In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy, our hub and church is committed to:

• promoting a safer environment and culture

• safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church

• responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation

• caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons

• caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons

• responding to those who may pose a present risk to others.

• create a safe and caring place for all

• have a named Safeguarding Officer (SO) to work with the Incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures

• safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse

• ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish

• display on premises and on the St Margaret Hub website the details of whom to contact with safeguarding concerns or support needs

• listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse

Last Updated: July 2021

• take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises.

• offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of

the type of abuse, when or where it occurred

• care for and monitor any member of the community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties

• ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually

• review the implementation of the Safeguarding

Policy, Procedures and Practice at least annually.

Each person who works within this community hub will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by St Margaret Hub.

We are committed to promoting and supporting environments which:

● are youth-friendly and child-friendly and nurture their positive development

● enable children and young people to be active contributors to the St Margaret Hub community

● protect children and young people from actual or potential harm

● enable and encourage concerns to be raised and responded to openly and consistently.

We recognise that:

● the welfare of the child or young person is paramount

● all children (regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity) have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

● abuse of children can occur in all communities and is most likely to occur within families and by people known to the child

● working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by:

In all our activities -

● valuing, listening to and respecting children and young people

● fostering and encouraging best practice by setting standards for working with children and young people, in co-operation with statutory bodies, voluntary agencies and other faith communities In our recruitment of paid staff and volunteers, following Diocesan procedures in -

● ensuring careful selection and recruitment of ordained and lay ministers as appropriate, voluntary workers, and paid workers with children and young people, in line with safer recruitment principles and checks

● providing supervision, support and training

In our publicity -

● sharing information about good safeguarding practice with children, parents, and all those working with them

2/2 Policy for Safeguarding Children

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When concerns are raised, following Diocesan procedures in -

● responding without delay to every concern raised that a child or young person may have been harmed, or be at risk from harm; or about the behaviour of an adult or child

● working with the diocese and appropriate statutory bodies during an investigation into child abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the community

● challenging any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust

In our care -

● ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse

● ensuring, in partnership with the diocese and other agencies, that care and supervision is provided for any member of our community known to have offended against a child or young person, or to pose a risk to them.

Electronic/Digital Safety

● Ensure all electronic communications are appropriate and professional.

● If using electronic technology as a group activity ensure that an adult worker knows and understands what is happening within the group.

● Do not make any relationship with a child (other than family members) through a social networking site.

● Maintain a log of all electronic contact with individuals or groups including messaging and texting.

We are committed to promoting and supporting environments which:

• ensure that all people feel welcomed, respected and safe from abuse

• encourage adults who may be vulnerable to lead as independent a life as possible, to choose how to lead their life, and to be active contributors to the community

• protect adults who may be vulnerable from actual or potential harm

• enable and encourage concerns to be raised and responded to openly and consistently.

We recognise that:

• everyone has different levels of vulnerability, and that each of us may be regarded as vulnerable at some time in our lives

• all adults who may be vulnerable (regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity) have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

• abuse of adults who may be vulnerable can occur in all communities and is most likely to occur within families and by people known to them

• working in partnership with adults who may be vulnerable, their carers and other agencies is essential in promoting their welfare

• that it is the responsibility of each of us to prevent the physical, emotional, sexual, financial, spiritual abuse of vulnerable people and report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.

Policy for Safeguarding Adults who may be vulnerable

Last Updated: July 2021

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We will endeavour to safeguard adults who may be vulnerable by:

In all our activities -

• valuing, listening to and respecting adults who may be vulnerable

• fostering and encouraging best practice by setting standards for working with adults who may be vulnerable, and boundaries for acceptable behaviour, in co-operation with statutory bodies, voluntary agencies and other faith communities In our recruitment of paid staff and volunteers, following Diocesan procedures

in -

• ensuring careful selection and recruitment of ordained and lay ministers as appropriate, voluntary workers, and paid workers with adults who may be vulnerable, in line with safer recruitment principles and checks

• providing supervision, support and training In our publicity

• sharing information about good safeguarding practice with adults who may be vulnerable, their carers, and all those working with them. When concerns are raised, following Diocesan procedures in -

• responding without delay to every concern raised that a adult who may be vulnerable may have been harmed, or be at risk from harm, through abuse, harassment or bullying; or about the behaviour of an adult or child

• working with the diocese and the appropriate statutory bodies during an investigation into abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the community.

Policy for Safeguarding Adults who may be vulnerable

Last Updated: July 2021

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• challenging any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust In our care.

• ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any vulnerable adult who has suffered abuse, including support to make a complaint if so desired.

• ensuring, in partnership with the diocese and other agencies, that care and supervision is provided for any member of our church community known to have offended against a vulnerable adult, or to pose a risk to them.

We are committed to reviewing our policy and procedures annually.

We are committed to promoting and supporting environments which:

● ensure that all people feel welcomed, respected and safe from abuse

● protect those vulnerable to domestic abuse from actual or potential harm

● recognise equality amongst people and within relationships

● enable and encourage concerns to be raised and responded to openly and consistently.

We recognise that:

● all forms of domestic abuse cause damage to the survivor and express an imbalance of power in the relationship

● all survivors (regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity) have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse

● domestic abuse can occur in all communities

● domestic abuse may be a single incident, but is usually a systematic, repeated pattern which escalates in severity and frequency

● domestic abuse, if witnessed or overheard by a child, is a form of child abuse by the perpetrator of the abusive behaviour

● working in partnership with children, adults and other agencies is essential in promoting the welfare of any child or adult suffering abuse.

We will endeavour to respond to domestic abuse by:

In all our activities -

● valuing, listening to and respecting both survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse

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Policy for Responding to Domestic Abuse

Last Updated: June 2021

In our publicity

● raising awareness about other agencies, support services, resources and expertise, through providing information in public areas of relevance to survivors, children and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

When concerns are raised:

● ensuring that those who have experienced abuse can find safety and informed help

● working with the appropriate statutory bodies during an investigation into domestic abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the community

In our care

● ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse

● identifying and outlining the appropriate relationship of those with pastoral care responsibilities with both survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse.

We are committed to reviewing our policy and procedures annually.

St Margaret the Queen hub and Church is committed to providing a safe working environment as far as reasonably practical that meets the needs of its staff and conforms to Health & Safety legislation.

Definition of lone working Individuals are alone at work when they are on their own, they cannot be seen or heard by another worker, and/or where assistance is not readily available.

Aims of the policy:

The aims of the policy are to:

● Increase awareness of safety issues relating to lone working

● Ensure that the risks of lone working are assessed regularly and that systems are put in place to minimise the risk as far as is practical.

Office based staff

● Ensure that the organisation holds up to date mobile phone numbers for all staff.

● If there is a change to a member of staff’s day, they must inform the office so that if a member of staff does not arrive a phone call will be made to contact that person.

● When leaving the office to meet clients always record in diary or tell office team the estimated time of return.

● When working out of their regular hours staff member should text a named person to let them know they have left the building.

● All individuals are to take relevant and sensible precautionary measures whilst lone working. If a member of staff feels they are putting themselves at risk through lone working they should discuss the situation with their line manager.

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Policy for Lone working

Last Updated: July 2021

● Working at height will not be undertaken when working alone and must comply with health & safety provisions for the use of ladders & scaffold towers.

● Staff must make sure that external doors are closed when lone working.

● Do not let into the building unauthorised or unannounced persons when lone working.

● Members of staff are encouraged not to handle cash when lone working.

● This policy will be reviewed every 5 years from Jan 2017. Keep yourself safe

● Do not give out personal details where possible

● Do not seek to communicate/make contact or respond to with children/young people or adults at risk outside of the purposes of the work.

We are committed to reviewing our policy and procedures annually.

Upholding the code:

All members of staff and volunteers are expected to report any breaches of this code to the St Margaret Hub (SO). Staff and volunteers who breach this code may be subject to disciplinary procedures or asked to leave their role. Serious breaches may also result in a referral being made to the relevant statutory agency.

All those working on behalf of the St Margaret Hub with children, young people and adults

must:

• treat all individuals with respect and dignity

• respect people’s rights to personal privacy

• ensure that their own language, tone of voice and body language are respectful

• ensure that children, young people and adults know who they can talk to about a personal concern

• record and report any concerns about a child, young person or adult and/or the behaviour of another worker with their activity leader and/or the SO. All written records should be signed and dated

• obtain written consent for any photographs or videos to be taken, shown, displayed or stored.

In addition, those working with children and young people must:

• always aim to work with or within sight of another adult

• ensure another adult is informed if a child needs to be taken to the toilet

• respond warmly to a child who needs comforting but make sure there are other adults around

• ensure that the child and parents are aware of any activity that requires physical contact and of its nature before the activity takes place.

Policy for Safeguarding Children

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All those working on behalf of St Margaret Hub with children, young people and adults must not:

• use any form of physical punishment

• be sexually suggestive about or to an individual

• scapegoat, ridicule or reject an individual or group

• permit abusive peer activities, for example initiation ceremonies, ridiculing or bullying

• show favouritism to any one individual or group

• allow an individual to involve them in excessive attention-seeking

• allow unknown adults access to children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable. Visitors should always be accompanied by an approved person

• allow strangers to give lifts to children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable in the group

• befriend children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable on social media take photographs on personal phones or cameras as this means that images are stored on personal devices. In addition, for children and young people, you must not:

• give lifts to children you are supervising, on their own or your own (unless there are exceptional circumstances, for example in an emergency for medical reasons or where parents fail to collect a child and no other arrangements can be made to take a child home. In such situations, the circumstances and your decision must be recorded and shared with an appropriate person at the earliest opportunity)

• smoke or drink alcohol in the presence of children and young people

• arrange social occasions with children and young people (other than events which also include family members/carers) outside organised group occasions.

Acceptable touch Sympathetic attention, encouragement and appropriate physical contact are needed by children and adults. Some physical contact with children, particularly younger children, can be wholly appropriate. However, abusers can use touch that appears safe to ‘normalise’ physical contact which then becomes abusive. As a general rule, the use of touch between adults in positions of responsibility and those with whom they are working or volunteering should be initiated by the person themselves, and kept to the minimum.

St Margaret Hub Policy for Safeguarding Children

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In addition to this, always follow the guidelines below:

• ask permission before you touch someone

• allow the other person to determine the degree of touch except in exceptional circumstances (for example, when they need medical attention)

• avoid any physical contact that is or could be construed as sexual, abusive or offensive

• keep everything public. A hug in the context of a group is very different from a hug behind closed doors, touch should be in response to a person’s needs and not related to the worker’s needs. Touch should be age-appropriate, welcome and generally initiated by the child, not the

1. Leaders

• Young people should be supervised by a leader at all times

• At least 2 leaders need to be present before the first young person arrives and after the last young person leaves

• Leaders under 18 shouldn’t have responsibility for a group or activity on their own

– older leaders watch out for this

• All regular leaders will be DBS checked and be recruited through the diocese Safer Recruitment process.

2. Risk assessment

• The overall leader will check for risks before each session, but all leaders have a responsibility to minimise hazards

• Hazards to look out for:

– Obstructions (particularly of fire escapes)

– Things that can be tripped over e.g. wires

– Sharp objects

– Items stored at height that could fall

– Electrocution

– Poor lighting

3. Contact details

• All young people have to register in and out

• We must have a registration form for all young people signed by their parents.

– If the above isn’t possible, ask the young person if their parent knows they are at the youth club and ask their parent to complete the online form before next week.

• All leaders need to be able to contact other leaders, particularly the overall leader, during the sessions - make sure you have their mobile phone number

4. Electronic contact

• Don’t give your personal contact details to young people, except through communicating within the youth groups chat groups.

• Do not follow young people on Social Media

5. Photos & videos will only be stored with permission and on a private, secure device.

Last Reviewed: 01 March 2022

• Only store photos on the authorised St Margaret Hub Google Drive cloud storage.

• Discourage young people from taking photos or videos

6. Touch

• Only when appropriate and sensitive to the young person’s needs

• Only with other people present

• Only appropriate places- e.g. shoulder

• Don’t be rejecting but don’t be encouraging

• Only use physical restraint as a last resort

• Don’t be alone with a young person

7. Fighting

• If a fight breaks out, call the overall leader

• Get all the other young people out of the room – their safety is important

• First try talking to them calmly

• Only use physical restraint as a last resort

8. Behaviour policy

In brief, there are 4 stages:

• Verbal Warning (if no further discipline is needed during that session, then it is

forgotten about)

• Yellow Warning (given if behaviour doesn’t improve, stays on record for 2 weeks of

attendance)

• Orange Warning (given if they are on Yellow warning, but further discipline is

needed. Parents are called. Stays on record for 2 weeks of attendance)

• Red Warning (given if behaviour still doesn’t improve. Banned for at least one week or more, on case by case)

9. First aid

• Be aware of young people on medication e.g. asthma pumps

• Report any incident to overall leader and qualified first aider

• First aid kit is located in the St Margaret kitchen and office.

• Don’t administer medication yourself (e.g. headache pills)

• In an emergency situation:

– 1 leader clear other young people out of the room

– 1 leader stay with injured young person

– 1 leader call ambulance

Last Reviewed: 01 March 2022

10. Fire

• Fire extinguishers and fire escapes are located in every room – familiarise yourself

with these

• Meeting point is located in Faygate Rd, outside the hub.

• If fire alarm sounds:

– Evacuate your room

– Overall leader will check all the rooms

– Leader on door take register and register young people at the meeting point

– Overall leader will call the Fire Brigade

11. Safeguarding incidents

• You have a duty to report any information of a young person at risk of harm to the overall leader

• Overall leader is responsible for reporting to the Safeguarding Officer (Vanessa Harry)

• The Safeguarding Officer is experienced and trained in this area and will always act in the best interest of the young person

• If a young person wants to talk to you quietly, go to a corner of a busy room

• When speaking to young person:

– Don’t promise secrecy

– Take it seriously

– Don’t judge

– Ask open questions

– Tell them the next step you’re going to take

– Don’t gossip

– Don’t attempt to investigate yourself

• Write down description of incidents immediately.