Safeguarding Information

Contents

This page outlines our Safeguarding policy and procedures within Railway Street Presbyterian Church. You can click these links to go directly to the relevant sections:

• Our Commitment to Safeguarding
• What is Safeguarding?
• What is a Safeguarding concern?
• What does our Church have to do with Safeguarding?
• How can I be sure that our Church is a safe place?
• Who do I speak to if I am worried about a Safeguarding issue?
• Do I have to prove a concern before I raise it?
• What happens if I report a concern?
• Who knows when a report is made?
• What do I do if I feel my concerns are not being listened to or taken seriously?
• Contact Details

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

At Railway Street Presbyterian Church we are committed to protecting the wellbeing of children, young people and adults in our care. We aim to create and promote a safe environment for all. We believe that next to proclaiming God's Word and the love of Christ, nothing could be more important than keeping our children, young people and vulnerable adults safe.

Details on how we do this can be found in our Child Protection Policy.

Our Designated Person is Dr Samuel Mitchell and our Deputy Designated Person is Mrs Pamela McElhinney.

Information can also be found in the Safeguarding section of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland website.

What is Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is about preventing harm and abuse as well as protecting people from harm and abuse.

• Prevention is about all our good practices and safe relationships with one another as we engage with each other in all the different parts of the life of our church family. Prevention is about open and transparent processes that we can all understand and a culture in which we all agree to take care of one another.


• Protection is when we must act and do something immediate to keep children or adults from being harmed. That might mean, for example, phoning the police or reporting someone of concern to social services.

This makes safeguarding everyone's responsibility.

What is a Safeguarding concern?

A safeguarding concern is any suspicion or worry regarding the safety or well-being of an individual, especially a child, or an adult with some additional risks in their lives, like an elderly person, or someone with disabilities.

A concern typically involves the belief or observation that the person may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation, or harm in some way.

What does our Church have to do with Safeguarding?

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and that includes all of us in church, without exception. We have to be clear we know abuse can happen in any place, to any one and at any time. This means it could happen in our church in any one of the following ways:

• during any of our activities


• through a relationship that was established through our church


• as a result of anyone attending, working or volunteering in our church (whether that is often or only once)

How can I be sure that our Church is a safe place?

We have safeguarding policies and procedures that clearly state what is expected of all who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Our Kirk Session is responsible for overseeing the safeguarding policy and processes in our church.

Our church has a designated person and deputy designated person both of whom are accessible to everyone connected with our church. They guide and lead on safeguarding arrangements in Railway Street Presbyterian Church.

If you have any concerns about the safeguarding processes in Railway Street you should speak firstly with the designated person or deputy designated person. If this is not appropriate you should speak to our Minister, our Clerk of Session or another elder.

If you have further concerns that are not being addressed, you should contact the central PCI Safeguarding Team.

Who do I speak to if I am worried about a Safeguarding issue?

• You can tell a leader in Railway Street whom you trust. All of our leaders will have engaged in their own training about safeguarding and should know what to do. People are not allowed to be leaders in our Church (or in any Presbyterian Church in Ireland congregation) if they have not done their training.


• You can tell the Designated Person, the Deputy Designated Person, our Minister, our Clerk of Session or any elder.


• You can contact the central PCI Safeguarding Office and speak to a Safeguarding Officer - contact details below and on the PCI website.


• You can also tell any external statutory authority - this is normally the PSNI social services.

Do I have to prove a concern before I raise it?

No. It is the responsibility of every one of us to report any suspicion or concern we may have. We have processes in place to help us carefully manage when a concern is raised. Remember that it is our responsibility to report our concern. It is not our responsibility to investigate or prove a situation of abuse or harm - that is the job of police and social services.

What happens if I report a concern?

The Designated Person (or other person in Railway Street with whom your concern has been raised) will advise the PCI Safeguarding Office.

If there is concern about immediate risk of harm to anyone police and / or social services will be contacted. Depending on the circumstances of the case immediate protective interim measures may also be taken.

If there is not an immediate risk of harm to anyone the PCI Safeguarding Office will manage this case. This means that they will:

• listen to everything you are telling us


• consider what we already know (maybe other issues have been raised)


• work through the pathways in PCI's safeguarding procedures


• take advice from social services or police

Please be aware that we will always do something. Remember doing nothing is not an option.

Who knows when a report is made?

We will endeavour to keep everything as confidentially as possible - however there will be people who need to know and that may be different in every circumstance. We will tell you who we are going to talk to and why. We will only discuss the matter with those who need to know.

Our Designated Person and Deputy Designated Person keep a confidential record of what has been reported.

What do I do if I feel my concerns are not being listened to or taken seriously?

If you raise your concern within Railway Street and get no response, or a response that you are unhappy with, you should contact the PCI Safeguarding Team - contact details below.

If you raise your concern with the PCI safeguarding team and you get no response you can escalate your concerns to the Director of the Council for Social Witness.

If you raise your concerns with the Director of the Council for Social Witness and get no response you can escalate your concerns to the Office of the Clerk of the General Assembly.

If you remain unhappy with the response, or lack of response, from this escalation process, you should exercise the option to report your concern externally to the PSNI or social services.

Contact Details

These are the contact details for Safeguarding agencies, organisations, and statutory bodies. These will treat information provided confidentially.