My Church People

Data within My Church People came directly from the diocesan database, incorporating roles and previous DBS returned certificates. This data can be broken down into the following categories:

• Correct with no action, as the information meets safeguarding and DBS criteria for the current role(s).
• Older data which requires cleansing. These records are usually people and roles.
• DBS checks that require renewal.

You may find that My Church People does not hold records for people you know. This is not an issue. You can add in people, their role and if required, begin a DBS check for them. Before you begin the DBS process, you must be certain of the DBS check the person requires and identify what level, enhancement and if any barring checks are required. You can find support at DBS Eligibility Tool

My Church People is partnered with APCS (Access Personal Checking Services) as our DBS check umbrella body.

For more information on DBS, please see Related reading. The link to access the DBS website is: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service.

Please note that DBS checks must be completed in the applicants legal name, this will be the same as the information contained on the official identification documentation. If your applicants circumstances change, such as a change to the legal name, the applicant must inform you and a new DBS check needs to be initiated. If the applicant changes role, it is your responsibility to establish whether they require a new DBS check for that role. If the applicant is the subject of a caution or conviction once the DBS check has been issued the safeguarding team will receive a notification and will contact the application for sight of the certificate in order to undertake a risk assessment. You will also be contacted and must halt the recruitment process at this point and wait to hear from the Provincial Safeguarding Officer.

It is the Church in Wales policy to renew DBS certificates every three years.

The Church in Wales does not accept DBS checks that have been issued by any other organisation. The Church in Wales will issue a DBS check for applicants who have a role which requires one.

The DBS Update Service allows you to keep your DBS certificates up to date, and employers to a check a DBS certificate. Our policy encourages that anyone requiring an Enhanced DBS check for a role within the Church in Wales should subscribe to the update service as part of the application process.

Once you receive confirmation that your DBS check is complete, you will receive an email guiding you on how to sign up to the Update Service. To register, it costs £13 a year. There is no charge if you are a volunteer.

For more information on the DBS Update Service, please see Related reading. The link to access the DBS Update Service website is: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

My Church People also allows you to check whether someone has successfully completed their Safeguarding Training. This can be found next to their DBS status in the system. The coloured badges adjacent to the 'Safeguarding' section reflect any existing Safeguarding Training that person has received. The red badges indicate that a person has not attended their respective Safeguarding modules in the previous three years, whereas the green badges indicate that a person has completed their respective Safeguarding modules in the last three years. The system allows you to see what course they attended, the status, and outcome.

For more information on Safeguarding Training, please see our Safeguarding page.

Please see the 'Find / Add Someone' section of the User Guide for further clarification.

This means that the DBS requirements have been set. Please see the ‘Defining DBS Requirements’ section of the User Guide for further clarification.

This means that the DBS requirements have not been set. Please see the ‘Defining DBS Requirements’ section of the User Guide for further clarification.

This could mean one of two things. In the first instance, it may be that the system is unable to match the certificate to the set DBS requirements. If so, please see the ‘Defining DBS Requirements’ section of the User Guide for further assistance. If the requirements have already been set and the system is still unable to match the two together, it is most likely due to the certificate missing a specific entry level or workforce. In this case, it would be suggested that a new one be set up.

Yes, there are 'Child' and 'Adult' flowcharts available to access on the system. Please see the User Guide for further information on how to access them.

The MCP and DBS teams understand that it has been difficult to ascertain what level of DBS check is required for certain roles. Therefore, our regional DBS manager has designed an online training session for the Church in Wales that is interactive. For more information on these sessions and how to book, please contact us via the contact form below.

Child Barring and Adult Barring define whether a person engages in regulated activity with vulnerable adults or children. Please see Navigating the Child and Adult flowcharts section of the User Guide.

Please see the 'Setting Things Up for the Update Service' section of the User Guide.

Please see the 'Update Service Re-checks' section of the User Guide.

The applicant has 90 days to complete their application and submit it. If the application is not completed within this timeframe, the link to apply will expire and a new check will need to be set up. Users are able to send reminder emails to their applicants to keep a track of their progress. If the applicant claims that they have not received an email to apply, please advise them to check their spam/junk folder as a precaution.

There is no law that prohibits you from starting work without a DBS check, unless it is a regulated activity as defined by the DBS. Most employers may have their own policies requiring a DBS check before you begin employment, and some might prefer to complete a DBS certificate online. It is important to review your own policies, as in some situations, having a valid DBS certificate is a legal necessity before beginning work, particularly in roles involving children or vulnerable adults.

Yes. If you click where it says ‘Cymraeg’ on the top right corner of the screen, it should translate the page

Yes. The Representative Body of the Church in Wales is compliant for the UKGDPR and other legislation such as the Data Protection Act 2018. Also, a Data Protection Officer has been appointed to oversee all the data protection activity. The DPO can be contacted at dataprotection@churchinwales.org.uk

The Representative Body of the Church in Wales has instituted a robust system of data protection by design, both Online and Offline, which operates in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data under its control, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical and organisational measures, both electronic and manual systems and includes appropriate training for staff members involved.

The Representative Body of the Church in Wales following the data protection limitation principles laid down in the law will ensure only the minimum number of people can access the data collected. The access to data is controlled, password protected and, on a need, to know basis only.

The Representative Body of the Church in Wales manages various aspects of the Church’s activities including data protection. The data held by ‘My Church People’ is centralized for the protection of the individuals concerned, ease of management and security of the data.

The Church has several legal responsibilities to ensure the safety of its environment and the people who are within it. Also, the conclusions of the recent national investigation into historic abuse (IICSA) lay down additional guidelines and a framework for protection. The ‘My Church People’ database is part of a wide-ranging response to these requirements.

The National office is managing the data previously provided and moving it across into the new My Church People system so there is a consistent approach of good data protection practice across all aspects of the Church in Wales systems which are professionally maintained with the required levels of security and compliance.

The National office is cleansing the database and removing data older than 3 years to ensure we comply with the data minimization, storage, and accuracy principles. Only Data which was provided within the last three years will be used for the new My Church People system so you may be asked to resend data provided before that date.

The Representative Body of the Church in Wales is only allowed to share Personal Data under its control in certain prescribed circumstances. The People and Organizations who can access the data are known as Data Processors and they must by law be under strict contractual agreements with the Church. Further details of this are available on the various Privacy Notices published by the Church which can be found on the main website.

The length of time data is kept varies depending on the role in question. Details of the retention schedule(s) for data can be found on the Privacy Notices published on the main website.

The Personal Data collected for My Church People will be kept in accordance with the Data Retention Schedule available on the Privacy Notice on the main website.