Tag: online training

How can I contact the PSU if I need to during online training?

At regular points throughout the training, there are opportunities to contact the PSU. This may include the need for pastoral support, to make a report or to raise something about the training.

For Online Assistants, it’s best to let the participant contact the PSU directly rather than you doing this on their behalf. If you have any serious concerns please raise this with your Safe Ministry Representative or the PSU.

Can I successfully complete the training on a smartphone?

You can complete the self-paced components of the training on a smartphone or mobile device, although this will depend on an individual’s preference and the actual device used.

However, do not attend the live webinar on a smartphone.

Webinars are interactive sessions and you will not successfully complete a webinar on these smaller devices (you will be required to attend another webinar if you use a smartphone). Please use a desktop computer, laptop or tablet instead.

Receiving your certificate when training is complete

For face-to-face training, certificates will be emailed directly to participants with a note reminding them to forward it through to their Safe Ministry Representative and to record when they are next due to participate in training.

For online training courses, once attendance and participation at the final component of the course (a live webinar) is confirmed, users will be emailed a special access code to give them access to one last Checkpoint.
This email will be sent 24 hours after the webinar.
When that Checkpoint has been successfully completed you will have immediate access to your certificate.
You will be able to access your certificate at any time after this via the My Dashboard page of the training site.

What is a webinar?

A webinar is a live, web-based video conference that uses the internet to connect the individual (or multiple individuals) hosting the webinar to an audience of viewers and listeners from all over. Hosts can show themselves speaking, show slideshows or demonstrations.
Participants do not need any special equipment to attend our webinars – a tablet (like an iPad) or large internet connected device and speakers or headphones are all that is needed.

Webinar platforms also offer interactive features that the audience can use to ask questions and ‘chat’ with host. We include Q&A sessions to answer participants questions about the content, and there is a text-based Q&A box where questions can be typed by participants at any time during the presentation.
We also test knowledge and understanding through the use of interactive polls throughout the presentation.

The webinar is a key component of most of our courses, as it provides the opportunity to test participants understanding of key concepts and for them to interact with experienced senior safe ministry trainers.

We use Adobe Connect as our webinar platform.

How does the one month grace period work with online training?

A person must complete their online training including the webinar within 3 years and 1 month from their last training. The one month extra is a grace period and should not be taken unless absolutely necessary.

It is important to keep in mind that at busy times of the year, it may take 2-3 weeks after completing the self-paced part of the course before a space in a webinar is available.
It is recommended that you allow 1-2 months to complete all components of the online training before the expiry date of any current training.

Can two or more attend a webinar together on one device?

It is very important that you attend the webinar as an individual, and not as a couple or part of a group using one device.
This is because of the interactive nature of the event and how we record each individual’s interaction in the session.

Where we cannot satisfactorily verify an individual’s attendance in a webinar they may be required to attend another session.

Suggestions for couples:
Where a couple only has access to one device they should attend separate webinars so that their individual attendance is recorded.

Suggestions for groups:
It is possible for a group of people to gather at a suitable venue to log in to their webinar at the same time, provided the following is observed:

  • Each person has individually registered for the webinar as part of their training.
  • The venue has a high enough quality internet connection to service each device used. Do not expect a domestic grade connection to serve more than 2-3 devices (unless you have a 50Mb or 100Mb NBN connection). Wired connections will always work better than Wi-Fi (where possible).
  • Each person uses their own device to attend the webinar. We recommend a laptop or desktop, however an iPad or Android tablet can also be used. A mobile phone will NOT be a suitable device and you will be unable to complete the webinar on a phone.
  • Each person uses a set of headphones or earbuds to hear the webinar on their own device.

Attending a webinar on your iPad

Tips on having a great webinar on your iPad

First things first:

  • Make sure the iPad you are using has the current version of the Adobe Connect app installed. This is free and available in the iTunes App Store.
  • Make sure your confirmation email for the webinar is available on the same device.
  • Make sure you have a good strong WiFi signal for your iPad – ie: try to be close to your router or wireless access point.
  • Minimise how many other devices are connected to the internet at the time of the webinar. Perhaps ask other household members to hold back on Netflix streaming and other downloading for the duration of the webinar.

Logging in

  • At least 10 minutes before the webinar start time, open the confirmation email and click on the ‘Join’ button in the email.
    This will open your web browser and will display this page:
  • Click on the ‘Open Adobe Connect Mobile‘ button
  • This will start the app and log you into the webinar, where you will be in the ‘lobby’
  • Once logged in, wait for the advertised start time then follow the instructions given by the Presenter or Producer during the webinar.

Participating in the webinar

  • The Presenter and Producer will give instructions for participants to follow during the webinar, however there are a number of control icons that are helpful for iPad users to be aware of to help you to communicate and participate during the session.The following icons will appear on the top left of your screen as needed, once the webinar is underway:
    • Layout

      Use this button to return you to the full presentation screen layout if you have used the Q&A icon or the Poll icon.
    • Q&A

      This is how you communicate with the Presenter/Producer.
      To enter a question, touch the ‘speech bubble’ icon that appears in the list of control icons. This will make the Q&A pod come to the foreground. Touch ‘ask a question’, type your question, then hit ‘Done’ to submit your question to the Producer.
      Touch the layout icon to return to the main presentation screen. Any response from the Producer will appear under your question in the Q&A pod.
    • Polls

      Polls will appear at various times throughout the webinar. To participate in the poll, touch the ‘voting’ icon that will appear in the list of control icons. This will bring the poll to the foreground. Touch the radio button next to the answer you wish to give.
      When you have selected your answer, touch the layout icon to return you the poll presentation screen.

Logging out


When the webinar has concluded, you log out by touching the ‘hamburger’ menu at the bottom left of your screen and choosing ‘logout’.
You may then close the Connect app and wait for your follow-up email in 24 hours time.