Our Commitments

The care and protection the children, young people and adults involved in church activities is the responsibility of everyone who participates in the life of our church, our commitment is to:

• Promote a safe environment and culture.
  
• Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children and vulnerable adults.
  
• Respond promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
  
• Care pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse or other affected persons.
  
• Care pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns/allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
  
• Respond to those that may pose a present risk.
  

What we do

• We commit ourselves to nurture, protect and safeguard all our members, particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  
• We recognise that safeguarding is the responsibility of the whole church community.
  
• We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection, appointment, training and support of those working in both paid and voluntary positions with children or vulnerable adults, including the use of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosures and making appropriate referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
  
• We will respond without delay to concerns or allegations that a child or vulnerable adult may have been harmed, cooperating with the police and social care services in any investigation.
  
• We will challenge any abuse of power by anyone in a position of trust.
  
• We will seek to offer pastoral care and support to anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them appropriate pastoral support.
  
• We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult.
  

WHAT WE RECOGNISE

• Children’s Social Services (or equivalent) has the lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child.
  
• Adult Social Care (or equivalent) has the lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about an adult with additional care and support needs.
  
• Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.
  
• When working outside of the UK, concerns will be reported to the appropriate agencies in the country in which we operate, and their procedures followed, and in addition we will report concerns to our agency’s headquarters.
  
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
  

SAFEGUARDING ADVICE

• NSPCC - Tel: 0808 800 5000
  
• Childline - Tel: 0800 1111
  
• Stop it Now - Tel: 0808 1000 900
  
• NAPAC - Tel: 0808 801 0331
  
• Samaritans - Tel: 116 123
  
• Family Lives - Tel: 0808 800 2222
  
• Action on Elder Abuse - Tel: 0808 808 8141
  
• National Domestic Violence Helpline - Tel: 0808 2000 247
  
• MK Act (Domestic Violence Intervention Services) - Tel: 0344 375 4307
  
• MK Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) - Tel: 01908 253169 / 253170
  
• ASCAT (Adult Social Care)  - Tel: 01908 253772
  
• MK Together - Tel: 01908 254373
  

USeful Numbers

• Thirtyone:eight helpline for advice on all safeguarding concerns  - Tel: 0303 003 1111