The parish of Barton Bendish: St Andrew is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) who is Liz Stephen. The Diocese of Ely’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services."

                                                     SAFEGUARDING POLICY 

The following policy was agreed at the Parochial Church Council (PCC) meeting held on June 26, 2019.

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.

This church appoints Liz Stephen as the Parish Safeguarding Officer

Incumbent: Rev Dr Ian Mack (Acting Priest in Charge)

Minister: Rev Ray Burman

Churchwardens: Linda Webster & Mhari Blanchfield

Parochial Church Council

GDPR Policy

The PCC complies with the legislation on GPPR. It has reviewed its policies, audited its processing activities and has minuted formal discussions regarding the implementation of the requirement.

The legal bases for processing personal data in this parish context are:

• Legal Obligation (processing data for Electoral Roll)

When an individual asks to be added to the Parish Electoral Roll, s/he receives a copy of the Parish Privacy Notice (Appendix 1) and is asked to complete an application form (Appendix 2).

• Legitimate interest (administration of Barton Aid and Art Ex where personal information is not revealed to any third parties)

When data bases are set up to support the people of the Parish (eg. Barton Aid) it is made clear the purpose of, and the right to withdraw, personal information at any time. This opportunity is offered annually.

• Consent (collecting and storing personal information on PCC members).

When an individual is elected to the PCC, s/he completes an agreement form (Appendix 3) which includes a consent form. Information on data handling is also given (Appendix 4). A Confidential Declaration form (Appendix 5) is completed. A DBS check is also completed as the PCC is a charity and members are trustees of the charity. Records of all consents are stored securely and reviewed every 3 years when DBS checks are renewed. This includes volunteer contact details form (Appendix 6).

Data Protection Officer

The Parish does not require a Data Protection Officer but the Safeguarding Officer currently oversees data protection issues. If issues come up for which a ready solution is not available, contact will be made to the Diocesan Office.

The PCC undertakes to:

1. Process personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner;

2. Collect only for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes which are explained to individuals;

3. Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary to the purpose for which they are used;

4. Accurate and kept up to date;

5. Kept in a form that allows identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary;

6. Keep all records securely in a lockable deed box available solely for that purpose or in password protected computer files.

Rights of Individuals

When the PCC collects information from individuals, it identifies itself and explains how the data will be used. This includes the lawful basis for the processing of their data (legal obligation, legitimate interest or consent), how long it keeps it for, who it will be shared with and the right to complain to the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) if they think there is a problem with the way their personal data is dealt with. Individuals can ask for confirmation that their details are being stored, that it is correct and to have it removed if they no longer wish to be on the database.

[However, safeguarding information about an individual cannot be deleted if retention is still necessary, reasonable and appropriate eg. to protect members of the public from significant harm. Also, some financial information (eg. gift aid) cannot immediately be deleted due to financial auditing regulations. Information in parish registers cannot be deleted in any circumstances.]

‘Keep or Bin: Care of your Parish Records’

The Safeguarding Officer holds a copy of this document from the Church of England which contains information about checking parish retention schedules, keeping them up to date and how long to keep information.

Data Breach

In the unlikely event of a personal data breach, especially where identity theft may occur, the PCC will notify the ICO within 72 hours of the breach coming to light. The PCC has noted this deadline and will also consult with the Diocesan Office without delay.

Contracts with Suppliers

Any contracts which the PCC has with 3rd party suppliers (eg. insurance and utilities) comply with GDPR and are reviewed annually.

This policy is reviewed annually.

December 2021

[Further details may be obtained from the Parish Safeguarding Officer]