Safeguarding Policy

Freedom Church, Chester (FCC)

Appendix 1: Church Leadership Safeguarding Statement
Appendix 2a: Code Of Conduct
Appendix 2b: Online Safety Policy
Appendix 3: Prayer (Praying With Others)
Appendix 4: Definitions Of Abuse
Appendix 5: How To Respond To A Child Wishing To Disclose Abuse
Appendix 6a LADO Procedure – Cheshire West & Chester
Appendix 6b: LADO Procedure – Flintshire
Appendix 7a: Record Of Concern About A Child/Adult’s Safety And Welfare
Appendix 7b: Body Map
Appendix 8a: Safer Touch Guidanc

SECTION 1

Details of the Place of Worship/Organisation

Name of Place of Worship/Organisation:

Freedom Church Chester (FCC)
Hope Church North Wales

Address:

Chester City Mission, 6 Hunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR
Woodside Community Centre, Ewloe, Deeside, Flintshire, CH5 3RP

Email address:

info@freedomchurchchester.org

Membership of Denomination/Organisation:

Christ Central Churches, part of Newfrontiers
C.I.O. No. 1154404

Regulator’s details (if any):

The Charity Commission for England and Wales

Insurance Company:

Commercial Combined Insurance, Ansvar Policy No. CHP 2279221

Mission Statement
The church meets mainly in a building belonging to the Chester City Mission, but we also rent another venue for the North Wales church plant.

Our main function is to be a Christ-centred church in Chester and beyond through church planting, providing biblical training, worship and outreach.

Age-appropriate children’s activities take place during Sunday services, held in rooms separate
from the main meeting room.

Other meetings take place at other times of the week. We have various events throughout the year, on- and off-site, for families, young people and individuals.

We run a Foodbank in cooperation with The Trussell Trust (www.trusselltrust.org).

Our Commitment
The Church Leadership recognises the need to provide a safe and caring environment for children, young people, and adults at risk.

We acknowledge that they can be the victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and spiritual abuse. We accept the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of Human Rights, which states (Article 2) that

“Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or any other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”

We also concur with the UN’s 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which promotes

“the rights and the protection of children to develop their full
potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse”

and which states (Article 19) that children
have the right to be protected from

“all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of
parent(s), legal guardian(s), or any other person who has care of the child.”

The church leadership has therefore adopted the procedures set out in this Safeguarding Policy in accordance with statutory guidance, and is committed to build constructive links with statutory and voluntary agencies involved in safeguarding.

The Safeguarding Policy and appendices are based on the ten Safe and Secure safeguarding
standards published by Thirtyone:Eight (previously known as the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service, CCPAS) (https://thirtyoneeight.org) and prepared in consultation with Christ Central Churches, a part of Newfrontiers.

The church leadership undertakes to:

endorse and follow all national and local safeguarding legislation and procedures, in addition to the international conventions outlined above,
provide on-going safeguarding training for all its workers and volunteers, and regularly review this policy,
ensure that children, young people and adults at risk are provided with information on where to get help and advice in relation to abuse, neglect, discrimination, bullying or any other matter which may give cause for concern.
ensure that the premises meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 with regards to Disability and all other relevant legislation, and that the premises are welcoming and inclusive,
support the Safeguarding Team in their work and in any action they may need to take in order to protect children, young people and adults at risk.

See Appendix 1; Church Leadership Safeguarding Statement

SECTION 2

Recognising and Responding Appropriately to Allegations or Suspicions of Abuse

Recognising Abuse and Neglect

Defining child abuse or abuse against an adult is a difficult and complex issue. A person may abuse by inflicting harm, or by failing to prevent harm. Children and adults in need of protection may be abused within a family, an institution, or a community setting. Very often the abuser is known to, or in a trusted relationship with, the child or adult.

In order to safeguard those in our places of worship and organisations, we adhere to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and have as our starting point as a definition of abuse, Article 19 which states:

1. Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.

2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement.

Also, for adults we adhere to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights with particular reference to Article 5 which states:

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Detailed definitions of abuse, signs and symptoms of abuse, as well as how to respond to a disclosure of abuse, are included in the appendices of this Safeguarding Policy.

Responding To Allegations Of Abuse

See Appendix 5; How To Respond To A Child Wishing To Disclose Abuse

The role of the Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Deputies is to collate and clarify the precise details of any allegation or suspicion and pass this information on to statutory agencies who have a legal duty to investigate.

Under no circumstances should a worker or volunteer carry out their own investigation into an allegation or suspicion of abuse. The following procedures must be adhered to:

Any concerns or suspicions of abuse must be reported as soon as possible to Rachel Cooper (hereafter the “Safeguarding Coordinator”) (tel. 07979 954010)

In the absence of the Safeguarding Coordinator or, if the suspicions in any way involve the Safeguarding Coordinator, the report should be made to another member of the Safeguarding Team (the “Deputies”):

Jo Clarkson (07518 084232)

Chris Palmer (07714 664609)

Jill Pearson (07724 056048)

All verbal reports should be followed by a written report either handed to or sent to the Safeguarding Coordinator or a Deputy.

See Appendix 7a; Record Of Concern About A Child/Adult’s Safety And Welfare

See Appendix 7b; Body Map

If a suspicion implicates the Safeguarding Coordinator or all the Deputies, then the report should be made in the first instance to Thirtyone:Eight: (0303 003 1111; email info@thirtyoneeight.org) [Note: at certain times of day when staff are changing over, they may not be able to respond to ‘phone calls; please try again about 30 minutes later.]

If the concern is about a child or young person, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator (or a Deputy) will contact Child Services (Integrated Access and Services Team, “iART”).

If the concern is regarding an adult at risk, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator (or a Deputy) will contact Adult Social Services or take advice from Thirtyone:Eight.

Local Social Services

Cheshire West & Chester

Flintshire

(N Wales)

Child Services (iART)

0300 123 7047

01352 701000

Child out of hours

01244 977277

0345 053 3116

Adult Services

0300 123 7034

0300 085 8858

Adult out of hours

01244 977277

0845 053 3116

Police Protection

Team

0845 458 0000

01244 350000

999 in emergency

See Appendix 6a; LADO Procedure – Cheshire West & Chester

See Appendix 6b; LADO Procedure – Flintshire

Depending on the circumstances and/or nature of the concern, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator (or Deputy) may need to inform others. These would usually include the Chair of Trustees (to log that a safeguarding concern is being dealt with), the church’s insurance company (to log that there is a possibility of a serious incident concerning safeguarding) or Graham Anns, Christ Central Churches Safeguarding Adviser (safeguarding@christcentralchurches.org).

Suspicions must not be discussed with anyone other than the Safeguarding Co-ordinator, the Deputies (listed above), Thirtyone:Eight, the Local Social Services or the Police. A written record of the concerns should be made in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Safeguarding Policy and kept in a secure place.

Whilst allegations or suspicions of abuse will normally be reported to the Safeguarding Co-ordinator, the absence of the Safeguarding Co-ordinator or a Deputy should not delay referral to Social Services, the Police, or taking advice from Thirtyone:Eight.

The Church Leadership will support the Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Deputies in their roles, and accept that any information they may have will be shared in a strictly limited way on a need-to-know basis.

It is, of course, the right of any individual as a citizen to make a direct referral to the safeguarding agencies or seek advice from Thirtyone:Eight, although the Church Leadership encourages the use of the procedures set out in this policy. However, if an individual with a concern feels that the Safeguarding Co-ordinator or Deputies have not responded appropriately, or where they have a disagreement with the Safeguarding Co-ordinator or Deputies regarding their response to a referral or allegation, they are free to contact an outside agency directly.

These statements about Responding to Allegations of Abuse, are indicative of the Church Leadership’s commitment to effective safeguarding and to the protection of children, young people and adults at risk.

Detailed Procedures Where There is a Concern About a Child (including young people):

Allegations of Abuse or Neglect:

The Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will:

contact Child Services (or Thirtyone:Eight) for advice if there is a concern about a child's safety or if a child is afraid to return home,

not tell the parents or carers unless advised to do so by Child Services (or Thirtyone:Eight),

seek any urgently needed medical help, informing the doctor(s) of any suspicions.,

for lesser concerns (e.g., poor parenting), encourage the parent(s)/guardian(s) to seek help, but only if this does not place the child at risk of significant harm. Where the parent(s)/guardian(s) is(are) unwilling to seek help, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will offer to accompany them. In cases of significant concern, if the parent(s)/guardian(s) fail to act, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will contact Child Services (or Thirtyone:Eight) for advice,

seek from and follow advice given by Thirtyone:Eight, (received initially verbally and then in writing) if they are unsure whether or not to refer a case to Child Services.

Allegations of Sexual Abuse

In the event of allegations or suspicions of sexual abuse, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will:

contact Child Services IMMEDIATELY. They will NOT speak to the parent(s)/guardian(s) or anyone else,

seek from and follow the advice given by Thirtyone:Eight if, for any reason, they are unsure whether or not to contact Child Services or the Police. Thirtyone:Eight will confirm its advice in writing for future reference.

Detailed Procedures Where There Is A Concern That An Adult Is In Need Of Protection:

Suspicions or allegations of abuse or harm including; physical, sexual, emotional, organisational, financial, discriminatory, neglect, self-neglect, forced marriage, modern slavery, domestic abuse

If there is concern about any of the above, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will contact the Adult Services who have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to investigate allegations of abuse. Alternatively, Thirtyone:Eight can be contacted for advice.

In addition, if the adult is in immediate danger or has sustained a serious injury contact the Emergency Services, informing them of any suspicions.

Allegations Of Abuse Against A Person Who Works With Children/Young People

If an allegation is made against a worker (whether a volunteer or a paid member of staff) whilst following the procedure outlined above, the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy will liaise with Child Services.

Allegations Of Abuse Against A Person Who Works With Adults At Risk

The Care Act places the duty upon Adult Services to investigate situations of harm to adults with care and support needs. This may result in a range of options including action against the person or organisation causing the harm, increasing the support for the carers, or no further action if the ‘victim’ chooses for no further action and they have the capacity to communicate their decision.

SECTION 3

Prevention

Safer Recruitment

The Church Leadership will ensure that all workers, paid or volunteers, are appointed, trained, supported and supervised in accordance with government guidance on safe recruitment. This includes ensuring that:

there is a written job description / person specification for each role,

where appropriate, those applying complete a DBS application form and a self-declaration form, and their details are entered into ChurchSuite,

safeguarding is discussed with the applicant,

where appropriate, written references are obtained and followed up,

where relevant, qualifications are verified,

where relevant, the applicant completes a probationary period in the role,

the applicant receives, reads and signs to confirm they have read the Place Of Worship/Organisation’s Safeguarding Policy.

Management of Workers – Code of Conduct

See Appendix 2a; Code Of Conduct

See Appendix 2b; Online Safety Policy

See Appendix 3; Prayer (Praying With Others)

The Church Leadership are committed to:

supporting all workers and ensuring they receive appropriate support and supervision,

ensuring that all workers are issued with and follow the Place Of Worship/Organisation’s Safeguarding Policy.

ensuring that any worker who has a position of trust does not start a relationship with anyone in their care whilst in their role.

SECTION 4

Pastoral Care

Supporting Those Affected By Abuse

The Church Leadership are committed to:

offering pastoral care, working with statutory agencies as appropriate, and supporting all those who have contact with or are part of the Place Of Worship / Organisation and who have been affected by abuse,

offering mentoring within the church and its discipleship programmes, and referring people to external counselling services as appropriate.

Working With Offenders

When someone attending the Place Of Worship / Organisation is known to have abused children or adults at risk, the Church Leadership will supervise the individual concerned and offer pastoral care, but in order to fulfil the commitment to safeguarding and to the protection of children and adults at risk, will, for that person, set boundaries which must be kept.

Any person deemed to pose a risk to children and/or to adults at risk will be assigned a mentor by the Safeguarding Team. The Safeguarding Team and mentor will prepare a contract which will be agreed by the Senior Church Leader and the person concerned. Failure to adhere to the agreed contract will result in exclusion from the Place Of Worship / Organisation.

The contract will include details of both the boundaries that the individual is expected to keep within as well as the support that will be offered to the individual. The contract will be tailored to individual circumstances and, where appropriate, be informed by risk assessments from the statutory agencies.

SECTION 5

Guidelines To Good Working Practice

As a Place Of Worship / Organisation working with children, young people and adults at risk, we aim to operate and promote good working practice.

A general Code Of Conduct for workers is attached – see Appendix 2.

During Sunday School in FCC:

in any one room there will be no fewer than two adults with the children at any time,

children will have direct access to their own toilet.

Toileting (During Sunday School in FCC):

3 – 7s will be escorted by a DBS Children’s Worker to the first-floor toilet (1:1 ratio); the volunteer will remain outside the toilet door.

7 – 11s may go to the first-floor toilet alone (unescorted).

The door between the 5 – 7s room and the first-floor corridor will remain open throughout the children’s Sunday School work so that the Children’s Workers in that room can monitor the corridor to the first-floor toilet (i.e., for when 7 – 11s use the corridor when going to the toilet alone).

Toileting During Holiday Bible Club in FCC:

Any child attending the Holiday Bible Club needing to use the ground floor toilet (ladies, gents or preferably the accessible toilet) will be accompanied by either

two DBS adult volunteers, both of whom will remain outside the toilet while the child is inside, OR

by the child’s parent or guardian (or, by prior written agreement between the child’s parent(s), by a permitted adult family member).

During Sunday School in Hope Church:

in any one room there will be no fewer than two adults with the children at any time,

parents will supervise toilet access for their own child(ren) if direct access to the children’s own toilet is not possible.

Pre-school children can be taken to the toilet or have their nappy changed only by their parent/guardian.

When not in Sunday School, children will be encouraged to use the accessible toilet.

During meetings and events involving youth and young people, there will be no fewer than 2 youth/children's workers on site at all times; we aim for a minimum of one male and one female, although this may not always be possible.

Thirtyone:Eight guidelines will be followed for residential and off-site trips.

SECTION 4

Pastoral Care

Supporting Those Affected By Abuse

The Church Leadership are committed to:

offering pastoral care, working with statutory agencies as appropriate, and supporting all those who have contact with or are part of the Place Of Worship / Organisation and who have been affected by abuse,

offering mentoring within the church and its discipleship programmes, and referring people to external counselling services as appropriate.

Working With Offenders

SECTION 5

Guidelines To Good Working Practice

As a Place Of Worship / Organisation working with children, young people and adults at risk, we aim to operate and promote good working practice.

A general Code Of Conduct for workers is attached – see Appendix 2.

During Sunday School in FCC:

in any one room there will be no fewer than two adults with the children at any time,

children will have direct access to their own toilet.

Toileting (During Sunday School in FCC):

3 – 7s will be escorted by a DBS Children’s Worker to the first-floor toilet (1:1 ratio); the volunteer will remain outside the toilet door.

7 – 11s may go to the first-floor toilet alone (unescorted).

The door between the 5 – 7s room and the first-floor corridor will remain open throughout the children’s Sunday School work so that the Children’s Workers in that room can monitor the corridor to the first-floor toilet (i.e., for when 7 – 11s use the corridor when going to the toilet alone).

Toileting During Holiday Bible Club in FCC:

Any child attending the Holiday Bible Club needing to use the ground floor toilet (ladies, gents or preferably the accessible toilet) will be accompanied by either

two DBS adult volunteers, both of whom will remain outside the toilet while the child is inside, OR

by the child’s parent or guardian (or, by prior written agreement between the child’s parent(s), by a permitted adult family member).

During Sunday School in Hope Church:

in any one room there will be no fewer than two adults with the children at any time,

parents will supervise toilet access for their own child(ren) if direct access to the children’s own toilet is not possible.

Pre-school children can be taken to the toilet or have their nappy changed only by their parent/guardian.

When not in Sunday School, children will be encouraged to use the accessible toilet.

Thirtyone:Eight guidelines will be followed for residential and off-site trips.

APPENDIX 1

Church Leadership Safeguarding Statement

The Church Leadership recognises the importance of its ministry to and work with children , young people and adults at risk, and its responsibility to protect everyone entrusted to its care.

The following statement was agreed by the Trustees on __________________________

This place of worship/organisation is committed to the safeguarding of children and adults with care and support needs and to ensuring their well-being.

Specifically:

We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect of children and young people (those under 18 years of age) and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.

We believe every child should be valued, safe and happy. We want to make sure that the children with whom we have contact know this and are empowered to tell us if they suffer harm.

All children and young people have the right to be treated with respect, to be listened to and to be protected from all forms of abuse.

We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent physical, sexual, psychological, financial and discriminatory abuse and neglect of adults who have care and support needs and to report to the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputies any such abuse that is alleged, that we discover or that we suspect.

We recognise the personal dignity and rights of adults who find themselves victims of forced marriage or of modern slavery, and will ensure that all of our policies and procedures reflect this.

We believe all adults should enjoy and have access to every aspect of the life of the place of worship/organisation, unless they pose a risk to the safety of those we serve.

We undertake to exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of all applicants who wish to work with children and adults with care and support needs.

We are committed to:

Following the requirements for UK legislation in relation to safeguarding children and adults and good practice recommendations,

Respecting the rights of children as described in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Implementing the requirements of legislation with regard to people with disabilities,

Ensuring that workers adhere to the agreed procedures of our safeguarding policy,

Keeping up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding,

Following any denominational or organisational guidelines in relation to safeguarding children and adults in need of protection,

Supporting the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputies in their work and in any action they may need to take in order to protect children / adults with care and support needs,

Ensuring that everyone agrees to abide by these recommendations and the guidelines established by this place of worship/organisation,

Supporting parents and families,

Nurturing, protecting and safeguarding of children and young people,

Supporting, resourcing, training, monitoring and providing supervision to all those who undertake thiswork,

Supporting all in the Place Of Worship / Organisation affected by abuse,

Adopting and following the ‘Safe and Secure’ safeguarding standards developed by Thirtyone:Eight.

We recognise:

Children’s Social Services (or equivalent) has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child. Adult Social Care (or equivalent) has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about an adult with care and support needs.

Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.

Where working outside of the UK, concerns will be reported to the appropriate agencies in the country in which we operate, and their procedures followed, and in addition we will report concerns to our agency’s headquarters.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

APPENDIX 2a

Code Of Conduct

Freedom Church behaviour code for working with children, young people and adults at risk of harm

Purpose

This Code Of Conduct outlines the conduct expected of all workers (staff and volunteers).

It aims to help protect adults at risk of harm, children and young people (YP) from abuse and inappropriate behaviour from those in positions of trust, and to reduce the risk of unfounded allegations of abuse being made.

The Role Of Workers (paid staff and volunteers)

When working with children and young people or adults at risk of harm, paid staff and volunteers are acting in a position of trust in Freedom Church. They will be seen as a role model and must act appropriately.

Good Practice

Paid staff and volunteers must:

report safeguarding and other concerns without delay,

treat everyone with dignity, respect and fairness, and have proper regard for individuals’ interests, rights, safety and welfare,

work in a responsible, transparent and accountable way,

be prepared to challenge unacceptable behaviour or to be challenged regarding your own behaviour,

listen carefully to those you are supporting,

work in an open environment; avoid private or unobserved situations,

follow policies, procedures and guidelines and report all disclosures, concerns, allegations, and suspicions to the safeguarding team,

do explain to the individual what you intend to do and don’t delay taking action,

encourage and support all others equally

seek advice from someone with greater experience, when necessary,

be aware of and comply with the Freedom Church Online Safety Policy (Safeguarding Policy Appendix 2b).

Unacceptable Behaviour

Paid staff and volunteers must not:

initiate any physical contact with a child/YP, including hugs; however, if the child/YP initiates a hug, this can be reciprocated but only briefly and in a public place; please refer to the FCC Safeguarding Policy, Appendix 8a Safer Touch Guidance, and Appendix 3 Prayer (Praying with others) when praying with children and YP,

behave in any way that could be perceived as bullying, emotional abuse, harassment, physical abuse, spiritual abuse or sexual abuse (including inappropriate physical contact such as rough play and inappropriate language or gestures),

make confidential promises in relation to safeguarding,

take unnecessary risks,

pass personal and/or social media contact details to any child/YP, or have any contact with them that breaches FCC’s Safeguarding Policy – Appendix 2b, Online Safety Policy,

develop inappropriate relationships,

smoke, vape or consume alcohol on church premises, or use illegal substances anywhere,

show favouritism towards or exclude others.

Breaching The Code Of Conduct

If paid staff or volunteers behave inappropriately, they will be subject to disciplinary procedures (particularly in the case of paid staff where the line manager may consult the Safeguarding Coordinator when appropriate). Depending on the seriousness of the situation, they may be asked to leave Freedom Church. In addition, a referral to statutory agencies, e.g., the police and/or the Local Authority Designated Officer, DBS or Thirtyone:Eight.

If paid staff or volunteers become aware of a breach of this Code Of Conduct, they must escalate their concerns to the Safeguarding Coordinator or, in the case of paid staff, their line manager.

Declaration

I agree to abide by the expectations outlined in this document and confirm that I have read the relevant policies that assist my work with vulnerable groups.

Name: ………………………………………………………….

Signature: ………………………………………………………….

Date: ………………………………………………………….

APPENDIX 2b

Online Safety Policy

Thirtyone:Eight Online Safety definition:

Online safety is the collective term for safeguarding involving the use of electronic devices and applications to communicate and access the Internet; often referred to as Information and Communications Technology. An online safety policy should be adopted and adapted to reflect all communications between church/organisation’s workers and children (those under 18 years of age).

Policy Guidelines For Church Workers/Volunteers

Generally, maintain good and open relationships with parents and carers regarding communication with them and their children.

Use an appropriate tone: friendly, but not over-familiar or personal.

Be warm and friendly, but do not suggest or offer a special relationship.

Be clear and explicit about information that you need to share; don’t abbreviate or short-cut your communications.

Be circumspect in your communications with children to avoid any possible misinterpretation of your motives or any behaviour which could be construed as grooming.

Do not share any personal information with children, or request or respond to any personal information from a child other than that which might be appropriate as part of your role.

Do not give children or youth your personal contact details unless by prior agreement with the Safeguarding Team. This may be for such residential events as “NewDay,” but in such circumstances parents will be asked to ensure that the contact details are removed from the child/youth’s contact list after the event.

Only make contact electronically with children/youth via their parents and not directly with the child/youth.

Respect a child’s right to confidentiality unless abuse/harm is suspected or disclosed.

Ensure your church/organisation domain name/logo appears with every Internet post made by a church computer user. Any user may thus be viewed as a representative of your church/organisation while conducting business on the Internet.

Email should only be used to communicate specific information (e.g., times and dates of events). It should not be used as a relationship building tool.

Email History should be kept and dated.

Use of Zoom and any other web camera or visual communication via the internet is generally not permitted unless in a group setting.

Workers should refrain from using such methods on a one-to-one basis as they cannot be recorded. (It can be used for conference calls and is considered appropriate if a project or group uses a web camera/Zoom in a group environment for project purposes, and has clear aims and objectives for its use).

All social media interaction between workers, paid or voluntary, and children/youth under 18 shall be limited to monitored/administrated groups

Any safeguarding concerns/allegations arising from social media shall be referred to the Safeguarding Coordinator or a Deputy

See Appendix 7a; Record Of Concern About A Child/Adult’s Safety And Welfare

Consent For Photographic Images And Videos Online

Permission will be obtained from parents/guardians before any images are taken or displayed and images will only be used for the specific purpose for which permission was sought for and how the image will be stored if not destroyed. If the intention is to use an image on the internet this must be clearly stated and further permission must be obtained if an image is to be used in a way not originally stated.

Photographs that include children will be selected carefully and will endeavour to prevent children from being easily identified.

Children’s names will not be used on the website in association with their photographs.

Live streaming of events must be clearly advertised in advance.

Children, Youth and Church Workers Must Not:

Search for or download pornographic, racist or hate-motivated content.

Illegally copy or play copyrighted content where permission has not been given.

Send, request or display offensive messages or pictures.

Harass, insult or bully others.

Access the internet using another person’s login details.

Access, download, send or open any received suspected data (including images) which Freedom Church Chester or Hope Church consider offensive in any way, including sexually explicit, discriminatory, defamatory or libellous material.

Sanctions for violating this online safety policy may result in:

A temporary or permanent ban on internet use.

Additional disciplinary action in line with existing practice on inappropriate language or behaviour.

Where applicable, police or local authorities may be involved.

APPENDIX 3

Prayer (Praying With Others)

Many places of worship consider prayer a central part of their activities and pastoral care. This should be done sensitively, responsibly, and only by those appointed by the leadership to do so.

It is important to make people aware, especially Parents/Carers of any children or young people who attend your activities, that prayer is part of your activities and that sometimes you may pray together as a group or with individuals at their request.

All those involved in prayer ministry should know how to respond to any safeguarding concerns.

When praying you must:

get the person’s permission before you pray with them (or from a parent/carer),

pray in an open area where other leaders are around,

be aware of safeguarding concerns and don’t delay in taking action,

reflect back what the person has said to show you have understood their prayer request,

use clear uncomplicated language and keep prayers simple so they can be understood,

avoid giving specific advice about problems involving decisions, and never advise someone to stop taking medication or receiving professional support for their care or welfare,

stop if the person becomes distressed,

never pressure someone into receiving prayer,

never promise total confidentiality.

Praying with children and young people

Where there is a general invitation to receive prayer as part of a service or event, children’s workers should be available to pray with the children/young people.

If someone requests that their child doesn’t participate in prayer, this must be respected.

It can be helpful to write down what you have prayed about and give it to the child so that, if they want, they can let their parents/carers know and remember it themselves.

Avoid praying ‘in tongues’ or any other language different from the child’s own as this can be confusing and alarming.

A child or young person can be very susceptible to suggestion, so even if the children’s worker believes they have heard from God about the child/young person’s situation, they must talk this through with another leader first before talking about this with the child/young person.

Avoid any physical contact as much as possible, such as putting your hand on their head. If you think they may appreciate some physical reassurance or comfort, always ask their consent first, e.g., an arm around the shoulder.

Things to consider

Think about your body language, particularly in relation to things like your height and the height of the person you are praying for. Try to ensure you are on their level rather than standing over them, e.g., by having both the children’s worker and child sitting.

Some places of worship believe that a child can have an evil spirit or be 'possessed' when they display behaviours, or are in some way different. A child or young person should never be told they are demonised, possessed or oppressed by the devil or by an evil spirit.

Any religious, traditional or cultural practices such as prayers for deliverance or exorcism that cause significant harm to a child are a criminal offence and cannot be justified. Statutory authorities may investigate and take appropriate action to protect any children involved.

APPENDIX 4

Definitions Of Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such that it causes severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development and conveying that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include:

not giving the child opportunities to express their views,

deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate

It may feature:

age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children,

interactions that are beyond a child’s developmental capability,

overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning,

preventing the child from participating in normal social interaction,

seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another,

serious bullying (including cyberbullying),

causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.

Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, although it may occur alone.

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse. Once a child is born, it may involve a parent failing to:

provide adequate food, clothing and shelter, including exclusion from home or abandonment,

protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger,

ensure adequate supervision, including the use of inadequate care givers,

ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment

it may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse. Sexual abuse can take place online, and technology can be used to facilitate offline abuse. Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.

Spiritual abuse is characterised by an ongoing systematic pattern of coercive control in a church/faith-based context. Key elements are manipulation, exploitation, control through the misuse and abuse of scripture and divine position, censorship of decision making, pressure to conform, enforced accountability, requirement of obedience and isolation.

APPENDIX 5

How To Respond To A Child Wishing To Disclose Abuse

The thought of having to deal with an allegation of abuse, or responding to a concern, may be something that fills you with fear and trepidation. What if I get it wrong? You worry: 'I might be making a mountain out of a molehill. Maybe I’ll forget what they said'.

We have written this ‘Help’ guidance in order to steer you through the process, so stay calm, you can do this!

Whose responsibility is Safeguarding?

Local authorities have overarching responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in their area and their statutory responsibilities and responses are outlined in Working Together to safeguard children guidance of 2018.

The guidelines in relation to adults, those over 18 years of age, now fall under the definitions and recommendations of Care Act 2014 and this replaces the previous legislation from ‘No Secrets’ (Department of Health 2000). It is important to recognise that whilst local authorities play a lead role, safeguarding children and adults from harm is everyone's responsibility.

Everyone who comes into contact with children and families has a role to play. Faith organisations are mentioned within Working Together 2018 – ‘Voluntary, charity, social enterprise (VCSE) and private sector organisations and agencies play an important role in safeguarding children through the services they deliver. Some of these will work with particular communities, with different races and faith communities and delivering in health, adult social care, housing, prisons and probation services. They may as part of their work provide a wide range of activities for children and have an important role in safeguarding children and supporting families and communities'. This is important to note your responsibilities if you fall within this category as we can’t just leave it to the statutory agencies, schools, police and Children/Adult

social care.

The definitions for abuse of children, young people and adults with care and support needs can be found on the Thirtyone:Eight website within the online safeguarding manual. If unsure whether or not something needs to be referred to Children’s Social Services or the Police, or you just want support in doing so, contact our helpline. We will give advice over the phone and will confirm this to you in writing.

*NB Applies to England but similar principles operate elsewhere in the UK.

What is your role?

Your responsibility for reporting concerns will depend on your role. Because this is different from being a friend, worker with children, young people or adults care and support needs will need to:

listen carefully if someone is telling you about abuse – physical, sexual, emotional or neglect,

not ask questions – it could prevent them from saying more or you might put things in their mind that were not already there,

show acceptance of what you are told – even if it seems unlikely or too awful to be true; reassure the person that they have done the right thing in telling you and you are taking the information seriously,

not promise to keep the matter secret but explain that you may have to share what they say with others on a ‘need to know’ basis only; it will be the named people in your safeguarding policy,

explain what you intend to do and don’t delay in taking action,

ensure the immediate safety of the individual,

write notes stating what the person said, what you said in response, and an explanation of how the conversation took place; include the date, time and your signature,

consider medical intervention if required,

keep the notes, even if typed up, as they could be used as material evidence in court.

If the concern is about what has been observed, for example bruises, marks, suspicions of neglect or sexually explicit/abusive behaviour, then it is important to write a full account of what was seen. Include:

the size, shape, colour, position on the body of any bruises or marks, consider taking a picture unless location of that picture is inappropriate; you may use a Body Map (See Appendix 7b),

the person’s appearance, e.g., ragged or dirty clothing, smell, emaciated body, pain or difficulty in moving,

any description of sexually explicit or abusive behaviour,

the date and time of your report, and your signature.

The role of the safeguarding coordinator (also see ‘Help’…I’m a safeguarding coordinator)

The safeguarding coordinator must be informed as soon as possible so that the appropriate action can be taken. All workers should know how to contact him or her. If the matter is urgent e.g. there is a need for medical intervention, it is unsafe for a child to return home or there is an allegation of sexual abuse, take immediate action. This action would include taking a child to hospital, if necessary, because of physical injury, informing Children’s Services (Children’s Social Care) or the Police if concerned about sexual abuse, neglect or physical abuse, or contacting Adult Social Services where the person concerned is a adult at risk.

Who should be informed?

It is important to deal with allegations and suspicions of abuse in a confidential manner. The Children safeguarding co-ordinator should not inform the parents of a child or young person in any matter of sexual abuse or where there is concern that by doing so you place that child at risk of significant harm.

The problem of the coordinator speaking to the parents beforehand is that parents could, quite understandably, become very upset and angry. They might confront or inadvertently alert an alleged abuser which might result in a child being silenced and an investigation by the authorities disrupted or ruined.

Always check with Children’s Services as to whose task it will be to tell parents. Where an adult is not capable of making an informed decision then their relatives may be involved before contacting Adult Social Services, or contact directly if the relatives are implicated in some way.

If you’re not sure what to do…

look at your safeguarding policy

see Thirtyone:Eight's online safeguarding manual which has a flow chart for action (in the Downloads section),

contact Thirtyone:Eight’s 24 hour helpline – 0303 0003 1111 - if you need advice,

do not delay when there are serious concerns,

once you have contacted the authorities (probably by phone initially) confirm your concern in writing.

Giving support

Whatever action you may have to take, and even if the authorities are involved, don’t lose sight of the person or persons at the centre of the concern. Ensure that there is someone to whom they can turn for support but do not question the person concerned. If they give further information, then go through the process of listening and recording as already described. Usually a child will seek support and disclose to someone they trust. It will save the child having to repeat a disclosure if they have support from the person they initially disclosed to. (See ‘Help… how can I support a child). Don’t forget that abuse can affect many people – friends, families, workers and leaders too – and they may need some help.

Remember Thirty:Eight is available to offer advice and support as you deal with these difficult areas. You may also have people in your organisation or denomination who can assist you or provide a listening ear. It is important to ensure that workers are themselves given adequate support when dealing with allegations of abuse.

Ongoing involvement by the church/organisation

If the authorities are involved in investigating a child or adult protection matter, it will be important for the safeguarding coordinator or leader to co-operate fully in the inquiry. The notes and observations of workers could be used in any court proceedings and they might need to attend court to give evidence.

Social workers might want the church or organisation to be part of any care plans that are made for the individual particularly where there is significant contact or input by them.

What do I do about non-recent abuse?

If you are told by someone that when they were little they were sexually abused, but it doesn’t happen anymore, this is still a matter of concern. The person has alleged that someone has committed a sexual crime against them. You have to think about the consequences of doing nothing – could other children be at risk now from this person?

You will also need to consider the age of the alleged victim. If they are an adult, they may or may not choose to make a formal complaint to the police. If you are concerned that the alleged abuser could pose a risk to children now, then you should point out to the person that they could decide to give the information to the police. Even if they decide not to make a formal statement, action can still be taken which would help to protect children. If the person is unable or unwilling to make a formal complaint to the police, then the safeguarding coordinator should speak to an officer in the Child Abuse Investigation team in their

area (via 101).

What do I do about an allegation against a worker or leader?

You are doing everything right – measures are in place to deal with allegations of abuse, workers are trained to listen and pass on concerns, there are procedures for reporting concerns and suspicions of abuse to statutory agencies and, of course, you might well use the Thirtyone:Eight helpline for additional advice and support. However, in spite of all your best efforts, no one can rule out the possibility of an allegation being made against a worker. Working together 2018 states that in line with Section II of the Children Act 2004 that:

"Employers, school governors, trustees and voluntary organisations should ensure that they have clear policies in place setting out the process, including timescales for investigation and what support and advice will be available to individuals against whom allegations have been made. Any allegation against people who work with children should be reported immediately to a senior manager within the organisation or agency. The designated officer, or team of officers, should also be informed within one working day of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention or that are made directly to the police. If an organisation or agency removes an individual (paid worker or unpaid volunteer) from work in regulated activity with children (or would have, had the person not left first) because the person poses a risk of harm to children, the organisation or agency must make a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service to consider whether to add the individual to the barred list. This applies irrespective of whether a referral has been made to local authority children’s social care and/or the designated officer or team of officers. It is an offence to fail to make a referral without good reason In addition the church insurance company (and your denominational safeguarding officer, if appropriate) is likely to want to know as well".

In this sort of situation, you might wish to take immediate advice from Thirtyone:Eight who will help you deal with the matters appropriately and guide you in whom to contact and when.

The role of LADOs (children)

Where immediate action is needed to protect a child or investigate a serious allegation, an immediate referral will need to be made to the Police or Children’s Social Care, after which the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) needs to be informed. In other less urgent situations contact the LADO first. Where appropriate the LADO will refer to police or Children’s Social Care if they have not been informed.

Some less serious situations may not warrant police or Children’s Social Care investigation. LADOs are responsible for providing advice, liaison and monitoring the progress of cases to ensure they are dealt with as quickly as possible, consistent with a fair and thorough process. ‘Working Together’ stresses that procedures need to be applied by LADOs with ‘common sense and judgement’. If an allegation is substantiated then the LADO will advise whether a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service is required or advisable, and the form and content of the referral.

See Appendix 6a LADO Procedure – Cheshire West & Chester [inc. Contact Details]

See Appendix 6b LADO Procedure – Flintshire [inc. Contact Details]

Disclosure and Baring Service

The task of the DBS is to make decisions as to whether an individual poses a risk to children and/or vulnerable adults, based on a full picture of all the circumstances relating to the person concerned. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 stipulates that organisations are under a statutory duty to refer relevant information to the DBS in certain circumstances. There is a requirement to inform the scheme where an individual (paid or volunteer) has been dismissed, or resigned (either prior to or following the conclusion of a disciplinary investigation), because they harmed, or may harm, a child or vulnerable adult. The DBS will assess each situation and if they are minded to bar (the person from working with children or vulnerable adults) the individual will be given the information and the opportunity to make representations.

Workers should be assured that there are criminal sanctions that could be applied where there are malicious allegations. These could include offences related to wasting police time, perverting or attempting to pervert the course of justice, conspiracy and perjury. However, organisations such as, churches have nothing to worry about if they have passed on information received in good faith. If a worker is convicted of certain of the most serious offences then they will be automatically barred from working with children/vulnerable adults, without being able to make any representations. In less serious cases there is an autobar with the ability to make representations to the DBS for the situation to be reviewed. In other cases, the DBS will consider information (not just in relation to convictions) and can bar based on individual case assessment.

Individuals would be informed that the DBS is ‘minded to bar’ and would be able to see all available information and be able to make representation (unless of course it is an autobar offence). A barred person loses their DBS registration and cannot engage in ‘regulated activity’.

Charity Commission (children and adults)

Any incident that has taken place in a charity is considered serious and should be reported to the Charity Commission if it has resulted, or could result, in a significant loss of funds or a significant risk to the charity’s property, work, beneficiaries, or reputation. Suspicions, allegations and incidents of abuse or mistreatment of beneficiaries include incidents whilst under the care of the charity or by someone connected with the charity, such as a trustee, member of staff or volunteer. Such concerns must be reported if there are grounds to suspect that an incident may have occurred, whether or not the matter has been proved. Such matters would always be given immediate attention by the Charity Commission. The role of the Charity Commission is to assist the trustees where possible in restoring faith in the charity and other charities within the same sector (e.g. other places of worship).

Regulators

If you have a project regulated and inspected by a government department or agency (e.g. OFSTED, Care Quality Commission in England, or equivalent elsewhere in the UK), there is an expectation that all safeguarding matters will be reported to them, especially if it involves the suspension of a worker. So if you provide a nursery, crèche or other early years provision or other social care service, the matter will need to be reported. Thirtyone:Eight are happy to advise places of worship and other organisations who contact our helpline as soon as concerns are raised. We will provide the necessary advice and support in responding appropriately to allegations and concerns and help you to ensure that the relevant authorities are contacted.

Tick list - Allegation of abuse

Has the Safeguarding Coordinator/Deputy in my church/organisation been advised?

Have they either: Spoken to the statutory agencies as appropriate: Police? Children’s Social Care? Adult Social Services?

Or have they taken advice from Thirtyone:Eight?

Confirmation sent in writing to the relevant agency? Have they contacted someone from the denomination or organisational structure (e.g., ChristCentral Designated Safeguarding Lead) where appropriate?

Have they contacted our insurance company?

Where concerns involved a worker (paid or voluntary):

Does the matter suggest the DBS ‘harm test’ has been met and following an internal inquiry the person has been suspended or removed from regulated activity?

Has a referral been made to the DBS?

Has the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) been informed?

Where our activities are regulated and inspected by agencies such as OFSTED, Care Quality Commission, etc., have they been informed?

Where there is a serious incident (such as child abuse) has the charity informed the Charity Commission?

Despite the number of agencies that may need to be informed, has everything been kept on a need-to-know basis, maintaining confidentiality?

Useful information:

Thirtyone:Eight , PO Box 133, Swanley,

Kent, BR8 7UQ

Helpline: 0303 003 1111

Email: info@thirtyoneeight.org

NSPCC, Weston House, 42 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH

Help for children/young people: 0800 1111

Help for adults: 0808 800 5000

ChildLine – free and confidential number: 0800 1111

DBS helpline – 0300 123 1111

Charity Commission – 0300 066 9197 or email directly from their website

www.charity-commission.gov.uk

APPENDIX 6b

LADO Procedure – Flintshire

Any person with concerns or suspicions about a child in Flintshire being harmed should contact:

The Duty Social Worker, Duty and Assessment Team, Social Services for Children, County Offices, Chapel Street, Flint, CH6 5BD.

Telephone: 01352 701000

If you wish to contact outside of office hours, please telephone the Duty Social Worker on: 0345 053 3116.

We will discuss your concerns with you and ask you for as much detail as possible. We will investigate your concerns and, if necessary, make a plan to protect the child. This may involve adding the child's name to the Child Protection Register. We will respect your right to confidentiality.

Flintshire County Council is responsible for leading and co-ordinating child protection services within the county. We work closely with schools, North Wales Police, health agencies, doctors, health visitors and other agencies.

Enquiries can be emailed to ChildProtectionReferral@flintshire.gov.uk. Please be aware that this inbox is monitored weekdays, during office hours only.

APPENDIX 7a

Record Of Concern About A Child/Adult’s Safety And Welfare

Part 1: Record of concern about a child/adult’s safety and welfare – CONFIDENTIAL

(For use by any staff/volunteers – This form can be filled in electronically. If the form is handwritten care should be taken to ensure that the form is legible)1, 2, 3

Child/Adult’s name (subject of concern):

Date of birth/age:

Child/Adult:

Address:

Date & time of incident:

Date & time
(of writing):

Your Name (print): Role/Job title:

Signature:

Other members of the household4:

Record the following factually: Nature of concern, e.g. disclosure, change in behaviour, demeanour, appearance, injury, witnesses etc. (please include as much detail in this section as possible. Remember – the quality of your information will inform the level of intervention initiated. Attach additional sheets if necessary.)

How did the concern come to light?

What is the child/adult saying about what has happened4?

Any other relevant information. Previous concerns etc.

Date and time of discussion with Safeguarding Lead5: ______________________

Check to make sure your report is clear for someone else reading it.

Please pass this form to your Safeguarding Team without delay

Guidance notes for Form 1 (volunteers/staff only):

Following are some helpful pointers in completing the above form:

As a registered body the church/charitable organisation is required to ensure that its duty of care towards its beneficiaries is carried out in line with the principles enshrined within the Working together to safeguard children and young people, 2018 and the Care Act, 2014. (Refer to your own church’s/organisation’s safeguarding policy at this point too).

Essential principles of recording the information received/disclosed/observed:

Remember: do not investigate or ask any leading questions

make notes within the first one hour of receiving the disclosure or observing the incident

be clear and factual in your recording of the incident or disclosure

avoid giving your opinion or feelings on the matter

aim to record using the 4 W’s and 1 H: When, where, what, why and how

do not share this information with anyone else except your safeguarding lead in the first instance and they will advise on who else will need to be informed, how and when.

make use of the additional information section to add any other relevant information regarding the child/adult/ family that you may be aware of. This can include any historic concerns or observations.

What constitutes a safeguarding concern? – any incident that has caused or likely to cause significant harm to a child can be classed as a safeguarding concern. Abuse is classified under four different categories (with regards to children) as already stated within the safeguarding policy (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect). With regards to adults there are 6 further categorisations. Whilst it may be helpful to record a specific category in the above form, if possible, this may not always be the case. Therefore, it is important to seek advice from your safeguarding lead or thirtyone:eight at this stage.

Why do you need information regarding ‘other household members’? – It has been demonstrated as important to include information about significant adults in the household especially when concerns relate to children as this has been a recurrent risk factor in several serious case reviews.

Why is the view of the child/adult significant? It is important to give whatever detail is available of the child or adult’s explanation (or verbatim) of the matter to help ascertain if it is plausible and to help offer a context to the concern identified.

Passing information to the Safeguarding Lead – Your safeguarding lead holds ultimate responsibility in responding to any safeguarding concerns within the church/organisation and therefore it is important that they have oversight of the actions being taken and make relevant and appropriate contact with statutory agencies if required. They will remain the most appropriate link between the organisation and external agencies.

Part 2: Record of concern about a child/adult’s safety and welfare

(For use by Safeguarding Team – This form can be filled in electronically. If the form is handwritten care should be taken to ensure that the form is legible.)

Information received by SC:

Date:

Time completed:

From whom:

Any advice sought, if applicable

Date:

Time completed:

Source of advice: name/organisation:

Advice received:

Advice received about informing parents or in the case of adults, seeking consent/capacity1:

Initial Assessment of concern following advice2

Action taken with reasons recorded

(e.g. Referral completed, monitoring advice given to appropriate staff, CAF etc)

Date:

Time completed:

By whom:

Referral

To whom

Signposting to other community resources

Pastoral Care and other support from church

Ongoing Monitoring

Parent/carer informed?

Who spoken to:

Date:

Time:

By whom:

Detail reason:

Any other relevant information

Name of Safeguarding Lead:

Signature:

OVERVIEW OF ACTIONS3:

S.No.

Date

Outcome (if known)

Service currently involved

Ongoing support offered by church (this can include monitoring)- include dates

Guidance notes for Form 2:

Following are some helpful pointers in completing the above form(s)

Importance of consent from parents/carer or adults (in the light of mental capacity) – With regards to children, consent of the parents is considered important before a referral is made to external agencies, unless of course doing so will place the child(ren) at greater risk of harm. With regards to adults, it is important to be aware that their consent is crucial before reporting concerns onto statutory agencies. The individual’s mental capacity will also be a significant factor to consider at this stage. You can always seek the advice of local authority social services.
Initial assessment – Based on the advice you may have received from relevant individuals/agencies (i.e. this could be school/Thirtyone:Eight/CEOP etc), what are the concerns categorised as?
Overview of actions – Includes a summary of the actions taken so far and who holds responsibility for it. You can use this section to add on information gathered when monitoring the situation or offering pastoral care over a defined period of time.

Appendix 8a Safer Touch Guidance

This Safer Touch guidance has been created with the aim of ensuring that all church staff and volunteers are aware of their responsibilities regarding appropriate and inappropriate touch. This guidance explains “safer touch” and raises awareness of the boundaries involving touch.

What is Safer Touch?

The Church must consider the boundaries of appropriate touch to make sure that the physical contact in day-to-day interactions and worship is appropriate and ensures that all individuals feel safe. Sympathetic attention, encouragement and appropriate physical contact are needed by children and adults.

Touch should never be inappropriate (e.g., invasive, humiliating, abusive, traumatising, sexual, offensive or flirtatious). All staff and volunteers should remain vigilant in regard to the behaviour of others and contribute to creating an environment which makes it challenging for individuals to use inappropriate touch. It is also important to recognise that this guidance co-exists alongside an individual person’s boundaries to touch and does not override the right that all have to autonomy over their own body.

Roles and Responsibilities

All staff and volunteers are responsible for:

• understanding and maintaining an awareness of the boundaries involving physical contact,

• ensuring that they engage in touch only if/when necessary or appropriate to do so,

• ensuring that no person feels threatened or unsafe at a church as a result of inappropriate touch,

• creating and promoting a culture in which an individual’s wishes and feelings in regard to touch are respected,

• ensuring touch is consensual.

You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF.

Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy

Contents:

SECTION 1

Details of the Place of Worship/Organisation

SECTION 2

Recognising and Responding Appropriately to Allegations or Suspicions of Abuse