Safeguarding 

Promoting a Safer Church

SAARDING POLICY & PROCEDURES  DECEMBER 2023

Adapted from:

Best Practice Guidance for Baptist Union of Great Britain Churches

SECTION 1 – SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT FOR MATSON BAPTIST CHURCH

• Welcome children and adults at risk into the life of our community
• Run activities for children and adults at risk
• Make our premises available to organisations working with children and adults at risk

• Prevention and reporting of abuse

• Safer recruitment, support and supervision of workers

• Respecting children and adults at risk

• Safer working practices

• A safer community

• A copy of the safeguarding policy statement will be displayed permanently on the church noticeboard and church office and is available on our church website.
• Each worker with children and/or adults at risk will be given a full copy of the safeguarding policy and procedures and will be asked to sign to confirm that they will follow them.
• A full copy of the policy and procedures will be made available on request to any member of, or other person associated with the church.
• The policy and procedures will be monitored and reviewed annually, and any necessary revisions adopted into the policy and implemented through our procedures.
• The policy statement will be read annually at the church AGM, together with a report on the outcome of the annual safeguarding review.

SECTION 2 - SAFEGUARDING PROCEDURES

INTRODUCTION

2.1 PROCEDURE FOR RECOGNISING, RESPONDING TO AND REPORTING ABUSE

2.1.1 What to do if Abuse is Suspected or Disclosed

• If the behaviour of a child or adult at risk gives any cause for concern
• If an allegation is made in any context about a child or adult at risk being harmed
• If the behaviour of any individual towards children or adults at risk causes concern

2.1.2 Responding to Concerns

2.1.3 Responding to Concerns Raised about Adults at Risk

1. Recognise that abuse may be taking place.
2. Respond to the concern.
3. Record all the information they have received.
4. Report the concern to the DPS who may, in turn, report it to the statutory authorities.

2.1.4 Allegations Against Workers

1. When an allegation of abuse has been made do not approach the alleged perpetrator about it.
2. Follow the usual safeguarding procedure: Recognise, Respond, Record, Report.
3. Once the allegation has been reported to the DPS they can liaise with the relevant statutory authority and with the regional association Safeguarding Lead if they need further advice.
4. Whilst waiting for an outcome from the statutory authorities, the worker about whom concerns have been raised will be supervised as closely as possible, without raising suspicion.
5. Once the statutory authorities are involved, the church will follow their advice with regard to the next steps to take (for example suspension of worker, putting a contract in place).
6. A written record of all discussions with statutory authorities or other parties should be maintained by the DPS and stored securely and confidentially, where only those directly involved in safeguarding (DPS, Safeguarding Trustee, Minister) can access them.
7. No information about the allegation will be shared with people in the church other than those directly involved in safeguarding; not even for prayer purposes.

2.1.5 Abuse of Trust

2.1.6 Allegations Made Against Children and Adults at Risk                                                          

1. Do not approach the person about whom the allegation has been made or their parents / carers.
2. Follow the church’s safeguarding procedure: Recognise, Respond, Record, Report.
3. Seek advice from the DPS, who will speak to the police or social services about when to inform a parent. The DPS will also seek advice about what steps need to be taken to ensure the needs of both the victim and alleged perpetrator are met; this may include placing the child or adult at risk on a Safeguarding Contract or equivalent (see section 3.4: Safer Community / Working with Alleged or Known Offenders).
4. Make sure there is pastoral support in place for the child or adult at risk throughout the process involved.

2.1.7 Pastoral Care                                                                                                                            

• Are accepted for who they are, without being made to forgive or being put into a position of feeling guilty and responsible for what happened to them.
• Know that God loves them unconditionally, and that nothing can or will change this truth.
• Can be confident that those in the church community who know about the abuse are with them on their journey – no matter how long or difficult that journey may be.

2.2 SAFER RECRUITMENT

1. We will develop a clear role profile, person specification and application form;
2. When advertising a role which involves working with children or adults at risk we will make it clear that any appointment may be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level;
3. All applicants will be asked to complete an application form and include the names of two referees;
4. Shortlisting of applicants will be carried out by at least two people, including the line manager or group leader directly overseeing the role being recruited for;
5. Interviews will be carried out by at least two people, including the line manager or group leader;
6. References, a Self-Disclosure Form and an enhanced DBS check must be completed satisfactorily before the appointed person starts in their role.

2.3 SAFER BEHAVIOUR

• Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
• Think about language and tone of voice that you are using when engaging with children, young people and adults at risk. Be aware of your body language and the effect you are having on the those you are working with. This applies to both in person and online interactions.
• Listen well to everyone. Be careful not to assume you know what a child or adult at risk is thinking or feeling. Listen to what is being spoken and how it is said. At the same time, observe the individual’s body language to better understand what is being said.
• Be aware of any physical contact you may have with a child or adult at risk and record it when necessary.  For instance, if you need to stop a fight, administer First Aid, give a hug to someone in distress, or protect yourself or others from danger.
• Do not make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child or adult at risk, even in 'fun'.
• Do not scapegoat, belittle, ridicule or reject a child or adult at risk.
• Keep a record of any significant incidents or concerns on a Safeguarding Incident Form (see Appendix 3).  Enter the names of all those present and anything of note which you observe, e.g. details of any fights broken up by the workers, allegations made, etc.  All workers who witnessed the incident, overheard it or responded in any way should record the details and sign and date the form.

• Do not invade the privacy of children when they are using the toilet or showering.
• The level of assistance with personal care (e.g. toileting) must be appropriate and related to the age of the child, whilst also accepting that some children have special needs.
• Avoid rough games involving physical contact between a worker and a child.
• Avoid sexually provocative games.
• When it is necessary to discipline children, this should be done without using physical punishment. There may, however, on the rare occasion be circumstances where a child needs to be restrained in order to protect them or a third person.
• Only invite children and young people to your home or on trips in groups and always make sure that another worker is present.
• Notify the DPS of any children’s trips which take place in the name of the church.  Parental permission must always be sought.
• Do not give lifts to children or young people on your own. Ensure that if transporting children as part of your church role, you have the correct insurance cover in place as well as parental permission (See section 3.3.9 on Transport). No person under 18 years of age should be left in sole charge of any children of any age. Nor should children or young people attending a group be left alone at any time.

• Internal doors should be left open. 
• At least two people should be present before external doors are opened for an event.
• Consider whether you could combine groups together or rearrange planned activities.
• Reconsider whether you can run the group safely, carrying out a Risk Assessment to record your findings.

• Assess the risk of sending the child or adult at risk home.
  • Phone another team member and let them know the situation.
  • Train additional leaders as soon as possible.

• You try to hold the conversation in a corner of a room where other people are present.
  • You leave the door open if you are in a room on your own.
  • Another team member knows where you are.
  • You do not promise confidentiality.

SECTION 3 - BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES

3.1 – WORKING WITH CHILDREN

3.1.1 Ratios

3.1.2 Children with Additional Support Needs

3.1.3 Visiting Children or Young People at Home

3.1.4 Children with no adult supervision

• Welcome the child and try to establish their name, age, address and telephone number.
• Record their visit in a register.
• Ask the child if a parent/carer is aware of where they are. Where possible, phone and make contact.
• Without interrogating the child, find out as soon as possible whether they have any specific needs (e.g. medication) so that you can respond appropriately in an emergency.
• Give the child a consent form and explain it needs to be filled in and brought back next time.

3.1.5 Mentoring

• The parents of all young people involved in mentoring are required to sign a letter to say they are aware that the mentoring is happening and who it is with.
• Mentoring meetings should only be held in agreed places and should be in view of other people.
• A mentoring meeting should have an agreed start and end time and someone should be aware that a meeting is taking place and where it is being held.
• A basic record should be kept of dates of significant meetings and any text messages or emails.
• Appropriate boundaries should be put in place in regard to times and demand, i.e. not phoning or texting late at night, etc. A record should be kept of all communications with a young person by the mentor.
• A written record should be kept of issues/decisions discussed at meetings.

3.1.6 Peer Group Activities for Young People

3.1.7 Physical Contact

• Keep everything public.  A hug within a group context is very different from one behind closed doors.
• Touch should be related to the child's needs, not the workers.
• Touch should be age-appropriate and generally initiated by the child rather than the worker.
• Workers should avoid any physical activity that is, or may be thought to be, sexually stimulating to the adult or the child.
• Children are entitled to privacy to ensure their personal dignity.
• Children have the right to decide how much physical contact they have with others, except in exceptional circumstances such as when they need medical attention.
• When giving first aid (or applying sun cream, etc), workers should encourage the child to do what they can manage themselves but consider the child's best interests and give appropriate help where necessary.
• Team members should monitor one another in the area of physical contact. They should help each other by constructively challenging anything which could be misunderstood or misconstrued.
• If a team member is unsure about whether the actions of another volunteer or worker constitutes a concern, they should raise this with the Designated Person for Safeguarding.

3.1.8 Digital Communication with Young People

• Mobile phone use should primarily be for the purposes of information sharing.
• Workers should keep a log of significant conversations/texts.
• Any texts or conversations that raise concerns should be passed on to the worker’s supervisor.
• Workers should use clear language and should not use abbreviations like ‘lol’ which could mean ‘laugh out loud’ or ‘lots of love’.
• Paid workers will be issued with a mobile phone under a contract that provides itemised billing.
• Workers should not take photos of children, young people or adults at risk unless permission is sought in advance and should not store such photos on personal phones.
• Where the youth and children’s work is primarily delivered by volunteers the church should consider having a central mobile phone used for communication. This should be held centrally and not by one individual.

• Workers should have social media accounts that are used solely for children’s / youth work communications and is totally separate from their own personal accounts.  This is to ensure that all communication with children and young people is kept within the public domain.
• Workers should not send private messages to children on social media. Workers should ensure that all communications are transparent and open to scrutiny.
• Workers should not accept ‘friend’ or ‘following’ requests from children on their personal accounts, nor seek to be ‘friends’ or a ‘follower’ of any child known to them in a church context.

• Permission must be obtained, via the consent form, of all children who will appear in a photograph or video before the photograph is taken or footage recorded.
• It must be made clear why that person's image is being used, what you will be using it for, and who might want to look at the pictures.
• If images are being taken at an event attended by large crowds, such as a sports event, this is regarded as a public area and permission from a crowd is not necessary.
• Children and young people under the age of 18 should not be identified by surname or other personal details, including email, postal address or telephone number.
• When using photographs of children and young people, it is preferable to use group pictures.

3.2 WORKING WITH ADULTS AT RISK

3.2.1 Premises

3.2.2 Language

3.2.3 Worship

• Providing some copies of large print type for all printed materials
• Speakers always facing the congregation and not covering their mouths when talking, enabling those who rely on lip-reading
• Describing what is being presented on a screen for those who cannot see it clearly
• Using inclusive language
• Using a variety of liturgy and resources to cater for different levels of understanding
• Using a microphone during times of open prayer so that all can hear
• Considering holding a service which specifically caters for certain groups of adults at risk, such as those with learning disabilities, the deaf or the visually impaired.

3.2.4 Insurance

3.2.5 Financial integrity

• Those who work with adults at risk may become involved in some aspects of personal finance - collecting pensions or benefits, shopping or banking, etc. If handling money for someone else, always obtain receipts or other evidence of what has been done.
• Workers should not seek personal financial gain from their position beyond any salary or recognised allowances or expenses.
• Workers should not be influenced by offers of money.
• Any gifts received should be reported to the church trustees, who should decide whether or not the gift can be accepted.
• Any money received by the church should be handled by two unrelated church workers.
• Care should be taken not to canvass for church donations from those adults who may be at risk, such as the recently bereaved.
• Workers should ensure that church and personal finances are kept apart to avoid any conflict of interest.
• If someone alters their will in favour of an individual known to them because of their church work or pastoral relationship, it should be reported to the trustees. Workers should not act as Executors for someone they know through their work or pastoral role, as this may lead to a conflict of interests.
• Expert legal advice should be sought on matters such as Power of Attorney and Appointeeship to ensure that the situation is clearly understood and is the most appropriate course of action for the adult at risk.

3.2.6 Photographs

3.2.7 Live Streaming Services

3.2.8 Computers

3.2.9 Record keeping

3.2.10 Pastoral Relationships

• Workers should be aware of the innate power imbalance within pastoral relationships and the potential for abuse of trust.
• Behaviour that suggests favouritism or gives the impression of a special relationship, should be avoided.
• Workers should be aware of the dangers of dependency developing within a pastoral relationship.
• Workers should be mindful of any physical contact or greeting they use within a pastoral relationship, seeking consent if physical contact is offered, for example as a means to offer comfort.
• Workers should never take advantage of their role and engage in sexual activity with someone with whom they have a pastoral relationship.
• All people receiving pastoral ministry should be treated with respect and should be encouraged to make their own decisions about any actions or outcomes.
• Workers should not pastorally minister to anyone whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Workers need to recognise the limits of their own abilities and competencies and get further help when working with situations outside of their expertise or role.
• Workers should seek advice from the DPS if they believe that someone they are pastorally supporting is becoming dependent on them or developing an inappropriate emotional attachment.

3.3 HEALTH AND SAFETY – Safer Practice and Safer Premises

3.3.1 Consent forms

3.3.2 Health and Safety

3.3.3 Fire

3.3.4 First Aid

 3.3.5 Supervision of Groups

3.3.6 Food Hygiene

3.3.7 Risk Assessment

3.3.8 Insurance

3.3.9 Transport

• Only those who have gone through the church safer recruitment procedures for workers will transport children and adults at risk (within the DBS eligibility criteria). 
• All drivers will have read the church’s Safeguarding Policy and agree to abide by it.
• Drivers will be aged 21 or over and have held a full driving licence for at least two years.
• Drivers must ensure that they have adequate insurance cover and that the vehicle being used is road worthy.
• All hired minibuses will have a small bus permit, the necessary insurance and a driver with a valid driving licence that entitles them to drive a minibus.

• Parental consent will be given for all journeys.
• All children and young people should be returned to an agreed drop off point.  At collection or drop off points, children should never be left on their own; make sure they are collected by an appropriate adult.
• At least two workers (unrelated to each other) should be present when transporting children as part of a church role. 

3.3.10 Outings and Overnight Events involving Children

• A risk assessment must be carried out beforehand.
• Parents will be informed in writing of all the arrangements.
• Consent forms will be obtained for the specific activities involved.
• There will be workers with first aid and food hygiene certificates with the group.

• Everyone will be warned of the danger of fire.  If the overnight event is in a building, then everyone must be made aware of the fire exits.  A fire drill will be practised on the first day.
• When using a building as a residential facility, ensure that the fire alarm is audible throughout the accommodation and that all signs and exits are clearly visible.  The building will also need to comply with fire regulations.
• In the case of an emergency, ensure measures are in place to alert children and young people with disabilities (e.g. a child who is hard of hearing).

3.3.11 Outings and Overnight Events involving Adults at Risk

• A risk assessment must be carried out beforehand.
• Planning for the trip should consider specific medical, physical and support needs of each group member, bearing in mind that there may be people in the group who have individual care needs that will have to be met (including personal care).
• Adults at risk should be included in the planning of trips and events.
• Consideration should be given to the suitability and accessibility of the venue and accommodation, travel time and mode of transport, and the affordability of the event.
• Adults at risk should be given all the information about the trip beforehand so that they know where they are going, how long it will take to get there and what type of activities they will be taking part in.
• There should be a minimum of two leaders with each group; the individual needs of those attending may determine the additional number of people required.

3.3.12  Hiring of Church Premises

3.4 SAFER COMMUNITY

3.4.1 Bullying

• Being verbally or physically abusive towards another person
• Isolating or deliberately ignoring someone, or excluding them from group activities
• Spreading rumours and malicious untruths about another person in the church
• Use of email, phone or social media to publicly challenge or undermine someone
• Name calling and personal insults
• Making false accusations
• Sending abusive messages or degrading images via phone, email or social media

• Withdrawal from group or church activities; appearing anxious, tearful or more reticent than usual, particularly in a certain context; development of mental health difficulties, such as depression or anxiety disorders; drop in performance relating to any church roles; physical injuries.

• The children and young people will be involved in agreeing a code of behaviour for their groups, which makes it clear that bullying is unacceptable. This should then be displayed somewhere visible to the whole church.
• The church will display signs stating the importance of valuing and respecting each other even in disagreements and this will be practically embedded into the leadership approach to others.
• Everyone in the church, whether children or adults, should know how they can report any incidents of bullying.
• All allegations of bullying will be treated seriously and details will be carefully checked before action is taken.
• The bullying behaviour will be investigated and bullying will be stopped as quickly as possible.
• An attempt will be made to help bullies change their behaviour.
• All allegations and incidents of bullying will be recorded, together with the actions that are taken.
• Where an allegation of bullying is made against a church or group leader, advice will be sought from the local regional safeguarding lead as this should be addressed.
• Incidents of bullying may be reported to the statutory authorities in line with the church safeguarding procedures.

3.4.2 Working with Alleged or Known Offenders

• The DPS will inform and take advice from the Regional Safeguarding Lead.
• A risk assessment will be undertaken with the help of the Regional Safeguarding Lead to determine the contents of the Safeguarding Contract using the BUGB safeguarding risk assessment tool.
• There will be a discussion about who should be informed about the nature of the offence and the details of the contract.
• The rights of the offender to re-build their life without people knowing the details of their past offence should be balanced against the need to protect children, young people and adults at risk.
• The members of the church Safeguarding Team will always be informed.
• The DPS should determine whether the person is subject to supervision or is on the Sex Offenders' Register. If so, the DPS should contact the offender's specialist probation officer (SPO) who will inform the church of any relevant information or restrictions that they should be aware of.

3.4.3 Alleged or known offenders who are themselves adults at risk

SECTION 4 - USEFUL CONTACTS

APPENDIX 1 - DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE

• unexplained injuries on areas of the body not usually prone to such injuries
• an injury that has not been treated/received medical attention
• an injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent
• a child or adult at risk discloses behaviour that is harmful to them
• unexplained changes in behaviour or mood (e.g. becoming very quiet, withdrawn or displaying sudden bursts of temper)
• inappropriate sexual awareness in children
• signs of neglect, such as under-nourished, untreated illnesses, inadequate care.

APPENDIX 2 – DETAILED GUIDANCE ON REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

• be hand-written as soon as possible after the event
• be legible and state the facts accurately (when hand-written notes are typed up later the original hand-written notes should be retained)
• include the child or adult at risk’s name, address, date of birth (or age if the date of birth is not known)
• include the nature of the concerns/allegation/disclosure
• include a description of any bruising or other injuries that you may have noticed
• include an exact record of what the child or adult at risk has said, using their own words where possible
• include what was said by the person to whom the concerns were reported
• include any action taken as a result of the concerns
• be signed and dated
• be kept secure and confidential and made available only to the church Safeguarding Team (including the church minister), representatives of any statutory authorities involved and the local Baptist association.

• should take into account their level of experience and expertise in assessing risk to children or adults at risk.
• must take into account any other reports that have been received concerning the same individual or family.
• may speak with others in the church where appropriate (including the Minister and church Safeguarding Team, unless allegations involve them) who may have relevant information and knowledge that would impact on any decision being made. Such conversations should not lead to undue delay in taking any necessary action.
• may consult with other agencies to seek guidance and advice in knowing how to respond appropriately to the concerns that have been raised.

• refer back to the worker who made the initial report if there is little evidence that a child or adult at risk is being harmed, asking for appropriate continued observation.
• refer the concern to others who work with the child or adult at risk in question, asking for continued observation where appropriate.
• Inform parents / carers under certain circumstances, where doing so would not present any further risk of harm.
• Make a formal referral to the police or local Social Services team.  With adults at risk, confidentiality means that someone’s personal business is not discussed with others, except with their permission. This is not always possible when considering passing relevant information about abuse or concerns to the statutory authorities, however, it is possible to keep the information confidential to the relevant parties. This means not telling or hinting to others what has been disclosed, not even for prayer ministry purposes. For adults at risk, concerns will only be referred to the police or Social Services without consent where:
  • the person lacks the mental capacity to make such a choice
  • there is a risk of harm to others
  • in order to prevent a crime
  • If an allegation is made against someone who works with children* the allegation should be reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or equivalent. The LADO is located within Children’s Services and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
    • behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child
    • possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child
    • behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children.

• If an allegation is made against someone who works with adults at risk*, it should be reported to the police or Adult Social Services.

• Whenever a formal referral is made to the police, Social Services or LADO, the DPS should report the referral to:

• The Safeguarding Trustee
• The Minister
• Regional Safeguarding Lead
   

APPENDIX 3 - Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities

• Ultimately responsible for safeguarding
• Responsible for the implementation of policy and procedures
• Responsible for supporting the church workers
• Responsible for raising awareness about best practice within the church
• Responsible for ensuring that the relevant people have received the appropriate training

• Takes a lead on safeguarding matters for the trustees / deacons

• Is the point of contact with trustees / deacons for safeguarding issues
• Ensures church policy and procedures are reviewed annually

• Receives all reports of concerns regarding the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk
• Listens, observes and passes on those concerns appropriately, having taken advice from the relevant people
• Acts as a link between the church and other agencies or bodies on safeguarding matters

• Responsible for all aspects of processing DBS checks for church staff and volunteers (with the exception of the accredited minister who is checked by the regional association)

• Shares with the trustees the general responsibility for the adoption and implementation of the church's safeguarding policy
• Takes responsibility for ensuring that the pastoral needs of all are being met
• May need to be made aware of safeguarding issues in line with the guidance on page 6

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safeguarding Team, Baptist Union of Great Britain, Baptist House, PO Box 44, 129 Broadway, Didcot OX11 8RT
Tel: 01235 517700   Email: safeguarding@baptist.org.uk   Website: www.baptist.org.uk
BUGB operates as a CIO with registered charity number 1181392