Blackburn Diocesan Promoting a Safer Church Action Plan 2018

Introduction

This document should be read in conjunction with the Church of England Promoting a Safer Church: National Safeguarding Team Response and Action Plan (2017) to the second SCIE audit Report. The Diocesan Safer Church Action plan contains the priorities for the Diocesan Safeguarding function for the coming year and incorporates any outstanding actions from the recommendations within the SCIE audit report, 2015. It is a key document to inform the work of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP). The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) will provide an update at each DSAP meeting in respect of key aspects of the action plan and regularly review against new practice guidance to ensure that it meets the needs and priorities required to provide the framework for a safer Church. It will be monitored at each DSAP meeting.

Strategic Objective 1: Training: Provide Safeguarding Learning and Development at all levels of the organisation, adhering strictly to the National Learning and Development Practice Guidance and using the nationally produced Training Modules
Action Required / Lead / Timescale / Quarterly Progress / Comments
Write forward plan of training to roll out new Specialist National Training Modules. / DSA/Assistant DSA / As they are released. / Not started / National development of S5 –Grooming, sexual abuse and responding to survivors to be accelerated.
Refresh the training web page and advertise the January - Marchtraining programme / AssistantDSA/ Safeguarding Administrator / January 2018 / Completed
Ensure all new clergy in the Diocese have had a safeguarding induction in line with the Practice Guidance Training and Development Framework 2017 / Safeguarding Team / As required / In Progress
Plan and deliver a parish safeguarding officer’s thankyou/development day introduced by the Bishop of Blackburn / Safeguarding Team / Autumn 2018 / In progress
When resources allow develop support programme for Parish Safeguarding Officer’s / Not started
Quality assure existing volunteer trainers on an annual basis / DSA/Assistant DSA / January - July 2018 / Not started
Populate CMS to show when training has been done and when it needs to be refreshed, including adding 2014-2016 training records to the CMS system. / Diocesan Safeguarding Administrator / By the end of March 2018 / Not started
Strategic Objective 2: Ensure that all National policy and guidance is implemented and formally adopted by the diocese
Update Diocesan guidance to reflect new National Church policies and legislation:
Review the Complaints and whistle-blowing guidance
Update Diocesan Safeguarding Policy / DSA
DSA / Following publication of the Environment and Culture Practice Guidance in 2018
Following the publication of the new National Church policy / Not started / Align with the new Environment and Culture Practice Guidance once published.
Strategic Objective 3: Ensure there is adequate resource for the safeguarding function
Review and ensure that there is adequate safeguarding resourcing in the diocese. / Diocesan Secretary, Bishops Council, DBF / April 2018 / In progress
Senior management group to consider if there is any additional need for a formal authorised listening service and/or counselling or advocacy services / DSA with senior management team / Autumn 2018 / Not started / Audit recommendation 4-Roles and Responsibilities document, October 2017 says, Diocese MUSThave ‘Authorised listeners’ or an externally provided service to support victims/survivors of church abuse
Ensure there are Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adult advocates or an externally provided service / DSA / End of 2018 / Not started / Requirement of the ‘Roles and Responsibilities’ document, October 2017
Ensure there are a pool of ‘Link People’ to support church officers who are subject of concerns or allegations / DSA / Autumn 2018 / Completed / Requirement of the ‘Roles and Responsibilities’ document, October 2017
Strategic Objective 4: Review the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel
Update Terms of Reference in Line with Key Roles and Responsibilities of Church Office Holders and Bodies Practice Guidance, October 2017. / DSA with panel / January 2018 / Completed / Agreed at DSAP 16.1.2018 with inclusion of Director of Education which was an omission in the model TOR
Review Group Membership in line with new Practice Guidance, October 2017. / DSA with the Bishop and the Dean of Blackburn Cathedral / January 2017 / Completed / Agreed at DSAP 16.1.18
Consider the level of access between the Chair of the DSAP and the Bishop. / January 2018 / In progress
Explore possibility of LADO membership on the panel. / DSA / June 2018 / In progress
Strategic Objective 5: Communications and Access to Safeguarding information for all
Ensure that a diocesan central record of clergy, licenced lay ministers and other church officers that have a role with children, young people and vulnerable adults[1] is kept that will enable a prompt response to enquiries and enable tracking of DBS compliance, renewals and safeguarding training. This record should include start and finish dates, all posts held and next post when known, DBS information and training attended. / Deputy Diocesan Secretary (Strategy), Safeguarding Administrator / In progress / To reflect the requirement within the Key Roles and Responsibilities of Church Office Holders and Bodies Practice Guidance, October 2017.
Produce and circulate a quarterly ‘Safeguarding Matters’ newsletter / DSA, Safeguarding Administrator / Quarterly / Completed to date / Quarterly newsletters circulated
Ensure the safeguarding section of the website is kept up to date
and maintained / Safeguarding Team / Completed to date / Updated as new practice, guidance an templates are developed
Develop toolkit for safeguarding of adults at risk of abuse and put on the website / DSA / July 2018 / In progress
Brief the Diocesan Communications Manager about any cases likely to attract media/press attention / DSA / As required / Completed / Briefed as required. Communications and Safeguarding Impact assessment produced for high profile case.
Deliver 2-3 ‘supporting our people’ workshops focussing on safeguarding across the diocese / DSA, HR Manager / July 2018 / In progress / Dates identified and invite list generated. Churchwardens, Incumbents and Treasurers.
Develop and maintain a system for logging and learning from serious incidents / DSA and safeguarding assistant / February 2017 / Completed / Learning from Case Reviews taken to Bishops Leadership Team and the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel
Explore the viability of developing a Pan Lancashire Christian safeguarding advisers network. / DSA / July 2018 / In progress
Strategic Objective 6: Safer Recruitment practice: To identify, deter and reject applicants who are unsuitable for working with children and adults at risk
Review current processes on the taking up of references
Develop a pro forma to include specific questions in relation to safeguarding
Ensure that references are obtained by professional/work sources as well as from friends for lay posts / Senior management
DSA and HR / Completed / Diocesan Audit Recommendation Number 8 – Need to provide an audit trail of actions taken.
Strategic Objective 7: Ensure records are stored securely and in accordance with good practice in an Electronic Safeguarding System (Palysade)
Populate all clergy contact records on the electronic casework management system (Palysade). / Safeguarding Administrator / End of March 2018 / In progress
Participate in the National pilot of casework management systems, evaluating Palysade. / DSA, ASDA, Safeguarding Administrator / When national pilot commences / Not Started / Agreed to be members of the pilot but this has now been delayed.
Review the Palysade casework system with GB3 to develop a front sheet for sex offender cases like the police VISOR system. / DSA, Assistant DSA / In progress / Initial meeting held to scope requirements.
Strategic Objective 8: Jay Inquiry
Receive and respond to all requests from the National Safeguarding Team in relation to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. / DSA in consultation with the Bishop and Bishop’s Chaplain, Independent Chair / As required / Completed to date / Known case list and audit completed and sent to the Independent Scrutiny Team in November 2017
Strategic Objective 9: To ensure that Churches and the Cathedral within the Diocese are open yet safe communities where risk is managed pro-actively
Develop an electronic reminder system for the reviews of offender agreements. / Gb3 Palysade system provider. / In Progress / Scoping meeting held on the 3rd of January with Gb3
Review and update the process for completing worship agreements for sex offenders / Assistant DSA / April 2018 / In progress
Ensure there is a proportionate, up to date risk assessment, risk management plan and/or agreement to worship in place for every known offender. / DSA with Clergy, police, probation, Social Care, other Diocesan DSA’s / On-going / Completed
Work with clergy and parishes to ensure effective monitoring and review of such agreements / Assistant DSA / On-going / Completed / A ‘What to do when an offender wants to worship at your Church’, guide has been written and posted on the safeguarding section of the Diocesan website
Work with the Youth Adviser to develop a culture of active engagement with children/young people to help to inform a culture of safe worship / DSA and Youth Adviser / Autumn 2018 / In progress / Preliminary discussion held with the Youth Adviser about work with the Youth Council to progress this.
Strategic Objective 10: Quality Assurance and Audit. Establish effective mechanisms to ensure that all safeguarding activity is delivered to the highest standard throughout the whole Diocese at every level of the Church
Increase Compliance of completed parish safeguarding audits to 90% / Safeguarding Team / December 2018 / In progress
Participate in the pilot progress reviews with the National Church Safeguarding Team / DSA, DSAP Chair and members of Bishop’s Leadership Team / April 2018 / In progress
Produce checklist of required activity to prepare for the review / DSA with safeguarding Team / March 2018 / Completed / Safeguarding Annual Report to be written and approved by DSAP
Participate in a Section 11 Audit with Blackburn with Darwen Local Children’s Safeguarding Board / DSA, Assistant DSA, Safeguarding Administrator / March 2018 / Not started / Not started / Focus to be identified
The DSAP to consider how it can explicitly include a quality assurance elementand how that could be done within current staffing structures. / DSAP / Not started

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[1] If in doubt consider the guidance on positions of responsibility in the Glossary.