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 Young People and Vulnerable Adults Safeguarding Policy

Policy Statement
 
Trinity Community Church is committed to providing a caring and supportive environment for all its users. It believes that young or vulnerable people should be safeguarded from harm and will respond to all cases of suspected abuse. The church will take steps to minimise the risk or protect people from further harm.
 
Statement of Principles
 
The Church accepts that it has a statutory and moral duty to promote and safeguard the welfare of its users under the age of 18 and its vulnerable adults i.e. those with learning difficulties, illnesses or have significant disabilities which render them unable to have the capacity to make logical and moral decisions  The Church will:-
 
§ establish a safe environment in which all people can worship and develop,
§ provide people with information so as to make them aware of how to keep themselves safe,
§ ensure people know who they can approach if they are concerned.
§ maintain clear procedures to identify and refer suspected cases of abuse and harm, ensuring all staff are aware of and follow Trinity Community Church Safeguarding Protection Procedures,
§ link with appropriate agencies to safeguard any children or adults, who are a concern,
§ adopt appropriate recruitment procedures, including arrangements for checks on staff and volunteers working with young people and vulnerable adults.
§ provide up-to-date safeguarding related training for all staff and volunteers working or visiting children and vulnerable adults,
§ collect information about available services in order to provide appropriate support
 
 
 Responsibilities and Duties
 
The Church has a statutory duty under the Children Act 1989 & 2004 to safeguard and promote the welfare of its users. The Church accepts that recognition of abuse can be very difficult to identify and staff and volunteers are encouraged to talk to the Safeguarding Officer, in the absence of the SO staff can contact a Deputy or the Pastor/Vicar. It is a criminal offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a person over the age of 18, in a position of trust i.e. a leader of Junior Church or Youth Work, to enter into a sexual relationship with any person under 18 years old, even if the relationship is consensual the Safeguarding Officer would ask for the relationship to end immediately and the member of staff would stand down from their duties.  The church would then report the matter to the authorities.
 
The church will meet the needs, where reasonably practicable, of all vulnerable adults who wish to join church activities.  Every case will be discussed on an individual basis and procedures put in place.  Group leaders will be informed of any special circumstances.
 
 
 
 
Protection Procedures – responding to a disclosure of abuse or neglect
 
The Church is an agent for referral and it is not the responsibility of any member of staff or volunteer to investigate any suspected case of abuse. The Church will ensure that all safeguarding concerns are acted upon in accordance with the joint agency policy for the Anglican and Baptist Church. It is the responsibility of all staff or volunteer to record and report protection concerns. If staff have heard rumours of abuse or suspicion without firm evidence staff should contact the Safeguarding Officer.
 
Church staff when either receiving a disclosure of abuse or suspecting that abuse is occurring must notify the Safeguarding Officer without delay. The person should be notified that confidentiality cannot be offered, as it is a legal obligation to inform the Safeguarding Officer; however, only those who need to know should be told. Staff must not ask leading questions, make suggestions or attempt to investigate the situation themselves. If a person tells a member of staff abuse is taking place he/she should be acknowledged, taken seriously and listened to. Some may not disclose directly and it is important that staff are aware of signs of abuse and report concerns. Also, some vulnerable adults may not be clear about whether they are experiencing abuse.
All documentation and details must remain confidential and be discussed on a ‘need to know? basis. The church member of staff receiving the disclosure must make an accurate record. This written record must be sent in a sealed envelope to the Safeguarding Officer within 24 hrs. No copies should be made of any details of the disclosure. The reporting form should be completed as fully as possible.
 
The Safeguarding Officer will contact the relevant Duty Team, if needed, following up this telephone contact within 24 hours with a Professional Referral Form as required.
 
The Safeguarding Officer should expect to receive feedback as to what action is being taken by the Duty Team within 72 hours of the Duty Team receipt of the referral, upon which an appropriate level of detail (which is individual to each case), will be communicated by the Safeguarding Officer to the member of Church staff who raised the concern.
 
Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons
 
Trinity will respond to suspicions, concerns, knowledge or allegations of abuse respecting the rights under criminal, civil and ecclesiastical law of any accused Church Officer including clergy.  A legal presumption of innocence will be maintained during the inquiry. As the process progresses additional assessment, therapy and support services may be offered.
 
Trinity will be mindful of the need to provide support to members of families, parishes and congregations affected by Church Officers facing allegations and concerns.
 
Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others
 
The Church, based on the message of the Gospel, opens its doors to all.  It will endeavour to offer pastoral care and support to any member of the church community who may present a known risk.
The Church will assure that any risk is assessed and is being managed in a safeguarding agreement in accordance with House of Bishops policy and practice guidance.  This will be done in collaboration with the relevant statutory agencies in accordance with criminal, civil and ecclesiastical law,
 
 
Ensuring a safe workforce
 
Church staff and volunteers who may have regular or close contact with young people and vulnerable adults will be checked through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) procedures. Staff will apply for an Enhanced Disclosure via the Safeguarding Officer. The enhanced disclosure will be kept for three years.  After this period the staff member or volunteer must re-apply via an application from the Safeguarding Officer. 
 
 
Allegations involving Church Staff /Volunteers
 
If allegations of abuse involve a member of staff, steps must be taken to ensure the person does not need to have contact with him/her and the Church’s SO will be informed. The alleged will be suspended from all work with church users and young children and will be investigated by outside agency teams.  The Pastor/Vicar will support the alleged whilst the SO will support the young person or church user through the process.  Investigations will not be carried out by other church members.
 
Training
 
Church staff, volunteers and all those who come into contact with the young people and vulnerable adults will have access to Safeguarding Training at a level appropriate to their role. All staff require training every three years and must familiarise themselves with protection issues and responsibilities and this policy. All Safeguarding Training is compulsory. Staff member’s attendance in undertaking this training is monitored by the ECC and Safeguarding Officer.   Any staff or volunteer who does not comply to attend compulsory training will be asked to stand down from their role within Church.
 
Explanation of key Terms
 
Adult                                                   
    A person over the age of 18 years
 
Abuse                                                
    Suffering, or being at risk of suffering significant harm.                                              
    A violation of a persons’ human or civil rights, the misuse of power.
 
Checks                                               
    There will by checks of identity by the Data Barring Service
 
Child or young person                        
    A person under the age of 18
 
Emotional                                           
    Where there is persistent emotional ill treatment or rejection. 
    It causes severe and adverse effects on the person’s behaviour
    and emotional development, resulting in low self-worth.
 
Financial abuse                                  
    Abuse or exploitation financially including fraud and extortion. 
 
 
Harm                                                   Ill treatment or the impairment of health or
                                                            development.
                                                           
Neglect                                                Persistent or severe failure to meet a person’s basic
                                                            physical and/or psychological needs.  It will result in
                                                            serious impairment of a person’s health or unable to
                                                            protect him/herself against significant harm or
                                                            exploitation.
 
Physical                                              Causes harm to a person.  It may involve hitting
                                                            shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding,
 drowning or suffocating.  It may be done deliberately
or recklessly, or by a deliberate failure to prevent injury
occurring.
 
Sexual                                                 Involves a person being forced or coerced into
participating in or watching sexual activity.  It is
not necessary for the person to be aware that
the activity is sexual and the apparent consent of the           person is irrelevant.
 
Vulnerable adults                                People over 18 who are affected by mental ill-
                                                            health, have a learning difficulty or disability or a
physical disability or impairment.  This can also apply to adults who are considered vulnerable due to
significant difficulties in their lives.     Any person at any time can become vulnerable due to temporary issues that render them unable to have capacity to make rational and logical decisions.                                                                                                                      
Monitoring Arrangements
 
This policy will be maintained and reviewed by the Safeguarding Officer and the ECC.
 

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:45 am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team. 

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after our morning service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

We have an informal worship service called Sanctuary, on a Tuesday night at 7 pm. Sanctuary meets at our Woodnook Centre. CURRENTLY ONLINE (please message to receive the Sanctuary email)

We also have a Wednesday morning service of Holy Communion, 10 am at our Trinity church building. It is a short service followed by coffee and cake. 

Plan your journey: 

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the hall.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10:45 am with a warm welcome from one of our service leaders. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 15 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. We will have a Bible reading, prayers of intercession and a sermon based on our reading for the day. We often follow through a book of the Bible, or a topic/theme (you can CLICK HERE to see previous sermon series). Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, we share bread and wine, as we remember the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus on the cross. We then finish with a final worship song. There is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

  • Creche (pre-school). Dot to Tot is our new crèche meeting during our service. Parents must stay with their children. There will be a point in our service where you will be invited to go out to Dot to Tot.
  • Beyond (4-11 years). Beyond is our Sunday school group for children in Primary School. The children leave during the service, after the notices, to go to their group, where they will learn more about Jesus, through singing, Bible stories and crafts. (Parents stay in the church service)
  • Youth (11-15 years). Not currently running. 
  • Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parents or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We value worshipping God all together as a family. After a short time together, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The children's group activities vary depending on the age but there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, praying, music, craft, drama and fun games. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays and church life run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Messy Church
  • Breakfast Club
  • Toddler Group
  • Pastoral ministry
  • Craft group
  • Ladies group
  • Men's meal
  • Music and visual
  • Clothed in Love
  • Part of Accrington Christians Together
  • Outreach - annual fireworks display plus other events
Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

1132168   No Photo icon
Revd Paul McNally   Matthew Embra
Minister   Churchwarden 
Contact: revd.paul.mcnally@gmail.com   Contact: mattembra@yahoo.co.uk 
1132168   1132168
Joel Tetlow        
Churchwarden    
Contact: joel.tetlow@gmail.com    
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Blessings

Trinity Community Church