Appointments for 2018
It's that time of year when local and area meetings make new appointments for year or triennium ahead. We expect each Area Meeting to have:
* a lead Trustee for safeguarding matters
* an Area Meeting safeguarding co-ordinator (some AMs choose also to have a deputy)
* safeguarding reps in some local meetings
* local meeting clerks and assistant clerks who are de facto appointed as verifiers for DBS/PVG for that locality
* area meeting clerks and assistant clerks who are de facto verifiers for DBS/PVG for that area
If you wish to appoint additional verifiers do let us know.
Details of ALL NEW APPOINTMENTS should be sent to updates@:quaker.org.uk so that we can ensure we circulate the e-newsletter etc. to the first 3 cohorts and can alert our DVBS/PVG provider of those in the 4th and 5th cohorts. It is helpful if you can send the appointments together with details of who you are replacing and the length of service.  This helps ensure our database is up to date. We expect our main interactions to be with AM Safeguarding Co-ordinators.


Who do I contact?
Neil and Gill are here to support you with safeguarding matters - however, for technical or procedural guidance or best practice guidelines for documents do contact CCPAS. Your annual membership fee gives you direct access to teams of professional staff who work on safeguarding matters every day of the week. If you have a question about DBS/PVG processes do contact Neil (020 7663 xxxx). If you want to talk about a situation in a local meeting please contact your Area Meeting Safegaurding Co-ordinator.  They may then contact Gill (020 7663 1017).  Both of us can be reached by email safe@quaker.org.uk

 

CCPAS subscriptions CCPAS want to let us know about some important changes to their membership subscription. "This year we mark 40 years of providing our unique services and support.  Over that time we have seen some big changes and some incredibly encouraging signs of how churches and other organisations are embedding good safeguarding practice and responding appropriately when  situations arise.  However, there is still much more that needs to be done."   CCPAS say they have been "reviewing the support we offer, and from 1st September 2017, we will be increasing the annual subscription to £120.  The subscription has remained the same since 2007 despite rising costs over the last ten years, and setting membership to the equivalent of £10 a month means we can continue to offer exceptional value for money, whilst allowing us to meet the increase in demand for our services. As the only independent Christian safeguarding charity in the UK, we want to continue to be there for the thousands of organisations that turn to us for support and remain committed to ensuring that finances are not a barrier to getting our help. If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, please call Liz or Cheri in our Membership team on 0303 003 11 11 (option5). Otherwise, you don’t need to do anything, as the new amount will be automatically reflected in your next Direct Debit renewal notification."

This Check-List is to be worked through by the Area Meeting Safeguarding Coordinator [in liaison with the Local Meeting Safeguarding rep], adding subsequent pages to create a rolling record of information, and of actions taken.
All Friends involved must report back to the Safeguarding Friend, who will coordinate everything to prevent omission and/or overlap; and at the same time the need for care for the carers must not be overlooked.
We need always to remember that everything we do is in the spiritual and social context of being Quakers. A. Formalities
1. What is the name of the Friend reporting Abuse or Harassment (the 'central Friend') Telephone Number E-mail address
2. Has an Initial Disclosure Reporting Form been completed - and if not why not?
3. Statutory Services involvement - If the alleged perpetrator holds a formal appointed role for the Area Meeting or Local Meeting the matter must be reported to the police. The name of the victim can be removed from this reporting.
Generally, if both alleged perpetrator and victim are not office holders it is up to the victim whether they want statutory services involved;
However, where the alleged perpetrator is a vulnerable adult then the AM Safeguarding Co-ordinator (or deputy) must contact the alleged perpetrator's social worker (or adult social services) - but without naming the victim (for anonymity) - unless social services asks for identification to carry out an investigation.
NB. CCPAS may be contacted for advice on their 24/7 helpline - via 0303 003 11 11.
Has consideration been given to involving any of the Statutory Services or other legal procedures?
If so, which Service/s, or legal procedures?
Was this as requested by the reporting Friend? If not, please explain.
If no Statutory Services have been contacted or legal procedures started, explain why.
B. Pastoral and Spiritual Support, and Communication within the Meeting
1. Emotional and Practical Support The central Friend, who is central to this whole process, needs to feel heard, believed and accepted by Friends, and taken seriously. Initially, a 'listening visit' by two Friends needs to be arranged as soon as possible - i.e. within 24 / 48 hours. Which Friend/s have made / will be making an initial listening visit to the central Friend? Have subsequent visits been planned - and if not why not? What other support and/or help has been requested by the central Friend? What measures have been put in place to protect the central Friend - including 'separating victim and alleged perpetrator'? Please describe what has been done so far in response to the central Friend's needs and what further help and support / on-going contacts are planned - when to be put in place - by whom? NB. The central Friend must be kept informed of relevant developments relating to the whole situation.
2. Spiritual Support Who is taking responsibility for speaking with the central Friend about spiritual needs? Does the central Friend feel able to attend Sunday Meeting in her/his usual way? If not, has a Meeting at Home been offered / arranged / by whom? Was any other spiritual support requested and/or offered - and if requested, has this been put in place yet / what arrangements have been made to put it in place? What on-going contacts (relating particularly to spiritual matters) have been arranged?
3. Communications within the Meeting - What arrangements have you made to liaise with Overseers / Elders / Clerks?
4. Date of First Review [two weeks from initial contact]: ​

Are elders and overseers are eligible for DBS checks? 
DBS sets the parameters over who is eligible for a check and it’s role-specific. It's unlikely that elders and overseers would be eligible for checks. One area meeting wondered if DBS was required as elders or overseers could be alone with vulnerable adults. I’m sure that’s possible but I don’t think it would ever be for regulated activity (in which case the role isn’t eligible for DBS) - pages 5-9 of this document are helpful in explaining more about regulated activity:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216900/Regulated-Activity-Adults-Dec-2012.pdf

Another area meeting thought DBS checking demonstrates acommitment to safeguarding. That’s true to the extent of being able to check those legally obliged to have one (someone running your children’s meeting for instance). For any roles where DBS isn't applicable, then here are some suggestions to show a commitment to safeguarding:

Not an easy question to answer! - this document is helpful:
http://www.sheffield.anglican.org/UserFiles/File/Safeguarding/EligibilityForDBSChecks.pdf
 

Responsibilities of trustees

In the October newsletter we shared details of the Charity Commission and a church in Manchester. This case highlights a number of important issues for the wider sector. Charities that carry out activities with children or vulnerable adults, however frequent, need to ensure that they have adequate measures in place to assess and address the risks posed. Charities that fund other organisations whose activities involve contact with children or vulnerable adults should also assure themselves that the recipient body has adequate safeguarding practices in place.

Additionally, on occasion charities may be targeted by people who abuse their position and privileges to gain access to vulnerable people or their records for inappropriate or illegal purposes. Trustees must be alert to this risk and take proactive steps to mitigate it.

Trustees are under a duty to act prudently and at all times to act exclusively in the best interests of their charity and to discharge their duties in accordance with their duty of care. It is essential that charities engaged with children or vulnerable people:

• have appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures
• ensure these policies are fully implemented and followed at all times
• ensure trustees understand their responsibilities.

Any failure by trustees to safeguard children or vulnerable adults and to manage associated risks would be of serious concern to the Charity Commission and it may consider this to be misconduct or mismanagement, or both, in the administration of the charity.

Trustees should notify the Charity Commission, police, local authority and/or the relevant regulator or statutory agency where appropriate.

We're happy to help with any questions to email safe@quaker.org.uk.