SAFEGUARDING POLICY PROMOTING A SAFER CHURCH
Church of England Diocese of Ely Parish Safeguarding Policy
The following policy has been agreed by each Parochial Church Council (PCC) in our group.
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.
These churches appoint Jessica Linskill as the Parish Safeguarding Officer.
Contact details:
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Mrs Jessica Linskill 01763 853150
Making Safeguarding Referrals
Please call the Safeguarding Duty Messaging Service: 01353 652747
• When making a referral by calling the Safeguarding Duty Messaging Service, please leave a message with your name, telephone number, and a brief explanation of the reason for your call. The team member on duty will be alerted to your message and will call you back to discuss your safeguarding referral, offering professional advice and support, and together with you, agree on a plan to manage the next steps.
• In a safeguarding emergency, please contact the Police on 999.
• Out of hours: To report a safeguarding concern when the Diocesan Office is closed, or when Diocesan Safeguarding Team members are unavailable, you can call the Safeguarding Duty Telephone Number: 01353 652747, which will forward your call to our partners at the ‘thirtyone:eight’ Helpline. Let them know that you are calling from the Diocese of Ely. (Please note that the Helpline is not available between Midnight and 7:00 am.)
Cambridgeshire Children’s Services Tel: 0345 045 5203
Out of hours :01733 234724
Cambridgeshire Adult Services
Tel: 0345 045 5202