SAFEGUARDING NEWS

SAFEGUARDING MATTERS NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2017

Welcome to the new edition of the Safeguarding Matters Newsletter. For all those of you who I have not had the opportunity to meet or talk to yet, I am the new Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Sharon Hassall. I took over the role from Kaley Vaughton in October 2016. I am a qualified social worker with thirty years’ experience in the safeguarding arena within social care, education and the voluntary sector. I am most grateful for the very warm welcome I have received from all I have met within the Diocese and I very much look forward to meeting and getting to know many more of you in the coming months.

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel

The Diocesan Safeguarding Management Group has been replaced by a Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel which meets three to four times a year. Bishop Julian appointed an Independent Chair, Simon Bass, for the panel in November 2016. Simon Bass brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is the Director of a Church Safeguarding Consultancy and is the previous Chief Executive of the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service. The role of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel is to:

Be accountable to the Bishop of Blackburn, offering external expertise and advice to the Diocesan Bishop and their senior leadership team on the development and effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements to ensure these arrangements are consistent with statutory requirements and House of Bishops safeguarding policies and practice guidance.

Be responsible for ensuring that the Diocese has: adequate policy and procedures for safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults; mechanisms for monitoring, auditing and reviewing the implementation of safeguarding; monitoring and reviewing safeguarding training and sharing relevant learning from case management.

Provide a reference to, and scrutiny of, the Diocese’s safeguarding priorities, approach, development and effectiveness of the implementation of national policy, practice guidance and other national initiatives.

Offer external expertise and engage a range of perspectives within the statutory, voluntary and faith sectors and survivors in the development of the Church’s safeguarding arrangements.

Advise on the development of and scrutiny of draft safeguarding policy and practice guidance prior to final approval by Diocesan Synod.

Vacancy for Parish Safeguarding Officer Representative

There is a vacancy on the panel for a Parish Safeguarding Officer. If you are interested in this position, please send an expression of interest with details of your experience and why you think you would be a good candidate for the role to Julie.grimshaw@blackburn.anglican.org

New Training

This year’s safeguarding training programme is a new programme developed by the Church of England National Safeguarding Team after wide consultation. It is required of all Dioceses, Cathedrals, Religious Institutions, and Theological Education Institutes to help ensure that the standard and content of safeguarding training delivered is consistent across the Church of England. It means that you will need to look carefully to see which of the modules you are required, or recommended to attend. It also means that if you have completed a module in one Diocese you won’t have to repeat the module in another should you move, unless you need to refresh your learning. It also means that the modules in this training programme are the only ones authorised by the Church of England. So, if you do any other safeguarding training that’s fine, but it can’t be substituted for training modules in this programme.

New Modules

S1 Safer Recruitment Explores the scope of safer recruitment procedures in the church context for all paid staff and volunteers with children and adults	Those with responsibility for administering DBS Clergy and those with recruitment responsibilities (for example designated members of PCCs or members of staff who regularly sit on interview panels) Senior staff11 where they are involved in recruitment Diocesan/Parish/Cathedral Safeguarding Officers Safeguarding Leads on PCC/within Religious Communities/within TEIs	Anyone involved in the recruitment of church officers, paid and unpaid, ordained and lay.

The Gospel, Sexual Abuse and The Church: Theological Resource

The Gospel, Sexual Abuse and The Church: Theological Resource

The Gospel, Sexual Abuse and the Church: A Theological Resource for the Local Church was released by Church House Publishing in June 2016. Produced by the Faith and Order Commission in response to a request from the lead bishop for safeguarding, it was approved for publication and commended for study by the House of Bishops. To access an electronic copy of the report, please click below

http://www.blackburn.anglican.org/images/theologicalresourcefaocweb.pdf

For formation about ordering printed copies, go to the Church House Publishing website.

This Powerful Poem Was Written By A Survivor of Abuse

(www.christiansurvivors.com)

Don't tell me that you understand,

Don't tell me that you know.

Don't tell me that I will survive,

How I will surely grow.

Don't tell me this is just a test,

That I am truly blessed.

That I am chosen for the task,

Apart from all the rest.

Don't come at me with answers

That can only come from me,

Don't tell me how my grief will pass,

That I will soon be free.

Don't stand in pious judgment

Of the bonds I must untie,

Don't tell me how to grieve,

Don't tell me when to cry.

My life is filled with selfishness,

My pain is all I see,

But I need you and your love ...

Unconditionally.

Accept me in my ups and downs,

I need someone to share,

Just hold my hand and let me cry,

And say, "My friend, I care."

(Anonymous)