Safeguarding Standards
The Church of England has published a set of National Safeguarding Standards which are essential in helping the Church to understand the quality and impact of its safeguarding activity. The standards help Church bodies (including Parishes) to identify both their strengths and areas for development.
The 5 standards can be summarised as:
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Culture and leadership - Creating safe and healthy cultures across Salisbury Diocese through effective leadership
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Prevention - Creating resilient environments to prevent abuse from taking place
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Responding to risk - Identifying, assessing and working in partnership to manage known safeguarding risks
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Survivors and Victims - Listening to, engaging with, supporting, and learning from those with lived experience of abuse
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Learning, Supervision and Support - Equipping Church Officers to respond effectively to safeguarding situations
Safeguarding Polices and Guidance
National Church of England safeguarding policy and guidance documents which have been approved by the House of Bishops must, where relevant, be followed by all Church Bodies and Church Officers.
The most up to date policy and guidance can be found in the e-manual.
Earlier remaining guidance can be found here and will transfer over to the e-manual as it is updated.
Safeguarding policies within parishes
Everyone who participates in the life of the Church has a role to play in promoting a safer church for all. The policy document ‘Promoting a Safer Church; House of Bishops policy statement (2017)’ sets out the safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults’ policy of the Church of England. This Policy Statement should be reviewed and signed by the Parochial Church Council annually (or equivalent church leadership body in the Deaneries of Jersey and Guernsey). Within this policy statement the PCC (or equivalent) commit to following the national House of Bishops safeguarding policy and guidance.
The Parish Safeguarding Handbook provides an easy read overview of House of Bishop’s Guidance which is most applicable within a parish setting. Please note that the Handbook was last reviewed in 2018 and is currently under review by the National Safeguarding Team.
The Parish Safeguarding Dashboard is an online tool which helps keep track of safeguarding within parishes including links to relevant policy and guidance. For more information about the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard please contact the Safeguarding Support Team on safeguarding.admin@salisbury.anglican.org