SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN & ADULTS

THE ARCHDEACONS VISITATION 2018

To incumbents, church wardens and parish safeguarding officers:

Thank you to all those who sent us your completed toolkit responses in 2017. We recognise that this is a time-consuming activity but for those able to say last year that they were compliant this will in future become much easier.

For the Archdeacon’s Visitation this year we are keeping the same format for the 'Safeguarding Toolkit' so that, while at first glance it seems a big ask, having already worked on it in 2016 and 2017means there will be much less to do this year. The main change this year is that we would ask you to return the complete document - including your action plan (Appendix 5)

The toolkit, with a copy of this letter, has been sent to every PCC Secretary by email for them to share. We hope you will be able to work together to gather the information you need and complete your parish response. The parish safeguarding officers and churchwardens (and maybe others such as incumbent, children’s workers etc) will all have information to add. Why not arrange to meet up over a coffee to go through your response together? Where you identify areas that need adding to an action plan we will be very happy to help in any way we can with the implementation; just let us know how we might help.

The toolkit is intended to be completed on computer; that way you can easily extend the spaces in which to write. However, if you prefer you can simply print off the blank toolkit and fill it in manually. We advise password protecting these computer files.

Once the toolkit is completed please ask a church warden to take the complete toolkitto hand in at the Archdeacon’s Visitation. NB Please ensure you put your parish name on each page!

If the incumbent has completed Appendix 1 then a sealed clearly labelled envelope containing this could either be posted directly to Hilary Higton (Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser) or it could be handed in with the above at the Visitation.

If you need any help or have queries do please feel free to contact Liz or Judy.

The Bishop of Worcester has registered status as an umbrella body with the DBS

The Old Palace, Deansway, Worcester WR1 2JE.

The Worcester Diocesan Board of Finance Limited is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England (No. 271752)

Registered Office as above. The Board is a Registered Charity No: 247778

Notes specific to completion are on the reverse of this letter.

Once again, we do thank you so much for your help with this and all the safeguarding work you do within your parish. We do appreciate that, for some, completing this toolkit may feel a ‘big ask’ so if we can be of any help please do contact us. We are sure you will understand what we are trying to achieve as we seek to ensure our churches are as safe as possible for all who enter.

With very kind regards,

Hilary

Hilary Higton (DSA)

Completing the toolkit

If you complete this electronically be aware that you will not be able to change your answer once you have clicked any button, so save a spare copy first!

If you didn’t do so in previous years we ask that you attach a signed copy of your parish ‘policy in respect of DBS disclosures’ to the questionnaire.

Completing the logs

The confidential logs are intended to be completed where there are any people at all currently working with children in the parish (3) or with adults in the parish (4) even if they have not been asked to apply for DBS disclosure.

The log is intended to build on last year’s one so it should be possible to copy last year’s log and add further information as appropriate.

Where people have been in post for some time prior to new guidance issued we appreciate that you may not have all the information requested. In this case please put ticks as appropriate instead of dates; however all sections of the form should be completed, please do not leave blanks.

On the confidential logs 34:

  • ‘date on references’ is the date on the references supplied to you at the time of the person’s recruitment
  • the ‘Confidential Declaration’ should have been filed to be kept in perpetuity in the parish
  • ‘supervised’ means “is the person visible at all times to the leader of the activity?”
  • the ‘new procedure and guidance’ referred to - in which the definitions of frequency can be found - is the ‘Safer Recruitment Policy 2016’ available on the diocesan website
  • ‘dates of DBS outcomes’are day-month-year
  • ‘dates of Verification of Disclosure Certificate sent’: this column would only apply to disclosures from May 2014
  • ‘dates of training’can be the year only
  • the distinction between ‘Enhanced’ or ‘Enhanced plus’ can be found in the guidance ‘Safer Recruitment Policy 2016’
  • please print, sign and date the log

Hilary Higton (DSA)Delia Stokes (Assistant DSA)

07495-06086907376-374380

DBS Administrator: Liz TooneHR Administrator: Judy Baker

01905-73281101905-730730