SAFEGUARDING
We aim to be a church where everyone feels safe and taken care of. “Safeguarding” means looking after each other, it is the responsibility of everyone in the church community and we take it extremely seriously. We have a friendly and dedicated team of safeguarding officers and champions for children, young people, vulnerable adults and people with disabilities.
This page tells you who to contact if you have a safeguarding concern and the processes we follow. You will also find a list of all our safeguarding policies should you want to find out more.
If you have a concern the first person to contact is the Parish Safeguarding Officer Mrs Thandi Lopes, if your concern is about any member of the congregation, volunteer or a paid member of staff please contact the Rector Fr Michael Gill. If your concern is about Fr Michael Gill or a member of the clergy then please contact Caryn Weber, the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor. All these contact details are below.
PARISH 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 that may pose a present risk to others.
The Parish will:
·
Create a safe and
caring place for all.
·
Have a named Church
Safeguarding Officer (CSO) 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.
·
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.
If there is immediate risk of harm, please contact the emergency services on 999.
Safeguarding officer:
Mrs Thandi Lopes
thandilopes@hotmail.co.uk
020 8707 7373
Our parish safeguarding officer is the first person to contact if you have any concerns around the welfare of a child or adult at risk.
Diocesan Safeguarding Team:
If you would prefer to speak to someone outside of our church, please contact the London Diocesan Safeguarding Team on: 020 7932 1224 or safeguarding@london.anglican.org.
Our Kensington Area Safeguarding officer is Caryn Weber.
The London Diocesan Safeguarding page is https://www.london.anglican.org/church-and-parish-support/safeguarding/
Other Organisations:
If you’re struggling right now:
Samaritans Helpline: Call 116 123 - if you’d like to talk with someone on the phone. Shout: Text ‘Shout’ to 85258 - if you’d like to talk by text instead of phone.
Organisations offering help and support:
London Boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon NSPCC – 0808 800 5000 – nspcc.org.uk - specialising in child protection, with statutory powers, which means we can take action to safeguard children at risk of abuse. Stop it Now – 0808 1000 900 – stopitnow.org.uk - anonymous support and advice to anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse Childline: 0800 1111, www.childline.org.uk - for any children who feel unsafe in any situation. Family Lives: 0808 800 2222, www.familylives.org.uk - help & support for families.
· Thirtyone:Eight: 0303 003 1111
NAPAC – 0808 801 0331 – https://napac.org.uk/ National Association for People Abused in Childhood Action on Elder Abuse – 0808 808 8141 Hub of Hope - https://hubofhope.co.uk/ - UK’s largest mental health support directory
Domestic Violence Support:
For women: 0808 2000 247 - The National Domestic Abuse Helpline For men: 0808 801 0327, www.mensadviceline.org.uk
The Diocese of London website has links to other organisations, such as ones which can support Survivors of violence and abuse. See https://www.london.anglican.org/church-and-parish-support/safeguarding/useful-safeguarding-links/links-to-other-organisations/
Parish of
Cranford Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders
·
As an
organisation assessing applicants’ suitability for
positions which are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
(Exceptions) Order using criminal record checks processed through the
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), [Organisation Name] complies fully with the DBS code of practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly.
·
The Parish of
Cranford undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a
criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information
revealed.
·
The Parish of
Cranford can only ask an individual to provide details of convictions and
cautions that The Parish of Cranford are legally entitled to know about. A DBS certificate at enhanced level can
legally be requested where the position is one that is included in the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 as amended, and in
the appropriate Police Act Regulations as amended.
·
The Parish of
Cranford can only ask an individual about convictions and cautions that are not
protected.
·
The Parish of
Cranford is committed to the fair treatment of its staff and volunteers, potential
staff and volunteers, or users of its services, regardless of race, gender,
religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependents, age,
physical/mental disability or offending background.
·
This policy statement
on the recruitment of ex-offenders is made available to all DBS applicants at
the start of the recruitment process.
·
The Parish of
Cranford actively promotes equality of opportunity for all with the right mix
of talent, skills and potential and welcomes applications from a wide range of
candidates, including those with criminal records.
·
The Parish of
Cranford selects all candidates for interview based on their skills,
qualifications and experience.
·
An application
for a criminal record check is only submitted to DBS after a thorough risk
assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the
position concerned. For those positions where a criminal record check is
identified as necessary, all application forms, job adverts and recruitment
briefs will contain a statement that an application for a DBS certificate will
be submitted in the event of the individual being offered the position.
·
The Parish of
Cranford ensures that all those in [Organisation Name] who are involved in the
recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the
relevance and circumstances of offences.
The Parish of Cranford also ensures that they have received appropriate
guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of
ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
·
At interview,
or in a separate discussion, The Parish of Cranford ensures that an open and
measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter
that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is
directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer
of employment or voluntary position.
·
The Parish of
Cranford makes every subject of a criminal record check submitted to DBS aware
of the existence of the code of practice and makes a copy available on request.
·
The Parish of
Cranford undertakes to discuss any matter revealed on a DBS certificate with
the individual seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of
employment or voluntary position.
Approved by PCC meeting of: 12th July 2025
Signed by: The Rector Fr Michael Gill SSC
12th July 2025
Parish
Safeguarding Officer Mrs Thandi Lopes
12th July 2025
