International Community Church
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Updated August 2023

 INTRODUCTION – WHY HAVE A POLICY & GUIDELINES? 

“For the sake of our children and for the sake of the gospel”

A child is brought to crèche on a Sunday morning for the first time. The child’s parent is concerned that the child will be properly looked after.  “How many adults do you have with the children?  What will you do if my baby needs his nappy changed?”  These are natural questions for a caring parent or carer to ask.  How do we give the parent or carer the security of knowing that the child will be appropriately cared for?

• Over a period of weeks you notice that one of the children in your midweek group has bruises that they are trying to conceal. Should you be concerned?  Is it your responsibility?
• You are planning to take a group of young teenagers away over a weekend. You discuss appropriate sleeping arrangements.  One suggests that adults sleep in the rooms with the young people to ensure their safety.  Another says that an adult should stay awake all night.  What are the appropriate measures to take?
• One of the youth leaders shows affection through physical contact – an arm around the shoulder or a hug. Some of the teenagers enjoy the attention, others avoid it.  Someone questions whether this kind of behaviour is appropriate.  What, if any, action should be taken?
• You discover that a person who has recently started worshipping with you has a conviction for an offence against a child. Who should be told?  What should be done?
• These are the kind of situations this document addresses; it is about encouraging best practice in our dealings with children and young people in the life of our church to enable them to develop and grow in the security of a community that has learned how to offer appropriate care, and to ensure their safety and well-being.

ICC introduces their Child Protection Policy because:

• best practice will serve the needs of all our children at each stage in their development;
• some of the children we welcome into our church community may be harmed at home;
• some people who are looking for opportunities to harm children will establish relationships with children through church communities;
• thoughtless or careless attitudes and behaviour on the part of children’s and youth workers can be harmful for young people;
• people sometimes unnecessarily place themselves in situations in which they are open to accusations or suspicion;
• survivors of child abuse may be in our congregations – they, in particular, will want to know that the church is doing all it can to prevent others suffering the pain they have lived with through their lives.

For some time, Child Protection has been taken up reluctantly as a necessary response to UK government legislation and advice.  However, ICC has placed the need to introduce policies for the protection of our children in the context of our desire to promote best practice in all of our work with children and to work in response to the demands of the gospel.  The answer to the question “Why a policy?” is “For the sake of our children and for the sake of the gospel”.

Who is this Policy and Guidelines for?

Everyone in, at, or connected with the International Community Church.

Is this all the church needs to know?

The Policy is intended to enable ICC to introduce effective policies to protect children and young people.  However, a publication such as this will never be sufficient to train people in understanding the nature of child abuse, how to respond appropriately when abuse is suspected or disclosed and how to manage the Policy.

There is no substitute for good training.  All of those who work with children and young people should receive training in the good practice presented in these Guidelines.  Indeed, it is intended that training should be regular and ongoing so that good practice becomes second nature in all of our work with children and young people.

Valuing children – a Biblical invitation

ICC is a community that finds inspiration in the life and words of Jesus and therefore wishes to value children.

A community listening to Jesus’ words and reflecting on his actions will resist keeping children on the margins of their community life.  The child will be welcomed in, recognised as a whole person, created in God’s image and invited to share in the life of God’s people within the reign of God’s love.  The child has as much to give as well as receive.  Adults need children in their midst to remind them of the nature of the kingdom.

ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES & POLICIES

In developing a Child Protection Policy, ICC has adopted both a Policy Statement and an agreed set of Practice Guidelines by which that Policy is implemented.  The Child Protection Policy should be adopted by the whole church.

The Policy is a statement about the place of children in ICC and the importance we attach to making sure they are safe, respected and properly cared for.  The Policy Statement makes it clear that ICC will not tolerate or turn a blind eye to the abuse of children, but will always respond to concerns.  It also establishes expectations that all of those who work with children and young people will follow best practice at all times.  ICC affirms the place of children and young people in the life of ICC and add other statements.

Beyond the Policy Statement, however, there needs to be clear Practice Guidelines established so that everyone knows how the Policy is to be implemented in practice, including:

• What are the procedures for appointing people to work with children and young people?
• How are new workers introduced to good practice?
• How are workers with children and young people supported and supervised?
• Does everyone working with children know what to do if they suspect a child of being harmed?
• If a referral is to be made to Social Services, who takes responsibility?
• Who is responsible for ensuring that good practice is monitored and maintained?

Promoting Good Practice

 Why good practice?

As followers of Jesus we want to welcome children and young people into our church and give them time and attention.  All children and young people, whatever their age, gender, racial background, culture, or disability, should have the opportunity to grow up safe from harm.  As valued members of our church community they should be treated with respect, listened to and kept safe.

Many people say that good practice in this area of activity is just common sense.  However, the variation in what is considered to be common sense in child care terms is enormous.  It is because of this that we have to make a special effort to try and define good practice.  Good practice is not a straitjacket designed to stop you doing things.  On the contrary, it is to enable you to do the things children and young people enjoy in a safe environment.  Indeed much of what is presented as good practice is good practice irrespective of child protection issues.  These are the standards we would want to operate because we strive to do the very best for children and young people.

These good practice measures are first and foremost about protecting children and young people.  However, they will also help to protect workers from false accusation or unnecessary and unwarranted suspicion.

Good practice – Generally

 As far as possible, a worker should not be alone with a child or children, where their activity cannot be seen. On church or in other premises, this may mean leaving doors open, or two groups working in the same room.

• Don’t invite a child or young person to your home OR CAR alone. It is acceptable to invite a group if you ensure that another adult is in the house or car.
• Establish that each parent/carer knows where their child is and at what time they should return home.
• In a counselling situation with a young person, where privacy and confidentiality are important, ensure that another adult knows the interview is taking place and with whom. Whenever possible, another adult should be in the building and the young person should know they are there.
• It is good practice to set an agreed time limit prior to the counselling session and to stick to it! It is the adult’s responsibility to set this ground rule and to end the session at the agreed time.  Make another appointment to continue if necessary.
• Children and young people must not be given access to church premises unless responsible adults are present (this includes other facilities ICC may hire, or any individual areas within the premises used for church services/events).
• At no time should one adult be alone with a child or group of children and young people.
• Make sure there is always a suitable ratio of staff to children and young people. For example – think about how you will manage if someone has an accident and needs immediate medical attention.  The ratios may vary according to the age of the children concerned and whether or not the activity is taking place indoors or outside.  Also, consider the gender balance of workers in relation to the children and young people with whom you/they are working.

Recommended ratios are:

• Treat all children and young people with respect and dignity.
• Use age appropriate language and tone of voice. Be aware of your own body language and the effect you are having on the individual child or young person.
• Listen well. Do not to assume you know what a child or young person is thinking or feeling.  Listen to what is spoken and how it is said.  At the same time, observe the body language to better understand what is being said.
• Do NOT engage in any of the following:
  • invading the privacy of children or young people when they are using the toilet or showering.
  • rough games involving physical contact between a leader and a child or young person.
  • sexually provocative games.
  • making sexually suggestive comments about or to a child or young person, even in ‘fun’.
  • scapegoating, belittling, ridiculing, or rejecting a child or young person.

• When it is necessary to control and discipline children and young people, this should be done without using physical punishment. (A situation may, however, arise where a child or young person need to be restrained in order to protect them or a third person).
• Make sure another adult is present if, for example, a young child has soiled their underclothes and needs to be thoroughly washed. If possible, the child’s own parent or carer should be called in to carry out such as task.
• Do not respond to excessive attention-seeking that is overtly sexual or physical in nature.

Can I touch a child?

It is hard to conceive how you can be a nurturing, caring worker with children and young people without some physical contact happening at least occasionally.  But, be aware of your own and other workers’ behaviour in terms of touching.  Always be prepared to answer the question, ‘For whose benefit is this taking place?’  It is advisable to avoid touching a child when no-one else is present in the room.  If you see another worker acting in ways that might be misconstrued, speak to them or to a leader about your concerns.  Leaders should encourage an atmosphere of mutual support and care which allows all workers to be comfortable enough to discuss inappropriate attitudes and behaviour.

A thoughtful and sensitive approach to the whole question of ‘touch’ has wider implications in the life of the church.  As hugs and kisses have become the norm within some church communities, we need to be aware that not everyone welcomes that kind of contact, including some children.

Transporting children and young people

 Avoid giving lifts to children or young people on their own. If they are alone, ask them to sit in the rear of the car.

• Ask parents/carers to sign a consent form in respect of travel arrangements
• All private transport must have correct insurance cover for passengers.
• Always insist that seat-belts are worn when travelling.
• On every trip, an adult should be allocated a ‘set’, with a written list of those children or young people for whom they have responsibility, even if the whole group is to remain together.
• If travelling in several small groups, it is good practice to insist that the same group of children travel on both the outgoing and return journeys with the same adult.
• When using coaches, ensure that the company has full insurance cover. Check on the limit of passenger numbers and do not exceed this number.  Children should remain seated and wear seat belts provided.

Keeping parents/carers informed

All children and young people should be registered and parents/carers asked for details of full name, date of birth, address and contact telephone number(s).

Consent forms for emergency medical treatment and for travel arrangements should be completed if children are being cared for in the absence of their prime carer, whether on or off church premises.  This information should be readily available to workers.  Be aware that in some families, there are legal constraints on contact with children by absent parents.

Parents/carers should be advised of ICC’s Policy and given a written statement about who is caring for their child, with workers’ or leaders’ name(s) and telephone number(s).  They should be advised of what action will be taken if a child protection issue arises.

There should be a clear understanding of what sort of activities the child or young person will be doing and the time limits of these.

Arrangements for returning children to their parents’ care should be clarified.  Where children are collected from activities, (which should be the case with children up to 11 years of age) nominated persons should be identified by the parent/carer as acceptable to carry out this task.

Looking after children overnight

This is an area potentially fraught with difficulties!  It is impossible to lay down hard and fast rulings that will cover every situation.  However, sensible precautions will minimise the risks for both workers and children and young people.

Males and females should sleep separately.  If the group of children has both boys and girls, then it is important to have a mix of male and female workers.

There are arguments both for and against children sleeping separately from adults.  If children sleep alone, who knows what may take place amongst them?  If an adult sleeps in with a group of children, the adult is open to accusation of abuse and the children are potentially more at risk of abuse by the adult.  It may be appropriate to consider appointing an adult who undertakes a waking night patrol at random.  If, for example, you are on a campsite with a public right of way, greater night-time vigilance may be demanded.

There will be differences in the most appropriate way to deal with the overnight care of children and young people in light of the venue, the children’s ages and other prevailing conditions.  What is important is that the situation is discussed by the workers and agreement reached together as to how they will proceed.

Particularly when taking away a mixed age group, it is important to remember that some children are abused by other (often older) children or young people.

All parents/carers will be given written details of an identified contact worker, with an address and contact-telephone number for the overnight location.

Parents/carers will be advised in writing of how their children will be cared for in their absence.  It is often be helpful to arrange a meeting with parents/carers before the event where questions can be raised.

Parents/carers must complete suitable consent forms in respect of their child’s medical care; travel and collection arrangements; sleeping conditions; food; other specific activities; etc.

All medical information, plus emergency contact names and numbers, must be taken with the group to the location of the overnight care.  A copy of this will be left at the church office.

A reliable mobile phone is a useful tool in working away from ‘home’.  Ascertain the telephone numbers for emergency situations before any possible crisis occurs.

The following checklist will help identify a number of important issues that should be considered for the safety and well-being of the children and young people:

• It is helpful to make sure that at least one adult is in charge of specific aspects of the programme, e.g. Cook, First Aider, Putting to bed, Preparing for meals, Activities, etc. These jobs will vary, taking into consideration building, type of programme, etc.  The person designated as the First Aid officer must hold an appropriate, valid certificate.  The person responsible for catering may need to hold a Basic Food Hygiene Certificate.
• Check the insurance cover of any building in which you will be sleeping. There may be a limit on number it accommodates.  If you exceed these, insurance can be invalid.
• Check the building and know where water, electricity and gas can be turned off.
• Know the fire drill for the building, and make sure you have a fire drill as soon as possible after entering the premises. Know where the fire extinguishers are.  A location Specific Plan should be displayed alongside the Fire Notice in each room.
• Church halls and rooms used for sleeping large numbers of people MUST have TWO means of exit.
• Know where the nearest hospital and doctor are. This applies if you are sleeping in any building, even if only for one night.
• Ensure that parents/guardians have returned a health form stating any special dietary requirements and current medication, and also giving the name and telephone number of the child’s doctor.
• Residential activities must have safety rules/boundaries, e.g. letting adults know where you are, not entering the kitchen without asking the cook, etc.
• Make sure the children have correct clothing for whatever activity they are taking part in. It is useful to issue a ‘kit’ list for residential activities.
• Where outdoor activities are concerned, either leaders should have the appropriate qualification, or if the activity is being provided by an outside organisation, then the leaders should check that this organisation is registered with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and have appropriate insurance.

Abuse of Trust

Relationships between children or young people and their leaders take many different forms, but all of them can be described as ‘relationships of trust’.  The leader is someone in whom the child or young person has placed a degree of trust.  In every case, however, that relationship is not one of equal partners and there is the potential for the trust to be abused by the leader, who is in a position of power over the child or young person.

All voluntary organisations are now expected to have a policy which sets out the boundaries of such relationships.

• It is always wrong for a leader to enter into a sexual relationship with a young person (i.e. someone under 18).
• It is not acceptable for a leader to form a romantic relationship with a child or young person (i.e. someone under 18) with whom they have a relationship of trust.
• The inappropriate nature of romantic relationships is obvious where the leader is an adult, but less so when the leader is also a young person. However, if such a romantic relationship did occur, there would still be a confusion of the roles of leader and romantic partner.  Normally in these circumstances the leader should cease either the relationship of trust or the romantic relationship with the young person.

Health and Safety

A desire to safeguard children and young people from harm will mean that we need to be safety conscious.  As an exercise, try going around the buildings you/we use using the ‘eyes of a child’, from their height and see what you notice!

• Furniture – Is it in a safe condition, child sized, etc.?
• Equipment – Are potentially hazardous tools, cleaning fluids, etc. stored in a safe, locked place?
• Electrical – Are checks carried out on all electrical equipment, and are socket covered when they are not in use?
• First Aid – Is there a First Aid box – kept full – with people who are trained in first aid on site? Do you know where the accident book is for record purposes?
• Fire Equipment – Is there suitable fire fighting equipment over the whole of the premises? Do you ever carry out fire drills?
• Lighting – Is the building well lit internally and externally, especially around entrance points?
• Travel – are vehicles equipped with seat belts and properly insured? Do you get written permission from parents/carers to take children out?
• Accident and emergency – Do you have details of contact addresses and telephone numbers for parents/carers of all the children on site? Have they consented to you getting emergency treatment for their children if necessary?
• Insurance – Is the church insurance adequate to do work with children and young people on and off site?
• Security – How easy would it be for a child or young person to leave the building during an activity without being noticed? How easy would it be for a stranger to get into the building during a children’s or young person’s activity without being noticed?

 THE INTERNET

The development of the internet has revolutionised communication systems throughout the world but children need to be aware of on-line safety in the same way they are taught road safety.

Do’s and Don’ts

• make clear what is available on a website for copying and what is not and don’t refer to other sites without permission.
• Parental permission must be obtained before using any picture of a child/group of children.
• Avoid using photos of individual children. DO NOT USE IT if a child can be identified by their name or the location they are in and never provide names, addresses or locations.
• Personal email or postal addresses, telephone or fax numbers must not be divulged.
• develop a protocol for e-mail and text messaging communication, detailing what is appropriate and what is not. When using emails, workers should add a rider to the bottom stating level of confidentiality.

Responding to Child Abuse Concerns

Taking sin and suffering seriously

No-one really wants to know about child abuse.  For many years, children have had to suffer in silence in many different contexts – at home, in children’s homes, in children’s organisations, even within the church – because their suffering has simply not been taken seriously.  When allegations have been made, they have not been followed up.  When suspicions have been aroused, many a blind eye has been turned.  When incidents have been discovered, the truth has sometimes been covered up or swept under the carpet.  Adults have been moved on to new positions and the children or young people in question have been forgotten about.  When children have disclosed abuse, they themselves have sometimes been blamed for all of the subsequent pain, heartache and disruption to adults’ lives.

Very often the child who is harmed by a significant adult in their lives who they trust is extremely confused about the experience.  Because someone whom they love is harming them, they may feel that it is a normal part of a ‘loving’ relationship.  If anyone is to blame for the hurt, often they will blame themselves.  It is therefore vitally important for the child that the cause of the hurt and the harm is identified and named.

Also, adults who cause harm to a child will often convince themselves that they are not harming the child, that their actions are indeed for the child’s good and benefit – that their behaviour is altogether appropriate.  For their sake, the sinfulness needs to be identified and named; otherwise their path to restored life will not be opened.

How can children be harmed?

Most children and young people, within both their home environment and other settings, will be free from harm, abuse or neglect.  However, there are some children and young people who suffer abuse or neglect, either within their own homes or through contact they have with adults in other settings.

The Government has produced guidance in relation to child protection for all agencies and organisations that work with children and young people.

What do abuse and neglect mean?

There are five main categories of abuse as officially defined in government guidance: physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual abuse, and neglect.

• Physical abuse:  may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child.  Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child whom they are looking after.
• Sexual abuse:  involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening.  The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative (e.g. rape or buggery) or non-penetrative acts.  They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
• Emotional abuse:  is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development.  It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.  It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children.  It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children.  Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
• Spiritual abuse:  is the abuse of power, often done in the name of God or religion, which involves manipulating or coercing someone into thinking, saying or doing things without respecting their right to choose for themselves; it is often linked with emotional abuse.
• Neglect:  is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development.  It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger, or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment.  It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

What might lead us to think that a child is being harmed?

Knowing whether a child is being abused or neglected may be difficult to judge.  On occasions an incident or an injury will give cause for concern but often it is a series of incidents or an accumulation of concerns which indicate that a child may be suffering or at risk of suffering harm.

Whilst it is not possible to be prescriptive about the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect, the following list sets out some of the indicators which might be suggestive of abuse:

• unexplained or suspicious injuries such as bruising, cuts or burns, particularly if situated on a part of the body not normally prone to such injuries;
• an injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent;
• Injuries which have not received appropriate medical attention;
• a child or young person describes what appears to be an abusive act involving him/herself;
• a disclosure or allegation made by a child or young person;
• someone else (a child or adult) expresses concern about the welfare of another child or young person;
• unexplained changes in behaviour or mood (e.g. becoming very quiet, withdrawn or displaying sudden outbursts of temper);
• inappropriate sexual awareness;
• engaging in sexually explicit behaviour or play;
• inappropriate relationships with other children and/or adults;
• signs of neglect such as under-nourishment, untreated illnesses, inadequate care, etc.

It should be recognised that this list is not exhaustive and the presence of one or more indicators is not in itself proof that abuse is actually taking place.  It is also important to remember that there might be other reasons why most of the above are occurring.

Who causes harm to children?

“Children may be abused in a family or in an institutional or community setting; by those known to them or, more rarely, by a stranger”.

The person who brings harm to children and young people:

• is most often someone known to the child (they may be a parent, sibling, other relation, family friend or neighbour);
• is often an adult with whom the child or young person has a valued relationship and may be in a position of trust and responsibility within an organisation to which a child belongs or has contact;
• can be of any background (social, economic, cultural, ethnic, etc.);
• may act in isolation or together with other adults.

In situations where children and young people abuse other children, they are likely to be children who have considerable needs of their own, sometimes as a result of abuse, neglect, disruption and instability they have experienced.  The risk they pose to other children should not be overlooked.

How can children express their concerns?

All children and young people should be valued and listened to, and their views and wishes taken into account.

Children and young people sometimes share views, worries, anxieties and concerns with adults with whom they have contact.  Whenever they express concerns about their safety and protection in relation to physical, sexual and emotional harm, we help to protect them by listening to them and taking seriously what they say.  Their views and wishes should be respected and taken into account, in so far as this is consistent with their safety and protection.

When a child or young person talks about abuse it is important:

• to create a safe environment in which the child or young person can share their concerns;
• to react calmly so as not to further distress the child or young person;
• to listen carefully to what the child or young person has to say;
• allow them time to say what they want;
• don’t rush or interrupt them or ask more questions than you need to in order to establish whether there is a cause for concern or to ensure a clear and accurate understanding of what has been said;
• not to ask closed questions (ones which are answered by a single “yes” or “no”) or leading questions which suggest what may have happened and who was involved such as, “Did he say/do something to you”? Instead use open questions such as “Is there anything else you want to say”?  “Can you tell me more about that”? all of which will help to encourage the child to tell you in their own words what may be troubling them.
• to accept what the child or young person says and take seriously what you are hearing;
• to reassure the child or young person, and confirm that you know how difficult it must have been to confide in you;
• to tell the child or young person s/he is not to blame and that it is right to tell;
• to help the child or young person to understand what is going to happen next. They need to be made aware that other people will need to be told about the concerns which have been shared and who those people may be.  Do not promise that any child protection concern which affects them or other children or young people will be kept confidential.
• to be aware that a child or young person may be frightened and that he/she may have been threatened if they tell of what has been happening to them;
• to remember that most children feel loyalty to their parents and other significant people in their lives and often find it difficult to say things to their detriment.

Children and young people within a church should also be aware of those people within the church who have been given special responsibility to act on their behalf in relation to child protection concerns.

 What should you do if abuse is suspected or disclosed?

The nature and severity of concerns a child, young person or an adult may share will vary considerably.  The response to concerns expressed by a child, young person or a worker in the church will be determined by the seriousness of what has been shared.

In some instances, the issue or concern raised may be such that, with the child’s knowledge, an appropriate way of resolving the issue can be worked out.  In cases of minor concerns, this would involve informing the child’s parent and seeking with them a resolution of the issues raised.

In other circumstances an adult who has a concern about a child may wish to discuss their concerns about what they have observed or heard with the designated person for child protection within the church in order to decide on the most appropriate course of action to take.

This person should:

• be the Responsible Person/Children’s Advocate

 Individuals should not:

• take responsibility for deciding whether or not child abuse is actually taking place;
• act alone;
• take sole responsibility for what has been shared or any concerns they may have

but must:

• discuss concerns without delay with the responsible person so as to begin to protect the child or young person and gain some support for all those involved in what could be a difficult situation.

Recording concerns and disclosures of abuse

When a child or young person tells you about abuse or an incident takes place that gives rise to concern, a written record must be made.  The record should:

• be legible and state the facts accurately;
• be made as soon as possible after the disclosure/incident.

Records of disclosure, incidents or concerns should include:

• the child’s name, address, date of birth;
• the nature of the concerns/allegation/disclosure;
• a description of any visible bruising or other injuries
• an exact record of what the child has said using the child’s words. A child’s behaviour and demeanour might also give some indication of what a child means to say and these should also be noted.
• what was said by the person to whom the concerns were reported;
• any action taken as a result of the concerns e.g. who was spoken to and resulting action, including any contact with parents, or the responsible person within the church.

Records should be:

• signed and dated;
• kept secure and confidential and made available only to:
  • the responsible person
  • the Pastor of the church as far as this is consistent with the welfare of the child or young person concerned and other children in the church and
  • representative of the professional agencies as required by them.

Responding to concerns and referring to statutory agencies

The role of the Responsible Person

The Responsible Person, on being informed of an allegation of suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child or actual abuse to a child or young person, will consider how to respond to the reported concerns.

Three judgements will be made by the Responsible Person:

1)  Do they consult with someone outside the church?

the presumption should be to consult Unless the responsible person is confident that other advice need not be sought in any given instance.  Care will be taken in consulting with others that the identities of the people involved are not divulged.

2)  Do they inform the parents/carers?

in situations where a parent or carer is implicated in the abuse and when there is doubt about whether, by informing the parents or carer the child or young person might be placed at increased risk, the advice of ThirtyOne:Eight or Social Services staff will be sought about how best to proceed.

3)  Do they refer to Social Services?

The policy of the church includes a duty to report allegations or suspicions of abuse.  It may be necessary for the responsible person to respond to allegations of abuse and concerns about a child’s safety and protection by referring these to Social Services.

After consulting others (ThirtyOne:Eight) and/or referring to Social Services, the Responsible Person will be advised of what action to take to respond to the concerns.  Social Services will advise about the appropriateness of their involvement and/or suggest alternative means of offering support to the child and their family.

It is important to remember that the child’s welfare is paramount.  Protecting children from harm is of primary importance and confidentiality cannot be maintained if, to do so, places a child or young person at risk.

We should also remember that the statutory agencies recognise that whenever possible children are best brought up within their own families and communities and support will be offered to families by Social Services and other agencies to help them achieve this.  It is only in those circumstances where a child is at risk of serious harm that it may be considered that a child’s safety can only be secured by their removal from their family.

Should medical assistance be sought

Always seek appropriate medical help when necessary.  Should a child require immediate medical treatment this should be sought and all reasonable steps taken to contact the parent and inform them of the situation.

How do we care for the people involved?

Once concerns, suspicions and disclosures of abuse have been addressed appropriately, the church continues to have a responsibility to offer support to all those who have been affected.

For the child and young person concerned, Social Services and other agencies may provide support and services.  However, ICC will have a role to play in complementing this support.  ICC will seek to work in partnership with other agencies, clarifying with them how best the church may be able to support the family to ensure that consistent help and support is being offered.

ICC may similarly be in a position to offer pastoral and practical support to other family members who will find themselves grappling with a variety of feelings.

Support and counselling should also be offered to those within the church who have designated responsibilities in relation to child protection and those working within the church to whom a child may have shared experiences of abuse.  Consideration should be given to ensuring that no one person is responsibility for dealing with child protection issues without the support of others.

All of those working with children and young people should be aware that if an allegation is made against them, they will normally be advised or required to withdraw form their responsibilities while an investigation is carried out.

What do we do if we have a known offender in the Church?

Occasionally, churches will find that a member of their fellowship or congregation has been convicted in the past of abusing a child.  Sometimes the details of the offence are known to many in the congregation; more usually only one or two people will be aware.

First, it should be made clear that those with convictions for harming children should be given a welcome, and receive the love and friendship of the church community.  We must resist the tabloid reaction to demonise those who harm children.  However, our love should be shaped by wisdom.  In welcoming them into the fellowship of ICC, we must ensure the safety of children.

Particularly with regard to sexual abuse, evidence suggests that patterns of behaviour are deeply ingrained in those who harm children.  One of the factors that leads towards a lower likelihood of re-offending is a willingness to avoid situations involving contact with children.  Those who have abused children in the past will not be helped in their on-going process of recovery and rehabilitation by being entrusted with the care of children.

However, to take the risk of placing those who have offended against children in the past in positions of responsibility and care for children, is a risk that we do not have the right to take.

Therefore, for the sake of the protection of children and for the sake of an offender’s journey towards forgiveness and restoration, it is important that those who have offended against children in the past are not given positions of responsibility for children within the church.

When the past offence has been of a sexual nature, we need to go further.  Those who harm children in this way are often very skilful in finding ways of building relationships with children that appear to be quite innocent.  They know how to gain the confidence of adults and win the trust of children.  It is therefore important that they are not able to use the context of church gatherings to establish such inappropriate relationships with children and their families.

It is again important to work in partnership with other agencies whenever possible.  If a probation officer has been appointed, church leaders should seek to make contact and establish how best the person should be helped to participate in the life of the church.

How should workers (paid and voluntary) be appointed?

Although the choice of potential workers is often limited in churches, the importance of taking proper care when appointing people to work with children or young people cannot be minimised.  Too often churches are tempted to appoint the first person to put their hand up regardless of their gifts and with a casual lack of concern about anything in their past that might suggest that they are unsuitable to be entrusted with the care of children.

There are some simple steps that can be taken to protect children and young people in our care.  These steps are not fool-proof but, together, they will begin to give the best protection possible.  This process should be carried out in conjunction with the Church Office and briefly will involve 8 steps:

• Write a simple job DESCRIPTION
• Take up references 
• Interview the candidate
• Workers from abroad?  The same procedure will be applied to ALL groups EVEN where a full vetting process (e.g. CRB check) is not possible, for example non-UK staff appointed to full or part-time paid or voluntary positions, young people visiting from abroad on “mission”, parents or others who are helping on a casual basis (e.g. a holiday play scheme), or refugees where full checks are not possible].
• Make the appointment decision
• Check the candidate’s criminal background   A check on a person’s criminal record will only be carried out after the decision has been taken to appoint the person to the post.  (The person should be invited to take up the appointment subject to a satisfactory check of their criminal record).  It is important that all candidates be aware from the earliest stage in the appointment process that the person, if appointed, be required to make a declaration of their criminal record and/or apply for a Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau.  It should be made clear that only relevant offences will be taken into account and that a criminal record is not in itself a bar to being appointed.  Through the Criminal Records Bureau the candidate will be asked to apply for either a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure depending on the role and degree of responsibility.
• a ‘Standard Disclosure’ from the CRB. The Standard Disclosure will contain a list of all criminal convictions and cautions (including all ‘spent’ convictions).  It will also reveal whether the person’s name is included on the Department for Education and Skills List (the ‘List 99) or on the Protection of Children Act List, as being a person who is unfit to work with children.
• most candidates will be asked to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure, which, in addition to all of the information contained on the Standard Disclosure, will also contain relevant non-conviction information given by local police forces.  Enhanced Disclosures are for posts involving greater contact with children or vulnerable adults: work that involves ‘regularly caring for, supervising, training or being in sole charge’ of these people.  Most volunteers working with children or young people at ICC are engaged in ‘training’, ‘caring for’ or ‘supervising’ them.  It is therefore recommended that all other workers in children’s or youth activities be asked to Apply for an Enhanced Disclosure.

This includes:

• All those teaching in Sunday School/Junior Church or leading children’s groups on Sunday
• All adult officers and leaders of youth groups
• All children’s or youth club leaders and workers
• Those who superintend or organise youth or children’s activities,
• Any who appoint children’s and youth workers
• Musicians regularly training or supervising children or young people
• Any driver who regularly has sole charge of children, taking them to and from church activities
• A Children’s Advocate, Independent Person, or Responsible Person
• All ministers, ministerial candidates and student ministers

US Background Check: which will apply to all candidates coming from a period in the United States (residency, extended stay or educational).  Candidates will be subject to searches which include the National Criminal and Sexual Offender databases for past records, along with confirming certain personal details.

Ask the person appointed to read & abide by ICC’S child protection policy

Offer advice and/or training in the church’s child protection policy

Additional helpers

ThirtyOne:Eight suggests that the minimum age for a worker is 16. We are aware that some churches specify 18 years (the Children Act 1989 defines a child as someone under the age of 18). Whether the minimum age is 16 or 18, the process of appointment should be the same as any other worker.

Please note, drivers appointed by the church should always be regarded as ‘workers’ and it follows therefore all the appropriate checks should be carried out. Obviously there are parents who transport children besides their own, but this is essentially an arrangement between those with parental responsibility and not something arranged by the church.

Young people under 16 are frequently used as helpers.  It is advisable that such helpers should be responsible to a named worker and never be in a position where they are providing unsupervised care of children.  For example, they should not be counted as a ‘worker’ when considering staff/child ratios.  In these circumstances the full recruitment procedure need not be applied, though the church/organisation would be expected to acquire basic information about the individual and take up personal references.  Criminal Records checks would not normally be required. A similar procedure could be used for other occasional helpers.  Care should be taken to ensure that this process is not used to avoid proper checks or as a backdoor recruitment process. These arrangements are essentially about providing work experience for an individual, not as a means for meeting the needs of the organisation.

Equal opportunities in the appointment process 

All those seeking to work with children and young people should be treated in the same way.  Care should be taken not to treat some people differently because they seem ‘safer’.  References should be sought for all, all should be interviewed, the level of Disclosure should be related to the work undertaken and not the person concerned, and all should be appointed for a trial period.

Because we are asking people to disclose details of their criminal record (even if the CRB Disclosures will not be seen by the church), it is vital to assure people who have a criminal record that having a criminal record itself will not prevent them from working with children and young people.

If you decide not to appoint

All applicants should be notified in writing of a decision not to appoint.  If an unsuccessful candidate asks for the reasons why they have not been appointed and/or are seeking honest feedback about their application and interview, it should be given.  Obviously this requires sensitivity and tact on the part of the person giving the feedback, particularly if references are discussed.

Supervision and Support

An important key to ensuring that children and young people cannot be abused or harmed whilst in the care of the church is to establish good networks of supervision amongst those who are working with children and young people.  These networks also help to protect workers from putting themselves in situations where they can face suspicion or false accusation.

We suggest that workers should seldom, if ever, find themselves in sole charge of children or young people.

Supervision and support is not just about seeing what is going on but also about discussing together how work is being done and trying to identify the needs of the children and young people.  This can be done either in individual sessions or at a team meeting.  This sort of session is useful for thinking through issues to help improve the systems that are in place for the protection of young people and children.  It will also help to put things together that, in isolation, might not make much sense, but when shared with others begin to form identifiable indicators of needs or concerns.

How do I know if things are going wrong?

A regular meeting with workers and observing them at work will help to build a good picture of what is actually going on.

• Watch out for the amount of physical contact between a worker and children and young people
• Is it appropriate?
• Does the child look comfortable?
• Who initiates any touching or cuddles?
• Are any children or young people being specially favoured or treated harshly?
• Is a worker alone transporting any children or young people? Is it always the same ones being dropped off last?
• Are any workers inviting children or young people to their home? Do the parents know?  Why are they inviting the children?  Who else is present?

Depending on what is causing you concern, it might be appropriate to keep a note to which you can refer should you need to take action later.

What do I do if I am worried about one of the workers and their behaviour?

• First, be sure of your concerns – carefully observe the behaviour that gives cause for concern and weigh it against the church’s child protection policy and any statements of good practice. Keep a written note of your concerns and any action you take.
• Secondly, are they being secretive about what they are doing?
• Thirdly, check out your opinion with others. In particular, speak to the Responsible Person.  It may be that another worker is also worried.  In doing this, care should be taken not to raise alarm, break confidences or malign someone, even unwittingly.
• Fourthly, talk to the person about whom you have concerns. It may be appropriate and wise to involve your minister, the Responsible Person, or a church Council Member in this discussion.
• Finally, a decision will need to be taken as to whether any action should be taken. Should the person stop work with children?  Should they work in a different way?  Do they need some training because their behaviour is irresponsible or foolhardy?  It may be that no action needs to be taken at all because there never was a real cause for concern.

Remain aware that the worker will probably feel angry or hurt about having been viewed in a suspicious way; they may need further pastoral help from someone in the church to help them through these feelings and any change in role that was agreed.

Who implements the policy and procedures?

Here we highlight the roles that need to be fulfilled in order to maintain an adequate Child Protection Policy; these could be fulfilled by one person or by a team of people.

A ‘Responsible Person’ should be a central contact point for any child protection concerns raised within the church.  A note of ICC’s Responsible Persons are displayed on the Notice Board and at the beginning of these Guidelines.

These ‘Responsible Persons’ are those that workers should turn to if they had any concerns about a child or young person in their care, or about the behaviour of one of their fellow-workers.  The Responsible Persons would help the worker to consider the best response.  They may find that a number of people are raising concerns about the same child or family.  They may, themselves want to turn to other sources of advice before taking any action.  Any referrals to Social Services or questions of ThirtyOne:Eight would normally be through these persons.

Who can children speak to if they have a concern?

Most children, if they wish to disclose abuse or complain about the way in which they are treated, will speak to the person they most trust.  However, it is helpful to enable children to speak to an ‘independent person’ if they have concerns about the way in which they are treated.  Those asked to fulfil this role should be independent of the children’s and youth work of the church.

Who speaks for the child in the life of the church?

The vision behind the role of the Children’s Advocate has been a concern that the issue of child protection should be set within the context of a desire that our children and young people should discover their full place within the household of God.  The Children’s Advocate is called to speak for the child in the whole of the church’s life, and to find ways of releasing the voices of children so that children’s and young people’s own voices can be heard.

If people take on particular roles in managing ICC’s Child Protection policy, this wider concern should not be lost.  A Child Protection policy should be set within the context of the church’s overall ministry among children and young people.  Who is speaking up for the child in the life of the church?  Who is finding ways of enabling children and young people to contribute to the life of the church and to help the people of God hear the voice of God through them?

What about the PASTOR?

If at all possible, the Pastor should be independent of all these roles.  If a difficult situation arises, the Pastor will be responsible for offering pastoral care to the people who are involved and to the church as a whole.  It may be difficult for the Pastor to do this effectively if s/he is involved to closely in the structures.

How do we include teenagers who help with our children’s work?

Careful consideration needs to be given to the work teenagers will be doing with children and young people and the degree of supervision and support they will received.

The overriding principle throughout is that children and the vulnerable be protected from those seeking to take advantage of their position and the opportunities available to them for significant contact.  It is wise to consider a minimum age before allowing teenagers to work with children.  Some organisations set this at 16, others at 18.  In doing this, not only are we making it clear that we take the protection of children seriously but also we are setting a higher value on work with children than might be seen to the case if anyone is allowed to do it.

Another point to think about when teenagers work with children is how we will protect them from being over worked, or placing themselves in vulnerable situations.  They are still children and come within the boundaries of our child protection policy.  (Remember, a child is anyone under the age of 18).

What happens to confidential information?

The information supplied by the CRB is to be treated as strictly confidential.  The Criminal records bureau has specified the conditions under which this information can be kept and the length of time it can be stored (normally no more than six months after an appointment has been made).  At the end of this period of time, the information has to be destroyed.  ICC will abide by these rules.

Where can we get help if problems arise?

All of the current numbers are shown at the beginning of this document for:

1. The Church’s ‘responsible personS’
2. ThirtyOne:Eight can help and has a dedicated helpline.
3. Surrey’s Social Services department is willing to discuss a situation without revealing any names and advise as to whether or not it should be formally reported or what action should be taken.

Defining responsibilities

Everyone in the church has his or her part to play in ensuring that any child protection policy is effective.

Every church member

All church members have a part to play.  It should be the responsibility of all within the church community to ensure there is a welcome for children and young people and an intolerance of all that brings harm to them.

The child protection policy should be a whole church concern.

All church members should be alert to situations where children may be vulnerable.

All members should know who to speak to if they suspect that a child is being harmed.

Workers with children and young people

All of those who work with children (without exception) should take personal responsibility for implementing the policy.  They should each:

• Know and implement the guidelines for good practice
• Be aware of ways in which children are harmed and possible signs of abuse
• Know what to do if a child discloses abuse
• Know who to speak to if they have any suspicions or concerns
• Know how referrals can and should be made to Social Services when appropriate.

Leaders of children’s and young people’s work

All leaders of groups will need to know all of the above.  They will also need to know:

• How they go about appointing new staff
• The principles of good supervision
• What to do if one of their workers shares with them a concern about a child or young person

The pastor & council

The pastor and Council are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the policy is implemented and resourced in the church.  It is not good enough for them to leave it to those who work with children and young people.

Council should be fully conversant with the church’s child protection policy.  Sometimes leadership teams have prevented workers making proper referrals to Social Services or the Police because they are unfamiliar with best practice in this area.

They should:

• Have a mechanism for monitoring or reviewing the policy
• Give support to those who are working with children and young people
• Ensure that the training needs of workers are met
• Make appropriate budget provisions for children’s and young people’s work, including the training of workers
• Find ways of communicating the policy to the whole of the church

The PASTOR should be particularly aware of the pastoral needs of all who may be caught up in a situation where concerns are raised about possible child abuse.