The Methodist Church
Creating Safer Space
Leadership Module
Safeguarding Children,
Young People & Vulnerable Adults
Leadership Training
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Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
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Trainers
Name
Role
Name
Role
Chaplain
Name
Role
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The faith-based underpinning of
safeguarding
Devotions
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Creating Safer Space
• The focus of the Foundation Module is to
promote awareness of possible safeguarding
concerns and to equip people in relevant roles to
feel confident to share with the appropriate
person.
• The focus of the Leadership Module is to develop
the knowledge, skills, understanding of those in
the church with whom concerns may be shared.
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The Creating Safer Space
Leadership Module aims to:
Enable Safeguarding Officers, Ministers
and other leaders in churches to
develop a deeper understanding of their
role and responsibilities in relation to
safeguarding and to develop confidence
in carrying out this role.
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By the end of the day participants will:
• understand their role and
referrals
responsibilities
• appreciate the Church’s
• have reflected on the
commitment to safeguarding
challenges of the leadership
children, young people and
role for the Church
adults; survivors of abuse and
people who may be a risk to
• know where to find
others
resources, further help and
• have sharpened their
guidance within and beyond
awareness of the Methodist
the Church.
Church policies and
procedures on safeguarding
• know about routes for
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Housekeeping
Mobile Phones – silent or off
Toilets
Fire Exits
Refreshment Breaks
Timekeeping
Question Park
Attendance Sheet H&S + Certificates
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Looking after ourselves:
• This training can be difficult for any of us, at
any time.
• If you need a break, feel free to move about or
leave the room.
• There is more than one trainer here, so we can
be free to spend time with you outside the
main room if necessary.
• If this raises painful issues for you, share this
with somebody you trust. Look after yourself!
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We aim to:
• listen without interrupting
• respect the diversity, feelings, experiences and
perspectives of others
• listen to differences in views and question in a
constructive way that enables the group to learn
• respect confidentiality unless it puts others at risk
• take responsibility for our own learning and share as
well as receive
• be aware of the potential impact of the subject on
ourselves and others.
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The church’s unique focus:
welcoming in safety
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Children and
young people
Adults who may
be vulnerable
Survivors
of abuse
People who may be
a risk to others but
have expressed a
commitment to change
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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The Church’s unique focus in safeguarding
A leadership role:
•
•
•
•
ensuring all are welcome in safety
keeping a balance
being aware of those who may be a risk
ensuring those who are a known risk are
monitored and supported
and…
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Prevent
Promote
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Protect
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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SECTION 2
PROMOTE SAFEGUARDING
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Promote: Where do I fit in?
Think of an example of when you have
promoted a culture of safeguarding.
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Promote: a leadership role
• working towards a culture where
safeguarding is routine
• developing a culture of informed vigilance
• valuing safeguarding work
• creating safer spaces
and ...
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Promote
Roles a leader might need to take on
• decision maker
• enforcer
• listener
• mediator
• negotiator
• pastor
and…
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Promote
Resources to support the leadership role
in safeguarding
• Church
• national
• local
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SECTION 3
PREVENT ABUSE AND HARM
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Prevent harm
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Premises
People
Policies
Practice
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Prevent: people
A leadership role (1)
• knowing who to go to with concerns
• knowing people who may be a risk to others;
passing on concerns to District Safeguarding
• awareness of diversity issues
• implementing safer recruitment.
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Prevent: people
A leadership role (2)
• ensuring clear job/role descriptions
• avoiding boundary drift
• setting up and monitoring Covenants of
Care
and ...
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People: Sharing concerns
Worker /volunteer
tells coordinator of their
observation
Child or vulnerable
adult tells worker
/volunteer who tells
coordinator
Coordinator may tell
the relevant authority
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Someone else tells
worker/volunteer who
tells coordinator
In an emergency worker may
contact relevant authorities
directly and inform coordinator
later
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Prevent: People
Safer Recruitment: employees and
volunteers
•
•
•
•
•
•
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job or role description/person specification
references
panel interview
confirm identity
explore discrepancies
completion of appropriate vetting procedures
before beginning job or role.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Blemished disclosures: possible
outcomes
• clear (minor ‘spent’ issues)
• more information so any risk can be assessed:
the individual may need to stand down
clear (after receiving more
information)
clear with conditions
decision by SAP
• appeal
and...
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Protect from harm
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Recognise
Record
Respond
Refer
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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SECTION 4
PROTECT FROM HARM
Recognising abuse
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Protect: recognising
Types of abuse
•
•
•
•
•
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Physical
Emotional
Neglect
Sexual
Spiritual or ritual
• Financial/
material
• Discriminatory
• Institutional
• Domestic abuse
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Protect: recognising
A leadership role
•
•
•
•
•
knowing what to be concerned about
being observant
listening well
recognising patterns of behaviour
joining up different pieces of information
and...
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ACTIVITY
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Protect: four pre-conditions to abuse
Victim
Resistance
External
Inhibitors
Internal
Inhibitors
Motivation
‘wanting to’
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‘doing it and getting
away with it’
‘others creating
opportunity’
‘conscience’
Finkelhor’s stages
in offending
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Grooming: a definition
Grooming is a word used to describe
how people who want to sexually
harm children and young people get
close to them, and often their
families, and gain their trust.
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Protect: recognising
Grooming in the church context: lessons
learnt
It happens at different levels
• individual
• family
• the Church community
• those in influential positions in the
Church.
It can happen over long periods of time.
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SECTION 5
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well
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Protect: responding
A leadership role:
responding well to disclosure and to
concerns about abuse or harm
• responding well to survivors
• responding well to people who might pose a
risk
• responding well to serious situations
• responding well to the church congregation
and...
•
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Protect: responding
Challenges to responding well: why the Church may
not respond well to concerns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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too difficult
‘doesn’t happen in the Church’
the person/family concerned is respected
confidentiality is not understood
confusion about false allegations
wanting to keep it within the Church
needing to handle everything
not knowing who to go to
conflicting loyalties.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Protect: responding
A leadership role: responding well
…is often about ‘walking alongside’ people. It is
primarily about listening and not reacting with
haste. It is not about judgment or imposing what
we think is best for someone. It is about not
feeling that we must have all the answers and not
wanting to solve everything now.
The Archbishops’ Council (2011) Responding Well to those who have been sexually
abused: policy and guidance for the Church of England
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SECTION 5a
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well to concerns
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Protect: responding
A leadership role:
Listening well to people who have concerns
about possible abuse or harm helps them:
• to remember
• to make sense of what they experienced, heard, saw
or were told – to make connections
• to build up as full a picture as possible
• to provide acknowledgement and affirmation
especially when sharing painful or difficult issues
and...
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Protect: responding well to concerns
A leadership role: Key listening skills
• attention giving; active listening, non-critical
acceptance
• ability to use different kinds of questions
• paraphrasing; reflecting back, summarising
and checking
and...
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Protect: respectful uncertainty
Check your impressions
The concept of ‘respectful uncertainty’ developed
from learning after the death of Victoria Climbié
and combines
• the critical evaluation of information
• keeping an open mind
• dealing with everyone with respect.
Munro describes it as “Showing compassion but
retaining an open and questioning mindset.”
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Protect: responding well
Defensible decision-making
In the context of the church this means taking
decisions which:
• are consistent with policy
• are thoroughly thought through
• are based on as reliable evidence as
possible
• take things forward
• have been recorded.
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SECTION 5b
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well to survivors
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Protect: responding well to survivors
A leadership role
Developing an awareness of
• the impact of abuse
• what survivors find helpful or difficult
• the prevalence of abuse
and...
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ACTIVITY
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SECTION 5c
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well to people
who might pose a risk
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Protect: responding well to people who
might pose a risk
A leadership role
• identifying the pastoral needs of all
concerned
• working with Covenants of Care
• using ‘respectful uncertainty’
• being alert to ‘disguised compliance’
and...
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Protect: responding well to people who
might pose a risk
Covenants of care
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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small group at church and/or circuit level
risk assessment
contract
meeting regularly, reviewing, recording
training and support for the group
review of the contract
inform and annually report to the DSO.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Protect: understanding disguised
compliance
Behaviour which gives the appearance
or impression of co-operation to avoid
raising suspicion, to mask abuse and
to allay concerns.
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Protect: dealing with disguised compliance
• Use respectful uncertainty.
• Avoid over-optimism.
• Remember history and risk factors.
• Don’t be over-influenced by dynamic factors.
• Keep to your focus.
• Maintain careful records.
• Communicate openly in the Covenant of Care group.
• Check with the DSO if you are concerned.
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SECTION 5d
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well to
serious situations
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Protect: responding well to serious situations
A leadership role: immediate steps
• coordinate
• inform
• liaise
• follow up
• support
• don’t forget your own support
and...
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SECTION 5e
PROTECT FROM HARM
Responding well to
the congregation
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Protect: responding well to the
congregation
A leadership role
• appreciate the impact of what has happened
• consider the consequences such as loss of
trust
• use insights that can support this thinking
• plan with thoughtfulness
• take care over information sharing
and...
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Protect: responding well to the congregation
Two useful models from Deidre Offord
• the Trauma Debrief
• the Grief Cycle
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Protect: responding well to the congregation
A leadership role: what can help
• careful information sharing
• educative input
• worship focused on healing
• addressing forgiveness
• enabling healing recovery
• thoughtfulness about future ministry
and...
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SECTION 6
PROTECT FROM HARM
Recording
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Protect: recording
A leadership role
• ensuring recording is done
• modelling good practice
• supporting people who may have
difficulty with writing
• ensuring records are passed on
• safe storage
and...
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Protect: recording
Why keep records? They provide:
• a note of what happened and who did what
• a history of events
• continuity
• accountability
• evidence.
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Protect: recording
What to record:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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who was involved: the names of key people
what happened: facts not opinions
where it happened
when it happened: date and time
how it happened
why it happened
whom it was referred to.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
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Protect: recording
Checklist for good practice: records should be
 structured
 legible
 clear and concise
 relevant
 thorough
 jargon-free
 non-discriminatory
 in the person’s own
words
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 clear about what is
included
 written soon after the
event
 shared with the person
they are about
 up to date
 signed, dated and
timed.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
The Methodist Church
Protect: recording
A leadership role
What should be recorded? Some examples
• Covenant of Care groups
• issues of concern
• supervision
• changes in job roles.
Storage: records must be held securely.
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SECTION 7
PROTECT FROM HARM
Referral
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Protect: referral
A leadership role
taking the lead in making a referral
supporting someone else to make a referral
acting in an emergency
passing on a concern
knowing who to go to in agencies and
developing links
• seeking advice/support from DSO
and...
•
•
•
•
•
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Protect: referral
A leadership role: making a referral
•
•
•
•
•
•
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telephone referral
be clear it is a safeguarding concern
always confirm in writing
ensure follow up
be as persistent as necessary
ensure DSO is aware.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
The Methodist Church
Protect: referral
What you can do if professionals don’t
respond:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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go to the next in the management chain
follow up in writing
consult with another lead agency
use the Strategy Group
refer to the chair of the LCSB or ASB
discuss with the DSO
Persevere.
Creating Safer Space – Leadership Module
The Methodist Church
Protect: referral: when to report
Consider
• the person
• the concern
• public interest
• necessity and proportionality.
Always
• consult if possible
• ensure your own support.
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Information sharing: seven golden rules
1. Remember that the Data Protection Act is not
a barrier to sharing information.
2. Be open and honest.
3. Seek advice.
4. Share with consent where appropriate.
5. Consider safety and well-being.
6. Necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate,
timely and secure.
7. Keep a record.
Extract from HM Government Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners
and managers.
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SECTION 8
LOOKING AHEAD
AND CONCLUSIONS
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Safeguarding: a leadership role
My anxieties
My resources
My supports
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Safeguarding: a leadership role
Action planning
• For me
• The bigger picture
Next steps
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Feedback
After the devotions, please take a couple
of minutes to complete the feedback
form.
Please leave the form in the tray on the
table before you leave.
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.
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Creating Safer Space
Leadership Module
Please collect your certificate
Please place your feedback form
in the tray by the door
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SECTION 3
PREVENT ABUSE AND HARM
FOUNDATION MODULE REVISION
FOR THE LEADERSHIP ROLE
Policies – Practice - Premises
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Prevent: policies
Policies are required by insurance companies
and the Charity Commissioners
A leadership role
• knowing the policies and where to find them
• ensuring they are actively used and not gathering
dust
• guiding relevant people to them and through them
• ensuring polices are reviewed regularly and kept upto-date
and...
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Prevent: policies
What are they ?
Methodist Safeguarding Handbook
• Safeguarding Children and Young People
• Safeguarding Adults
• Practice Guidelines to support the report
Domestic Abuse and the Methodist Church
Taking Action
• Model policies for churches
• Recruiting Safely
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Prevent: practice
A leadership role
• knowing the guidelines for good practice
• ensuring they are in place
• ensuring they are implemented and
routinely followed
• taking up issues appropriately
• initiating action if necessary
and...
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Prevent harm: premises
A leadership role
•
•
•
•
other groups using the Church (model policies)
groups using the Church at the same time
safer space
link with Health & Safety
and...
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Tea Break
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