Parish of Nuthurst and Mannings Heath

Policy on the Safeguarding of Children and Adults in the Church

This statement was adopted by the Parochial Church Council of Nuthurst and Mannings Heath at a Parochial Church Council meeting held on 6 November 2019. This policy will be reviewed each year to monitor the progress which has been achieved.

1. We recognize that everyone has different levels of vulnerability and that each of us may be regarded as vulnerable at some time in our lives.
2. As members of this parish we commit ourselves to respectful pastoral care for all children and adults to whom we minister.
3. We commit ourselves to the safeguarding of people who may be vulnerable, ensuring their well-being in the life of this church.
4. We commit ourselves to promoting safe practice by those in positions of trust.
5. The parish commits itself to promoting the inclusion and empowerment of people who may be vulnerable.
6. It is the responsibility of each of us to prevent the physical, emotional, sexual, financial and spiritual abuse of vulnerable people and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.
7. We undertake to exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of those who will work with people who may be vulnerable.
8. The parish is committed to supporting, resourcing, training and regularly reviewing those who undertake work amongst people who may be vulnerable.
9. The parish adopts the guidelines of the Church of England and the Diocese.
10. Each person who works with vulnerable people will agree to abide by these recommendations and the guidelines established by this church.

This church appoints Rob Petts to represent the concerns and views of vulnerable people at our meetingsand to outside bodies, as the Parish Safeguarding Officer.

Rob Petts, Parish Safeguarding Officer

Contact telephone number 07944 132227

Safeguarding Contact Details

If you have any concerns, and wish to speak to someone privately, you may find

the details below helpful.

Children and Young People

Childline (0800 1111, childline.org.uk) is the most obvious resource and a very important one to make available to children, young people, parents and carers. As well as posters and other resources, please make your young people aware of the ‘For Me’ smartphone app which gives a huge amount of advice and support to young people.

Kidscape(kidscape.org.uk) is also an important resource that focuses on the issue of bullying. It provides very useful information for young people, parents, carers and those who work with young people.

Thinkyouknow (thinkyouknow.co.uk) is a website that provides excellent advice and resources for children and young people.

The phone number to call if you are worried about a child in West Sussex is 01403 229 900, or 033 022 26664 for out-of-hours calls.

Adults

The phone number to call if you are worried about an adult in West Sussex is 01243 642 121 (office and out-of-hours).

Email Nuthurst.Safeguarding@outlook.com

Signed: Incumbent – Rev’d Sally Mitchell Rev.sallym.stacogsnmh@gmail.com

Churchwardens- Peter Swift and Peter Bradley nuthurst.manningsheath@gmail.com

Date 14th October 2022

• If you are a child and you need to talk to someone about things that are happening to you that you don’t like, please click on this link to talk to someone about it, or telephone Childline on 0800 1111

• If you are an adult and you need to access support about something that is happening to you, please click on this link to find out how you can do that. Scroll down to find links to various support organisations for you to contact.

• If you need to contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, please click on this link.

• If you need to report a safeguarding concern to the statutory authorities in Sussex, please click on this link, click on the option on the left that most describes the situation you are concerned about, and follow the advice and further links you find there. Please remember to contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team as well once you have contacted the statutory authorities.