Taunton United Reformed Church

Safeguarding Policy Statement

The following statement was agreed by the leadership of Taunton United Reformed Church.

This church is committed to the safeguarding of children and adults in need of protection, and to ensuring their well-being.

  • We believe that all children and adults in need of protection should know that they are valued within the church and safely enjoy and have access to every aspect of the life of our place of worship.
  • We recognise the personal dignity and rights of children and adults in need of protection
    (for example as set out in the Human Rights Act 1989 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).
  • We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect of children under 18 years of age.
  • We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, financial, discriminatory abuse and neglect of adults in need of protection.
  • We recognise that domestic abuse affects both adults and children and believe that domestic abuse in all its forms is unacceptable and inconsistent with a Christian way of living.
  • We recognise that Children’s Services has responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child.
  • Adult Services has a responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about an adult in need of protection.
  • Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.
  • Local Authority Designated Officers have the responsibility to deal with all allegations and concerns about people working with children and adults in need of protection whether they are interacting with them as paid or volunteer workers and whether they are lay or ordained.

Safeguarding is a whole church responsibility

We are committed to:

  • Following relevant legislation, statutory, denominational and specialist guidelines in relation to safeguarding children and adults in need of protection.
  • Ensuring that we are keeping up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding.
  • Building constructive links with relevant Voluntary and Statutory Agencies.
  • Taking all reasonable steps to ensure that as a place of worship all will work within the agreed procedures of our safeguarding policies.
  • Supporting the Safeguarding Coordinator and Deputy in their work and in any action they may need to take in order to protect children and adults in need of protection.
  • Exercising proper care, following safer recruitment principles, in the appointment and selection of all those who work with children and adults in need of protection, be they volunteer or paid staff, lay or ordained.
  • Supporting, supervising, resourcing and training all those who undertake work with children and adults in need of protection.
  • Taking all reasonable steps to ensure that the children and adults that we have contact with know that they are valued and are empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.
  • Reporting any abuse of children or adults in need of protection that we discover or suspect.
  • Supporting all in our place of worship affected by abuse.
  • Supporting and supervising those who pose a risk to children or adults in need of protection, implementing contracts of behaviour, whilst bearing in mind the overarching principle that the welfare of the child is paramount.
  • If an assessment is made that someone poses an unmanageable risk to those that are at risk and in need of protection and could no longer safely attend our place of worship we will ensure that they continue to be offered pastoral care and will also be signposted to appropriate agencies that could support them.

February 2018