Licensed Readers and Readers with PtO

Readers are licensed to a parish, benefice or deanery within the diocese.

At the age of 70, Readers transfer from a licence to a Permission to Officiate (PtO).

Reader licences and PtOs are administered by the Vocations and Training Team. For information about licence and PtO requirements, renewals and transfers or other enquiries please contact Cath Hughes.

Please see below for information about:

• Length of Reader Licences or PtOs
• Renewing a Reader Licence or PtO
• Requirements for a Reader Licence or PtO
• DBS Clearance and Safeguarding Training Requirements
• Transferring a Reader Licence or PtO
• Reader Reviews

Length of Reader Licences or PtOs

Length of Reader Licences

• Reader licences are issued for 5 years until the age of 70, or until the next diocesan quinquenial renewal date. 
• All diocesan Reader licences are renewed at the quinquennial renewal on 01 May in the 1st and 6th years of each decade.
• As Readers are required to have valid DBS clearance and safeguarding training, their licence will only remain valid if these are kept up to date. 

Length of Reader PtOs

• The length of PtO granted depends on the age of the Reader: age 70 - 3 years age 71 to 75 - 2 years; age 76 and over - 1 year. 
• As Readers are required to have valid DBS clearance and safeguarding training, their PtO will only remain valid if these are kept up to date.
• PtOs are not part of the quinquennial renewals. PtOs are only renewed in a quinquennial renewal year if they would be due to expire that year anyway.

Renewing a Reader Licence or PtO

• When a Reader licence is due to expire, a Reader will be invited to renew their licence. They will need to complete a Reader licence renewal form.
• When a PtO is due to expire, a Reader will be invited to apply for a new PtO. They will need to complete a Reader PtO application form.
• If you wish to apply to reinstate a dormant Reader licence or PtO please contact Cath Hughes. 
• Before renewing or reinstating a Reader licence or PtO the necessary requirements must be met.

Requirements for a Reader Licence or PtO

Requirements for a Reader Licence

The requirements for holding a Bishop's Reader licence are:

• support of the incumbent and PCC in each parish to which the Reader is licensed.
• valid DBS clearance
• valid safeguarding training
• Reader review and role descriptor
• Continuing Ministerial Development (CMD): the equivalent of 1 day per year. Details of training courses can be found here.

Requirements for a Reader PtO

The requirements for having a Reader PtO are:

• support of the incumbent and PCC in each parish where the Reader is granted Permission to Officiate.
• valid DBS clearance
• valid safeguarding training.

It is also recommended as good practice that Readers with PtO continue to:

• review their role descriptor with their incumbent
• develop their ministry and take advantage of training opportunities.

These recommended practices are administered locally and not required as part of the PtO application, renewal or transfer process.

DBS Clearance and Safeguarding Training Requirements

DBS Requirements for Licensed Readers and Readers with PtO

• Enhanced clearance for adult and child workforce, including adult and child barred lists checks.
• DBS certificates are valid for 3 years.

Information about DBS checks can be found here.

Safeguarding Training Requirements for Licensed Readers

• Basic Awareness
• Foundation
• Leadership
• Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse

Safeguarding Training Requirements for Readers with PtO

• Basic Awareness
• Foundation
• PtO Pathway (unless Leadership level is required for another role)
• Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse

Information about Safeguarding training can be found here.

Transferring a Reader Licence or PtO

Transferring from outside the Diocese of Lichfield

• If you are a Reader who has moved or is moving from another diocese, we'd love to welcome you to our diocese and you can apply to transfer your licence or PtO once you have settled into your new parish(es) for a period of 6 months.

Transferring within the Diocese of Lichfield

• If you already hold a Reader licence or PtO in the diocese but wish to transfer to a different parish or benefice within the diocese, you can apply to do this once you have settled into your new parish(es) for a period of 6 months.

Applying to transfer a Reader Licence or PtO

To apply to transfer your licence or PtO you will need to:

• meet the requirements for a Reader licence or PtO.
• complete the Reader Licence transfer form or Reader PtO transfer form
• send your transfer form and most recent Reader licence and/or PtO to: Cath Hughes, Vocations and Training Co-ordinator, St Mary's House, The Close, Lichfield. WS13 7LD. Email: Cath Hughes.

Reader Reviews

Incumbents are asked to carry out a review of each licensed Reader's ministry.  The purpose of the review is to focus on the ministry the Reader offers and to explore what this means for them in the coming months and years.

Licensed Readers

Licensed Readers are required to have a full review with their incumbent once every five years and to review their role descriptor annually.

The full review includes:

• getting feedback from other people about their ministry via the 180 degree questionnaire.  The questionnaires are passed to 4-6 people who have experience of their ministry and are completed anonymously and returned to the incumbent before the review.
• completing the review form and sending it to the incumbent before the review.
• having a review with their incumbent, during which a role descriptor/working agreement is agreed. A role descriptor template and a guide to drawing up a written role descriptor are available to use if needed.

Readers with PtO

Readers with PtO are advised to have an annual review with their incumbent and to agree their role descriptor but this is not required as part of the PtO application or transfer process.

A role descriptor template and a guide to drawing up a written role descriptor are available to use if needed.