Child Protection Policy

Wootton Baptist Church Child Protection Policy

What is child protection?

Child protection is the response to the different ways in which a young person’s or child’s physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual health are damaged by the actions of another person.

Wootton Baptist Church values young people and children as being a vital part of the organisation and desires to see them grow, mature and be challenged in a healthy and safe environment.

The nominated person for the child protection co-ordinator for Wootton Baptist Church is Ron Bowler. This has been recorded in the Deacons Meeting minutes dated Monday 2^nd March 2020 and a copy of this child protection policy will be kept with the Church Secretary/Deacons Meeting Minutes. A copy of the policy will be available on request.

A photo of the co-ordinator and contact details will be displayed on the church notice board, a copy of the Child Protection Policy will be made available on request.

Purposes

The purpose of Wootton Baptist Church children and young people’s programme is to offer the children a safe and welcoming environment with fun activities where the children can grow and learn.

Aims

• To provide activities for children and young people to help them develop from childhood into adulthood and to provide support for them.

• To enable the children to express themselves.

• To assist the children in integrating into the community.

• To help children/young people appreciate the diversity of their cultures.

Organisation: Wootton Baptist Church

1. Each child and young person should be formally registered within the group. The information includes an information/consent form which their parent/guardian must complete. These forms have vital information about health and emergency contacts and should be kept securely and brought to each session. (see Appendix B)

2. Attendance register: a register should be kept for each session.

Child Protection Co-ordinator

Wootton Baptist Church has appointed a child protection Co-ordinator, whose name is recorded within the deacons meeting minutesdated Monday 2^nd March 2020. If any leader/assistant has any child safety concerns, they should discuss them with him.   He will take on the following responsibilities:

• Ensuring that the policy is being put into practice.
• Being the first point of contact for child protection issues.
• Keeping a record of any concerns expressed about child protection issues.
• Bringing any child protection concerns to the notice of the Diaconate who will take the appropriate action.
• Ensuring that everyone involved with the organisation is aware of the identity of the Child Protection Co-ordinator

The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that it is meeting its aims.

Personal/Personnel Safety

• A group of children or young people under sixteen should not be left unattended at any time.

• Avoid being alone with an individual child or young person for a long time. If there is a need to be alone with a child or young person (e.g. first aid or he/she is distressed) make sure that another worker knows where you are and why.

• At no time should a volunteer or worker from any external organisation arrange to meet a young person away from the activity without someone else being there.

• As such meetings should be planned and have the approval of the Diaconate/Church Members Meeting(this must be someone other than the organiser themselves).

• Teenage assistants should always be supervised.

Child Safety

1. Make sure that the area you are using for activities is fit for the purpose, e.g. remove furniture, which could cause injury in energetic games.

2. Make sure that all leaders and assistants know the following.

2. In an emergency make sure all leaders and assistants know how to raise the alarm should an emergency occur. Leaders mobile phones to be used to call the emergency services.
3. Leaders and assistants to make sure they know where the first aid kit is kept.
4. Leaders to record accidents or injuries in the incident book?
5. What to do in the event of a fire or other emergency

3. Once a year there should be a fire practice

• Do not let children go home without an adult unless the parent has specifically said thy may do so. Never let a child go with another adult unless the parent has informed you that this will happen.

Under normal circumstances, leaders/assistants should only give a lift home to a young person from group activities if the parents of the young person have specifically asked for them to do so. (If leaders/assistants are asked to give a young person or child a lift home, they are not obliged to do so, it is left to their discretion).

What is child protection?

What you should do

1. Listen to the child/young person

2. Look at them directly and do not promise to keep any secrets before you know what they are, but always let the child/young person know if, and why, you are going to tell anyone

3. Take whatever is said to you seriously and help the child/young person to trust his/her own feelings. Take notes of exactly what is said to you avoiding assumptions and conjecture.

4. It is not the role of the leaders or assistants to investigate any allegations (this would contaminate evidence if a situation went to court). Any disclosure by a child/young person must be reported to the named child protection co-ordinator.

5. Speak immediately to an appropriate organisation for further advice and guidance.

What you should not do

1. Leaders and assistants should not begin investigating the matter themselves.
2. Do not discuss the matter with anyone except the correct people in authority.
3. Do not form your own opinions and decide to do nothing.

Things to say or do:

• ‘What you are telling me is very important’
• This is not your fault’
• ‘I am sorry that this has happened/is happening’
• ‘You were right to tell someone’
• What you are telling me should not be happening to you and I will find out the best way to help you’
• Make notes soon after the event. Try to write down exactly what the young person or child said. Avoid assumptions or conjecture.

Things not to say or do:

• Do not ask leading questions – Why? How? What?
• Do not say ‘Are you sure?’
• Do not show your own emotions e.g. shock/disbelief
• Do not make false promises

Appendix A

List of Addresses, Telephone numbers

Appendix B

Suggested Record Form to be formulated.

This policy was adopted by Wootton Baptist Church on …………….

Signed on behalf of Wootton Baptist Church by:

Signature…………………………………………….

Name in Capitals……………………………………

The policy has been reviewed by Wootton Baptist Church Members Meeting on:

Date………………….