​Safeguarding at St Mary's


At St Mary’s we take the Safeguarding of our children, young people and adults seriously.  We are all made unique and in the image of God.  Jesus came that we might have life and have it in abundance (see John chapter 10 verse 10).  As part of our work in caring and working with our local community we will seek to support peoples journey towards an abundant life through their faith in Christ all within a safe environment.
 
What is Safeguarding?
Safeguarding is ensuring that appropriate measures and actions are taken to ensure the health and well-being of individuals.  It is particularly relevant with children, young people and vulnerable adults, to ensure that they can live free from abuse, harm and neglect.
 
How can I get help?
If you have any concerns, would like support, or have any questions please contact one of our safeguarding officers through our email address at [email protected]
 
Where can I get further information?
The information below is a copy of St Mary’s Safeguarding policy.  There is also a lot of material on the Church of England website and links can be found at the bottom of the page. ​
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The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Berkeley with Wick, Newport and Breadstone
SAFEGUARDING POLICY
PROMOTING A SAFER CHURCH

​In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is called to share the good news of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.  The good news speaks of welcome for all, with a particular regard for those who are most vulnerable, into a community where the value and dignity of every human being is affirmed and those in a position of responsibility and authority are truly trustworthy.  Being faithful to our call to share the gospel therefore compels us to take with the utmost seriousness the challenge of preventing abuse from happening and responding well where it has.
We are therefore committed to;

  • Promoting a safer environment and culture.
  • Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
  • Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
  • Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
  • Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
  • Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
     
    The Parish will: 
  • Create a safe and caring place for all.
  • Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
  • Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
  • Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
  • Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
  • Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
  • Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
  • Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
  • Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
  • Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
  • All those working on behalf of the parish with children, young people and adults must obtain written consent for any photographs/videos to be taken, shown, displayed or stored.
  • The PCC will approve the use of social media and mobile phones by the church. Where there are Facebook or similar online groups set up on the church’s behalf, the PCC must ensure there is a named person to whom all workers are accountable. The named person must be a church officer, and should be aware of the account name and password so that they can at any time log on to the account to monitor the communications. The named person should be proactive in fulfilling this role.
  • Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.
 
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
Further information on Safeguarding can be found on the Gloucestershire Anglican website https://www.gloucester.anglican.org/about-us/safeguarding/ ​

Other useful websites: