewer that has been suggested for any reason, they should contact the Bishop’s Office. Otherwise, a date for the Review Meeting is agreed, and the process can begin.
The Church in Wales has committed to ensure that all potential reviewers are suitably skilled and trained. The following suite of tutorials are available to help and equip reviewers for that task, and can be accessed at any time
In the following tutorials, on one or two occasions the term ‘priest’ or ‘cleric’ is used rather than the inclusive term ’minister’ as these videos were originally made when it was only clerics who were being reviewed. Please remember however that from 1st January 2025, all Ministers (both lay and ordained) will be included in the Church in Wales’ MDR Scheme, and the content of the video is equally relevant whether you are training to review clerics or Licensed Lay Ministers/Readers.
Training Videos
There are a total of 7 tutorials which are designed to help you prepare for the review conversation.