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That they may have life…in all its fullness*:

Child Protection - what is the Church doing about it?

by Sigurd Reimers, 29 July 2007. (Part 2 in a series of 3)

 

 

*(John 10:10 – the Diocesan Child Protection motto).

 

The Church of England, the Diocese of Bath and Wells, and now St Andrew’s have a detailed child protection policy in place. This is a statement of practical commitment to ensure that any children with whom the Church is in contact can be as safe from harm as it is possible to be. Mind you, as a recent news item reminds us, the presence of a policy didn’t protect some children in a Clevedon parish, who had experienced sexual abuse at the hands of their Vicar. Policies can only work if people carry out the procedures contained in the policies.

 

So, we also have procedures. These require anyone in a position of leadership within the church (staff and volunteers) to have had detailed police and identity checks made of them (myself included), to be offered training, and to work according to a clear set of requirements, including follow-ups every three years. This is intended to be our public commitment (a kind of safety Kite Mark, really) to parents whose children come into contact with us.

 

At St Andrew’s we have only recently started, but about forty people have recently received child protection training, which includes how to be alert to possible signs of abuse, and knowing what to do about worrying signs. Criminal Records Bureau checks have so far been initiated in relation to about twenty people as a matter of routine, and another twenty or so still need to be completed. Readers and Clergy have already completed this process.

Our church is probably in contact with many people who have been abused. They may have chosen not to tell us of this, but may still find some solace in meeting people in a community that does not exploit them. As children become more aware of the fact that abuse is wrong, some may find someone trustworthy in our church to start telling about what is happening to them. Or they might tell about someone else, and I’m now particularly thinking of domestic violence, which affects about one in four women at some stage in their lives. Most of these women are mothers, and they and their children can suffer physically or emotionally as a result.

 

Our faith probably also requires us to minister to those who have abused children. The diocesan policy tells us not to exclude such people. This requires making a very careful assessment of how to monitor such people, so that they have absolutely no contact with children in church whilst still having access to the services. Relevant staff at church, the diocesan child protection staff, and possibly social services, probation and police all need to be working together very closely. No one benefits from a witch hunt, but we were once told to be wise as serpents.

 

So does all this sound to you like bureaucracy gone mad, an invasion from Brussels or an excess of Health and Safety? Let me pose a mathematical question in return. How many Police checks @ £6 per check are we prepared to go through to prevent one churchgoing child somewhere from being abused? And if you want to know what you yourself can do about Child Protection, read the next article.

 

	Read Part 1 of this series
	Read Part 3 of this series

 

Sigurd Reimers is a family therapist, and Appointed Person for Child Protection at St. Andrew's Taunton. This is the second of three articles on Child Protection. The next piece will be published on 26 August 2007.

 

View St. Andrew's Church Child Protection Policy

 

ChildLine is the free helpline for children and young people in the UK. If you need some advice or just want to talk call Childline

on 0800 1111 at any time, or visit their website at http://www.childline.org.uk/

 

If you are an adult and worried about a child call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or visit http://www.nspcc.org.uk

 

 

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