Our commitment to a safer church
Parish Safeguarding Officer Contact
Liz Ewins
A culture of safety and welfare
We have committed to promoting the best possible care for children, young people and adults who visit us, and who use services that we provide. We also want to be a place where those who have had bad experiences can feel safe and find restoration. The process we use to do this is called ‘safeguarding’, and it’s important to us because;
1) Whether you are a member, a visitor or a guest, you should feel safe and welcomed. Safeguarding ensures we have thought about how to make our buildings and activities safe, and have undertaken appropriate background checks on our volunteers and staff
2) Our volunteers need to be confident dealing with any challenge that a member, visitor or guest might bring. Safeguarding ensures we train our staff and volunteers, and that they and their group leader know what to do if you need to discuss a sensitive or difficult issue. It also ensures that we are able to evidence how our staff and volunteers kept people safe in the future.
3) We want to rebuild trust in the church. Sadly, parts of the church nationally have been places where abuse was hidden for years. By having a clear and transparent safeguarding approach, we want to show that church can be a safe and secure place.
If you have a safeguarding concern
If you have a concern about anyone connected to an activity or event we are responsible for, or if you are experiencing abuse, or have experienced abuse in the past, we are ready to hear from you.
If you have information about a safeguarding situation where a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires medical attention, call the emergency services on 999
For non urgent local safeguarding enquiries you can either email safeguarding@westchelt.org.uk or call either our lead vicar Rod Paterson on 07853 632 675 or the West Cheltenham Parish Safeguarding number on 01242 655650.
You can also contact the diocesan safeguarding team on 01452 835516 and the Gloucestershire Adult Social Care helpdesk on 01452 426868. The Diocese of Gloucester provides further information on their website, including contact details and how to report a concern via the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor.
Ex offender statement
Our local policy includes a commitment to find ways to make church accessible for anyone who has previous convictions. We ask that you contact us in advance of visiting, so that we can understand your circumstances, and agree a plan that lets you demonstrate you are complying with any legal conditions placed on you whilst also giving you a great experience of church.