St Barnabas Northolt Park

The Fairway, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 4SX

Procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse


PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE

                                                                                                               

Those working with or alongside children, young people and vulnerable adults should be aware of the different kinds of abuse and the various signs of abuse.  These can be found in the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy, a copy of which is held in the Vestry.

 

Please note if a child, young person or vulnerable adult is at immediate risk of harm or needs medical attention, dial 999 to contact the emergency services and follow any advice given

 

The following procedures are to be followed if a child, young person or vulnerable adult discloses that they have and/or are being abused, or if you have any concerns about possible abuse. 

 

·        Report and record in writing the allegation/s of abuse within the FIRST HOUR, if possible, but definitely WITHIN 24 HOURS of the incident/s happening.

·        Make sure your written record details what happened and includes your concerns and your actions.  Use reported speech wherever you can, using speech marks to report what the child, young person or vulnerable adult actually said.  Do not interpret what was said. 

·        Include any responses you made and your rationale behind these.

·        Make sure you record the DATE, TIME and PLACE of the disclosure/event.

·        SIGN AND DATE the report and then print your name/s for ease of reading.

·        Inform your Safeguarding Officer/s within 24 hours of the incident/s.

·        Give your SIGNED and DATED report to your Safeguarding Officer/s.  The Safeguarding Officer/s will read your report with you and check that you have signed and dated it.

·        The Safeguarding Officer/s will keep your written report off-site and in a safe and secure place and will be responsible for its safekeeping until it is needed. (Your Safeguarding Officer/s will then send a copy of your report to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser.)

·        If there are no Safeguarding Officer/s available at the time of the incident/s you must inform the Diocesan Safety Adviser within 24 hours.  (See the Telephone Contacts posters around the building or refer to the policy document in the Vestry.)

·        Inform your parish priest unless the incident involves him/her themselves.

·        Do not discuss with anyone the incident/s that you have recorded until you are required to do so by the proper authorities who will investigate the incident/s.

REMEMBER You are not an investigator or a detective.  You are a reporter – who is merely gathering information to aid those whose job it is to investigate.

Keep calm and reassure the person that they aren’t to blame for what has happened to them (victims/survivors of abuse often feel they are to blame).

 

Make sure you keep eye contact to assure the discloser that you are really listening to them.

 

Never make promises to keep what you are being told confidential.

 

Keep the 5R’s uppermost in your mind:

 

RECOGNISE the signs that could indicate abuse is happening to a child, young person or vulnerable adult

 

RESPOND            sensitively to the person and listen to what they have to say.  Don’t ask closed questions or attempt to investigate.

 

RECORD                what you have been told factually and accurately using the language used by the person disclosing WITHIN THE HOUR if possible so you do not forget the details.

 

REPORT                 immediately to your Church Safeguarding Officer who will know who to seek support from.

 

REFER                     to the appropriate statutory authority and the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor.

If you have any concerns please contact

Emma Green Church Safeguarding Officer

07775 833830   elcgreen74 {at sign} gmail.com 

Fr Mund Cargill Thompson Vicar

020 8422 3775 fr.edmund {at sign} gmail.com


Annette Gordon (Diocesan Safeguarding Officer)
020 7932 1224
safeguarding   {at sign} london.anglican.org 

CCPAS 24 hour helpline: 0303 003 1111

Family Lives: 0808 800 222 (Previously Parent] ine)/Childline: 0800 1111


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