Sedbury Evangelical Church
'Protection of Children and Adults Policy statement'
Sedbury Evangelical Church is committed to the safeguarding of children and adults with care support needs and ensuring their well-being.
Our responsibilities
We recognise that both as a charity and as Christians, we have a responsibility to:
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Protect and promote the wellbeing of those who attend the church; paying particular attention to those who may be more vulnerable than others.
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Ensure that we have suitable systems and processes in place to manage safeguarding risks, including the appointment of a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
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Ensure that those who act on our behalf are competent and safe to do so.
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Identify non-safeguarding risks and manage them effectively.
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Report any safeguarding concerns that meet the threshold to the appropriate statutory services as soon as possible and certainly within 24 hours. Where immediate action is required to ensure safety, an urgent report to the Police (999) or the appropriate Social Services department will be made without delay.
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If we are unsure whether a statutory threshold has been met, we will seek advice from either the relevant statutory services or from Thirtyone:eight safeguarding.
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Ensure that our conduct and practice is accountable and transparent and that we care well for those to whom we minister.
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Ensure that if problems occur or dissatisfaction is expressed, we examine these in an impartial and careful way and manage any conflict of interest effectively
Our commitments
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We will treat all who engage with the church through its ministries with courtesy and respect and will seek to uphold their inherent dignity and worth.
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We will seek to support and care well for anyone who discloses to us that they have been a victim of abuse or neglect and report this to statutory services in line with local procedures where required.
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We will seek to listen well to any concerns, complaints, or other expressions of dissatisfaction and to respond in a proportionate, impartial, transparent, and accountable manner.
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We will carefully examine any allegations made or concerns raised about any member or leader and respond appropriately.
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We will ensure that our staff and volunteers are competent to fulfil their roles and the legal duties associated with safeguarding.
We are members of thirtyone:eight which is an independent Christian safeguarding charity which helps individuals and organisations protect vulnerable people from abuse.
This statement and our Policy will is reviewed annually ( next review February 2025)