Safeguarding Newsletter: January 2022

From Becca Faal, Diocesan Strategic Lead for safeguarding training and learning

Happy New Year everyone!

There are a few safeguarding changes to be aware of in 2022 so I thought it was a good time to get in touch to share these with you.

For those of you who will have known me in the diocesan safeguarding team over the past years, or those new to safeguarding training – I have a new role in the team and I now lead all the diocesan work for safeguarding training and development.

As well as leading and developing training and learning, I am very keen to be available to support you in the vital roles you play in our worshipping communities to ensure that a culture of safeguarding is really embedded in everything we do.

Many of you will be familiar with the national and diocesan safeguarding context, but in 2022 a few things are set to change. These changes are largely from national Church of England requirements from House of Bishops’ guidance and policy, and through some updated legislative changes that are expected later this year. So, it’s important everyone is aware of what the changes are and what churches and PCCs need to have on their radar.

Safeguarding Learning and Development framework – Church of England

This is a new framework that all dioceses, cathedrals, churches, PCCs are required to implement.

This framework is now available through this link which takes you to the new National Safeguarding Team’s Safeguarding e-manual. As part of the new framework, you will see there are different modules for different people. Some are online modules and others are delivered face to face or via Zoom learning. Please do check out the diocesan website to see what training is available in a mixture of different formats and who needs to do what.

To support you with all this we have some new documents available but do also remember that you are always able to contact us directly with any of your questions, or book into one of the new bimonthly Zoom safeguarding workshops (details below).

Induction course for Parish Safeguarding Officers

We are running an Induction course for Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs) across the year. These sessions are designed to help PSOs understand the role, identify ways to raise awareness and improve safeguarding practice and support you to be able to make your own parish/worshipping communities to make a plan to develop safeguarding.

Although it is designed for new PSOs to undertake in the first 6 months of their role, anyone who wants a refresher about the role is very welcome to attend.

The dates for this course are on our website and can be found through this link.

E-learning issue-based pathways

Two new modules can now be accessed through the national Church of England Safeguarding Training Portal. These two modules are

Safer Recruitment and People Management and
Domestic Abuse Awareness

Please do look at these and consider who in your parish needs to access them. We have a document which will assist you with this which is available link.

Safer Recruitment and People Management

This comes in two parts. The first is a new national Church of England policy and practice guidance that came into force on 1 January 2022; and the second part is a new online training pathway module. This is available through the national Church of England Safeguarding e-manual.

Separately to this, the online training module is a helpful guide to equip people to understand the skills and practices needed to promote positive safeguarding when recruiting to any role (paid or volunteering) that works directly with children, young people, and vulnerable adults. It is a requirement for at least one person on an interview panel to have completed this training; ideally, we’d suggest that the PSO and the incumbent complete this training as they are likely to always be on an interview panel for such a key role; but it is open to anyone who is going to be on an interview panel.

As a follow up to this training module and the e-manual policy and practice guidance, we are also running a Safer Recruitment which joins up with Human Resources (HR) advice and guidance aimed at supporting you to put safer recruitment into practice. The details of these events are on our website.

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is a highly prevalent form of abuse that affects up to 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in the course if their lifetimes. It also has a huge impact on children.

This is a very useful course that helps people to recognise and respond to Domestic Abuse. The people who are required to attend this pathway include anyone with a Bishop’s license, Bishop’s visitors, parish safeguarding officers and PCC members.

It is important to say that we recognise that this is a sensitive topic and people may wish to learn in a face-to-face supportive environment, therefore we are also offering some opportunities for face to face learning (dates available here).

Documents and resources to help you plan

To help you make sense of the changes for 2022 we have designed three documents to help you

Record keeping

Please do remember that it is the PCC’s responsibility to ensure that records are kept for all those who are required to complete levels of training. Your PSO may be the person who manages this data, but it is crucial that this is kept up to date so that all refresher training (always every three years and refreshed at the highest level appropriate to the role) can be managed, updated and audited.

The diocesan central safeguarding team keep all training records of clergy and those who are licensed and send out reminders to these groups of people directly.

Safeguarding bi-monthly Zoom safeguarding workshops

I am running bi-monthly safeguarding workshops where you can learn more about an aspect of safeguarding, get updates, share good practice and discuss training or case work with me. Other members of the safeguarding team will also attend to answer any of your wider questions. The dates for these sessions are available on the website and can be found by clicking this link.

Direct support

We really appreciate all your commitment and what you are doing, and we appreciate that this can feel rather a lot to take in, plan for and then keep track of! Please do get in touch with me if you have any questions or would like any support to access or embed the training. I am available on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, by phone and email, on ku.gr1701424799o.coi1701424799dsolg1701424799@laaf1701424799b1701424799 or 07401 197280.

How to get in touch

Please do check out our website pages. We will do our best to keep the information as up to date as possible, but just as a reminder of who we are and how to contact us:

For any questions relating to training please contact Becca Faal, 07401 197280
To book onto any safeguarding event please contact Laura Evans, 01452 410022
For any questions relating to DBS please contact Kate Peake
For any safeguarding concerns or casework enquiries please contact Brett Riches and Mel Biscoe 01452 835516
For any HR related safer recruitment questions that may relate to parish employment or volunteer management issues, please contact Judith Knight 01452 410022