We are committed to ensuring that our churches and buildings are safe places for all. We want to make it easier for parishes to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities correctly. 

On this page you will find all the information you need to guide you, your parish or church group in how to fulfil its safeguarding responsibilities.

Here we cover:

• The Parish Safeguarding Handbook
• Policies that need to be adopted and implemented
• Roles that need to be appointed
• Training programme for clergy and parishes
• Safer recruitment
• Displaying safeguarding information well
• Sharing safeguarding information with young people
• Creating a good safeguarding culture
• Policies guidance, forms and templates
• Helplines

We also have separate pages dedicated to:

Safeguarding training modules
Serious incident reporting
Diocesan Safeguarding Season
Past Cases Review
Frequently asked questions

The Parish Safeguarding Handbook
 

A parish's first step should be to take a look at the Parish Safeguarding Handbook.

Produced by the Church of England's National Safeguarding Team, it is a comprehensive guide, summarising the key areas a parish will need to address with regards to safeguarding. It is designed to support the day to day safeguarding work of parishes and signposts to more detailed guidance.

• Links to the forms, templates and more detailed guidance referenced in the Parish Safeguarding Handbook can be found on Church of England: Safeguarding - Templates and Resources 

Policies that need to be adopted and implemented
 

You need to adopt and implement

• The House of Bishop’s Safeguarding Policy statement ‘Promoting a Safer Church’  
• The procedures and guidance of The Church of England’s Parish Safeguarding Handbook 
• Safer Environment and Activities

Your PCC needs to record annually they have adopted these in their minutes. 

Where to find safeguarding forms, policies and guidance

• To access all of the Church of England's safeguarding policies, forms and templates, please visit:  www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/policy-and-practice-guidance/templates-and-resources
• The Diocese has created some bespoke guidance and templates on safeguarding a number of safeguarding matters. Please click here

Roles that need to be appointed
 

Your PCC needs to appoint:

• A Parish Safeguarding Officer: at least one appropriately experienced designated Parish Safeguarding Officer to work with the incumbent and PCC.  This Parish Safeguarding Officer should be a lay person.  They should be supported, trained and given a copy of the parish safeguarding policy and procedures.   
• A Lead Recruiter: One person known as a Lead Recruiter to be the DBS administrator, this can also be the responsibility of the Parish Safeguarding Officer or the PCC can choose to appoint another individual to this role.  Churches can also appoint an additional recruiter to assist with this work. 

Training for parishes and clergy
 

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

To support this, the House of Bishops Safeguarding Training and Development programme provides a framework for safeguarding training for those undertaking any role - paid or unpaid - within the Church of England.  A range of core safeguarding training modules is a mandatory requirement for particular Church roles. 

Some are available online, others are delivered face-to-face.

• Explanation of training modules available please visit our Safeguarding Training Modules page
• For all current training on offer from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team please visit Events and Training

Safer recruitment
 

You need to make sure that all church officers who work with children, young people, and/or vulnerable adults are:

• recruited following the House of Bishops’ Safer Recruitment practice guidance;
• aware of and work to House of Bishops’ safeguarding guidance 
• attend diocesan safeguarding training at least every three years;

Ensure volunteers who work with children and adults at risk are provided with a copy of the Code of Safer Working Practice

Ensure that PCC members, as trustees of a charity are DBS checked (at Enhanced level and covers both the Child and Adult Workforce)  and have completed a PCC Member Trustee Eligibility and Fit an Proper Persons Declaration 

You should provide appropriate insurance to cover for all activities undertaken in the name of the PCC which involve children and vulnerable adults.

Useful links

• Read the national Safer Recruitment guidance
• Safer Recruitment forms, templates (Church of England)
• Safer recruitment training is now available online via the national Safeguarding Training Portal (cofeportal.org)
• DBS latest guidelines
• Guidance on Update Service and Blemished Disclosures 

Displaying safeguarding information well
 

Your church should prominently display the following information:

• A Safer Church Poster which should include contact details of the Parish Safeguarding Team – including phone, email, and website detail (Promoting a Safer Church poster incorporating relevant contact details)
• Information about where to get help with child and adult safeguarding issues, domestic abuse, and key helplines e.g. ChildLine
• A formal statement of adoption of the House of Bishops 'Promoting a Safer Church' Model Safeguarding Policy Statement.  This should be signed and dated on behalf of the PCC
• Provide access to a hard copy Parish Safeguarding Handbook

Safeguarding information on church websites

A parish's safeguarding arrangements should be clearly visible on the front page of the parish website. This means:

• A link from the front page of your website to a page detailing your safeguarding policy and who’s who - either in the menu bar or on the body of the page.

• If you do not have a website, your parish should offer some information on your parishes dedicated, A Church Near You (ACNY) pages. The ACNY website has a ‘safeguarding’ tab on every page which will take the user through to a map highlighting diocesan safeguarding details

If you have further questions, please contact the Safeguarding Team or Communications on  communications@rochester.anglican.org

Sharing safeguarding information with young people
 

Sharing information with young people about where they can access help in the parish with a matter that is worrying them is really important.

We have created a number of resources to help:

Policies, guidance and forms for parishes
 

All Church of England policies and guidance, as well as templates and resources (including those referred to in The Parish Safeguarding Handbook and Safer Working Practice) can be accessed on the Church of England website via the following links:

Policies and practice guidance
Templates and resources

The Diocese of Rochester has also developed some bespoke guidance, policies, forms and templates to help parishes further on some particular issues. Please click a category below:

Creating a good culture of safeguarding
 

We need to recognise that the few people who are determined to harm children or adults, deliberately seek out groups or organisations where they can meet children or other vulnerable people.

Churches are particularly vulnerable to these people. That's why we need to be aware that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Creating and maintaining a positive culture around safeguarding will make it more difficult for those wishing to cause harm or to abuse children or adults, to do so.

A positive attitude towards safeguarding is one that doesn't just see it as a box to be ticked, or endure. Rather, it should be seen as a warm and protective layer around us; an awareness and alertness to risks that demonstrates our mutual care and concern for one another.

Ways you can develop a positive safeguarding culture in your church:
 

• Raise awareness of the people who have particular responsibility for safeguarding in your church and why - celebrate and thank them.
• Take regular opportunities to talk about why safeguarding is important.
• Incorporate safeguarding matters into your liturgy and prayers.
• Take part in the annual Safeguarding Sunday (10 October) and engage with the Diocese's Safeguarding Season.
• Take the time to listen and learn from the voices of victims and survivors, and encourage others to do the same.
   

Useful resources, materials and ideas to help you:
 

• Safeguarding Sunday: The Christian safeguarding charity thirtyone:eight has some excellent materials which you can use in your services to encourage conversation around the importance of safeguarding, whether you have five minutes, 15 or the whole service
• Prayers of Lament- The Diocese has produced our own prayers. Written by the former Archdeacon of Tonbridge, Julie Conalty - in consultation with a survivor -  they were issued as part of our response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. They can be used at any time.
• Letters to a broken church - Drawing on the personal experience of survivors of abuse and their allies, Letters to a Broken Church speaks directly into the abuse crisis facing the Church of England and other Christian denominations right now.

Helplines

Not found what you are looking for? Please contact our Safeguarding Team
 

Key Contacts