Parish of St James the Less, Westminster
In accordance with the House of Bishops’ Policy Statements ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ (2017) and ‘Protecting All God’s Children’ 4th edition (2010) and the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy ‘Promoting a Safer Diocese’ (2018) our church is committed to:
Promoting a safer environment and culture.
Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
The Parish will:
Create a safe and caring place for all.
Have a named Church Safeguarding Officer (CSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
This church appoints Samantha McCarthy as the Church Safeguarding Officer.
Incumbent: The Reverend Lis Goddard
Churchwardens: Dorothea Gopaul
Date: 24th July 2023.
The PCC shall review this policy annually. The next review will take place at the first PCC meeting following the APCM to be held in April 2024.
This policy was signed by the vicar and church warden.
Contacts
Samantha McCarthy, our Safeguarding Officer, can be contacted at safeguarding@sjtl.org or via the Church Office on 0207 6306282 about any safeguarding concerns.
Suna Gurkan, our Children’s Champion can be contacted via the Church Office on 0207 6306282 about any concerns to do with children.
Dorothea Gopaul, our Church Warden, can be contacted at churchwarden@sjtl.org or via the Church Office on 0207 6306282
Lis Goddard, our Vicar, can be contacted at lis.goddard@sjtl.org or via the Church Office on 0207 6306282
Samantha McCarthy, our Operations Manager, can be contacted at churchadmin@sjtl.org or via the Church Office on 0207 6306282
For details of other church leaders see the Meet the Team page
The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser’s number is 020 7932 1124
In situations of immediate risk contact the police on 999
Westminster City Council
We are located in the area covered by Westminster City Council. Follow this link for details of how to contact them on safeguarding matters
Website: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care
CHILDREN
See this page: https://fisd.westminster.gov.uk/kb5/westminster/fis/service.page?id=nhURsbXuhKI
Duty Child Protection Advisor: 020 7641 7668
E-mail: AccesstoChildrensServices@westminster.gov.uk LADO@westminster.gov.uk
Website: https://fisd.westminster.gov.uk/kb5/westminster/fis/advice.page?id=F1sWeX0cfVg
ADULTS
Emergency / out-of-hours team
Outside normal office hours this team deals with statutory Mental Health Assessments, other emergencies concerning vulnerable adults and elderly residents, child protection emergencies and other children and family issues.
Tel: 020 7641 6000
ADULT SOCIAL CARE TEAM
(supporting adults under the age of 65 with physical disabilities, older people with physical disabilities or mental health problems, and their carers)
Tel: 020 7641 1444 OR 020 7641 1175
Text messages: 07944 521615
Fax No: 020 7641 5426
Email: adultsocialcare@westminster.gov.uk
See these pages: https://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/westminster-contact-details/
Other Organisations available to help:
Thirtyone:Eight’s 24-hour helpline: 0303 003 1111
Family Lives: 0808 800 222
Childline: 0800 1111
Other Resources