THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SWALLOWCLIFFE
Safeguarding Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults
This church community commits itself to the nurturing, protection and safeguarding of all children, young people, and vulnerable adults in its care. A vulnerable adult is anyone over 18 who because of physical or mental impairment, age or illness is or may be permanently or temporarily unable to report or defend them self from abuse. All church members share the responsibility of helping to protect individuals in these groups from neglect, or physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, of minimising the risk of abuse and of reporting any such abuse, whether alleged or suspected.
1. The Parochial Church Council (PCC) has a moral and legal responsibility to implement a robust safeguarding policy for protecting these individuals, and for reviewing this policy on an annual basis (usually at the first General Meeting after the Annual Parochial Church Meeting). The PCC is also responsible for ensuring that adequate insurance cover exists in respect of applicable Groups/Activities.
2. The PCC is committed to implementing the current Diocese of Salisbury Safeguarding Strategy based on the Protecting All God's Children (the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy Statement for Children and Young People, 4th edition, 2010), Promoting a Safer Church (the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy statement for Children, Young People and Adults, 2017), and any updates which may occur.
3. The Parochial Church Council therefore commits itself to:
• Promoting a safer environment and culture by
a) Striving to provide a safe, caring, and consistent environment so that children, young people, and vulnerable adults may thrive in a happy and loving Christian atmosphere.
b) Seeking to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults from actual or potential harm.
• Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation so as to enable concerns to be raised and responded to openly and consistently by
a) Responding immediately to every concern raised that a child, young person or vulnerable adult may have been harmed, or be at risk from harm, or about the behaviour of an adult or child.
b) Working with the Salisbury diocesan and appropriate statutory bodies during an investigation into abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the church community.
c) Challenging any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust.
• Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people, and vulnerable adults within the ecclesiastical parish by
a) Ensuring careful selection and recruitment of ordained and lay ministers as appropriate, voluntary workers, and paid workers with children, young people, and vulnerable adults in line with safer recruitment principles and checks.
b) Providing supervision, support, and access to training.
• Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons by
a) Ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any child, young person, or adult who has suffered abuse.
b) Ensuring that appropriate pastoral care is offered to any member of our church community against whom an allegation is made.
• Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons by
a) Endeavouring to offer care and support to all those that have been abused, regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
b) Continuing to learn how to respond in a supportive and healing way to the needs of those who have suffered abuse.
• Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others by
a) Ensuring, in partnership with the Diocese of Salisbury and other agencies, that care and supervision is provided for any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person, or vulnerable adult, or to pose a risk to them.
4. The PCC has appointed a Parish Safeguarding Representative, to whom any concerns or allegations of abuse should be reported immediately:
The Reverend Dr. Graham Southgate, The Rectory, Fovant, Wiltshire. SP3 5JA
Tel: (01722) 714826
Adopted by the Parochial Church Council of the ecclesiastical Parish of Swallowcliffe on 21st May 2018 (date) and signed on behalf of Swallowcliffe PCC by the Reverend Dr. Graham Southgate (Incumbent, Nadder Valley Benefice).