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Child Protection

Complaints Procedure

Health and Safety

 

Should anyone have any questions regarding these procedures, or have any wish to make a complaint, please get in touch with

Graeme Murray

Safeguarding Co-ordinator

 

 

 

CHILD PROTECTION IN THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

At the General Assembly of 1997 Kirk Sessions were instructed to implement the Church of Scotland’s Code of Good Practice for the Protection of Children and Young People in the Church. The Code of Good Practice offers the Church of Scotland a framework to build on the good practice which has been part of the Church for many years. Kirk Sessions are responsible for ensuring that the 13 articles of the Code are implemented.

The Code’s 13 articles are:-

  1. Adopt the Policy Statement agreed by the General Assembly on safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
  2. Plan the work of the organisation so as to minimise situations where the abuse of children and young people may occur.
  3. Appoint a suitable person as a Co-ordinator for the Safety and Protection of Children and Young People.
  4. Apply agreed procedures for protecting children and young people to all paid staff and volunteers.
  5. Give all paid staff and volunteers clear roles.
  6. Use supervision as a means of protecting children and young people
  7. Treat all applicants for any position involving contact with children and young people in the same way.
  8. Gain at least one reference from a person who has experience of the applicant’s paid work or volunteering, if any, with children or young people.
  9. Explore all applicants’ experience of working or contact with children or young people in an interview before appointment.
  10. Find out whether an applicant has any conviction for criminal offences against children or young people.
  11. Make paid and voluntary appointments conditional on the successful completion of a probationary period.
  12. Issue guidelines on how to deal with the disclosure or discovery of abuse, and advise on the risk of false and malicious claims of abuse.
  13. Train paid staff and volunteers, their co-ordinators or supervisors and policy makers in the prevention of child abuse.

Here in the Old Parish Church of Peebles with Eddleston we have implemented the Code of Good Practice by electing Child Protection Panels involving the Minister, the Child Protection Co-ordinator Graeme J. Murray and for Peebles Old the elder who holds the post of Convener of the Pastoral Oversight Committee, currently Tom Mills, and for Eddleston, Church Elder Margaret Love. The main function of the panels is in recruiting and supporting our voluntary workers who lead and teach the various groups attached to our Churches.

We are required to attempt to ensure that those we entrust to work with children and young people will be capable of acting “in loco parentis” i.e. exercising the same level of care as would be expected from reasonable caring parents. Our voluntary workers have been issued with job descriptions and each has received a card outlining the guidelines for implementing the code.

 Most of our voluntary workers have attended courses of training in the Protection of Children and Young People in the Church.The Old Parish Church of Peebles with Eddleston arranged these training courses in 1999, 2002 and again in April 2005 and each course has been led by a qualified trainer from the Child Protection Unit’s Safeguarding Office.

 In addition to offering training our recruitment of voluntary workers incorporates police checks conducted through Disclosure Scotland and we follow the disciplinary code covered by the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003. The checks ensure we will not recruit anyone disqualified from working with children.

It is also part of our policy to safeguard the Health and Safety of all users of our Church premises.

PEEBLES OLD PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

 

Policy for Managing Safeguarding Complaints 

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This Policy has been drawn up to comply with the instruction from the Safeguarding Committee and agreed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (March 2007).

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.

We aim to provide the best possible standards of care and concern for all who are part of the Church family.

We will ensure that any allegations of abuse or harm are dealt with through the Child Protection systems developed by the Safeguarding Office of the Church of Scotland.

It will be our objective to address all complaints fairly and impartially. We will operate a recording system to demonstrate that we have been sympathetic and effective in ensuring that the needs of children and vulnerable adults are being met.

THE PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING OUR POLICY

  1. Through effective communication the existence of our complaints system will be made known to all who engage in the life of our congregation.
  2. Our complaints system will be easily accessible and will seek to be actively helpful when people have reason to voice a complaint, concern or comment. Complaints will be dealt with following a clearly set out procedure which will be easy to understand. (See Appendix 1.)
  3. We will deal with any complaint promptly and will set deadlines to ensure progress while a complaint is being fully explored.
  4. All complaints will be thoroughly and objectively investigated by an independent and unbiased person who will report to the Safeguarding Panel.
  5. Complaints and any action which may follow will be dealt with in a confidential manner.
  6. We will provide an effective response and appropriate redress for each complaint investigated. We will operate a recording system to demonstrate the steps taken in dealing with the complaint. (See Appendix 2.)

APPENDIX 1.  PROCEDURES.

We realise that almost all who take the time to complain feel genuinely wronged or aggrieved, even where their concern might be more a perception than a reality. Therefore we will address all complaints fairly and impartially.

  1. Complaint received and all early details recorded in the recording system.
  2. Safeguarding Panel will meet to appoint an investigating person.
  3. Complaint explored by an independent and unbiased person.
  4. Details brought before Safeguarding Panel for discussion.
  5. Safeguarding Panel agree a way forward.
  6. Outcome communicated to relevant people.
  7. Action for future consideration communicated to appropriate people.
  8. Recording system completed, signed and dated.

PEEBLES OLD PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

The Health and Safety Policy Statement for the Congregation of

 Peebles Old Parish Church of Scotland

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The general policy is:-

 

  • To provide adequate control of the health and safety risks arising from all of the Congregation’s activities;
  • To consult with employees and any relevant persons on matters affecting their health and safety;
  • To provide and maintain safe premises and equipment;
  • To ensure safe handling and use of substances;
  • To provide information, instruction and supervision for employees, when required;
  • To ensure all employees are competent to do their tasks, and to give them adequate training if necessary;
  • To prevent accidents, so far as reasonably possible;
  • To maintain safe and healthy working conditions and premises.

Responsibilities and Risk Assessment

Responsibility for health and safety matters rests with the Health and Safety Officer, the Fabric Convenor and the Food and Hygiene Officer who will carry out regular risk assessments (including fire safety assessments) for all the Congregation’s properties. The Health and Safety Officer, the Fabric Convenor and the Food and Hygiene Officer will be responsible for dealing with the health and safety matters arising on a day to day basis. It will be their responsibility to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that employees, members of the Congregation and members of the public generally are not exposed to avoidable risks.

Employees, volunteers and those using the Church Halls should take appropriate steps to protect their own health and safety and all potential risks or concerns should be reported to the Fabric Convenor as soon as possible.

Accidents & First Aid

 

  • A first aid box will be kept in the Church Hall kitchen.
  • All accidents and cases of work related ill health will be recorded in the Accident Book which is placed in the Church and the MacFarlane Hall kitchen.
  • The Health and Safety Officer will be responsible for reporting accidents to the Local Authority where there is an obligation to do so.

Emergency Procedures

Fire and Evacuation

The three designated Officers will be responsible for ensuring that fire risk assessments are undertaken and implemented and that appropriate fire safety measures and evacuation procedures are in place.

Management of Asbestos

Appropriate measures to deal with any related asbestos risk management will be undertaken promptly.

Use of Halls

All users of Halls, particularly non-Congregational groups and their leaders are reminded that they are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure that their activities are safe and the persons they are responsible for are not subject to risk. In particular all users and leaders should be aware of fire safety procedures.

On behalf of Peebles Old Parish Church ofScotland.

Signed   Calum Macdougall,   Minister.            Date  11. 02. 2009.