SAFEGUARDING
City Church in all its Centres is committed to the safeguarding of both children and adults with additional care and support needs and ensuring their well-being.
We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual, psychological, financial, and discriminatory abuse and neglect of children or adults with additional care and support needs and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.
We recognise the personal dignity and rights of both children and adults with additional care and support needs and will ensure that all our policies and procedures reflect this.
We believe all adults and children should enjoy appropriate access to the life and ministries of City Church where safe to do so.
We undertake to exercise proper care in the selection and appointment of those who will work with children and adults with additional care and support needs.
We believe everyone should be valued and feel safe. We want to make sure that all children and adults with additional care and support needs involved in the life of City Church know this and are empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.
We are committed to:
•Following statutory guidelines in relation to safeguarding children and adults and City Church will ensure that as a place of worship/organisation all workers (paid and unpaid) will work within the agreed procedure of our safeguarding policy
.•Implementing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 and all other relevant legislation including the Equality act 2010 and The Care Act 2014.
•Supporting, resourcing,and training those who undertake this work.
•Ensuring that we are keeping up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding by working in partnership with Thirtyone:eight and other organisations.
•Encouraging everyone to embrace and abide by the safeguarding policy and procedures.
•Supporting all those involved in the life of City Church affected by abuse.
We recognise:
•Children’s Social Services has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child. Adult Social Care has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about an adult with care and support needs.
•Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.
•Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
We will review this statement and our policy annually.
If you have any concerns for a child or an adult with care and support needs, then speak to Joy Wooffindin who has been approved as Safeguarding Lead.