The Code of Safer Working Practice
The Code of Safer Working Practice expresses our commitment to demonstrating God’s love
by placing the highest priority on the safety of those to whom we minister. It sets out what we
expect from anyone who ministers in our church, in both paid or voluntary roles, and is one
of the ways we ensure high standards of safeguarding in all we do.
Upholding the Code
All members of staff and volunteers are expected to report any breaches of this code to the
Parish Safeguarding Officer. Staff and volunteers who breach this code may be subject to
disciplinary procedures or asked to leave their role. Serious breaches may also result in a
referral made to the relevant statutory agency.
All those working on behalf of the parish with children, young
people and adults must:
• Treat all individuals with respect and dignity;
• Respect people’s rights to personal privacy;
• Ensure that their own language, tone of voice and body language are respectful;
• Ensure that children, young people and adults know who they can talk to about a
personal concern;
• Record and report any concerns about a child, young person or adult and/or the
behaviour of another worker with their activity leader and/or the Parish Safeguarding
Officer. All written records should be signed and dated;
• Obtain written consent for any photographs or videos to be taken, shown, displayed or
stored.
In addition, those working with children and young people must:
• Always aim to work with or within sight of another adult;
• Ensure another adult is informed if a child needs to be taken to the toilet;
• Respond warmly to a child who needs comforting but make sure there are other adults
around;
• Ensure that the child and parents are aware of any activity that requires physical
contact and of its nature before the activity takes place.
1All those working on behalf of the parish with children, young
people and adults must not:
• Use any form of physical punishment;
• Be sexually suggestive about or to an individual;
• Scapegoat, ridicule or reject an individual or group;
• Permit abusive peer activities e.g. initiation ceremonies, ridiculing or bullying;
• Show favouritism to any one individual or group;
• Allow an individual to involve them in excessive attention seeking;
• Allow unknown adults access to children, young people and adults who may be
vulnerable. Visitors should always be accompanied by an approved person;
• Allow strangers to give lifts to children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable
in the group;
• Befriend children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable on social media;
• Take photographs on personal phones or cameras as this means that images are
stored on personal devices.
In addition, for children and young people, must not:
• Give lifts to children you are supervising, on their own or your own (unless there are
exceptional circumstances e.g. in an emergency for medical reasons or where parents
fail to collect a child and no other arrangements can be made to take a child home. In
such situations, the circumstances and your decision must be recorded and shared
with an appropriate person at the earliest opportunity);
• Smoke or drink alcohol in the presence of children and young people, except when this
is a social situation with family members/carers present, eg a parish party1
• Arrange social occasions with children and young people (other than events which also
include family members/carers) outside organised group occasions.
Acceptable Touch
Sympathetic attention, encouragement and appropriate physical contact are needed by
children and adults. Some physical contact with children, particularly younger children, can be
wholly appropriate. However, abusers can use touch that appears safe to ‘normalise’ physical
contact which then becomes abusive. As a general rule, the use of touch between adults in
positions of responsibility and those with whom they are working or volunteering should be
initiated by the person themselves, and kept to the minimum. In addition to this, always follow
the guidelines below:
• Ask permission before you touch someone;
• Allow the other person to determine the degree of touch except in exceptional
circumstances (e.g. when they need medical attention);
• Avoid any physical contact that is or could be construed as sexual, abusive or
offensive;
1 For the avoidance of doubt this document does not apply to church services, including Holy
Communion.• Keep everything public. A hug in the context of a group is very different from a hug
behind closed doors;
• Touch should be in response to a person’s needs and not related to the worker’s needs.
Touch should be age appropriate, welcome and generally initiated by the child, not the
worker.
The Code of Safer Working Practice expresses our commitment to demonstrating God’s love
by placing the highest priority on the safety of those to whom we minister. It sets out what we
expect from anyone who ministers in our church, in both paid or voluntary roles, and is one
of the ways we ensure high standards of safeguarding in all we do.
Upholding the Code
All members of staff and volunteers are expected to report any breaches of this code to the
Parish Safeguarding Officer. Staff and volunteers who breach this code may be subject to
disciplinary procedures or asked to leave their role. Serious breaches may also result in a
referral made to the relevant statutory agency.
All those working on behalf of the parish with children, young
people and adults must:
• Treat all individuals with respect and dignity;
• Respect people’s rights to personal privacy;
• Ensure that their own language, tone of voice and body language are respectful;
• Ensure that children, young people and adults know who they can talk to about a
personal concern;
• Record and report any concerns about a child, young person or adult and/or the
behaviour of another worker with their activity leader and/or the Parish Safeguarding
Officer. All written records should be signed and dated;
• Obtain written consent for any photographs or videos to be taken, shown, displayed or
stored.
In addition, those working with children and young people must:
• Always aim to work with or within sight of another adult;
• Ensure another adult is informed if a child needs to be taken to the toilet;
• Respond warmly to a child who needs comforting but make sure there are other adults
around;
• Ensure that the child and parents are aware of any activity that requires physical
contact and of its nature before the activity takes place.
1All those working on behalf of the parish with children, young
people and adults must not:
• Use any form of physical punishment;
• Be sexually suggestive about or to an individual;
• Scapegoat, ridicule or reject an individual or group;
• Permit abusive peer activities e.g. initiation ceremonies, ridiculing or bullying;
• Show favouritism to any one individual or group;
• Allow an individual to involve them in excessive attention seeking;
• Allow unknown adults access to children, young people and adults who may be
vulnerable. Visitors should always be accompanied by an approved person;
• Allow strangers to give lifts to children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable
in the group;
• Befriend children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable on social media;
• Take photographs on personal phones or cameras as this means that images are
stored on personal devices.
In addition, for children and young people, must not:
• Give lifts to children you are supervising, on their own or your own (unless there are
exceptional circumstances e.g. in an emergency for medical reasons or where parents
fail to collect a child and no other arrangements can be made to take a child home. In
such situations, the circumstances and your decision must be recorded and shared
with an appropriate person at the earliest opportunity);
• Smoke or drink alcohol in the presence of children and young people, except when this
is a social situation with family members/carers present, eg a parish party1
• Arrange social occasions with children and young people (other than events which also
include family members/carers) outside organised group occasions.
Acceptable Touch
Sympathetic attention, encouragement and appropriate physical contact are needed by
children and adults. Some physical contact with children, particularly younger children, can be
wholly appropriate. However, abusers can use touch that appears safe to ‘normalise’ physical
contact which then becomes abusive. As a general rule, the use of touch between adults in
positions of responsibility and those with whom they are working or volunteering should be
initiated by the person themselves, and kept to the minimum. In addition to this, always follow
the guidelines below:
• Ask permission before you touch someone;
• Allow the other person to determine the degree of touch except in exceptional
circumstances (e.g. when they need medical attention);
• Avoid any physical contact that is or could be construed as sexual, abusive or
offensive;
1 For the avoidance of doubt this document does not apply to church services, including Holy
Communion.• Keep everything public. A hug in the context of a group is very different from a hug
behind closed doors;
• Touch should be in response to a person’s needs and not related to the worker’s needs.
Touch should be age appropriate, welcome and generally initiated by the child, not the
worker.