The C3 Church Safeguarding Policy
The purpose and scope of this policy statement
- The C3 Church seeks to provide an environment where all can work safely to serve the community at large and for their own personal & spiritual development. We do and will take every reasonable precaution to minimise risk.
- The C3 Church is committed to ensure that all, and specifically those who are vulnerable, are kept safe from harm while they are involved with the organisation in any way.
- All those working with children and adults at risk must promote their welfare, health, wellbeing and development and take every reasonable precaution to protect them. This means they should consider what is in the best interests of the child or adult at risk.
- All employees and volunteers have a role to play in identifying concerns, sharing information and taking prompt action.
- Employees and volunteers have a personal responsibility for safeguarding the welfare and wellbeing of all children and adults at risk by protecting them from abuse and will support them wherever this happens.
The purpose of this policy statement is:
- To protect children, young people and adults who attend and participate in The C3 Church’s activities from harm.
- To provide staff and volunteers, as well as children, young people and adults at risk, and their families, with the overarching principles that guide our approach to child and adult protection.
This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of The C3 Church, including the Leadership, senior pastors and the board of trustees, paid staff, and volunteers.
Legal framework
This policy has been drawn up on the basis of legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation is available from:
- Children: www.gov.uk/childcare-parenting/safeguarding-and-social-care-for-children#guidance_and_regulation
- Adults at risk: www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-policy-protecting-vulnerable-adults
Supporting documents
This policy statement should be read alongside our organisational policies, procedures, guidance and other related documents, including:
- Role description for the designated Safeguarding Co-ordinator
- Dealing with disclosures and concerns about a child, young person, or adult
- Managing allegations against staff and volunteers
- Recording concerns and information sharing
- Code of conduct for staff and volunteers
- Behaviour codes for children and young people and adults
- Photography and sharing images guidance
- Safer recruitment
- Anti-bullying
- Managing complaints
- Health and safety
- Induction, training, supervision and support
We believe that:
- Children, young people and adults should never experience abuse of any kind
- We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them
We recognise that:
- The welfare of children, young people and adults at risk is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take
- All children, young people and adults at risk regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse
- Some children, young people and adults at risk are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues
- Working in partnership with children, young people and adults at risk, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting their welfare.
We will seek to keep children, young people, and adults at risk safe by:
- Valuing, listening to and respecting them
- Appointing a nominated Safeguarding Co-ordinator, a Deputy, and a lead trustee/board member for safeguarding
- Adopting child and adult protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for staff and volunteers
- Developing and implementing an effective online safety policy and related procedures
- Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support,
- Training and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures and behaviour codes confidently and competently
- Recruiting and selecting staff and volunteers safely, ensuring all necessary checks are made
- Recording, storing and using information professionally and securely, in line with data protection legislation and guidance
- Sharing information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their families via leaflets, posters, group work and one-to-one discussions
- Making sure that children, young people and adults at risk, and their families, know where to go for help if they have a concern
- Using our safeguarding and child and adult protection procedures to share concerns and relevant information with agencies who need to know, and involving children, young people, adults at risk, parents, families and carers appropriately
- Using our procedures to manage any allegations against staff and volunteers appropriately
- Creating and maintaining an anti-bullying environment and ensuring that we have a policy and procedure to help us deal effectively with any bullying that does arise
- Ensuring that we have effective complaints measures in place
- Ensuring that we provide a safe physical environment for our children, young people, adults at risk, staff and volunteers, by applying health and safety measures in accordance with the law and regulatory guidance
- Building a safeguarding culture where staff and volunteers, children, young people, adults at risk, and their families, treat each other with respect and are comfortable about sharing concerns.
Safeguarding Team
Lead Safeguarding Co-ordinator: Holly Miller
Deputy Safeguarding Co-ordinator for Cambridge: Angie Campbell & Katie Campbell
Deputy Safeguarding Co-ordinator for Bury St. Edmunds: John Wilson
Deputy Safeguarding Co-ordinator for Colchester: Mandy Drew
C3 Trustee lead for safeguarding: Anna Harvey
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Cambridge local authority (Cambridgeshire)
- Tel: 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday 0345 045 5203. Out of hours Tel: 01733 234 724
- Email for Children: referralcentre.children@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
- Email for Adult: referral.centre-adults@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Bury St. Edmunds local authority (Suffolk)
- Tel: Central Telephone Number: 0300 123 2044.
- Online referral for children: https://earlyhelpportal.suffolk.gov.uk/web/portal/pages/marf
- Online referral for adults: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/care-and-support-for-adults/protecting-people-at-risk-of-abuse/report-abuse-of-an-adult/
Colchester Local Authority (Essex)
- Tel for Children: 0345 603 7627, Out of hours Tel: 0345 606 1212
- Tel for Adults: 0345 6037630
- Online referral for Children: https://www.essex.gov.uk/report-a-concern-about-a-child
- Online referral for Adults: https://www.essex.gov.uk/topic/adult-social-care-and-health
Full Safeguarding Policy
Please download the full Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy here.
Please download the template form to report abuse here.
This policy came into force in July 2023.
Need to report an allegation?
If you need to report an allegation, contact C3 immediately and we will get a designated person to get in touch with you. Please call on 01223 844415 or fill out the abuse form listed here and email to safeguarding@thec3.uk