Virtual LeadershipModule (C2/C3)

May the doors of our churches be wide enough to receive all who come seeking God and fellowship.

May the doors of our churches be narrow enough to shut out pettiness and pride, envy and enmity.

May the threshold of our churches be no stumbling block to young or frail feet.

May the threshold of our churches be too high to admit complacency and self-seeking.

May our churches be, for all who enter, a safe place and the doorway to a richer life in Christ. Amen

The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Gibbs

Bishop of Huddersfield and Lead Bishop for Safeguarding

Session 1Introduction

Session 1Learning outcomes

• Church’s mission and theology and promotion of a safe and healthy Christian culture

• Effective safeguarding leadership behaviours, values and beliefs -translating these into practice.

• Impact of abuse on survivors and responding effectively and compassionately to disclosures

• Good preventive safeguarding practice.• Ensuring key safeguarding processes and good practice are followed

by ourselves and those we lead.

Session 1Reflection and Discussion

1. What do you think of when you hear the word “safeguarding”?

2. Think about your own church/cathedral situation. What evidence would your church/cathedral point to in order to demonstrate that it understands what “good safeguarding culture and arrangements” look like?

• Recognition

• Promotion

• Prevention

• Protection

• Response

What evidence would you point to in your context?

•Tangible •Intangible

3. What are the attributes (e.g. values, beliefs, behaviours) of a “good” and effective safeguarding leader, and why do you think this? How might the values, beliefs and behaviours of a leader impact on the safeguarding culture in a church?

4. What is your understanding of the impact of abuse in a church context on victims and survivors? How does this understanding shape your leadership values, beliefs and behaviour in respect of safeguarding?

Session 1Reflection and Discussion

Session 1 A Survivor’s Perspective

Session 2 Welcome and Introduction

The Tapestry prayer

God of all hope

We give you thanks

For all things woven and for those things still to be:

Out of pain, you weave joy;

Out of our squares, you weave a tapestry;

Out of separateness, you weave a whole;

The tapestry is woven together from many lives as a symbol of hurt and hope

May everyone find a new pattern

in your mercy and love

May we share a new vision of what could be

May we open our eyes to resurrection

To love greater than fear

To hope beyond death

And to the new life which binds us together in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

The Core Group

The Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser will convene a Core Group to manage every safeguarding concern or allegation

involving a Church Officer

The core group works together and meets at intervals from the beginning of a concern or allegation being raised to the end.

Risk

CommsSupport

Safeguarding Agreements

Where someone who poses a risk to others wants to attend church the Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser carries out a risk assessment and drafts a safeguarding agreement.

This is managed by a ‘reference group’ in the parish – vicar, Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator & church wardens

Making Safeguarding PersonalNo Decision About Me, Without Me

• person-centred led

• outcome-focused

• engages the person and enhances involvement, choice and control

• improves quality of life, wellbeing and safety

Making Safeguarding Personal empowers the person to be included and have control over the process to the greatest extent possible in their circumstances

Promoting the Adult’s Voice – ‘With Not To’Every adult should:

• get help and support to report the abuse

• be asked their opinion if there are concerns

• feel listened to and taken seriously

• be given the information they need, in the way they need it

• be asked their views to directly inform next steps

• have advocacy support if they can’t do this for themselves

RECOGNISE: the principles of child safeguarding …

• protecting children from maltreatment;

• preventing impairment of children's health or development;

• ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and

• taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 defines safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as:

Empowerment –Ensure people are in control of their decision making.

Prevention – It is better to take action before harm occurs.

Proportionality –Response should be least intrusive.

Accountability –Safeguarding is everybody’s business.

Partnership – Working with communities, to prevent, detect,and report neglect and abuse.

Six Safeguarding

Principles

Protection – when working in the persons best interest, always ensure they are protected from harm as far as possible.

RECOGNISE: the principles of adult safeguarding

RECOGNISE: At Risk Adults

Safeguarding duties apply to an adult with care and support needs - due to age, illness or disability - or an

adult who lacks the capacity to make informed decisions for him/herself - e.g. due to a cognitive impairment or

substance misuse or because they are being controlled or coerced by someone else - who is experiencing or at risk of

abuse and neglect and unable to protect him/herself

The Care Act 2014 (14.2)

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Consent

1. Individual lacks the capacity to give consent

2. There is a public interest to share because others may be at risk of harm

3. There is a vital interest to share because there is an immediate risk to life

4. A crime has been or may be committed

5. An individual is unable to freely give consent due to control and coercion

6. There is a legal requirement to share (e.g. court order or law)

• Seek advice and support from your Parish Safeguarding Co-Ordinator and/or Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser – you do not need consent

• Obtain consent from an adult to make a referral to an external agency – unless:

Session 2What to do…?

RRRR

abusive or harmful situations, types of abuse, signs of abuse, grooming, your responsibilities, etc

well – listen, keep listening, keep calm, reassure, do not promise confidentiality, accept without judgement, do not investigate etc

always pass your record to your Parish Safeguarding Co-Ordinator, Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser

to your Parish Safeguarding Co-Ordinator / Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser for help and support

Recognise – Types of Abuse

Recognise

Grooming ….

…. is when a person uses the power, knowledge/‘secrets’ they have in a relationship to make or force someone do something they do not want to do or when one person gains the complete ‘friendship/trust/love’ of another person so that this person will do anything they ask without questioning or challenging them

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RESPOND: Listening to someone who is being abused

What TO DO if someone confides in you they are being abused:

• DO listen carefully and allow the person to tell their story

• ACCEPT how they feel, this is different to agreeing how they should feel or being sympathetic

• ASSURE the person they will be taken seriously

• HELP them by simply being there and listening

• PASS ON your concerns without delay

• RECORD what you have been told

RESPOND: Listening to someone who is being abused

What NOT to do if someone confides in you about abuse:

• It is NOT your role to investigate allegations

• Do NOT ask leading questions, probe for details, prompt someone or try and establish who is to blame

• Do NOT rush the person - give them the time they need

• Do NOT make judgements about whether or not you believe the person – accept without judgement

• Do NOT promise complete confidentiality even if asked

• NEVER assume that someone else will recognise and report what you have seen or heard

Session 2Recording – the 4 W’s

Who

What

When

Who

REMEMBER

Dial 999 or 101

Record It Report It Do NOT alert alleged abuser

Always involve the DSA if:

You receive safeguarding information concerning a church officer i.e.:

• all who hold the Bishop’s licence, permission or commission

• all who hold parish positions of trust

• all who work with children, young people and adults at risk of neglect and/or abuse

You receive information about an offender or someone who presents a risk to a child or an adult.

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Steph Haynes – concerns Bishop’s Safeguarding Adviser

Claire Wesley – policy, safe practice, safeguarding reviews,

development & training

Sarah Rose – concerns & safer recruitment

Peter Cozens – training support

Laura Rutherford - training

07342 993844stephh@cofebirmingham.com

0121 426 0432clairew@cofebirmingham.com

0121 426 0407sarahr@cofebirmingham.com

0121 426 0429peterc@cofebirmingham.com

07747 246858laurar@cofebirmingham.com

3 steps to simpler parish safeguarding …

1. Follow the Parish Safeguarding Handbook

2. Check local procedures in Birmingham’s Supplement

3. At a glance safeguarding on your Parish Dashboard

Who’s Who in your Parish?

Parish Safeguarding Co-Ordinator

Parish Domestic Violence Contact

Parish Identity Verifier (DBS)

Resources for parishes..

Pocket Guides

’

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Safer practice leaflets for leaders & helpers

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Abuse thrives in secrecy –

be open and transparent in everything

you do

Be accountable

– to the Church Council,

colleagues and people who attend your

activity

Risk assess every

activity to prevent

significant harm

Reviewregularly –

we can learn a lot

from something that hasn’t

gone to plan

Working Safely

There is more safeguarding information for parishes on our website

www.cofebirmingham.com/info-for-parishes/safeguarding/

Serious Incident Reporting

A safeguarding serious incident is an adverse event, whether actual or alleged, which results in or risks significant harm to the charity’s beneficiaries, employees, office holders, volunteers or to others who come into contact with the charity through its work. This includes where there are allegations or incidents of abuse of or risks to beneficiaries or others connected with the charity’s activities. What is considered to be “significant” is a matter for the trustees to determine, as it will depend on the context of the charity, taking into account its operations, staff, finances and reputation

Practical Guidance: How to make a Safeguarding Serious Incident report to the Charity Commission, 2019, Page 2.

Session 2Closing remarks

The Right Revd Debbie Sellin

Bishop of Southampton and Deputy Lead Bishop for Safeguarding

Session 2Promoting a Safer Church - House of Bishops Policy statement

2017• Practice Guidance:

• Key roles and responsibilities of church office holders and bodies 2017

• Responding well to Domestic Abuse 2017

• Responding to safeguarding concerns or allegations that relate to children, young people and vulnerableadults 2018

• Responding to, assessing and managing concerns or allegations against church officers

• Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused

• Safer Recruitment

• Due Regard

• Training and Development

• Safeguarding Records

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/safeguarding/policy-practice-guidance