We have adpoted the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ and wholeheartedly endorse the Diocese of Norwich's Safeguarding statement, which affirms: "We believe that every human being is made in the image of God. It follows that we should honour everyone regardless of their age, capabilities, gender or ethnicity. Protecting the vulnerable, whether adults or children, is a responsibility carried by all in Christian ministry; we cannot be satisfied until we are sure we have done all in our power to protect them from harm. Our churches must be a safe haven."
Cromer Church's policy on Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults in the Church rests on four key principles:
• We believe it is the responsibility of all church members to do their best to prevent the physical, sexual, emotional or spiritual abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and to report abuse that is alleged or suspected.
• We will observe Church of England guidelines, as agreed by PCC, with regard to children, young people and vulnerable adults. We will support and resource workers who are appointed by the PCC, and provide for them supervision as a way of maintaining good practice.
• We expect our workers to undertake the Safeguarding Training that is offered by the Diocese and they will be required to obtain a DBS disclosure and complete a Confidential Declaration before commencing their work.
• We understand that responsibility for the appointment of workers shall rest with the PCC.
Details of how to report Safeguarding concerns can be found on the Safeguarding pages on the Diocese of Norwich website together with guidance about Safeguarding policies and procedures, and a wide range of supporting resources. The latest versions of the Church of England's Safeguarding documents can be found here. Further information about our parish policy and procedures are also available from the Named Persons or from the Church Office. (See below.)
If you believe a child or adult is in immediate danger of significant or serious harm, contact the emergency services on 999.
Other Safeguarding concerns or reports of alleged or suspected abuse should be reported promptly to the Parish Safeguarding Officers who will then report them to the Diocesan Safeguarding Officers.
To contact the Parish Safeguarding Officers, please use the link below or contact the Church Office, in confidence, and ask to be put in touch. The postal address is: The Church Office, Cromer Parish Hall, 65 Church Street, CROMER NR27 9HH and the phone number is 01263 512000. The contact details for the Parish Safeguarding Officers are displayed in the Parish Church, St Martin's and the Parish Hall. If the Parish Safeguarding Officers are not available, or if they are implicated in the concern, contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Officers directly.