Policies

Wigan Deanery Trust Safeguarding Policy

Policy Purpose

Our charitable activities may include working with children and vulnerable people. The purpose of this policy is to protect children and vulnerable people and provide stakeholders and the public with the overarching principles that guide our approach. It is also to protect our employees and volunteers.

In writing this document, advice and guidance from the UK Government, the Charity Commission, and the Church of England. Please see below for the documents consulted in writing this policy

Policy Principles

We believe that:

Nobody involved in our work should ever experience abuse, harm, neglect or exploitation.
We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all our beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, to keep them safe and to work in a way that protects them.
We all have a collective responsibility for creating a culture in which people not only feel safe, but also feel able to speak up if they have any concerns.

Policy Applicability

This safeguarding policy applies to everyone working on our behalf, including charity trustees, employees and other volunteers.
Safeguarding will be appropriately reflected in our other policies and procedures.

Trustee Safeguarding Responsibilities

Responsibilities will be made clear to all, and individuals provided with any necessary training and resources to enable them to carry out their role.
Safeguarding will be regularly monitored and included in reporting to the Board.
The safeguarding policy will be reviewed, updated as required and approved by the Board annually.
Trustees will be aware of and comply with the Charity Commission guidance on safeguarding and protecting people (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees) which includes the steps trustee boards need to take to ensure good safeguarding governance.
A Lead Trustee, in conjunction with the Core Services Manager, will have responsibility for the oversight of all aspects of safeguarding. All members of the board should share these responsibilities. This will include the following:

- Creating a culture of respect where everyone feels safe and able to speak up. Promoting a safer environment and culture.
- At least an annual review of safeguarding, with recommendations to the board for updating policies and procedures to reflect statutory requirements, good practice and current issues.
- Ensuring that all statutory guidance is complied with, as well as good practice guidelines and legalities.
- Ensuring that Safeguarding is a standing item on the agenda of each Board Meeting, receiving regular reports, to ensure issues are dealt with appropriately and consistently and policies are being applied consistently.
- Providing oversight of any lapses of safeguarding.
- Ensuring that any issues/allegations are properly investigated and dealt with quickly, fairly and sensitively.
- Regularly assessing and taking steps to minimise risk.
- Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults, both employees and volunteers.
- Ensuring training and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
- Ensuring that all employees and volunteers that require DBS clearance and safeguarding training are identified including the level of DBS and any training required.
- Ensuring that a central record is maintained and subject to regular monitoring to ensure DBS and training are kept up to date.
- Ensuring that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the Trust and/or its projects.
- Displaying in Trust premises and on the Trust website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
- Ensuring that personal data is managed and stored in a safe way to comply with data protection regulations, including valid consent to use any imagery or video.
- Ensuring safeguarding policies, procedures and responsibilities are part of Trustee, employee and volunteer induction processes and are updated as necessary.
- Protecting all employees and volunteers from harm by having clear policies on bullying and harassment and whistleblowing

Online Safeguarding

We will identify and manage online risks by ensuring:

Trustees, staff and volunteers understand how to keep themselves safe online.
The online services we provide are suitable for our users and are in line with our Trustee Code of Conduct.
We protect personal data and follow GDPR legislation
We have the correct permissions to display any images on our website or social media accounts.

Signs of Potential Abuse and how to Report these

Abuse

Abuse can take many forms, including physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, financial, neglect and exploitation. Please see further information in https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees)

Reporting Safeguarding Concerns

Trustees will be mindful of their reporting obligations to the Charity Commission in respect of Serious Incident Reporting. Please see (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/safeguarding-duties-for-charity-trustees)

If an individual is in immediate danger, requires medical assistance, or a crime is in progress, call the police on 999 immediately as in any other circumstances.

If you do not think the child or vulnerable adult is in immediate danger, but you are concerned that a child or vulnerable adult is at risk or presents as being at risk, please Inform Wigan Deanery Trust Safeguarding Officer Kathleen Moran. You should inform her of any safeguarding concerns. She will be responsible for contacting the Local Safeguarding Board and the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer.

Volunteers for Lifted Ministries

Lifted Ministries include Food Pantries, CAP Debt Centre & Courses, Warm Spaces, Faith Cafes, Transforming Lives for Good (TLG), Acts, Celebrate Recovery (CR) and Together Liverpool.

Lifted Ministry

Volunteers who support any of the ministries within the Lifted Ministry and associated activities are governed by the Church Wigan Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and are monitored, managed and supported through the structures in place within their individual churches and hub parishes. This includes safer recruitment of volunteers. For CAP, however, there are additional processes that may need to be followed, outlined in a separate section.
Wigan Deanery Trust Trustees have the duty of oversight that all required procedures are followed. This will be achieved through regular reporting (bi- monthly) from the Church Wigan Lifted Ministry Lead to the Trust.
If a volunteer has a safeguarding concern, they should follow the Church Wigan policies and procedures. The Lifted Ministry Lead should also be informed.
If a safeguarding concern involves a volunteer, the Lifted Lead will report this to both Church Wigan and the Wigan Deanery Trust trustee responsible for Safeguarding.

Any serious safeguarding issues occurring within these settings which might pose a risk to the reputation of the Trust should be reported immediately by the Lifted Ministry Lead to the Wigan Deanery Trust Trustee responsible for Safeguarding.

Cap Debt Centre

CAP has a Safeguarding Policy and Handbook which outlines its ethos and commitment towards safeguarding and its policies and procedures. These are in line with those of Wigan Deanery Trust and Church Wigan. The role of the Trustees is to ensure that this remains the case and that CAP volunteers follow these procedures. This will be achieved through regular reporting from the Church Wigan CAP Debt Centre Manager to the Trust.
CAP volunteers will be bound by CAP policy, practices and procedures.
1. If a CAP volunteer or employee has a safeguarding concern, the following steps apply:
  - Identify a safeguarding concern regarding a client - inform Lifted ministry Lead
  - The Lifted Ministry Lead decides with the Debt Centre Manager and if appropriate the relevant Hub’s Safeguarding Officer or Diocesan Safeguarding Team what appropriate actions are needed and document according to Church Wigan’s safeguarding procedures. If required Wigan Deanery Trustee to be informed
  - Debt Coach or Debt Centre Manager completes a CPOMS report (summary of issue and actions taken by church), on CAP’s system so CAP has an awareness of the situation and decisions taken
  - CAP Safeguarding Lead - Mark Clayton reviews CPOMS report - deciding appropriate actions/ onwards communications within CAP (if any) e.g. to debt operations teams, Area Manager and Regional Leader in terms of supporting the Debt Coach/Debt Centre Manager or Volunteer
  - If something is reported to Lifted Ministry Lead or Hub Safeguarding Officer it should always be recorded it on CPOMS too.
2. A safeguarding matter is raised via the CAP system, which has been identified by someone at Head Office
  - Debt Operations staff member identifies a safeguarding concern regarding a client and completes a CPOMS report
  - CAP Safeguarding Lead - Mark Clayton decides what appropriate actions are needed and documents accordingly
  - CAP Safeguarding Lead shares any CPOMS incidents and responses with the named Debt Coach/Debt Centre Manager via a CPOMS alert. If significant concerns are identified, the relevant Area Manager and Region Leader will be informed
3. If there are relevant safeguarding and safety issues for the debt centre or church or staff and volunteers then the Debt Manager/Coach share these with them on a ‘need to know basis’. Where needed the Lifted Ministry Lead and Hub Safeguarding Officer will also be informed. Additionally depending on action to be taken the Diocesan Safeguarding Team may need to be involved and the WDT Trustee will be informed.

Contact Details

Wigan Deanery Trust is committed to responding to safeguarding concerns, providing advice, and supporting survivors. We are not able to offer an emergency or 24-hour response.

Kathleen Moran, Wigan Deanery Trust Safeguarding Lead

kathleen.moran@wigandeanerytrust.org

Stephen Southern, Assistant Safeguarding Lead

manager.coreservices@wigandeanerytrust.org

Other Support from Liverpool Diocese

Andy Holmes Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser

07940 378139 andy.holmes@liverpool.anglican.org

Mick Murphy Deputy Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser

07376 431466 michael.murphy@liverpool.anglican.org

Karen Williams Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding

07946 189061 karen.williams@liverpool.anglican.org

Resources