Safeguarding

Everyone is made in God's image, Everyone deserves to feel safe.

Our benefice sees good safeguarding practice as fundamental to living out the Gospel and Making Jesus Known in our communities. We want our churches and communities to be safe spaces for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

If you have a safeguarding concern or disclosure, please make sure you speak to someone as soon as possible.

Each parish has a Parish Safeguarding Officer, who is usually a first port-of-call. If you aren't comfortable talking to the appointed safeguarding officer, for any reason at all, you might call another PSO from another parish, or the Rector. Alternatively you are welcome to call the diocesan safeguarding team, or thirtyone:eight. All of these details are below. Please note that we cannot and will not offer confidentiality for any safeguarding concerns but we only share information amongst people with whom it needs to be shared.

If you or another person are in immediate danger of harm or abuse, please call the police on 999 immediately.

If you are looking at attending church and have a previous criminal conviction that requires you to have a 'Worship/Safeguarding agreement' in place, please contact the Rector or the Diocesan Safeguarding team before attending your local place of worship. Worship agreements enable previous offenders to worship safely and with dignity in their local place of worship, with boundaries that protect both them and the church.

If you would prefer to speak to the Rector about any concerns you are welcome to do so. You can find her contact details on the contact page. If you would rather speak to someone outside the local church, you're welcome to speak to the Diocesan Safeguarding officers, or independant charity thirtyone:eight.

Promoting a Safer Church (Church of England Safeguarding Policy)

Responding Well to Domestic Abuse (Church of England DA Policy)