SWANSEA AND BRECON

DIOCESAN SAFEGUARDING COMMITTEE

Report to Safeguarding Officers and Clergy after the meeting of the Swansea and BreconDiocesan Safeguarding Committee held on Thursday, 5th September, 2013.

  1. The meeting was well attended and members welcomed to their first meeting MrsKate Jones, the new Diocesan Secretary and Dr Jane Watkeys, a new member with professional expertise in the field of Child Protection.
  1. SAFEGUARDING ABSENCES

Letters had been sent to those parishes of concern. It was noted that Oystermouth was no longer a concern (the annual return had been completed incorrectly, and they had since provided details of their safeguarding officers).

It was agreed that the committee could support those parishes still unable to provide safeguarding officers by:

  • Giving additional information regarding the role.
  • Assure them that support from the committee was available.
  • And suggest that they ask a neighbouring parish or their deanery to provide additional support or cover.

The individual options would be reviewed with each of the parishes and reported back to the next meeting in December, after discussions with the Archdeacon of Brecon.

3.LETTER TO ALL PARISHES

Letters have now been sent to all parishes and included:

Appendix 1: A simple pro forma for use in parish annual reports. The committee however agreed that further clarification is required regarding “issues of particular concern”. This should include:

  • Non-confidential items e.g. action taken to review facilities for children.
  • An awareness of any current scams.
  • Any educational items/tools.

There is a service called Ringmaster Powys which provides information on current scams in the Powys area which would be a useful tool to any parish. To sign up, visit ringmaster.powys.gov.uk

Appendix 2: Parental Consent Form; a provincial form for visits and activities in youth clubs.

Appendix 2: Images of Children and Young People; a provincial guidance note.

Appendix 4: A flowchart for the use of Images of Children and Young People.

4.NEW DBS CHECKS

The new DBS check system was introduced on 17th June 2013. It was agreed that some guidance on the process of the new DBS checks is required, both for the committee and to pass out to parishes. It was confirmed that the system is as follows:

  • The individual completes the application and forwards to the Vicar for checking.
  • Vicar checks for accuracy and passes to Glenda Edwards, Representative Body, Catherdral Road.
  • Glenda issues a DBS No. and passes application back to the individual with a return envelope addressed to the Archbishop’s Registrar.
  • Individual sends off application to DBS.
  • DBS is returned to the individual.
  • Individual needs to ensure he/she has “signed up” for the on-line update service within 14 days of the date of the certificate. (It was noted that some people hadn’t completed this stage of the process and therefore did not have “portability” of their certificate).
  • Individual sends DBS certificate in the SAE provided to the Archbishop’s Registrar.
  • Archbishop’s Registrar notifies Glenda Edwards.
  • Glenda sends a letter to the Vicar to say the check is clear (or otherwise)

It was noted that : If the applicant has withdrawn from the process or not returned the CBS check after 28 days we are able to ring DBS and they can confirm if there is an “issue”.

Parishes need to be aware that when employing a person with an existing DBS Certificate they should:

a)Have sight of the DBS certificate (the number alone is not sufficient).

b)Note that the category is relevant to the role (i.e. Adult, Child or both). This is not visible during an on-line check.

c)Check the DBS on-line for any updates since the date of issue.

d)Have sight of a proof of photo ID (e.g. passport or driving licence) to ensure that the Certificate shown actually relates to the correct person.

N.B. It is possible to print out the check to keep for personnel files.

5.CHURCH CHOIRS

It was noted that both Llansamlet and Oystermouth have large, multi-aged choirs. It was agreed to consult with them regarding choir specific safeguarding policies/training that could be advised to the whole Diocese. It is particularly important that choirs be included in all parish safeguarding guidance (e.g. that they adopt the same principles when taking images of Children and Young People).

6.2013 TRAINING

The training will comprise 4 x 20mins speaker sessions. Topics to include:

  • Changes in CRB/DBS checks process
  • The role of the Safeguarding Officer
  • Use of images
  • Vulnerable Adults and Scams
  • Use of social networking

Attendance will be compulsory for Clergy and Safeguarding Officers (or other parish rep.). Invites will also be sent to:

  • Readers
  • Pastorial Lay Visitors
  • Bishops Visitors
  • Youth Workers

7.UNAUTHORISED IMAGES

Safeguarding Officers need to ensure this is discussed by the PCC.

Concern was raised about unauthorized photos or videos being taken at events and published on the internet. It was stated that images have been taken without regard for privacy or consent. The Committee stated how concerned they were about an episode detailed to them. The episode related to a video made during a Diocesan event which contained images of Children and Young People and was loaded with no consent in place onto youtube. The Committee discussed the issue at length, it recognized it had already issued guidance and went on to confirm various actions which can be taken at events:

  • Signage should be displayed explaining that unauthorized images are not permitted
  • Authorized photographers should wear appropriate ID
  • Personnel can be assigned to initiate gentle discussions with anyone not complying
  • Reminders can be made at any public announcements or at the beginning of services.

When made aware that an occurrence has taken place there is a duty of care to address it. The individual concerned should be approached, explaining the significance of the actions and asked to remove the images.

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