Safeguarding Statement

The following statement was passed at the AGM of Moldgreen United Reformed Church on 23rd February 2020.

We acknowledge children’s and adults’ right to protection from abuse regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality or beliefs. We will follow legislation, statutory guidance and recognised good practice in order to protect vulnerable people in our church.

We will seek to establish a caring environment in which there is an informed vigilance about the dangers of abuse.

We will have a safeguarding policy available to all users of the church. We will implement, maintain and regularly review the procedures outlined in the Safeguarding Policy. Both our Safeguarding Statement and Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed, at least annually, at our AGM.

We will appoint a Safeguarding Coordinator and Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator, each year at our AGM who will have specific responsibilities for safeguarding, although we recognise that safeguarding is a whole church responsibility. The Safeguarding Coordinator is the person to whom all concerns or allegations should be addressed. In the absence of the Safeguarding Coordinator the Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator should be contacted. Contact no for both persons : 07341 834062.

We will follow a safer recruitment process for the selection and appointment of people to work with children or adults at risk, whether voluntary or paid, lay or ordained.

We will appoint two named persons each year at our AGM to carry out DBS checks and ensure that all DBS checks are up to date.

We will provide support, supervision, resources and training to those who work with children and adults.

We will organise activities in such a way as to promote a safe environment and minimise the risk of harm to children and adults.

We will use rigorous and careful supervision to protect people from the risks associated with known offenders who attend church activities, including implementing contracts with known offenders and those who have been assessed as posing a risk.

All concerns and allegations of abuse will be responded to appropriately, including referring to the statutory authorities if necessary.

We will co-operate with the statutory authorities in any investigation , will follow multi agency decisions and will maintain confidentiality of any investigations to those directly involved.

We will refer concerns about employees, volunteers, lay and ordained persons that meet the relevant criteria to the Local Authority Designated Officer.