SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Code of Good Practice
Recommended by Home Office “Safe From Harm”

1. Adopt the policy of the Church in Wales on safeguarding the welfare of children and young
   people
2. Plan the work of the diocese/parish so as to minimise situations where the abuse of
   children and young people may occur
3. Introduce a system whereby children and young people may talk with an independent
   person
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 of staff and volunteers 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 ideally 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 pro
    bationary period
12. Issue guidelines on how to deal with disclosure, suspicion or discovery of abuse
13. Train paid staff and volunteers, their co-ordinators or supervisors and policy makers in the prevention of child abuse.
    

Introduction to "Children and Young People: A code of good practice for use by parishes in the Church in Wales"

Children and Young People are a very important part of the community of the Church inWales, to
be respected and cherished for their own sake.Week after week children visit church premises both
for worship and play.This is made possible largely through the dedicated volunteers who give of their
time and talents to the services of the Church.

The production of this good practice guide is not to suggest that those involved in paid or voluntary work with children and young people throughout the Church inWales are under suspicion. The Church in Wales wants to provide a safe and happy environment in which children and young people can grow and develop in their Christian commitment.

Many of you in responding to the Church inWales wish to provide this safe and happy environment and, have already adopted a policy statement, and are actively promoting good practice.This guide is designed to assist you in promoting better procedures for working with children and young
people in the Church inWales.

Implementation of the recommendations contained within this good practice guide will give children and young people the care and protection they deserve. It will give parents and guardians reassurance that their children are safe when participating in Church activities; It should help to safeguard staff and volunteers from false allegations arising out of misunderstanding; it should also reduce the risk of the Church being found liable in litigation arising from circumstances of abuse.

The good practice guide gives some scope for flexibility and it is hoped that where policies and procedures have already been developed, they can be modified to reflect the detail contained within the good practice guide.

Let the children come to me; do not try to stop them; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.

Matthew Chapter 19 v.14.

We, your Bishops, commend the procedures contained in the good practice guide to you.