Chaplain worked at St Helena Secondary College after other organisations severed ties

A school chaplain who has been charged with possessing child abuse material continued working at St Helena Secondary College after other organisations severed ties with him.

School chaplain and Scout leader Paul Worsnop charged over child abuse material.

A school chaplain charged with possession of child abuse material continued working at a Melbourne high school after other organisations severed ties with him.

Paul Worsnop was a police volunteer, a Scout leader and a Carols by Candlelight volunteer, but was stood down in August last year and was subsequently charged with possession of child abuse material.

From 2014 he also worked as a school chaplain at St Helena Secondary College after a brief stint at Auburn High School.

Mr Wornsop continued working until at least October 2021 at St Helena Secondary College – well after other organisations such as Scouts Victoria barred him from returning in any capacity while the charges are pending.

A screen shot of Mr Worsnop’s contact card on the school’s internal communication system shows him active until at least October 7, 2021.

He was employed by Korus Connect, which used to be known as Access Ministries, which provides nearly 200 chaplains in more than 240 schools around Victoria.

He was not employed by the Department of Education and wasn’t suspended as a teacher by the Victorian Institute of Teaching until January 2022 when he was refused a Working with Children’s Check exclusion.

Mr Worsnop’s contact card on the school’s internal communication system shows him active until at least October.

In his role at St Helena Secondary College, Mr Worsnop counselled and supported vulnerable students, did extensive one-on-one counselling and distributed second-hand uniforms from his office.

The school’s website shows he was working in close contact with the school’s associate principal and child safety office and middle school principal in charge of student wellbeing and positivity.

Students told the Herald Sun they complained to teachers and shared stories about Mr Worsnop over many years.

One former student who left St Helena Secondary College last year said students who raised Mr Worsnop’s conduct with teachers were ignored or fobbed off.

“We were told it was just a misunderstanding and that he didn’t mean anything,” one student told the Herald Sun.

“They told us he was just old-fashioned,” she said.

Neither students nor parents were told why Mr Worsnop stopped working at the school, with one saying he “suddenly vanished”.

The Korus Connect website notes that its chaplains “provide wraparound wellbeing support to students, staff and parents”.

“Their training, skills and experience enable them to care for your school community’s social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing needs,” it said.

The federal chaplaincy program was given $61 million a year to pay schools $20,000 to have a school chaplain.

Korus Connect was contacted for comment.