Parish Safeguarding Handbook

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Church Bodies includes PCCs, diocesan bodies, cathedrals, religious communities, theological training institutions and the National Church Institutions. This policy will apply to the whole of the provinces of Canterbury and York (including the Diocese in Europe subject to local variations/modifications). There is also an expectation that the policy will apply to the Channel Islands and Sodor and Man unless there is specific local legislation in a jurisdiction that would prevent adoption. A failure by a member of the clergy to comply with the duty to have due regard to House of Bishops safeguarding guidance is misconduct under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 (‘CDM’). A "Church Officer" is anyone appointed/elected by or on behalf of the Church to a post or role, whether they are ordained or lay, paid or unpaid. There is a requirement for each PCC to formally adopt and work to all the House of Bishop’s Safeguarding Policies .

We will seek to protect those who are at risk of being abused and respond well to those who have been abused. Go to www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/promoting-safer-church/policy-practice-guidance/templates-resources for:

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Obviously, these Network Meeting are not taking place at present, however we will resume these when able to meet safely. In the Diocese of Chelmsford we have adopted the suite ofPolicy and Practice Guidance provided by the National Safeguarding Team for the Church of England. The Parish Safeguarding Handbook Your PCC needs to adopt this every year at the first PCC meeting after your APCM and send a statement confirming this into the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. Parish Safeguarding Handbook

Please note under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016*** all authorised clergy, bishops, archdeacons, licensed readers and lay workers, churchwardens and PCCs must have ' due regard' to safeguarding guidance issued by the House of Bishops (this will include both policy and practice guidance). A duty to have 'due regard' to guidance means that the person under the duty is not free to disregard it but is required to follow it unless there are cogent reasons for not doing so. ('Cogent' for this purpose means clear, logical and convincing.) Failure by clergy to comply with the duty imposed by the 2016 Measure may result in disciplinary action. Promoting a Safer Church’ sets out the safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults policy of the Church of England. It has been approved by the House of Bishops and applies to all Church Bodies and Church Officers. Guidance on safer working practice, called Safer Environment and Activities, which provides highly practical advice for parishes, helping them to run their day-to-day activities as safely as possible, was published in November 2019 and can also be found on the Parish Safeguarding Handbook link below. The legal duty to have 'due regard' means that, asa matter of law, the guidance should be given great weight and must be followed unless there are ‘cogent reasons’ for not doing so. A person who is required to have due regard to the guidance should not simply take it uponthemselvesto decide that there are cogent reasons for departing from the guidance. Such a decision should be taken – if at all – only after case-specific advice has been obtained from both the DSA (Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser) and the Diocesan Registrar.Please go to the e-manual for the revised Safeguarding Learning and Development Framework Regulations Incumbents, PCCs and parish safeguarding officers have a broad range of safeguarding responsibilities. What to do if... Responding to Safeguarding Concerns or Allegations that relate to Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults practice guidance (2018) The care and protection of children, young people, and vulnerable adults involved in Church activities is the responsibility of the whole Church. Everyone who participates in the life of the Church has a role to play in promoting a Safer Church for all.