Mow Cop Community Church Child and Adult Protection Statement

Mow Cop Community Church regards the protection and safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults and good working practice as a priority. In the interests of the safety and well being of all it has developed and operates a formal safeguarding policy, which is registered with the 31:8 and the local authority (Cheshire East).

The place of worship/organisation is committed to ensuring that everyone working with children or young people:

• has been safely recruited,
• is adequately trained and supervised,
• understands and follows the place of worship/organisations safeguarding policy.

As part of this place of worship’s/organisation’s commitment to children, young people and vulnerable adults it has appointed Georgina Coster as Safeguarding Co-ordinator and Teresa Mason as Deputy Safeguarding Co-ordinator. All the children and young people and vulnerable adults involved in activities within the church know who they are and how they can be contacted.

Should the place of worship/organisation have any safeguarding concerns it will seek the advice of the 31:8 and if appropriate contact the statutory authorities.

Mow Cop Community Church

• This place of worship/organisation is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and ensuring their well-being.
• We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent the physical, sexual, psychological, financial and discriminatory abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.
• We recognise that the personal dignity and rights of vulnerable adults and will ensure all our policies and procedures will reflect this.
• We believe all adults should enjoy and have access to every aspect of the life of the place of worship/organisation.
• We undertake to exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of those who will work with children and vulnerable adults.
• We believe every child should be valued, safe and happy. We want to make sure that children we have contact with know this and are empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.

We are committed to:

• Following specialist guidelines in relation to safeguarding children and adults and will ensure that as a place of worship/organisation all workers will work within the agreed procedure of our safeguarding policy.
• Implementing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 and all other relevant legislation.
• Supporting, resourcing and training those who undertake this work.
• Ensuring that we are keeping up to date with national and local developments relating to safeguarding.
• Ensuring that everyone agrees to abide by these recommendations and the guidelines established by this place of worship/organisation.
• Supporting all in the place of worship/organisation affected by abuse.

We recognise:

• Children’s Social Services has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child. Adult Social Care has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a vulnerable adult.
• Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

We will review this statement and our policy every 3 years.

If you have any concerns for a child or vulnerable adult or in relation to any safeguarding matter then please speak to one of the Safeguarding Co-ordinators.

This document is an abridged version of our policy, designed for our website.  The full safeguarding policy may be viewed and/or a copy obtained from the office at Mow Cop Community Church, Top Station Road, Mow Cop, Stoke on Trent, ST7 3NY.