Safeguarding Policy

Our commitment

We are an Arabic evangelical Baptist church in Liverpool, and we believe that every person is created in the image of God and has dignity and worth. We are therefore committed to providing a safe and loving environment in which every child, young person and adult is respected and protected from harm, abuse and neglect.

The safety of children and adults at risk is the responsibility of everyone in the church, not of one person alone. We take every concern raised seriously, we work with the relevant statutory agencies, we never handle abuse on our own without involving them, and we never cover it up to protect anyone's reputation.

But Jesus said, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these.”

Matthew 19:14

Scope of this policy

This policy applies to every activity organised by the church or carried out in its name, whether at our meeting place, anywhere else or online. It covers:

• Children and young people: anyone under the age of eighteen.
• Adults at risk: anyone aged eighteen or over who may need care or support and, as a result, is unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.
• Everyone who serves in the church: the pastor, the leadership, volunteers and anyone who takes on a responsibility, even just once.

We recognise that harm can take many forms, including physical, emotional or sexual abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, domestic abuse, spiritual abuse, and harmful practices such as forced marriage and child marriage. Harm can come from anyone, including family members or people who are known and trusted.

The principles we work by

• Safety first: the safety and wellbeing of the child or adult at risk come before any other consideration.
• Listening and respect: we listen to children and adults at risk, take what they say seriously, and respect their dignity and their views.
• Working with statutory agencies: we work with social services, the police and the relevant agencies, and follow their guidance.
• Prevention: we work to prevent harm before it happens, through safer recruitment, a clear code of conduct and training.
• Transparency and accountability: no one in the church is above accountability, whatever their role or standing.
• Fairness and equality: we apply this policy equally to everyone, regardless of background, religion, culture, sex or disability.
• Care for all: we offer pastoral support to anyone who has been harmed, and we respond responsibly to anyone suspected of causing harm, without putting anyone at risk.

We are committed to following the statutory guidance in force in England and Liverpool's local safeguarding procedures, and we can seek specialist advice from thirtyone:eight, the Christian safeguarding charity, when needed.

Roles and responsibilities

Church leadership

The church leadership holds overall responsibility for safeguarding: adopting and reviewing this policy, appointing a safeguarding lead, and making sure that those who serve know their responsibilities and receive appropriate training.

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The church leadership will appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead, ideally with a deputy. Their name will be published here once the appointment is confirmed. Their duties are to:

• receive any safeguarding concern, assess it and refer it to the statutory agencies where necessary;
• keep accurate and secure records;
• make sure safer recruitment and volunteering procedures are followed;
• arrange safeguarding training for those who serve;
• seek advice from specialist bodies when needed.

Until the Safeguarding Lead's name is published, you can contact us through the church's usual channels: by phone on +44 7749 742235, on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab), or via our contact page, and we will pass your concern on to the person responsible.

Everyone who serves in the church

Everyone who serves, and every volunteer, must read and follow this policy, watch out for signs of harm, and report any concern without delay. You don't need to be certain before you speak up; having a concern is enough.

Safer recruitment and volunteering

We apply safer recruitment principles to everyone asked to serve with children, young people or adults at risk, whether they are volunteers or not:

• A clear role description: everyone who serves knows what is expected of them and the limits of their role.
• A written application and a personal meeting: we get to know the applicant and talk with them about the role and their commitment to this policy.
• References: we ask for at least two references from people who know the applicant and are not relatives.
• DBS check: we ask for a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service at the level appropriate to the role, where this is required or permitted.
• A period of getting to know each other: no one is asked to serve with children until they have been attending with us long enough for church members to know them.
• Training and supervision: those who serve receive safeguarding training when they start and at regular intervals, and they work under the supervision of a responsible leader.

Code of conduct

These are the main rules followed by everyone who serves with children, young people or adults at risk:

• We treat everyone with respect and kindness, and never use physical punishment, humiliation or intimidation.
• We avoid being alone with a child in a closed room or out of sight; instead, we work in groups or with another adult present.
• We keep enough adults with the children at every activity.
• We respect physical boundaries and privacy, and never make inappropriate physical contact.
• We never promise complete confidentiality to a child or adult at risk, because their safety may require us to tell someone who can help.
• We never use spiritual or leadership authority to pressure or control anyone; spiritual abuse is real harm.
• After an activity, children are handed over only to their parents or to the person their parents have named.
• We report any incident, injury or worrying behaviour to the Safeguarding Lead (or to the church leadership until their name is published), and we record it.

Online safety and photographs

• Consent for photographs: we only take or publish photos or videos of children with the consent of a parent or guardian, and we respect the wishes of any adult who does not want to appear in photos.
• Protecting identity: we never publish children's full names, or any information that could show where they can be found, alongside their photos.
• Digital communication: we communicate with children through their parents, and with young people through channels known to the church leadership that include more than one adult, never through secret private messages.
• Online activities: the same code of conduct applies to any online meeting or group organised by the church.
• Personal data: we handle personal information in line with our privacy policy.

If someone tells you they are being harmed

If a child, young person or adult tells you that they are being harmed, or that they were harmed in the past, these are the steps we follow:

1. Listen calmly

   Stay calm, listen carefully and believe what they tell you. Let them know they were right to tell you, and that what happened is not their fault.

2. Don't investigate it yourself

   Don't ask leading questions, don't press for details, and don't confront the person suspected. Investigation is a matter for the statutory agencies alone.

3. Be honest about confidentiality

   Don't promise to keep it a secret. Gently explain that you will tell someone who can help keep them safe.

4. Write down what you heard

   As soon as you can, write down what was said, in the person's own words as far as possible, with the date and time, and sign what you have written. Record facts, not conclusions.

5. Report it without delay

   Tell the Safeguarding Lead (or the church leadership, using the contact details below, until their name is published) the same day. If there is immediate danger, call 999 first. If the concern is about the Safeguarding Lead or a member of the church leadership, contact the statutory agencies or thirtyone:eight (listed below) directly.

How to report a concern

If you are worried about the safety of a child or adult, whether in the church or elsewhere, you can contact the church or any of the following organisations directly. You don't need anyone's permission to contact them.

In an emergency

If someone is in immediate danger, or a crime has just happened, call the police on 999.

Police non-emergency

To report something that does not need an immediate response, call 101.

Liverpool City Council social care

To raise a concern with children's or adult social care about someone living in Liverpool, call 0151 459 2606. You can also report it through the council's official website:

• Report a child at risk — Liverpool City Council website (opens in a new tab)
• Report an adult at risk — Liverpool City Council website (opens in a new tab)

If the person lives outside Liverpool, contact the local council for the area where they live.

NSPCC Helpline

For adults worried about a child: you'll find the helpline number and other ways to get in touch on the official NSPCC website (opens in a new tab).

Childline for children and young people

If you are a child or young person and need to talk to someone, contact Childline; you'll find their number and other ways to get in touch on the official Childline website (opens in a new tab).

thirtyone:eight

A UK Christian charity that specialises in safeguarding in churches and communities; it is independent of our church. You can call their helpline on 0303 003 1111 for advice, especially if your concern is about the church itself or one of its leaders. thirtyone:eight Safeguarding Helpline page (opens in a new tab).

Contacting the church

You can tell us about your concern by phone on +44 7749 742235, on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab), or through our contact page. We will treat what you tell us seriously and with care. Please feel free to contact the statutory agencies directly if you prefer.

Records and confidentiality

We keep safeguarding records securely and separately from any other records, and they are seen only by those who need access to them in order to protect the person concerned. We handle information discreetly and respectfully, but we share it with the statutory agencies when this is necessary to protect a child or adult from harm. We handle personal data in line with UK data protection law, as explained in our privacy policy.

Reviewing this policy

This policy is being submitted to the church leadership for formal adoption. Once adopted, it will be reviewed at least once a year, and also after any safeguarding incident or any change in statutory guidance. We will publish the date of adoption, the date of the next review and the name of the Safeguarding Lead on this page as soon as they are confirmed.

If you have a question about this policy or a suggestion for improving it, we would be glad to hear from you.