Safeguarding Policy

• All recruitment must involve the ‘Safer Recruitment’ process. Please see Parish Safeguarding
  Handbook pages 25-27 for instructions on how to do this appropriately.
• Safeguarding training must be undertaken on an annual basis for all those who work with
  children and come into contact with vulnerable adults. See Parish Safeguarding Handbook
  pages 28-29 to decide levels of training to be undertaken.
• Appropriate insurance to be provided to cover for all activities undertaken in the name of
  the Parochial Church Council which involve children, young people and adults.
• Those working with children must always be within sight of another adult.
• Report all safeguarding concerns or allegations including those against church officers to the
  Parish Safeguarding Officer.
• Ensure that known offenders or others who may pose a risk to children and/or vulnerable
  adults are effectively managed and monitored in consultation with the DSA.
• Comply with all data protection legislation especially in regard to using (e.g. storing)
  information about any church officers and any safeguarding records.
• Ensure an ‘activity risk assessment’ is completed and reviewed regularly for each activity
  which is associated with either children or vulnerable adults and run in the name of the
  church.

The PSO should regularly report on safeguarding in the parish. Safeguarding should be a standing agenda item at each PCC meeting. At the APCM the PCC should provide an annual reporting relation to safeguarding. In the PCC’s annual report will be a statement which reports on progress and a statement as to whether or not the PCC has complied with the duty to have ‘due regard’ to the House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy and Practice
Guidance.

During a clergy vacancy, the PCC must, working with the churchwardens, ensure that all information about safeguarding matters is securely stored before passing the information on to the new incumbent. The departing incumbent must give the safeguarding information to the Parish Safeguarding Officer who can pass the information on to the new incumbent when he/she takes up his/her new role.

The diocese is available for advice and support on whistleblowing. This is when a paid church officer
decides to pass on information concerning wrong-doing that they consider is in the public interest.
This means it must affect others, e.g. the general public. This includes failure to adhere to health and
safety requirements that place others in danger, a ‘cover up’ by someone and/or a criminal offence.
It does not cover personal grievances or complaints.

Statutory definitions: The UK central government document ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ categorises and defines abuse in terms of:

• Physical abuse including hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning
  or suffocating.
• Emotional abuse, including conveying to a child that they are inadequate, humiliation,
  blaming, controlling, intimidation, verbal abuse, isolation, seeing or hearing the ill-treatment
  of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying).
• Sexual abuse including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-
  penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. It may include involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse.
• Neglect including failure to provide adequate food, clothing and shelter, to protect a child
  from physical and emotional harm or danger, to provide adequate supervision and/or access
  to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may occur during pregnancy as a result of
  maternal substance abuse.

Beyond these, be aware of: Domestic Abuse (witnessing of this), Sexual exploitation (peer-on-peer),
Bullying/Cyber-bulling, Online abuse, Electronic images

Potentially anyone, adult or child, can be the abuser of an adult. Abuse will sometimes be deliberate,
but it may also be an unintended consequence of ignorance or lack of awareness. Alternatively, it
may arise from frustration or lack of support. The list can include:

• Relatives of the vulnerable person including husband, wife, partner, son or daughter. It will
  sometimes include a relative who is a main carer.
• Neighbours.
• Paid carers.
• Workers in places of worship.
• People who are themselves vulnerable and/or are users of a care service.
• Confidence tricksters who prey on people in their own homes or elsewhere.

The UK central government document ‘Care and Support Statutory Guidance’ categorises and
defines adult abuse in terms of:

• Physical abuse including hitting, slapping, pushing, kicking, misuse of medication, restraint or
  inappropriate sanctions.
• Sexual abuse including rape and sexual assault or sexual acts to which the vulnerable adult
  has not consented or could not consent or was pressurised into consenting.
• Psychological abuse including emotional abuse, threats of harm or abandonment,
  deprivation of contact, humiliation, blaming, controlling, intimidation, coercion, harassment,
  verbal abuse, isolation or withdrawal from services or supportive networks.
• Financial or material abuse including theft, fraud, exploitation, pressure in connection with
  wills, property or inheritance or financial transactions, or the misuse or misappropriation of
  property, possessions or benefits.
• Neglect or acts of omission including ignoring medical or physical care needs, failure to
  provide access to appropriate health, social care or educational services, the withholding of
  the necessities of life, such as medication, adequate nutrition and heating.
• Discriminatory abuse including racist, sexist, based on a person’s disability, and other forms
  of harassment, slurs or similar treatment.
• Domestic abuse is usually a systematic, repeated and escalating pattern of behaviour, by
  which the abuser seeks to control, limit and humiliate, often behind closed doors.
• Organisational abuse including neglect and poor care practice within an institution or
  specific care setting such as a hospital or care home. This may range from one-off incidents
  to ongoing ill-treatment. It can be through neglect or poor professional practice as a result of
  the structure, policies, processes and practices within an organisation.
• Modern slavery including human trafficking; forced labour and domestic servitude; and
  traffickers and slave masters using whatever means they have at their disposal to coerce,
  deceive and force individuals into a life of abuse, servitude and inhumane treatment.
  Guidelines for responding to a person disclosing abuse
  Respond
  

Record

• Make some very brief notes at the time, if appropriate, and write them up in detail as soon
  as possible.
• Do not destroy your original notes in case they are required by the DSA or the statutory
  authorities.
• Record the date, time, place and actual words used, including any swear words or slang.
• Record facts and observable things, not your interpretations or assumptions.
• Don’t speculate or jump to conclusions.
  

Report

• If there is immediate danger to a child or adult contact the police.
• Otherwise report to your activity leader/Parish Safeguarding Officer/incumbent
  immediately.
• Within 24 hours the PSO/incumbent reports the concerns to the DSA.
• The DSA will advise regarding reporting to statutory agencies within 24 hours.
• If there is any doubt seek advice from Children’s/Adult’s Social Care or the police.