Mission Statement

The Elders recognises the importance of BFC’s ministry to children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to its care.  

As part of its mission, BFC is committed to:

• Valuing, listening to and respecting children, young people and adults at risk, as well as promoting their welfare and protection.
• Safe recruitment, supervision and training for all children and youth workers within the church.
• Adopting a procedure for dealing with concerns about possible abuse.
• Encouraging and supporting parents/carers.
• Supporting those in the church who are affected by abuse.
• Maintaining good links with the statutory childcare authorities and other organisations.

Church Policy

The Elders recognises the need to provide a safe and caring environment for children, young people and adults at risk.  They acknowledge that many of these can be victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect.  They have, therefore, adopted the procedures set out in this document in accordance with The Children’s Act 1989 and Working Together 2016, which states that our responsibility is to protect children, prevent poor health and development, provide safe and effective care and take action so that children have the best outcomes. The policy and practice guidelines are based on a model published by Thirtyone:eight.  

They agree not to allow the document to be copied by other organisations.  They are committed to ongoing safeguarding training for all children’s workers and youth workers and will regularly review the attached operational guidelines.  

The Elders also undertake to ensure that BFC follows the principles found in the Thirtyone:eight 10 Safeguarding Standards.  It is unacceptable for those in a position of trust to engage in any behaviour that might lead to the development of a sexual relationship.

Responding to Allegations of Abuse

Under no circumstances should a worker carry out their own investigation into an allegation or suspicion of abuse.  The person in receipt of allegation or suspicion should do the following:

1. Concerns must be reported as soon as possible to Sue Gatland, the BFC Safeguarding Officer (hereafter the “SGO”) who is nominated to deal with allegations or suspicions of neglect or abuse, including referring the matter to the statutory authorities. In the absence of the Safeguarding Officer, the matter should be brought to the attention of Rachel Brown or Craig Gale, the BFC Deputy Safeguarding Officers (hereafter “Deputy”).  Contact them at the BFC Church Office on 01403 786706.

• If the suspicions in any way involve the SGO, then the report should be made to a Deputy.  If all are implicated, then the report should be made in the first instance to Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 11 11 (24 hours).  

Alternatively, contact West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership (MASH) on 0330 222 7788 or NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000.

The absence of the SGO or Deputy should not delay referral to MASH.

• Suspicions must not be discussed with anyone other than those nominated above.  A written record of the concerns should be made in accordance with church procedures and kept in a secure place.

• The Elders will support the SGO and Deputy in their roles and accept that any information they have in their possession will be shared in a strictly limited way, on a “need to know” basis.

• It is, of course, the right of any individual as a citizen to make direct referrals to the safeguarding agencies or seek advice from Thirtyone:eight, although the Elders hope that members of the church will use this procedure. If, however, the individual feels that the SGO or Deputy has not responded appropriately, or where they have a disagreement with the Officers as to the appropriateness of a referral, then they are free to contact the relevant organisation direct. The Elders seek, by making this statement, to have demonstrated BFC’s commitment to effective safeguarding.

• Ensure that written records are filed securely.

The role of the SGO or Deputy is to collate and clarify the details of the allegation or suspicion and pass the information to MASH.  It is the task of MASH to investigate the matter under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989.

Allegations of Physical Injury or Neglect

If a child has a physical injury or symptom of neglect, the SGO or Deputy will:

1          Contact MASH (or Thirtyone:eight) for advice in cases of suspected deliberate injury, if concerned about the child’s safety or if a child is afraid to go home. They will not inform the parents / carers unless advised to do so.

2          Where emergency medical attention is necessary it will be sought immediately. The SGO will inform the doctor of any suspicions of abuse.

• For lesser concerns, they will encourage the parent / carer to seek help, unless this places the child at risk of injury.

• Where the parent / carer is unwilling to seek help, if appropriate, the SGO will offer to go with them. If they still fail to act the SGO will contact MASH for advice.

• Seek and follow advice given by Thirtyone:eight, if unsure whether or not to refer a case to MASH. Thirtyone:eight will confirm its advice in writing for future reference.

Allegations of Sexual Abuse

In the event of allegation or suspicion of sexual abuse, the SGO or Deputy will:

1          Contact MASH. They will NOT speak to the parent or carer (or anyone else, including the Leadership Team).

• Seek and follow advice given by Thirtyone:eight, if unsure whether or not to refer a case to MASH. Thirtyone:eight will confirm its advice in writing for future reference.

Allegations of Abuse against Workers 

If an accusation is made against a worker whilst following the procedure outlined above, the SGO will seek advice from Thirtyone:eight and will need to liaise with MASH in regard to the suspension of the worker.

Appointment, Support, Supervision and Training of Workers

BFC will ensure that all workers will be appointed, trained, supported and supervised in accordance with the principles set out in the Thirtyone:eight guidance ‘Safe and Secure’, the DBS and the church practice guidelines below.  Safeguarding Officers will attend annual refresher training.  All workers will receive refresher training annually.Safeguarding updates will be a standing agenda item at BFC Trustees’ meetings.  

Trustees and Team Leaders should attend Thirtyone:eight safeguarding training every 3 years.  Training for all other workers will be provided annually by BFC and they should attend every 3 years.  

In addition, all Trustees and workers should attend the annual policy review session.

Support for those affected by abuse

The Elders are committed to offering pastoral care, working with statutory agencies as appropriate, and support for those attending BFC who have been affected by abuse.

Working with Offenders

When someone attending BFC is known to have abused children, the Elders will arrange appropriate supervision for the individual concerned and offer pastoral care.  In their commitment to the protection of children, they will set boundaries for that person to which they will be expected to adhere.  More information is available from Thirtyone:eight Help Booklet ‘Sexual Offenders and Church Attendance’.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

BFC is an inclusive community that actively promotes equal opportunities for all

regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic background, disability or any other protected characteristic. We will respect the choice of individuals on their chosen pronouns or gender. 

As a faith-based organisation, BFC reserves the right to establish ‘occupational requirements’ in line with its doctrines when appointing volunteers or paid staff to positions of authority; including but not limited to teaching and supervising children in an official capacity.

Equal Opportunities

1. We are committed to providing a vital, practical response to the needs of those whom we serve, regardless of race, religion, lifestyle, sex, sexuality, physical/mental disability, offending background or any other factor.

2. As we use the DBS Disclosure Service to assess applicants’ suitability of trust, we undertake to comply fully with the DBS Code of Practice and to treat all applicants for positions fairly.

3. We actively promote equality of opportunity for all.  We accept applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with a criminal record.  We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications, experience and commitment to the church.

4. A disclosure will be requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned.  For those positions where a disclosure is required, all application forms, job advertisements and recruitment briefs will contain a statement that a disclosure will be requested in the event of the individual being offered a position.

5. We encourage all applicants to provide details of any criminal record at an early stage in the recruitment process.  We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to the Recruiter within the church.  We guarantee that this information will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.

6. Unless the nature of the position allows the church to ask questions about your entire criminal record, we only ask about ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
7. We ensure that all those involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance of circumstances of offences.  We also ensure that they have received suitable guidance relating to the employment of ex-offenders.

8. We ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place about any offences or other matter that may be relevant to the position.  Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought, could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or voluntary work.

9. We make every subject of a DBS Disclosure aware of the existence of the DBS Code of Practice and make a copy available upon request.

10. We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a disclosure with the person seeking a position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us.  This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of your offences.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. (World Health Organisation)

At BFC, we are committed to promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing to all staff, workers and families.  We will ensure a safe and supportive environment for all affected – both directly and indirectly – by mental health issues. 

Leaders may become aware of warning signs which indicate that a worker is experiencing mental health or emotional wellbeing issues. These warning signs will always be taken seriously and any of these warning signs should be reported to one of the SG team.

Possible warning signs, which all workers should be aware of include:

• Physical signs of harm that are repeated or appear non-accidental 
• Changes in eating / sleeping habits
• Increased isolation from friends or family, becoming socially withdrawn
• Changes in activity and mood
• Talking or joking about self-harm or suicide
• Abusing drugs or alcohol 
• Expressing feelings of failure, uselessness, or loss of hope
• Changes in clothing – ie. long sleeves in warm weather
• Secretive behaviour 
• Repeated physical pain or nausea with no evident cause

If a child or adult discloses concerns about themselves, or a friend, our response will be calm, supportive, and non-judgemental.   All disclosures should be recorded and reported confidentially to the SGO.  

Mental Health First Aider

Rachel Cook is a Mental Health First Aider and is able to signpost BFC workers to extra help if needed.

Secure storage, handling, use, retention, and disposal of disclosures

and disclosure of Information

1. General Principles.  We undertake to comply fully with the DBS Code of Practice.  And to comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998, made enforceable by the General Data Protection Regulation in May 2018.  This law concerns the correct handling, use, storage, retention and disposal of Disclosure information and other personal data.

2. Storage and access.  Disclosure information is never kept on an applicant’s personal file.  It is always kept separately and securely in lockable, non-portable, storage containers with access strictly controlled and limited to those entitled to see it as part of their duties.

3. Handling.  In accordance with Section 124 of the Police Act 1997, disclosure information is only passed to those who are authorised to receive it in the course of their duties.  We recognise that it is a criminal offence to do otherwise.  We maintain a record of all those to whom Disclosures or disclosure information has been revealed.

4. Usage.  Disclosure information is only used for the specific purpose for which it was requested and for which the applicant’s full consent has been given.

5. Retention.  Once a recruitment decision has been made, we do not keep disclosure information for any longer than is absolutely necessary.  This is generally up to six months, to allow for the consideration and resolution of any disputes or complaints.  If, in very exceptional circumstances, it is considered necessary to keep disclosure information for longer than six months, we will consult the Thirtyone:eight Disclosure Unit.  They in turn will discuss this with the DBS.  Throughout this period, the usual conditions regarding safe storage and strictly controlled access will prevail.

6. Disposal.  Once the retention period has elapsed, we will ensure that all disclosure information is immediately destroyed by a secure means, i.e. shredding, pulping or burning.  While awaiting destruction, the information will not be kept in any insecure receptacle, i.e. waste bin.  We will not keep any photocopy or image, other copy or representation of the disclosure information.  (However, we may keep a record of the following: unique reference number and date of issue of disclosure, name, type of disclosure requested, position that disclosure applies to, and recruitment decision taken.)

Data Protection

We undertake to comply with the principles of Data Protection Good Practice from the Data Protection Act 1998, enforceable by the General Data Protection Regulations in May 2018.  See BFC Data Protection Policy.

We take our responsibilities seriously.  We have a written Data Protection Policy and are committed to ensuring that this is put into practice and that appropriate working practices are adhered to.  The full policy can be found on our website:  www.billingshurstfamily.church

This policy is based on a model Safeguarding policy supplied by Thirtyone:eight.  Other churches or organisations must not copy this policy without a written agreement from Thirtyone:eight.