Safeguarding Policy

This policy applies to the Parish of South Lafford and the Benefice of Billingborough, together the Wellsprings Group. Each Parochial Church Council (PCC) adopts it for its own parish. Text highlighted in yellow needs local details before publishing.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

For any other safeguarding concern, contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer straight away (see “Who to contact” below). Do not wait, and do not investigate yourself.

Our commitment

The Wellsprings Group is committed to promoting a safer church for everyone. We believe every person is made in the image of God and has the right to be safe from abuse and harm. We will:

• Promote a safe environment and culture in all our church activities

• Safeguard children, young people and adults who may be at risk of harm, and respond well to anyone who has suffered abuse

• Care pastorally for victims and survivors of abuse and for anyone the Church has harmed

• Respond to and manage those who may pose a risk, whether inside or outside our church community

• Report every concern promptly to the right authorities

We follow the House of Bishops' safeguarding guidance, including Promoting a Safer Church, and the Safeguarding Code of Practice made under the Safeguarding (Code of Practice) Measure 2021. We also follow the policies of the [Diocese of Lincoln – confirm] and the law on safeguarding in England.

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to everyone who acts on behalf of the church, whether paid or volunteer. That includes clergy, churchwardens, PCC members, worship leaders, choir and music groups, bell ringers, youth and children's leaders, Sunday school and toddler group helpers, pastoral visitors, cleaners, caretakers, and anyone who hires or uses our buildings.

It protects:

• Children and young people under 18

• Adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse because of age, illness, disability, bereavement, isolation or other circumstances

Roles and responsibilities

Who to contact

Other helplines:

• NSPCC Helpline (adults worried about a child): 0808 800 5000

• Childline (for children and young people): 0800 1111

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

• Survivors Trust (support for survivors of sexual abuse): 0808 801 0818

What to do if you have a concern

1. Act at once. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.

2. Listen and stay calm. If someone tells you about abuse, let them speak in their own words. Do not ask leading questions, promise to keep it secret, or investigate.

3. Reassure them that they were right to tell you, and that you will pass it on to the people who can help.

4. Write down what you saw or heard, as soon as you can. Use the person's own words, and note the date, time and who was present. Sign and date the note.

5. Report it to the Parish Safeguarding Officer the same day. If the concern is about the PSO, incumbent or a churchwarden, go straight to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser or the local authority.

6. The PSO contacts the DSA, who will advise on referring to children's services, adult social care or the police.

Anyone can refer a concern directly to the local authority or the police. You do not need permission from the church to do so.

Concerns about how the church has handled a safeguarding matter can be raised with the DSA or the diocesan bishop's office. Nobody will be treated badly for raising a concern in good faith.

Safer recruitment and DBS checks

We recruit and appoint people carefully. For every role that involves working with children or adults at risk, we will:

• Give a clear role description and an application or volunteer form

• Take up references and meet the person before they start

• Check whether the role needs a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, using the Church of England's DBS role guidance, and carry out that check at the right level

• Complete a Confidential Declaration for roles the guidance requires

• Not allow anyone barred from working with children or adults to take on a regulated role

Training

Everyone acting for the church completes safeguarding training that suits their role, following the Church of England's Safeguarding Training Framework. Basic awareness training comes first, and further training follows for those with more responsibility, such as clergy, churchwardens, PCC members and PSOs. Training is refreshed at least every three years, and records are kept by the PSO.

Safe practice with children and young people

• At least two suitably vetted adults are present for every activity for children, and no adult is ever alone with a child out of sight of others

• Adult-to-child ratios follow current national guidance for the age group and activity

• We keep registers of children, leaders and helpers, and record parent or carer consent, contact and medical details

• Adults do not give lifts, gifts or private contact to children outside agreed church activities without parent or carer agreement

• Young helpers under 18 are supported and supervised, and are not left in charge

• Any accident, incident or concern is written down and reported to the PSO

Safe practice with adults who may be at risk

• We respect adults' dignity, choices and privacy, and we support them to be independent

• Pastoral visits are arranged and recorded in line with local guidance, and visitors are trained, and DBS-checked where the role requires it

• We take extra care with anyone who is isolated, bereaved, unwell or living with dementia or a disability

• We listen to concerns about neglect, financial abuse, coercive control and domestic abuse, and we report them

Pastoral care, one-to-one meetings and confidentiality

Where possible, private conversations happen in a place others can see, or with the door open. Those offering pastoral care avoid promising confidentiality. If someone discloses a risk of harm, we must share it with the right people. We share information only with those who need to know, and we handle it under our privacy notice and data protection law.

Domestic abuse

We recognise that domestic abuse can affect anyone in our community. We will listen without judgement, believe what we are told, and signpost people to specialist help. We follow the Church of England's Responding well to domestic abuse guidance. We do not offer joint counselling or mediation where there is abuse.

Online activity, photographs and social media

• Communication with children and young people uses official church accounts, never private messages, and includes a second adult or the parent or carer

• We get consent from parents or carers before photographing or filming children, and we do not name children alongside their photographs

• Livestreamed and recorded services carry a clear notice, and cameras avoid focusing on children

• Anyone who posts on behalf of the church follows our social media and data protection rules

Our buildings and events

Groups that hire our halls and churches must have their own safeguarding policy that meets the same standard, or adopt this one. We do risk assessments for events and for premises, keep our buildings secure and well lit, and display this policy and our safeguarding contacts in each building.

Allegations about people who work for the church

Any allegation about a member of clergy, church officer or volunteer goes straight to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, who works with the statutory authorities. Nobody in the parish should question the person concerned or the person who raised the concern. The person concerned may need to step back from their role while the matter is looked at, and this is not a sign of guilt.

Supporting survivors, and managing risk

We listen to survivors of abuse and offer pastoral support, working with the DSA so that they get the right help. Where a person in our community has been convicted of, or is known to pose a risk of, abuse, we agree a written safeguarding agreement with the DSA. The agreement sets out what they may and may not do in church life.

Record keeping and information sharing

Safeguarding records are kept securely, separately from other church records, and only the PSO, incumbent and DSA can see them. We keep them for as long as national Church of England guidance says, and we handle them under data protection law. We share information without consent where it is needed to protect someone from harm.