PARISH POLICY STATEMENT ON SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:
· Promoting a safer environment and culture.
· Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
· Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
· Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
· Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
· Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
The Parish will:
· Create a safe and caring place for all.
· Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
· Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
· Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
· Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
· Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
· Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
· Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
· Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
· Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
· Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
PCR2: Making the church safer for all
We are committed to making our local church a safe space for all and ensuring that everyone understands that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. That is why Church of England churches across Lancashire, which collectively make up the Diocese of Blackburn and of which our church is a part, are participating in a comprehensive safeguarding review.
This survivor-focussed review is known as ‘Past Cases Review 2’ or ‘PCR2’ and is looking at all the information a church might hold about incidents of church related abuse by those who have held positions of responsibility in a church – both recent and non-recent. The PCR2 work is ‘survivor-focussed’ as it is important the church continues to listen and respond to the voices of survivors of abuse.
Anyone seeking to come forward with information or make any disclosures regarding church related abuse is encouraged to make direct contact with the Diocese of Blackburn’s Safeguarding team. They can do so on a dedicated phone line or email: 01254 503093 and [email protected]
Recognising this may not feel safe for those with a direct experience of abuse from within the Church, if you would prefer to speak to someone else in the first instance contact: The Police by dialling 101 or online at www.lancashire.police.uk/contact-us; Lancashire Victim Services on 0300 323 0085 or online at www.lancashirevictimservices.org/contact or contact the NSPCC on 0800 80 20 20.
There is a dedicated PCR2 website page at www.blackburn.anglican.org with a host of PCR2 resources, information, FAQs and more.
St. James Church Safeguarding Officer
Janet Hartley
Our Safeguarding Officer is the first person to speak to if you have any concerns around the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult.
You can contact her on 07597349887
Email h[email protected]
Important telephone numbers:
Cath Smith, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
07711485170 or 01254 503070
Email [email protected]
thirtyone:eight helpline 0303 003 1111