St Bartholomew's Crewkerne
Safeguarding Policy
​St Bartholomew's Crewkerne takes very seriously its responsibilities surrounding the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults who may be at risk, and works in partnership with the Diocese of Bath and Wells to ensure that we operate in accordance with best practice at all times. We have adopted the Church of England’s 2017 Church of England Promoting a Safer Church-Policy Statement. It fully accepts and endorses the Children Act 1989 & 2004 & The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. We are also using the Church of England Parish Safeguarding Handbook.
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Our Parish Safeguarding Officer is Charlotte Duncan-Smith (email: pso@stbartscrewkerne.org). If you have any Safeguarding questions or concerns, please contact her in the first instance. Alternatively, you may like to contact the Rector, CJ Davis (email: confidential@stbartscrewkerne.org or phone: 01460 72047) or the Bath & Wells Diocesan Safeguarding team (you will find up-to-date- email addresses and telephone numbers on the Diocesan website here).
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If you prefer you can write to:
Safeguarding
Diocese of Bath and Wells
The Old Deanery
Wells BA5 2UP
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You may wish to contact ChildLine
– via its website www.childline.org.uk/
or freephone number 0800 1111.
There is also a new 24-hour nationwide telephone helpline for Church of England child protection matters run by the NSPCC – 0800 80 20 20.
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:
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Promoting a safer environment and culture.
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Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
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Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
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Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
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Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
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Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
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The Parish will:
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Create a safe and caring place for all.
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Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
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Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
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Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
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Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
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Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
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Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
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Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
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Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
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Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
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Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.
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Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
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Our named Parish Safeguarding Officer is:
Charlotte Duncan-Smith, email: pso@stbartscrewkerne.org
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This Policy was revised and formally adopted by the PCC on 17 October 2022.
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St Bartholomew's Crewkerne is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells, Church of England.
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Who To Contact