Safeguarding

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Parish Safeguarding Policy

Protecting children, young people, and vulnerable adults

1. Principles
Every person has value and dignity which comes from being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Because of this we have a duty to value all those bearing God’s image and protect them from harm.
Therefore we are committed to:
A The care, nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children and all adults.
B The safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults when they are vulnerable.
C The establishment of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is a culture of ‘informed vigilance’ as to the dangers of abuse.

2. Guidelines for staff and volunteers
What we should all do:
¥ Treat all children with respect and dignity.
¥ Ensure that our own language, tone of voice and body language is respectful.
¥ Always aim to work within sight of another adult.
¥ Ensure another adult is informed if a child needs to be taken to the toilet.
¥ Toilet breaks should be organised for young children.
¥ Ensure that children know who to speak and young people know who who they can talk to if they need to speak to someone about a personal concern.
¥ Respond warmly to a child who needs comforting, but make sure there are other adults around.
¥ Administer First Aid with others around.
¥ Obtain parental consent for any photography/videos to be taken, shown or displayed.
¥ Record any concerning incidents and give the information to your group leader: sign and date the record.
¥ Always share concerns about a child or the behaviour of another worker with group leader and/or the safeguarding representative.
What we should not do:
¥ Initiate physical contact. Any necessary contact should be initiated by the child.
¥ Invade a child’s privacy while washing or toileting.
¥ Play rough physical or sexually provocative games.
¥ Use any form of physical punishment.
¥ Be sexually suggestive about or to a child even in jest.
¥ Touch a child inappropriately or obtrusively.
¥ Scapegoat, ridicule or reject a child, group or adult.
¥ Permit abusive peer activities e.g. initiation ceremonies, ridiculing or bullying.
¥ Show favouritism to any one child or group.
¥ Allow a child or young person to involve you in excessive attention that is overtly physical or sexual in nature.
¥ Give lifts to children or young people on their own or your own.
¥ Smoke tobacco in the presence of children.
¥ Drink alcohol when responsible for young people.
¥ Invite a child to your home alone.
¥ Arrange social occasions with children (other than family) outside organised group occasions.
¥ Allow unknown adults to access children. Visitors should always be accompanied.
¥ Allow strangers to give lifts to children.
Guidelines for Emails, Texts and Social Networks
Email
Ensure any communication is public, not private. Ensure that church leaders and parents know that you are communicating in this way and that the parents are happy with this. Send group emails rather than individual ones, cc another leader if necessary. Save any emails that you send and receive.
Texts
Take great care when using this medium. Ensure you save texts as files, if possible, so that a record exists.
Social Media
Keep everything public and accessible to all users. Ensure that the page you are using is one used for professional, work purposes and not your personal page. Remind yourself of appropriate boundaries before you send a message. Ask yourself, how might this message be interpreted by the recipients and onlookers? Be wary of how you would use this facility with friends and you use it professionally?
Physical Contact
Within the world of working with children there is a concern about touch. While it is necessary to keep children safe, this need not involve keeping the child at arm’s length. Such an approach can be neglectful of children’s needs and demoralising to workers. However, children need to be protected from inappropriate touching. These are the suggested guidelines:
¥ All staff and volunteers must work with or at least within sight of another adult.
¥ Children are entitled to determine the degree of physical contact with others, except in exceptional circumstances such as when they need medical attention.
¥ Team members should take responsibility for monitoring one another in the area of physical contact. They should be free to challenge a colleague if necessary.
¥ Concerns about possible abuse should always be reported to the Safeguarding Officer (Ruth).
Restraint
In extreme circumstances it may be necessary to restrain a child or young person who is harming him/herself or others. It may also be necessary to summon the help of the police if the situation gets really out of hand. Use the least possible force and inform the parents as soon as possible. All such incidents should be recorded with details of any witnesses noted.
Inappropriate behaviour by children towards adults
Children and young people can sometimes make suggestive approaches to an adult. They may have a ‘crush’ or may act inappropriately because of previous experiences. The behaviour may be ‘a cry for help’. If you feel uncomfortable about a child or young person’s behaviour you should:
¥ Make it clear to the child or young person, with sensitivity, that their language or behaviour is inappropriate.
¥ Tell another adult: the leader of that group Ruth or Pete. Agree what measures should be taken to prevent a recurrence.
¥ Record the incident in case accusations are made in the future. Sign and date the record and ensure it is placed with other confidential records.

3: What to do if you Suspect Abuse
If you are concerned that a child or young person has been abused or is at risk of being abused, then you must report it. You might become concerned for a number of reasons:
¥ A child may tell you that they are being abused.
¥ Someone else involved may tell you that they are concerned about the child or that the child has told them something.
¥ A child’s behaviour may make you concerned.
¥ You may feel uncomfortable about the way another staff member or volunteer is behaving with a child or with a child’s reaction.
¥ A child may have an injury for which there is no explanation.
If you have any cause for concern then you should, in the first instance, speak with Ruth.
However if the concern or allegation involves Ruth, then speak to Pete.
If the concern or allegation involves Ruth and Pete, then contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser directly.
If a child shares something with you, young should:
¥ Listen and keep on listening.
¥ Don’t ask leading questions or press for information.
¥ Accept what you hear without passing judgement.
¥ Do not promise to keep secrets, and do tell the child what you are going to do.
¥ Write down what has been said as soon as possible and keep a copy. This may be needed in any subsequent investigation.
¥ Refer to the Safeguarding Officer (Ruth) and she will inform the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser. In an urgent situation she may refer immediately to the local authority social services or police.
You should not try to deal with the problem alone.
Contact details for Ruth: missruthsloan@gmail.com
Contact denials for Pete: Jacko.pete@gmail.com 01226 205826