Safeguarding Policy
CIRCUIT SAFEGUARDING OFFICER – At the Circuit Meeting held on 24 June 2010, Mrs Helen Lowe from Les Camps Methodist Church was appointed Safequarding Officer for the Circuit. Later this year some fundamental changes are due to be introduced to the present criminal record check service presently dealt with locally by the Home Department, most noteably the establishment of a new relationship between the Bailiwick and the Criminal Records Bureau in the UK. A new Guernsey Vetting Bureau is due to be set up, which will deal with all local criminal record checks directly with the CRB. Mrs Lowe will be the point of liaison between the churches and the GVB.Safeguarding is the name given to policies, procedures and requirements that are used in our Circuit to make sure that every church community and activity are as safe as is possible in the life and activities of our churches.
POLICY
We believe that God has created all people in his own image, and that they have a right to be treated with respect, equality and sensitivity. We also recognise that being made in God’s image does not restrict the diversity of people, and that every person is worthy of respect.
Our churches are Christian communities of people who are all on their journey into God, and that all are welcome to explore the Christian faith and develop their own sense of discipleship. That means that our churches need to be safe places, where people feel confident in their diversity and able to explore, without risk of criticism or ridicule, their experience of God’s love.
We recognise that some people, by virtue of their age, or life experience, are especially vulnerable. Children, young people and elderly vulnerable people are examples of those who have a right to expect special protection from harm, although we hold that all can expect such safety in our churches.
Each church has a responsibility to draw-up and maintain a Safeguarding Policy that is relevant to its needs and situation. These policies are binding on all who enter our premises and take part in our activities. This requirement therefore extends to those we welcome onto our premises when they hire or borrow our premises.
Our Safeguarding Policies are based on the requirements of the Methodist Church’s publication ‘Safeguarding’ which is available from Methodist Publishing (www.methodistchurch.org.uk). The following broad principals apply to all our churches:
- All people, but especially those who are vulnerable are entitled to expect that they are treated with respect, and that they may find in the churches of the Circuit places where they can be safe from abuse; physical, mental or emotional.
- All who come into our churches are bound to take all reasonable measures to ensure that they neither endanger themselves in any way, or place harm in any form in the way of others.
- All who work with children and vulnerable adults are obliged to be appointed by the relevant Church Council upon the satisfactory completion of an Enhanced Disclosure search by the States of Guernsey Police. These searches shall be renewed every five years and are not transferable to any other appointment however similar it may be to the initial application.
- All activities organised in the name of the Methodist Church in the Circuit shall be undertaken by a minimum of two people who hold enhanced disclosures for the activity concerned. As a broad rule, we expect that for every 10 children present at an activity, a minimum of 2 adults are required to ensure safety at the activity.
- It is an obligation of all people in our Circuit to report any incident when they believe a person has been abused or experienced harm in any way, whether on church premises or elsewhere. In the first instance, this report should be made to the Superintendent Minister who is the responsible person for all Safeguarding policies and issues in the Circuit, and who will treat the matter confidentially and bring the report to the attention of the relevant authorities.
- The Superintendent Minister is available to offer advice and support in designing and carrying-out these policies, and to process all applications for enhanced disclosure in the Circuit.