Every person has a value and dignity, which comes directly from the creation of people in God’s image. Christians see this potential as fulfilled by God’s re-creation of us in Christ. Among other things, this implies a duty to value all people as bearing the image of God and therefore to protect them from harm.

We commit ourselves to nurture, protect and safeguard all our members, particularly children, young people and adults at risk. We recognise that safeguarding is the responsibility of the whole church. We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection, appointment, training and support of those working with children or adults at risk. We will respond without delay to concerns or allegations that a child or adult at risk may have been harmed, cooperating fully in any investigation. We will challenge any abuse of power by anyone in a position of trust. We will seek to offer pastoral care to anyone who has suffered abuse. We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or adult at risk.

This policy has been agreed by the PCC in line with the London Diocesan safeguarding policy.

Vicar: Rev Heather Atkinson
Churchwarden: Maria Wyard & Andrew Rixon

Our online services safeguarding policy

Online services on Zoom have a waiting room to enable the meeting hosts to refuse entry to anyone they consider to be a risk. We will ask attendees to display their correct name on their screen or, if they’re unable to, one of the hosts may change it for them. Services will not be recorded. If the service is used by an attendee to display inappropriate, explicit or illegal content, one of the hosts will either:

remove them from the call; or
end the meeting if no other course of action is available.

If child sexual abuse material is shared, this will be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation. Screen sharing and whiteboard sharing is disabled during services for everyone except the hosts. Breakout rooms must have at least one host to enable the same level of security as above. Any children that are on screen must have a parent or carer present at all times. When children/vulnerable adults are on a video call, the hosts must be aware of any person on the call who could pose any kind of threat, and will remove that person from the call if they are causing distress.