We want everyone to feel safe when they’re in our churches, or at our events.
To help with that, each of our church councils (PCC) has adopted the following Safeguarding Policy, which is updated annually.
- We are aware of and will implement the House of Bishops’ Child Protection Policy Protecting All God’s Children (2004), and the diocesan procedures. Copies of these can be accessed at cofe-worcester.org.uk
- We are committed to the safeguarding and the care of the children within our church community.
- We will carefully select and train ordained and lay ministers, volunteers and paid workers who work with children, using the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) amongst other tools to check the background of each person as outlined in the diocesan procedures.
- We will respond without delay to every complaint made that a child for whom we are responsible may have been harmed or is in significant danger.
- We will fully cooperate with statutory agencies during any investigation into allegations concerning a member of the church community. We will inform the statutory agency of any suspected criminal offences or concerns that we are made aware of in respect of our contact with children.
- We will offer informed pastoral care to any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse and provide them with details of local and national support agencies.
- We will supervise and support any member of our church community known to have offended against a child.
- We will review this policy annually and, as part of this, check that all our procedures and activities involving children, including the DBS process and checks, are up to date.
- We will review our insurance policy for those working with children ensuring we adopt the advice in the House of Bishops’ Policy.
- A copy of this Policy will be displayed on the Parish Notice Board alongside a Child Line poster.
To ensure our policy is followed we :
- ensure that all activity leaders working in an official capacity with Children or Vulnerable Adults have completed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
- ensure that all our checks and information is up to date using the national Church of England Safeguarding gateway system.
As of April 2023, our Safeguarding Officers are:
- For the parish of St James, Welland: Alison Martin. tel: 310783 email: alisonsgarden [at] btinternet.com
- For the parish of Upton with the Hook: Kate Chester-Lamb tel: 594745 email: kchesterlamb [at] btinternet.com
- For the parish of Hanley Castle with Hanley Swan: vacant. Please contact the Worcester Diocesan Safeguarding Team (details below) with any Safeguarding queries relating to this parish.
- For the parish of Earls Croome with Hill Croome and Strensham: Lesley Turner Tel: 491343 email: lmackay810 [at] gmail.com
- For the parish of Ripple: Anne McLucas email: Tel: 593522 carol.mclucas [at] btinternet.com
If you want to speak to the Worcester Diocesan Safeguarding Team, contact Hilary Higton, (Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser) 07495060869 or Delia Stokes (Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser), 07376374380.
If you need help please remember the national ChildLine number, 0800 1111.
