Children

Parish of Holy Trinity Church, Rotherhithe

Policy for Safeguarding Children

We are committed to promoting and supporting environments which:

• • Are youth-friendly and child-friendly and nurture their positive development

  • Enable children and young people to be active contributors to the church community

  • Protect children and young people from actual and potential harm

  • Enable and encourage concerns to be raised and responded to openly and consistently

We recognise:

• • The welfare of the child or young person is paramount

  • All children (regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity) have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

  • Abuse of children can occur in all communities and is most likely to occur within families and by people known to the child

  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by:

In all our activities –

• • Valuing, listening to and respecting children and young people

  • Fostering and encouraging best practice by setting standards for working with children and young people, in co-operation with statutory bodies, voluntary and other faith communities

In our recruitment of paid staff and volunteers, following Diocesan procedures in –

• • Ensuring all necessary checks are made to promote the safe selection and recruitment of ordained and lay ministers, voluntary workers and paid workers with children and young people

  • Providing supervision, support and training

In our publicity –

• • Sharing information about good safeguarding practice with children, parents, all those working with them

When concerns are raised, following Diocesan procedures in –

• • Responding without delay to every concern raised that a child or young person may have been harmed, or be at risk from harm; or about the behaviour of an adult or child.

  • Working with the diocese and appropriate statutory bodies during an investigation into child abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the church community

In our care –

• • Ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse

  • Ensuring that appropriate pastoral care is offered to any member of our church community against whom an allegation is made

In our supervision, following diocesan procedures in –

• • Ensuring, in partnership with the dioceses and other agencies, that care and supervision is provided for any member of our church community known to have offended against a child or young person, or to pose a risk to them.