Volunteering with Catalyst Vineyard Church is a fulfilling calling.  We are careful in our selection and training, and expect our volunteers to hold to the same vision that we have for each of our ministries.  Initiating and completing the recruitment is not an onerous task but the PVG process can take some weeks.  Ministry and Site Leaders should refer to our Recruiting the Right People to Volunteer (Safer Recruitment Policy) for full information.  

If you are interested in volunteering with us please visit our page Applying to Volunteer for more information. 

Volunteering as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award may be possible but each request will be risk-assessed and and a tailor-made plan will be drawn up in consultation with the relevant Site/Ministry Pastor.  

The Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 (PVG Act) created the legislative framework for a vetting and barring scheme for those working with children and at-risk adults in Scotland. For ease of reference, the Scottish Government refer to this as the PVG Scheme.

The PVG Scheme ensures that those who have regular contact with vulnerable groups through the workplace or volunteering, do not have a history of abusive behaviour. It will bar people who are known to be unsuitable, on the basis of past behaviour, from working with children and/or at-risk adults and detect those who become unsuitable.

Catalyst Vineyard Church joined the PVG Scheme, through Disclosure Scotland, in 2010/11, using it to provide us with background checks where we are working with children and at-risk adults.  One of the ways we ensure we have safe teams is by ensuring all our relevant team members, who are 18 or over, are put through the PVG process.  We may also PVG 17 year olds as they approach 18 or if they are moving into a leadership position through our young leadership programme. Having a criminal record does not necessarily prevent someone from volunteering with us.  However, anyone who is barred from working with children would not be able to volunteer with children.  Likewise, anyone barred from working with adults could not volunteer with at-risk adult teams.  All disclosed information regarding criminal records will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and an appropriate decision taken. 

We will, from time to time, allow people a taster session before embarking on the PVG process to join a team, or allow someone who has started the PVG process to help out at a session.  This will always be on the proviso that the team they are working with are aware of this and will not give that volunteer any team responsibility.  When this does happen, each situation will, again, be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The Secure Handling Policy gives additional information on Disclosure Scotland, confidentiality and storage of information.

Within all of our ministry settings there are clear roles, each with responsibilities for the correct running of our teams.

Volunteers & Team Leaders

All volunteers and Team Leaders  are guided by the principles found in our Good Practice in Teams page

Safeguarding Officers (SGOs)

The role of the SGO is to respond to all reported incidents involving child or adult safeguarding issues that arise within Catalyst Vineyard Church.  They will ensure that the matter is dealt with effectively and in accordance with our policy and the associated procedures.

Safeguarding Co-ordinator

The role of the Safeguarding Co-ordinator is to ensure that the Safeguarding Policy and the associated preventative and responsive policies and procedures are kept up to date, actioned and regularly assessed.  The Safeguarding Co-ordinator is available to give advice/offer signposting and to make sure that suitable training is available as required.

Pastors (Site and Ministry)

All Pastors should take responsibility for their Team Leaders and volunteers, ensuring their wellbeing and ability to undertake their roles and abide by the policies of Catalyst Vineyard Church.

Delegated Pastoral Staff & Trustees

Our delegated pastoral staff and Trustees take responsibility for checking the Safeguarding Policy and ensuring it is checked and approved yearly.

We have clear guidelines about the behaviour we expect from our volunteers in order to provide activities/events to a high standard whilst ensuring the safety of all who take part.  We encourage our volunteers to read through our page on Good Practice in Teams before commencing and we also cover this content in our regular training.

Our heart within community events is to build and to bless - to build strong, good connections with those in our community and to be as big a blessing to them as we possibly can.  Our aim is to place the enjoyment and benefit of the event to the front whilst the safety and smooth running of the task is administered efficiently in the background.  Staff & Key Leaders should refer to our Running Safe Activities/Events page for guidelines.  This page is only relevant for staff & key leaders and is available via the respective Quick Links documents.

Catalyst Vineyard Church considers it good practice to ensure that any photos/videos of children are taken with permission of their parents/carers or the individuals involved.  Our Count Me In or Event sign ups include options to accept or deny use of photos and/or video.

Any photos or videos taken will be used expressly for church purposes of ministry and mission and will be stored electronically on secure networks with strong passwords. Please refer to our Media Handling Procedure for guidelines.

Everyone has value and, where appropriate, may have the opportunity to work towards serving in church if they wish to do so.

In order to facilitate this, we recognise that extra measures may be required to ensure the safety of everyone involved - such as supervision, two-way agreements, risk assessments and extra pastoral support.  Each case will be decided on its merit, will be person-centred and individually tailored by our Social Transformation Team Pastors in conjunction with the Site Pastor where necessary.

All allegations, complaints or suspicions regarding the safety of children or at-risk adults should be taken seriously.  In order to maintain the safety and welfare of any individual involved we should never make promises of total confidentiality or take it upon ourselves to have a "quiet word" with the parent or carer.

Please click on the required link for the individual procedures, which are slightly different, for Children & Young People and At-Risk Adults.

Once a disclosure has been made and reported to the Safeguarding Officers (SGOs), it will become the responsibility of the SGO to take forward any action required within each individual case.  The SGOs will follow the SGO Flowchart and Timeline procedure to process how those involved in the case are to be supported pastorally and access any necessary external assistance, such as that given from Social Work or the Police, etc.

The Safeguarding Co-ordinator (SGC) will assess whether the case may be a notifiable event which may need to be reported to VCUKI, OSCR or Disclosure Scotland and the advice of the designated pastoral staff sought where necessary.

One of our main concerns, after a safeguarding case has been reported, is to provide pastoral care to all those involved.  This can include the harmed person and the person who has harmed but may also include families or the person who has reported the incident.  In all cases, we follow the guidelines for Pastoral Support in a Safeguarding Case and we have guidance to help with What to Expect if My Family is Involved in a Referral.

The Safeguarding Officers and any other staff with some knowledge of the case are bound by the Confidentiality in Safeguarding statement to share no more than minimal details with those who have a specific requirement to know.

Should any party involved with the Safeguarding Case not be happy with how it is proceeding they may refer to the Catalyst Vineyard Grievance & Disciplinary Policy to address their concerns.

Safeguarding - Safeguarding is ensuring no harm comes to any child, young person or adult as a result of contact with our staff/volunteers/church community whilst participating in any of the church's activities/events or visiting any church-owned building.  This is accomplished by having a strong set of policies and procedures in place to address all risks.  These documents are regularly and rigorously reviewed and updated.

We recognise our individual and community duty of care to report any concerns we have about possible harm involving children or adults.  Therefore, safeguarding also extends to ensuring the welfare of members of our church body, specifically our at-risk community, even though an incident may have occurred outside of the activities of the church and may have been unrelated to our general church community.  Therefore, we treat all concerns of a safeguarding nature under the umbrella of safeguarding and these might include issues involving families, relationships or criminal activity.

Safeguarding case - A Safeguarding case is one in which a member of our children or at-risk adults is allegedly harmed or abused to the extent that it must be reported to an external agency such as the police or social services.

We will also take very seriously any accusation of abuse made about a PVGd member of any of our teams regardless of whether the victim is a member of our church community. 

Child - In this Policy anyone under the age of 18 (and receiving education either at home or in a school environment if 16 or 17) is considered to be a child.  It may be safer to assume that any 16/17 year old is a child until further identification proves otherwise.

Adult - An adult is anyone over the age of 16 and in receipt of adult services (including care, housing and further education), adult welfare benefits or in employment.

At-risk adult - An at-risk adult is an adult who is unable to safeguard their own wellbeing, property, rights or other interests and is at risk of harm.  They may be affected by physical or mental issues with disability, illness, other difficulties or age related problems.  This makes them more vulnerable to being harmed than other adults.

It is important to include people whose condition and subsequent vulnerability fluctuates. It may include an individual who may be at risk because of their role as a carer/pastor in relation to any of the above and may be a constant or occasional risk. 

It may also include victims of domestic abuse, hate crime and anti-social abuse behaviour. The adult's need for support to protect themselves may be increased when complicated by additional factors, such as physical frailty or chronic illness, sensory impairment, challenging behaviour, drug or alcohol problems, social or emotional problems, poverty or homelessness.

Many at-risk adults may not realise that they are being abused. For example, an elderly person, accepting that they are dependent on their family, may feel that they must tolerate losing control of their finances or their physical environment. They may be reluctant to assert themselves for fear of upsetting their carers or making the situation worse.  

Key Leaders - These are the leaders who look after our ministry teams within sites, eg Site Youth Leaders and Site Kids Leaders, under the guidance of the Ministry or Site Pastor.  They can be involved with various aspects of organising events, caring for volunteers, assisting with recruitment and generally facilitating the smooth running of ministry groups .

Abuse - Abuse is physically, sexually or emotionally injuring a child or adult either with intent or by neglect.  It includes using a child or adult for selfish purposes, and is usually without consent, but can sometimes be with consent.  Abuse can happen inside or outside the home and it can happen online.  Abuse can be defined slightly differently between at-risk adults, children and young people.  Please refer to Types of Abuse for more specific guidance. 

Significant harm - The meaning of "significant" has developed here to mean enough to justify state intervention.

"Harm" is defined as including all of the following:

1. Ill-treatment (including sexual abuse and ill-treatment of a non-physical nature)

2. The impairment of physical or mental health (including that suffered from seeing or hearing another person suffer ill treatment)

3. The impairment of physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development (including that suffered from seeing or hearing another person suffer ill treatment).

Risk - Risk means the potential for something to go wrong (an incident or an accident) or the likelihood of a negative consequence to an action or failure to act.

Risk assessment - A Risk Assessment is a means of identifying potential risks.

Safeguarding culture - Our safeguarding culture aims to be one of openness and honesty, where we are accountable to each other and prepared to lovingly challenge one another.  We are alert to situations that may indicate harm is going on and we are always prepared to pass on our concerns to the Safeguarding Officer.  We're not scared to talk about safeguarding and we aim to mirror Psalm 91:2 to our church community: "You are my safe and strong place, my God, in whom I trust."

Always phone the Safeguarding Helpline FIRST.  You will then be directed to complete one of the forms below to record the details.  Please click on the relevant link to access the form.  Forms received without initial contact with a Safeguarding Officer may not be followed up.

Reporting an incident you have seen or been told about involving a child/young person - Third Party Reporting Child/Young Person Incident.

Reporting an incident you have seen or been told about involving an at-risk adult - Third Party Reporting Adult Incident.

Reporting an incident where you have been the victim - Victim Reporting Incident.

Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 

Children (Scotland) Act 2020

National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland

Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014

Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 Part II

Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007

Code of Practice for Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 

National Guidance for Adult Support and Protection in Scotland 

Scottish Social Care Policy (Adult Support and Protection) 

Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016

Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland

General Data Protection Regulation 2018