Clowne Methodist Church 

Working Together with Children in the Church

As a body, Clowne Methodist Church is committed to providing a safe and caring place for children and young people to meet and enjoy activities designed specifically for them, and also to encourage membership of the Christian society as a whole.

 The Minister in Pastoral charge, the Stewards and the Church Council are responsible for maintaining a policy for safeguarding children, and the workers with children in the church, against harm or danger.  In order to ensure that they can carry out this responsibility, the following guidelines shall be adhered to: 

· The Church Council shall appoint all workers with young children.  To assist in their appointment, each worker shall complete a registration document, which will be kept by the Church Council secretary for examination by appropriate statutory bodies as necessary.

· A list of persons appointed as above will be kept available for examination at any time by anyone concerned for children’s welfare.

· Any activity organised on or off the premises shall be such as not to place any child at risk of accident or harm.

· Whenever children are involved in any activity on or off the premises, at least two adult workers should be present.  Although we welcome parents and church members at children's activities, the presence of strangers or unwanted visitors should be actively discouraged.

· Any part of the church premises used in children's activities shall remain, at all times when occupied, open and visible to workers and visitors (i.e. doors should be left open and never locked).

· Workers and children shall be made aware of information regarding the Methodist Church Policy on Safeguarding of Children, and any future changes to this policy.

· Workers with children and young people shall be encouraged to attend training classes organised by the local church, circuit or district, or by other non-Methodist bodies as appropriate. 

· The church shall be represented on circuit and district bodies that have an influence in deciding Methodist Church Policies with regard to Working with Children and Young People.

 The following guidelines are extracted from the Code of Practice drawn up by the Methodist Church and should provide a basis for safety for the children and workers in the church.

         When working with children, care must be taken to prevent any form of abuse of the children - physical, emotional or sexual

1. Workers should watch for signs of abuse. 

· Do not try to question the child. 

· Do not try to advise the child.

· Do listen to what the child has to say. 

· Do not offer confidentiality - tell the child that you must report to the circuit appointed liaison person. 

Any deviation from this could lead to failure of any legal proceedings that may subsequently become necessary.

         If any abuse occurs or is suspected, the workers should follow the locally agreed procedure for reporting and correcting the situation.

1. The circuit has appointed a lay person to act as liaison and adviser to workers and children who have any problems with abuse. 

This should be the first contact for any abuse or suspicion of abuse.

2. In the event of non-availability of the liaison contact, the minister responsible for pastoral oversight should be consulted before proceeding further.

        Should any child wish to confide in a worker at any time the worker should:

1. Talk to the child in a quiet place in sight of other workers (i.e. not in a closed room)

2. Accept what the child says without expressing opinions - keep calm!

3. Do not blame anyone - the child or their abuser.

4. Reassure the child that telling is the right thing to do.

5. Tell the child that you must let others know.

6. Tell the child what you are going to do next - and keep them informed as to what is happening.

7. Make notes of what was said and done as soon as possible after the discussion.  Record dates/times on each occasion.  These notes should be kept safely.

        For the protection of workers, they should always be aware of the type of situation that could lead to accusations of abuse, and take steps to prevent their occurrence.

1. No adult should be left alone with one child or in a situation where others cannot observe the activity.

2. Meetings away from the church premises between worker and child should take place in the presence of other adults.

3. A minimum of two adults, preferably male and female, should accompany each group on or off the premises or during transport in car or minibus.

4. When travelling by car, a single child should sit in the rear seats.

5. Lighting in and around the church premises should be maintained in good working order.

6. Children should always be accompanied to the church, and be met inside the building at the end of the meeting by a parent or other adult. 

They should never be left unsupervised "at the roadside" waiting to be collected.

These guidelines were discussed and accepted by the Church Council at their meeting in March 2011.