Safeguarding Service
Harm or abuse of children and adults at risk can happen anywhere – even in church communities. We have a duty to Ensure a Safe Church for All. This means protecting children and ‘adults at risk’.
The Church’s safeguarding structures aim to minimise the risk of harm occurring. If harm or abuse does occur, with appropriate support and training, it will be recognised and reported. Appropriate and timely action will be taken and this includes working with the Police and Social Work services where appropriate.
The Church of Scotland Safeguarding Service provides a service for Church Councils, congregations and 80 CrossReach services.
What we aim to do and how
The Safeguarding Service aims to: (a) ensure best practice in preventing harm or abuse and (b) ensure that the Church makes a timely and appropriate response when harm or abuse is witnessed, suspected or reported.
Preventing harm and abuse
The Safeguarding Service provides:
- support and advice with every-day safeguarding matters where there is not an incident of suspected or reported harm or abuse
- advice and support for the safe recruitment and selection of all paid staff and volunteers. This includes checking a person’s suitability to work with children or protected adults via membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG Scheme).
- an Advisory Group to risk assess interviewed volunteers and paid staff, who have convictions on their PVG Scheme Record, being considered for work with children or protected adults.
- a comprehensive range of safeguarding training programmes to meet the learning needs of different groups of people in the Church and CrossReach.
Responding to disclosures of harm or abuse, or risk of abuse
The Safeguarding Service:
- provides verbal and written advice in situations where harm or abuse is witnessed by, suspected or reported to, members of the Church.
- advises and works alongside congregations to ensure the safe inclusion of convicted sex offenders in worship.
Including those who pose a risk
The Church of Scotland has a policy and procedure, approved by the General Assembly in 2009, for the safe inclusion of convicted sex offenders in worship. See the 'For of Such is the Kingdom of Heaven report', below, for details. The report provides a theological basis for this work. And the Safeguarding Service provides full guidance and support for congregations implementing this policy.
Training for volunteer workers and co-ordinators
The Safeguarding Service arranges training events throughout the year for both volunteer workers and safeguarding co-ordinators. Details of these are listed in the training calendars in our Resources.
All training meetings and events are open only to Church of Scotland staff, office bearers and those in the ministries.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007
Information about the PVG Scheme and relevant training can be found in Resources.
Safeguarding Trainers' Area
The Safeguarding Trainers' Area is a forum open to safeguarding trainers and presbytery contacts, which enables them to discuss needs, issues, ideas and suggestions in relation to training and development matters.
Resources
The Safeguarding Service produces information and guidance about working with organisations, recruiting volunteers and current legislative requirements. These can be found in our Resources
Contact for more information
The service is available 9am–4.45pm, Monday to Friday. You can leave a telephone or email message outwith this time.
You can phone us at 0131 240 2256 or email us at safeguarding@cofscotland.org.uk. We are based at the Church's offices in Edinburgh.