SAFEGUARDING AGREEMENT

Section 1 – Overview

• Introduction to the Safeguarding Agreement.

The effective and timely planning of joint events between churches and other organisations is essential for effective management of risk and promoting the welfare of those experiencing the event, as well as ensuring that all joint events are appropriately and consistently managed. For this reason, this overriding Safeguarding Agreement applies to all joint events organised through Churches Together in Southwell (CTiS). This agreement also contains an overarching Protocol to which all of the partners should be signatories. This agreement does not replace or override any government policies or changes in legislation.  

• Purpose – Why do we need this agreement?

This agreement will ensure that an effective and consistent approach to safeguarding is taken across all events that are organised through CTiS and held at any of the venues of the organisations associated with CTiS. The purpose of this agreement is to safeguard adults and children who are at risk of abuse or neglect.

• Legal Basis – What law underpins this agreement?

‘Duty of Care’ is the overarching legal and moral obligation for organisations hosting events open to the public. It mandates taking all ‘reasonably practicable’ steps to ensure the safety of attendees, staff and any external contractors.

Section 2 – Overriding Safeguarding Protocol

Responsibilities and Lead Church

2.1 All signatories to this Safeguarding Agreement agree to all aspects of this agreement and are responsible for ensuring that they are followed for events that they host. This Safeguarding Agreement meets the Duty of Care requirement for event hosts through:

(i).  Completion and implementation of a Safeguarding Risk Assessment and

(ii). addressing the Safeguarding Guidance Questions 

The event Safeguarding Risk Assessment and Safeguarding Guidance Questions will be made available to all organisations within CTiS.

2.3.1 Where an event is held in a specific church, that churches overriding safeguarding policy is to be followed i.e. if an event is held in the Riverside centre, then the Riverside Church safeguarding policy is to be followed for safeguarding aspects at that event, and appropriate safeguarding escalation followed in line with the individual church’s policy.

2.3.2 However, should a safeguarding incident occur during the event that involves a volunteer or identified member of a different church, the Safeguarding Lead for the Lead Church will liaise with the Safeguarding Lead/s from the other churches whose volunteer/ member is involved.

Volunteers for Events

2.4.1. In relation to events where volunteers are being provided by other churches, it is the responsibility of the Lead Church to liaise with the safeguarding leads of the individual churches providing volunteers. This is to ensure that appropriate DBS checks have been completed on volunteers; this should be done for all events where volunteers will interact with children, young people and vulnerable adults. Where DBS checks are not required as the event is not identified as being involved with children, young people or vulnerable adults, the Lead Church should still ensure that safeguarding leads from respective churches are contacted to identify if there are any known safeguarding concerns in relation to the volunteers that are attending.

2.4.2 Where the Lead Church for an event identifies that a particular role requires the person delivering that role to have a DBS – and a volunteer from another church offers to do the role – but does not hold a DBS, then that particular role will not be able to be undertaken by that individual. Note: Where the Lead Churches standard practice is for prayer ministry to be undertaken by a team of two prayers, then in that scenario only one of the two may be required to be DBS accredited.

2.4.3 It is the responsibility of the Lead Church to ensure that volunteers from other churches are appropriately briefed for the role that they will be undertaking.

Events occurring outside of any of the Churches

2.5 There are occasions where CTiS events will occur outside of a church venue. An example of this is when CTiS run a stall at the Southwell Saturday Market.  For these events one of the churches is required to take the Lead Church role for that event/activity.