At St Stephen's we work hard to maintain a safe environment for all.
We are committed to implementing the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies and good practice guidance.*
If you have any concerns or enquiries regarding safeguarding, please contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer, by email.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team can be contacted at safeguarding@chester.anglican.org or on 01928 643442
For more information see the Diocesan website safeguarding page.
Out of Hours Support
The Diocese of Chester partners with thirtyone:eight and you can access their Safeguarding Helpline if the Diocesan Safeguarding Team is unavailable on 0303 003 1111.
This also includes any safeguarding queries outside of office hours on weekdays and weekends. An Information Sharing Agreement between the two organisations will allow the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to receive a copy of the advice thirtyone:eight may offer the caller.
In the case of an emergency
If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Service.
Helplines
· Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours).
· Parent Line: 0808 800 2222
· National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours).
· Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours).
· Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 (freephone Monday to Friday 9-5pm)
See our parish statement on domestic abuse here.
Our Parish Safeguarding Officer
As a church we accept that safeguarding is all our responsibility. The vicar, churchwardens and Church Council are especially grateful to our PSO, Joan Potts, who takes the active lead on policy, recruiting and training. Rosie Earp and Ross Dobson have been appointed as Children’s Advocates.
*Safeguarding Policy
The statement below has been developed and adopted in accordance with the Church of England House of Bishops’ Safeguarding Policy Statement, “Promoting a Safer Church”.
The Parochial Church Council of St Stephen’s Church undertakes to
- Promote a safer church for all in the church community, working to create an environment which is welcoming and respectful and enables safeguarding concerns to be raised and responded to openly, promptly and consistently.
- Endorse and follow all national and local safeguarding legislation and procedures.
- Adopt, promote, publicise, communicate and display the House of Bishops’ “Promoting a Safer Church” safeguarding policy statement, and all House of Bishops’ and Diocesan safeguarding policies and practice guidance.
- Establish a Promoting a Safer Church Action Plan in order to ensure that safeguarding is taken seriously by all those in the church community.
- Establish a procedure to deal promptly with safeguarding allegations or suspicions of abuse in accordance with the relevant policy and practice guidance and in consultation with the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.
- Ensure that all church officers who work with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults are safely recruited following the House of Bishops’ Safer Recruitment practice guidance, work to House of Bishops’ safeguarding guidance and attend diocesan safeguarding training at least every three years.
- Ensure all safeguarding concerns or allegations against church officers are immediately reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.
- In consultation with the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, effectively manage and monitor known offenders or others who may pose a risk to children and/or vulnerable adults.
- In consultation with the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, ensure wherever possible arrangements are in place for the support of alleged victims and their families and also for those subject to allegations and their families.
- Ensure safeguarding is a standing agenda item at each PCC meeting and that an Annual Report is provided at the APCM.
- Provide appropriate insurance to cover for all activities undertaken in the name of the PCC which involve children and vulnerable adults.
- Display information about how to contact Church Officers and where to get help outside the church with child and adult safeguarding issues e.g. local authority contact details, domestic abuse and key helplines e.g. ChildLine.
- Ensure full compliance with all data protection legislation, especially in relation to storing information about any paid and unpaid workers and any safeguarding records.
- Ensure an “activity risk assessment” is completed and reviewed regularly for each church activity which is associated with either children or vulnerable adults.
- During a clergy vacancy, working with the churchwardens, ensure that all information about safeguarding matters is securely stored before passing the information on to the new incumbent. The departing incumbent must give the safeguarding information to the parish safeguarding officer who can pass the information on to the new incumbent when he/she takes up his/her new role.
- Ensure a safeguarding hire agreement is always used with any person/body wishing to hire church premises (i.e. a church building or a church hall).