Introduction

Great Ayton Methodist Church will make every endeavour to safeguard the welfare of children who are involved in church based activities and will conform with the Home Office Code of Practice "Safe from Harm" and the "Safeguarding" Policy of The Methodist Church published in April 2003.  Unless otherwise stated, the term children relates to all those under the age of 18.

This policy will be implemented with reference to other related policies eg ‘health and safety’ and ‘equal opportunities’.  The uniformed organisations of the church are also subject to their own policies in relation to safeguarding and child protection which conform to the requirements of this policy.

Great Ayton Methodist Church Safeguarding policy is based on guidelines 1-13 as laid down in the “Safeguarding” Policy of the Methodist Church.

1.      Policy Statement

1. The people of Great Ayton Methodist Church are concerned with the wholeness and well-being of each individual within God’s purpose for our world.  We strive to safeguard all members of the church community whatever their age.  We acknowledge each one of us is responsible for the prevention of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children and young people and ensuring that opportunities for such abuse to occur are minimised. 
   
   All groups who use our premises will be required to confirm their agreement with this policy.

2. Great Ayton Methodist Church will plan its work so as to minimise situations where the abuse of children may occur.
   In order to achieve this the following procedures will be adhered to:

   • As far as possible an adult will not be left alone with a child or young person where there is no likelihood of the activity being observed by others.

   • All workers with children and young people, Pastoral Visitors and others will not meet a child or young person off church premises without a parent or other adult being present.

   • At least two adults will be present with any group.

   • Where children and young people have to be transported by car or minibus there should be more than one passenger in the vehicle.  Where this is not possible a single passenger should sit in the rear seat.

3. Great Ayton Methodist Church will ensure that all members of the church, including children, will be given information on how to obtain advice, support and help if they suspect that they themselves are in need of this or they suspect that a child is being harmed.  The following information will be prominently displayed on church notice boards

   • NSPCC Child Protection helpline - Freephone 0808 800 5000 or
     Fax 020 7825 2790

   • Child Line –  Tel 0800 1111

   • Safeguarding Children in North Yorkshire Tel 0845 034 9410
     & www.safeguardingchildren.co.uk (N.Y. Safeguarding Children Board Site)  Emergency Tel: 0845 034 9417

   • Police – Child Protection Tel No 0845 60 60 247

   • CAS website http://www.churchsafe.org.uk

4. Great Ayton Methodist Church will apply agreed procedures for protecting children to all paid staff and volunteers within the church.

5. Great Ayton Methodist Church will ensure clarity with regard to the roles of all paid staff and volunteers.

   • Any paid workers employed by the Church will have job descriptions that spell out clearly their responsibilities for the protection of children and young people.  Volunteers will be provided with a brief description in writing of the tasks they are expected to do.   [see Safeguarding new form A Part 2 2003, Appendix 3].

6. Great Ayton Methodist Church will ensure appropriate supervision as a means of protecting children and young people.  This will involve

   • Regular opportunities for workers to meet together to review and plan their work and share their experiences.

   • Regular opportunities for training

   • Opportunities for workers to talk about relationships with the children and young people.

   • When possible, leaders of groups should take opportunities to observe those for whom they are responsible as they work with children and young people.

   Special attention should be paid to any situation in which a child or young person is being either highly favoured or harshly treated as these could be signs of abuse.

7. Great Ayton Methodist Church will treat all would-be paid staff and volunteers as job applicants for any position involving contact with children or young people.

   • All existing and new workers wishing to work with children and young people in the church community will be asked to fill in Safeguarding Form A [Appendix 1 and 2] and apply for a Disclosure.

8. Great Ayton Methodist Church will gain at least one reference from a person who has experience of an applicant’s paid or voluntary work with children or young people

   • Before a volunteer is accepted a written reference must be obtained.  It must be made clear that the volunteer is to be working with children or young people and it is the referees’ views on the volunteer’s suitability for this work which are being invited. ( If replies are vague or ambiguous it may be necessary for them to be followed up in person on the telephone.)

   • Confidentiality is an important issue at this point.  If someone is deemed to be unsuitable to work with children and young people great efforts should be made to channel the person’s offer in to some other more appropriate area of the church’s work.

9. Great Ayton Methodist Church will explore all applicants’ experience of working or contact with children in a meeting before appointment.

   • The meeting will be conducted by one or more experienced workers by agreement with the Minister.

   • If there is any doubt about the suitability of the volunteer this should be explored through searching questions.

   • If doubts remain regarding the suitability of an applicant they should not be offered the opportunity of working with children.

   Experienced people in the church with designated responsibilities in this area may wish to consult with the Minister and/or the Safeguarding Officer for advice before making a final decision where doubts are raised.

10. Great Ayton Methodist Church, through its Minister and Safeguarding Officer, will ensure that appropriate procedures are in place to find out whether an applicant has a conviction for any criminal offences against children.

    • All situations which involve work with children and young people are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.   This means that all convictions, however old, which relate to children and young people must be taken into consideration. 

    • The Disclosure process as recommended in the Methodist Church Safeguarding document will be followed by the church and is designed to ensure that any such information is made available.

11. Great Ayton Methodist Church will make all paid and voluntary appointments conditional upon the successful completion of a probationary period.   It is a requirement of the Methodist Church that all workers with children and young people should be properly trained and serve a probationary period.  This is outlined in Standing Order 660. Which states

    •  Persons offering or being invited to serve as workers with children and young people shall be accepted as candidates by the Church Council.

    • They shall enter upon a probationary period. At Great Ayton Methodist Church the probationary period will normally be six months.

    • If a person is volunteering for short term tasks, such as a helper in a holiday club, they should be supervised as if they were undertaking a probationary period.

    • At the end of the probationary period a volunteer will meet with the person to whom she/he is responsible, that person must be satisfied not only of the person’s competence in work with children and young people, but also of the volunteers commitment to prevent abuse. At this time suitable references will be available – in the absence of references the probation period should be extended to allow them to be obtained.

12.  Great Ayton Methodist Church will issue guidelines on how to deal with disclosure or discovery of abuse.  As outlined on pages 36 to 39 of the ‘Safeguarding’ document  This includes brief written guidelines to paid and voluntary staff outlining the course of action to be taken if a child or young person discloses abuse or if they discover evidence that abuse has taken place.  [These guidelines are enclosed see Appendix 1]

13. Great Ayton Methodist Church will ensure the provision of appropriate training for paid staff and volunteers, their line managers or supervisors and policy makers in the prevention of child abuse.  This will include

    • Training in the prevention of abuse and the action to take if abuse occurs.

    • Methodist Standing Order 660 requires that all workers with children and young people shall agree to take preparation for service applicable to the work they wish to do.

    • Suitable training and awareness raising will be provided for all those who at any time come into contact with children and young people.   These will include Ministers, members of the Diaconate, lay workers, caretakers, key holders and those responsible for bookings.

Appropriate forms and declarations will be completed, monitored and updated in line with any changes of responsibility or new appointments. 

A pro forma of forms: A Part 1; A Part 2; B; C; D; E; F ; [Registration; Volunteer Agreement; Specimen Appointment, Key Holder, Safeguarding Users Declaration (Booking),  Documentary Evidence sheet, Churches Agency for Safeguarding form] are in Appendices 2-9.

 The Registration Forms and other related confidential documents will be kept securely by the Minister. Access will be restricted to the Minister and the Safeguarding Officer appointed by the Church Council.

Great Ayton Methodist Church will appoint one member of the Church Council as Safeguarding Officer with responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the church’s Safeguarding Policy.   The Church Council will endeavour to appoint a person experienced in child care or child protection and with a commitment to developing the role.  The Church Council of Great Ayton Methodist Church will support the introduction, implementation and maintenance of the Safeguarding policy and undertake to review the working of the policy annually at the October Church Council meeting. 

See policy for the full policy, detailed procedures and appendices.

Our 'SAFEGUARDING OFFICER' is Rev Catherine Hutton

Our 'INDEPENDENT PERSON' is Eileen Cowen.