Safeguarding 

New North Road Baptist Church seeks to create and uphold environments where everyone is safe to grow. 

We do do this in the following ways. 

Safe – guarding
 
Our aim is to follow church policy by working in a safe and respectful environment. Church must be a place where young people feel safe, emotionally, physically and sexually. Procedures to ensure this are important and wherever possible these have been implemented.

The recent refurbishment of the Toddler’s and Jogger’s rooms has been much appreciated. Special provision to meet the needs of individual children and perhaps improvements to other areas all contribute to making our young people feel valued.
 
A copy of the policy statement is permanently displayed in the church entrance vestibule. There are five members of our safeguarding team which is led by Myrna Moore and this includes the provision of DBS for all who require this.  

The different perspectives and backgrounds of the members are seen as an asset.
 
Some examples of our work:
Ensuring that accurate records are kept of personal details of those children involved in Sunday School. Keeping this updated is necessary due to the fluidity of attendance, asylum seekers etc. In addition to this, it is important to inform all relevant parties when there is an issue.
In connection with that making it clear to parents where the parameters are. For example, when parents are present, in church or elsewhere they are responsible for their own children and they must be the ones to take them to the toilet etc.
An effective policy in Messy Church has been the tightening up of the registration. Children’s names are accompanied by parent’s name so that it is clear to all where the responsibility lies.

Having clear procedures such as what happens if there is an incident in church. Which people take charge, who attends the ‘patient’ who phones for the ambulance and who keeps things going are also discussed and the deacons will often bring these issues to the Diaconate. Communication is a two – way process.
Issues are reported and discussed as they arise and where appropriate, action is taken, but the key to all of this is communication. 

Training is an on-going issue but several people have recently completed training.  Church members who have had training are asked to provide copies of their certificates. More of us need to do the training but sessions are often run in obscure or difficult - to -get- to venues.

We have requested the YBA think about the possibility of our church being a training venue for future sessions, particularly as we have such an excellent location, being in the Town centre, near the railway station. That is open for discussion.
Realising that Safe- guarding is a responsibility for everyone means that we must ensure we are well equipped and better informed as to what to look out for and how to implement the law.I am grateful for the team with whom I work, their different perspectives and insight, serves us well and I have learned a lot from them. We strive to do the best we can.  

Finally, nothing can be achieved without the support and prayers of the church community and we are grateful for that. As we become better trained, there is a need for constant updating.

The realisation that we all can be vulnerable feeds our aim to be as open and
transparent as we can be and to make ourselves available whenever necessary.
 
 
 
Myrna Moore
1.4.20