Safeguarding is at the heart of our Christian faith. The Church door at St Matthias is where safeguarding starts and is the ‘frontline’ in pastoral care.
Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone at St Matthias and we want to ensure we are known as a safe Church, one that is vigilant and one that acts when we spot potential or actual safeguarding situations. We want the message to get out that our Church is a safe place for all.
We want to:
Promote a safer environment and culture
Safer recruiting
Respond promptly to every safeguarding concern
Care pastorally for affected persons of abuse
Respond to those that may pose a risk to others
The welfare of any person who feels vulnerable – child or adult - must always be held paramount, no matter how uncomfortable that may be because only in that way can we create a church that is safer for everyone. At St Matthias, Sue Davies is our designated person for safeguarding and can be contacted directly via email on safeguardingstmatthias@gmail.com or her phone number is available by request from the church office 01803 214175.
Useful Numbers:
Exeter Diocesan Safeguarding Team 01392 345909
Concerns about children Devon Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub 0345 155 1071
Torquay Hub 01803 208100
Childline 0800 1111
NSPCC 0808 8005000
24 hour contact Churches’ Child Protection Advisory
Service (CCPAS) helpline on 0303 003 11 11
Concerns about Adults: Devon - Care Direct 0345 155 1007
Torbay 01803219700
Devon and Cornwall Police non-emergency 101
If worried about immediate safety call 999
Domestic Abuse Devon 0345 155 1074
Torbay 01803 698869
SAFER RECRUITMENT
St Matthias is committed to the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults, and the care and nurture of children within our church communities. We carefully select, train and support all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles.
At St Matthias paid employees and volunteers complete an application form and supply names of two referees who are not our clergy.
They also complete a simple confidential self-declaration form about their suitability to work in this role and about any criminal convictions that they may have.
For people with substantial contact, or who may be working or volunteering in an unsupervised setting people are asked to complete an online application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Specific documents will need to be shown to Sue Davies who is the DBS verifier for the parish.
Anyone who isn’t happy to follow this policy when asked will understandably be unable to take up that role.
Photo by Matthew Waring on Unsplash