Safeguarding
Safeguarding
Please click HERE for the Church of England's work on Promoting a Safer Church.
We take seriously our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and have a Safeguarding Officer and a Safeguarding Policy that we work to.
Safeguarding contact
Ruth Abernethy
Parish Safeguarding Officer
and Rector's Warden
Safeguarding Policy
The following is the safeguarding policy agreed by the Mission Priest and Churchwardens of the Town Church.
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is 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 who may pose a present risk to others
The church will:
• Create a safe and caring place for all
• Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the churchwardens 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 of behalf of the church or on church premises
• Display in church premises and on the church 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
• 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.
Salisbury Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers
In ensuring high standards of practice in safeguarding, we are supported by the Diocese of Salisbury's safeguarding team, who work closely with the Guernsey Police and specialist staff of the States of Guernsey Committee for Health and Social Care.
The Safeguarding Advisers are qualified and experienced social care practitioners who can provide advice and guidance to parishes and others in the diocese on child and adult protection. They can offer advice, discuss any protection matters and clarify anything in the Deanery Guidelines. They are always ready to work with you to plan a detailed response to any protection issue, taking into account all aspects of your particular situation. Please do not hesitate to contact them; they are always very ready to help.
In the Diocese of Salisbury, there are two Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers (DSAs), who work together in a job-share arrangement, providing safeguarding cover throughout the week. These are Jeremy (Jem) Carter and Suzy Futcher.
Jem Carter has lead responsibility for the Deanery of Guernsey and will have general oversight on all matters relating to the Island. In in his absence you should speak to Suzy Futcher, who will have full access to relevant safeguarding records and will also provide advice in line with this handbook about any safeguarding incident or query.
Jem Carter works 9 am - 5 pm, Tuesday - Friday inclusive, either from Church House, Salisbury or from home. Jem is also the dedicated Safeguarding Adviser to Salisbury Cathedral. Jem can be contacted by email on jem.carter@salisbury.anglican.org He is also available via mobile phone on 07469 857888. An on-line discussion can be arranged if necessary.
Heather Bland works 9 am – 5 pm, Monday - Wednesday inclusive, either from home or Church House, Salisbury. Heather can be emailed on suzy.futcher@salisbury.anglican.org or contacted via mobile phone on 07500 664800. Again, an on-line meeting can be arranged if needed.
On call service
The Diocese of Salisbury also provide a limited ‘on call’ DSA service from Monday - Thursday inclusive, until 9 pm. After 9 pm, it is likely that any situation will be an emergency one, in which case the Police should be contacted. Call provision is shared between Suzy and Jem as below:
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Monday and Tuesday evenings: Suzy Futcher
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Wednesday and Thursday evenings: Jem Carter
Weekend cover
After 5 pm on a Friday, an external provider ‘thirtyone:eight’ is contracted to provide an out of hours safeguarding service until 9 am the following Monday. They should be contacted in respect of any concerns over this period via their 24/7 helpline – tel 0303 0031111. They will provide initial advice and direction and send an alert to the DSAs, for their attention and follow-up action when they return to work after the weekend. Further information regarding ‘thirtyone:eight’ can be found on their website https://thirtyoneeight.org/ which also contains a wealth of generic advice on safeguarding issues.
Further Information
More information about the Church of England's commitment to safeguarding can be found here.
For safeguarding information from the Diocese of Salisbury, click here.
For the Deanery of Guernsey's safeguarding page, click here.
For information about the Guernsey Police Public Protection Unit, click here.
If you are concerned about a child in Guernsey or Alderney, contact the Islands Safeguarding Children Partnership.