Wootton Baptist Church Child Protection Policy
What is child protection?
Child protection is the response to the different ways in which a young person’s or child’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual health are damaged by the actions of another person.
Wootton Baptist Church values young people and children as being a vital part of the organisation and desires to see them grow, mature and be challenged in a healthy and safe environment.
The nominated person for the child protection co-ordinator for Wootton Baptist Church is Ron Bowler. This has been recorded in the Deacons Meeting minutes dated Monday 2nd March 2020 and a copy of this child protection policy will be kept with the Church Secretary/Deacons Meeting Minutes. A copy of the policy will be available on request.
A photo of the co-ordinator and contact details will be displayed on the church notice board, a copy of the Child Protection Policy will be made available on request.
Purposes
The purpose of Wootton Baptist Church children and young people’s programme is to offer the children a safe and welcoming environment with fun activities where the children can grow and learn.
Aims
- To provide activities for children and young people to help them develop from childhood into adulthood and to provide support for them.
- To enable the children to express themselves.
- To assist the children in integrating into the community.
- To help children/young people appreciate the diversity of their cultures.
Organisation: Wootton Baptist Church
- Each child and young person should be formally registered within the group. The information includes an information/consent form which their parent/guardian must complete. These forms have vital information about health and emergency contacts and should be kept securely and brought to each session. (see Appendix B)
- Attendance register: a register should be kept for each session.
Child Protection Co-ordinator
Wootton Baptist Church has appointed a child protection Co-ordinator, whose name is recorded within the deacons meeting minutesdated Monday 2nd March 2020. If any leader/assistant has any child safety concerns, they should discuss them with him. He will take on the following responsibilities:
- Ensuring that the policy is being put into practice.
- Being the first point of contact for child protection issues.
- Keeping a record of any concerns expressed about child protection issues.
- Bringing any child protection concerns to the notice of the Diaconate who will take the appropriate action.
- Ensuring that everyone involved with the organisation is aware of the identity of the Child Protection Co-ordinator
The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it is meeting its aims.
Personal/Personnel Safety
- A group of children or young people under sixteen should not be left unattended at any time.
- Avoid being alone with an individual child or young person for a long time. If there is a need to be alone with a child or young person (e.g. first aid or he/she is distressed) make sure that another worker knows where you are and why.
- At no time should a volunteer or worker from any external organisation arrange to meet a young person away from the activity without someone else being there.
- As such meetings should be planned and have the approval of the Diaconate/Church Members Meeting(this must be someone other than the organiser themselves).
- Teenage assistants should always be supervised.
Child Safety
- Make sure that the area you are using for activities is fit for the purpose, e.g. remove furniture, which could cause injury in energetic games.
- Make sure that all leaders and assistants know the following.
- In an emergency make sure all leaders and assistants know how to raise the alarm should an emergency occur. Leaders mobile phones to be used to call the emergency services.
- Leaders and assistants to make sure they know where the first aid kit is kept.
- Leaders to record accidents or injuries in the incident book?
- What to do in the event of a fire or other emergency
- Once a year there should be a fire practice
- Do not let children go home without an adult unless the parent has specifically said thy may do so. Never let a child go with another adult unless the parent has informed you that this will happen.
Under normal circumstances, leaders/assistants should only give a lift home to a young person from group activities if the parents of the young person have specifically asked for them to do so. (If leaders/assistants are asked to give a young person or child a lift home, they are not obliged to do so, it is left to their discretion).
What is child protection?
What you should do
- Listen to the child/young person
- Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone
- Take whatever is said to you seriously and help the child/young person to trust his/her own feelings. Take notes of exactly what is said to you avoiding assumptions and conjecture.
- It is not the role of the leaders or assistants to investigate any allegations (this would contaminate evidence if a situation went to court). Any disclosure by a child/young person must be reported to the named child protection co-ordinator.
- Speak immediately to an appropriate organisation for further advice and guidance.
What you should not do
- Leaders and assistants should not begin investigating the matter themselves.
- Do not discuss the matter with anyone except the correct people in authority.
- Do not form your own opinions and decide to do nothing.
Things to say or do:
- ‘What you are telling me is very important’
- This is not your fault’
- ‘I am sorry that this has happened/is happening’
- ‘You were right to tell someone’
- What you are telling me should not be happening to you and I will find out the best way to help you’
- Make notes soon after the event. Try to write down exactly what the young person or child said. Avoid assumptions or conjecture.
Things not to say or do:
- Do not ask leading questions – Why? How? What?
- Do not say ‘Are you sure?’
- Do not show your own emotions e.g. shock/disbelief
- Do not make false promises
Appendix A
List of Addresses, Telephone numbers
Appendix B
Suggested Record Form to be formulated.
This policy was adopted by Wootton Baptist Church on …………….
Signed on behalf of Wootton Baptist Church by:
Signature…………………………………………….
Name in Capitals……………………………………
The policy has been reviewed by Wootton Baptist Church Members Meeting on:
Date………………….
