Safeguarding

SAFEGUARDING IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHURCH.

Just as Jesus referred to Himself using the imagery of a Mother Hen sheltering her brood under her wings, and just as Jesus calmed the waves of a stormy sea, transforming them into a place of calm, so our church strives to be a place of safety and security for all. The stained glass window in our entranceway illustrates this miracle: entering into our building takes you from the sometimes tempestuous world outside to a place of sanctuary and calm - a peace and calm brought about by our shared love of Jesus, who calmed the stormy seas of Galilee.

Midhurst Parish Church is committed to being a place of safety and sanctuary for all.

Midhurst Parish Church is resolute in upholding best practice in the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults, so that our church may be that place of sanctuary. We follow the House of Bishop' guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer. Safeguarding is a standing item for our leadership council meetings and all our staff and volunteers are required to undertake safeguarding training appropriate to their role. Where appropriate, our leaders undertake further advanced safeguarding training and we make statutory enquiries of anyone engaged in a position of authority where children, young and/or vulnerable adults are involved.

The parish policies that relate to safeguarding are provided below. These are reviewed regularly and updated in line with changes in best safeguarding practices. In approving and implementing these policies we take guidance from the Chichester Diocesan Safeguarding team.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEONE

If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the vicar and the parish safeguarding officer. Their contact details are provided below and also in the ‘Who’s Who’.

The parish safeguarding officer and all clergy are specifically trained on hearing such concerns and then taking appropriate action. If you have not been able to contact them, or are dissatisfied with their response you are warmly invited to contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team directly - their contact details are also provided below in the ‘Who’s Who’.
If you have immediate concerns about someone’s safety, please contact the police on 999.

WILL I BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY?

Yes - you will! The Parish Church is committed to ensuring that not only is our church a safe place for everyone, but that anyone involved in the life of the church has the right and ability to be heard where something does not seem right. Our ‘whistleblowing’ policy details how we make sure we get this right. It does not matter to us if your fears are unfounded, or that there are good explanations for what you might have seen or heard.

We would rather be made aware of them and find that there is nothing to be concerned about than not hear about it in the first place!

IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS
Parish Safeguarding Officer, Kirstin Bosley 01730 813302 or 07908198751

Reverend Marcus Collie, Vicar 01730 770022

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor, Colin Perkins 01273 425792 0r 07500771210