Safeguarding help for parishes

Roles that need to be appointed

• A Parish Safeguarding Officer: at least one appropriately experienced designated Parish Safeguarding Officer to work with the incumbent and PCC. They should be supported, trained and given a copy of the parish safeguarding policy and procedures.   
• A Lead Recruiter: One person known as a Lead Recruiter to be the DBS administrator, this can also be the responsibility of the Parish Safeguarding Officer or the PCC can choose to appoint another individual to this role.  Churches can also appoint an additional recruiter to assist with this work. 
  
   

Policies, guidance and forms for parishes

All Church of England policies and guidance, as well as templates and resources (including those referred to in The Parish Safeguarding Handbook and Safer Working Practice) can be accessed on the Church of England website via the following links:

Policies and practice guidance
Templates and resources

The Diocese of Rochester has also developed some bespoke guidance, policies, forms and templates to help parishes further on some particular issues. Please click a category below:

Safeguarding training programme

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

To support this, the House of Bishops Safeguarding Training and Development programme provides a framework for safeguarding training for those undertaking any role - paid or unpaid - within the Church of England.  A range of core safeguarding training modules is a mandatory requirement for particular Church roles. 

Our Safeguarding Learning and Development Matrix gives a visual guide to the different training available, and who should undertake which training. 

Some training is available online, others are delivered face-to-face.

• For a full explanation of the training modules available, please visit our Safeguarding Training Modules page
• For dates of all current training on offer from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team please visit Events and Training
  
   

Safer recruitment

You need to make sure that all church officers who work with children, young people, and/or vulnerable adults are:

• recruited following the House of Bishops’ Safer Recruitment practice guidance;
• aware of and work to House of Bishops’ safeguarding guidance 
• attend diocesan safeguarding training at least every three years;

Ensure volunteers who work with children and adults at risk are provided with a copy of the Code of Safer Working Practice

Ensure that PCC members, as trustees of a charity are DBS checked (at Enhanced level and covers both the Child and Adult Workforce) and have completed a PCC Member Trustee Eligibility and Fit and Proper Persons Declaration 

You should provide appropriate insurance to cover for all activities undertaken in the name of the PCC which involve children and vulnerable adults.

Useful links

• Read the national Safer Recruitment guidance
• Safer Recruitment forms, templates (Church of England)
• Safer recruitment training is now available online via the national Safeguarding Training Portal (cofeportal.org)
• DBS latest guidelines
• Update Service and Blemished Disclosures 
• Policy and procedure for dealing with a blemished declaration or DBS
• Flow chart – The DBS disclosure process

Displaying safeguarding information well

Your church should prominently display the following information:

• A Safer Church Poster - there are now four options for the safeguarding poster to include photos, logos or not.  The contact details for the Diocesan Safeguarding Team are included in each:
  - Promoting a Safer Church Poster no logo editable
  - Promoting a Safer Church Poster no logo and photo editable
  - Promoting a Safer Church Poster logo editable
  - Promoting a Safer Church Poster logo and photo editable
• Information about where to get help with child and adult safeguarding issues, domestic abuse, and key helplines e.g. ChildLine
• A formal statement of adoption of the House of Bishops 'Promoting a Safer Church' Model Safeguarding Policy Statement.  This should be signed and dated on behalf of the PCC
• Provide access to a hard copy Parish Safeguarding Handbook

Safeguarding information on church websites

A parish's safeguarding arrangements should be clearly visible on the front page of the parish website. This means:

• A link from the front page of your website to a page detailing your safeguarding policy and who’s who - either in the menu bar or on the body of the page.

• If you do not have a website, your parish should offer some information on your parishes dedicated, A Church Near You (ACNY) pages. The ACNY website has a ‘safeguarding’ tab on every page which will take the user through to a map highlighting diocesan safeguarding details

If you have further questions, please contact the Safeguarding Team or Communications on communications@rochester.anglican.org

Sharing safeguarding information with young people

Sharing information with young people about where they can access help in the parish with a matter that is worrying them is really important.

We have created a number of resources to help:

Creating a good culture of safeguarding

We need to recognise that the few people who are determined to harm children or adults, deliberately seek out groups or organisations where they can meet children or other vulnerable people.

Churches are particularly vulnerable to these people. That's why we need to be aware that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Creating and maintaining a positive culture around safeguarding will make it more difficult for those wishing to cause harm or to abuse children or adults, to do so.

A positive attitude towards safeguarding is one that doesn't just see it as a box to be ticked, or endure. Rather, it should be seen as a warm and protective layer around us; an awareness and alertness to risks that demonstrates our mutual care and concern for one another.
 

Ways you can develop a positive safeguarding culture in your church:
 

• Raise awareness of the people who have particular responsibility for safeguarding in your church and why - celebrate and thank them.
• Take regular opportunities to talk about why safeguarding is important.
• Incorporate safeguarding matters into your liturgy and prayers.
• Take part in the annual Safeguarding Sunday (10 October) and engage with the Diocese's Safeguarding Season.
• Take the time to listen and learn from the voices of victims and survivors, and encourage others to do the same.
   

Useful resources, materials, and ideas to help you:

• Safeguarding Sunday: The Christian safeguarding charity thirtyone:eight has some excellent materials which you can use in your services to encourage conversation around the importance of safeguarding, whether you have five minutes, 15 or the whole service
• Prayers of Lament- The Diocese has produced our own prayers. Written by the former Archdeacon of Tonbridge, Julie Conalty - in consultation with a survivor -  they were issued as part of our response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. They can be used at any time.
• Letters to a broken church - Drawing on the personal experience of survivors of abuse and their allies, Letters to a Broken Church speaks directly into the abuse crisis facing the Church of England and other Christian denominations right now.

Helplines

Not found what you are looking for? Please contact our Safeguarding Team
 

Key Contacts