Children’s Safeguarding Guidelines

Guidelines Adopted on 01/04/2022 and will be reviewed Q3 2023 – Revision 1.0

1. Reason for Guidelines 

 These guidelines are to support safe care of Children at Revive Church, and minimize risk to all parties through clear boundaries, safeguarding and procedures.  

2. Who Should Read this Guidance? 

 The person/s ultimately responsible for the implementation of these guidelines are the Senior Pastors.  All workers, paid or voluntary who are working with Children at Revive Church should read this guidance regularly.  

3. The Guidelines 

a) All workers, paid or voluntary have a Duty of Care to the children they are working with through: 

• development of respectful and caring relationships  
• taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those they have responsibility for, particularly in relation to sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse.  

All workers must therefore be trained in safeguarding. They must sign an agreement to acknowledge their responsibilities and the trust placed in them.  Revive Church conducts annual safeguarding training, a full safe recruitment process including DBS checks along with an Onboarding process for volunteers.  

b) Data Protection and Child protection 

 Data Protection needs to be maintained, however, any information relating to concerns that a child, or any other vulnerable person, is at risk of significant harm should not be withheld on the basis that it might be unlawful. 

Information about allegations or concerns of abuse should not be shown to a parent or carer. Advice should always be sought from the church safeguarding officer or, in clear, serious circumstances, the police 

c) Bullying 

 No forms of bullying are to be tolerated. Activity leaders need to be trained and aware that this includes the following:  

 Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing including via emails or text messaging 

 Emotional: being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, graffiti, gestures, racial taunts 

 Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence 

 Sexual: sexually abusive comments or gestures 

 Racial: any of the above because of, or focusing on the issue of racial differences 

 Homophobic: any of the above because of, or focusing on the issue of sexual orientation 

 Unofficial activities: such as initiation ceremonies and practical jokes which may cause children physical or emotional harm even though this may not be intended 

d) Peer Led Groups 

 All peer-group activities should be: 

• overseen by named adults who have been safely recruited. 

• have the backing of the church leaders. 

 Procedures for Peer Led Groups 

 Before setting up a peer-led activity the following should be taken into consideration: 

• The appropriateness of the venue for the activity – avoid home venues if possible 
• Any medical issues, dietary needs and allergies will be appropriately managed. 
• Emergency contact numbers are to hand for all members under the age of 18 years. 
• An adult leader should always be in the vicinity and should contribute to any programme reviews and planning. If the young people are under 16 then the adult should be either present or within ear shot. 
• Peer-group leaders must be trained for the role and in safeguarding and supported by at least one adult worker. They must be trained in Revive’s safeguarding procedures. 

• Any food served needs to be in accordance with Basic Food Hygiene standards. 

e) Risk Assessments 

Risk assessments should be carried out for every activity. These need to be done by the leader of the activity. 

A standard risk assessment should be created for all children & youth work to include:  

• Identification of hazards.
• Consider who might be harmed and how this might happen.
• Assess the risks and take action to remove or reduce them as far as possible.
• Record details of the action taken.

Any other buildings that activities take place in should also be risk assessed each year. 

f) Food & Drink 

If food and drink are provided during an activity, the following should be considered: 

• Workers should follow good personal hygiene 

• Basic health and hygiene regulations should be adhered to 
• All food and drink is stored appropriately 
• Hot drinks should not be carried through an activity area and not placed within the reach of young children 
• Snacks and mealtimes are appropriately supervised 
• Fresh drinking water is available at all times 

• Systems are in place to ensure that children, young people or adults with care and support needs do not have access to food/drinks to which they are allergic. Typically, this can be peanuts, nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and gluten – found in wheat, barley and oats. 

g) First Aid 

A qualified first aider and a First Aid box need to be present at each session.  

Record keeping 

The following are required: 

Activity register 

 General contact info for each child attending a specific activity 

Consent form: to include emergency and parental contact numbers; allergies; special considerations. This has to be signed by a parent or guardian and no child can attend an activity without it.  

Register 

For each session: to include those who are present including workers; arrival and departure time. 

 Logbook 

This is a book for every session. It can be read by anyone upon request at the session being careful to ensure data protection and privacy of personal and sensitive information. It is intended to note down anything leaders or workers consider to be unusual or concerning (not safeguarding issues)

Workers need to note the following: 

• unusual events e.g., child wetting themselves; random person turning up 
• unusual/concerning conversations e.g., anything overheard that is of concern such as use of age-inappropriate websites 
• concerns e.g., child arriving too early; not being collected on time 
• incidents e.g., fights, bullying 
• a child behaving in a different way to normal e.g., quiet when usually chatty 

This book should not be used to note down any abuse concerns. However, it can be used to detect patterns of behaviour, concerns etc. It should be written in a way that protects the confidentiality of an individual (Data Protection). 

Accident book 

This is to be used to log all accidents and injuries and subsequent actions. Any incidents logged need to be read by a parent/guardian who then has to sign to say they have read it. 

h) Gifts & Rewards 

Every child has the right to be treated fairly and equally. This is part of the workers duty of care. Any gift or reward giving needs to be part of a written framework within the children’s programme.  

Written framework to include: 

• Clear specific purpose to the system 

• A fair system 
• A transparent system 
• Specific – not “good” behaviour – clearly outlined and communicated to children and workers. 
• Training for all workers involved in using the reward system is essential, so it can be carried it out consistently. Any workers breaching the system need to be made aware that is what they are doing so and corrected. Repeated breaching should be reported to Safeguarding Coordinator. 
• Workers can receive small gifts/tokens such as at Christmas/end of term, but regular gift receiving should not be allowed, neither should the receiving of gifts of high value. 

• Favouritism is not permitted. Anyone showing favouritism could be construed as grooming and presents a risk to the child and church. This needs reporting to the Safeguarding Coordinator. 
• Where children are in need, due to challenging circumstances, gift giving is still not permitted. A referral to Care+ needs to be made, so appropriate support can be offered in a sensitive manner. 

i) New groups and activities – Safeguarding principles 

The following need to be considered, addressed and documented for any new groups: 

• Ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect in attitude, language and actions. 
• Work out the number of workers needed to run the group and whether they should be male, female or both. (see Adult to child ratio in section j) 
• Create a clear strategy for summoning additional help (if needed) in situations where a worker is working alone with a child, young person or vulnerable adult. 

• Note the level of personal care (e.g., toileting) required appropriate to the needs of the individuals –in crèche terms consider where this will happen 
• Assess all activities in terms of personal boundaries and avoid any questionable activities where these may be violated e.g., rough physical contact games; fashion shows with skimpy clothing.  
• Children under 16 years of age are never to be left in charge of children of any age, regardless of how mature they may present, and those attending a group should never be left unsupervised. 
• Only workers assigned to a group are allowed to participate in the activity. Other adults should not be allowed free access. 
• Make a note of other people in the building during the activity and any other events taking place at the same time. 

• These general principles need to be considered by whoever is setting up and whoever is running a group (may not be the same person). Youth lead to vet activities to provide an extra layer of protection. 

j) Adult to child ratios 

• 0-2 years 1 adult to 3 children 

• 2-3 years 1 adult to 4 children 
• 3-8 years 1 adult to 8 children 

Groups should not go ahead if these numbers cannot be met. Over age 8 – activities leaders should do a risk assessment and make an appropriate decision. 

 All activities need to have at least two adult helpers safely recruited and DBS checked to each group.  

k) Safe working with children and young people with disabilities 

 Any sessions need to consider the needs of the participants and adjustments made to accommodate those with additional needs, including mobility and communications.  

 Ask the individual or parent if very young, what is needed. Personalised plans need to be agreed with parents of children who need intimate care. 

l) Disruptive behaviour procedures 

If someone is being disruptive: 

• Ask them to stop. 
• Speak to them to establish the cause(s) of the upset. 

• Inform them they will be asked to leave if the behaviour continues. 
• Warn them if they continue to be disruptive, this might result in longer-term exclusion from the group 
• If a child walks out contact the child’s contact person immediately to inform them  

Harming self or property  

If they are harming themselves, another person or property then others in the group should be escorted away from the area where the disruption is occurring. At the same time, and with a second worker present, request them to STOP. If your request is ignored, you might need to warn the individual that you will consider calling the Police.  

As a last resort, in the event of them harming themselves, other people or property, physical restraint may be needed until the Police to arrive. The workers involved should always record what happened in writing as soon as possible after the incident. This should include: 

• What activity was taking place 

• What might have caused the disruptive behaviour 
• The person’s behaviour 
• What was said and how the worker and others responded 
• A list of others present who witnessed the incident. 

m) Unexpected attendance 

For children who just turn up.  

• Welcome them 

• Get their name, age (children), address and telephone number.  
• Record their visit in a register. 
• Ask if a parent/carer is aware where they are, and what time they are expected home. 
• Encourage them to return home, unless the parent/carer can be contacted, and they are happy with the arrangement.  
• Link the visiting person with a regular attendee who can introduce them to the group and explain about the activity. 

• On leaving, give the person a leaflet about the group with contact telephone numbers etc and perhaps a standard letter to the parent/carer inviting them to make contact. 
• Find out as soon as possible whether they have any additional needs, (e.g. medication), so that you can respond appropriately in an emergency. 

n) Parents staying 

This should generally be discouraged, however, 

• Parents can be permitted to observe groups but not take part. A distinction should be made and the impact of this on other children in the group should be considered. 
• It can help certain children settle into a group, if the child knows that a parent/carer is there. After the settling in period, if a parent/carer wishes to continue to stay, consideration could be given to them becoming a helper/worker but they would be required to undertake the same recruitment and selection procedure as with any other worker. 

• Use open evenings from time to time as part of the on-going children’s programme to build relationships and encourage parents to take an active role in supporting the group. 
• For some disabled children, it may be appropriate for their parent/carer to stay with them for an extended period. This should be considered on an individual basis to help the child become fully integrated into the group/activity. 

o) Outings (Trips & Visits) 

• Carry out a risk assessment and document it 
• Clearly outline what all adults should do in the event of an accident or emergency. 
• Parents/carers must complete a consent form – https://twww.revivechurch.uk/trips-visits-consent-children-young-people/ 

On the day 

• Carry a fully charged mobile phone 
• Take all essential records and store safely 
• Take necessary equipment 
• Allocate children to named pairs of adults. 

p) Visiting 

1. Inform a supervisor or another worker of the proposed visit and the reason for it
2. Never go into a home if a parent or carer is absent unless the child would be at risk of significant harm if you do not do so.
3. Keep a written record of the visit detailing the following

– Purpose 

– The time you arrived and left 

– Who was present 

– What was discussed 

If the parent/carer is absent when the call is made, leave some means of identification and explanation for the visit that can be given to them. 

 Do not invite children to your home. 

q) Transport 

• Driving should be restricted to those who have gone through the organisation’s safe recruitment procedures for workers. 
• All drivers must have read the Safeguarding Policy and signed to say they agree to abide by it.  
• Parents / carers should be asked to sign a Transportation Consent Form – https://twww.revivechurch.uk/transportation-consent-children-young-people/  
• The driver should hold a full driving licence; the vehicle must be adequately insured and the vehicle road worthy. 

• The driver should not spend time alone with a child or young person other than when driving, Parking up and chatting is not acceptable. 
• At drop off points, drivers should ensure children are collected by a named adult. 

NOTE: If parents or carers do some transporting, ensure they are made aware that such arrangements are their own responsibility and not the organisations. 

r) Filming & Photos
 

• Permission must be obtained of both children and their responsible adults before a photograph is taken or film footage recorded. 
• A consent form is best. The worker should write to parents or carers to explain what is happening and leave the onus on the parent/ carer to contact them if they have any objections.  
• It must be made clear why the image(s) or film is being used, what it will be used for and who might want to look at the pictures. 

• When using photographs of children and young people, use group pictures and never identify them by name or other personal details. These details include e-mail or postal addresses, telephone or fax numbers. 
• Obtain specific consent from parents or carers before using photographs on our website or social media. 

s) Smoking and alcohol 

• Smoking is banned in all Revive buildings.
• Alcohol is banned in the Revive Church building at High Street.
• No child under 18 should be offered any alcohol in the building.
• Workers do not have the right to confiscate alcohol from a young person and the young person must be told they cannot bring alcohol into the building and will be refused entry.
• Any concerns about young people attending activities under the influence of alcohol should be referred to the safeguarding coordinator.

t) Drugs 

 There is a zero tolerance of drugs at Revive. Anyone found to be in possession of drugs should be asked to leave immediately. It is a criminal offence to allow anyone attending an activity run by an organisation to supply illegal drugs or use them on the premises. 

Additionally: 

• Workers should be alert to possession and use of illegal substances. 
• If a worker becomes aware a child, young person or vulnerable adult may be abusing solvents they should be encouraged to seek professional help from their doctor or a counsellor specialising in this area. 
• Contact the Safeguarding Coordinator for additional support if someone is re-offending. 

u) Additional Information 

 There are further sections on the following which we advise against offering on behalf of the church. If they come up or are required please seek advise from the Safeguarding Coordinator for guidance to be written.  

• Sleepovers 
• Babysitting 
• Swimming trips 

• Gangs 
• Intimate care 

v) Training Activity Leaders & Workers 

 All activity leaders and workers should be trained in the following: 

• Safeguarding 
• Understanding coercion 
• Bullying 
• Reward systems 

 There also needs to be a few people trained in first aid. 

4. Resources 

This section lists resources including links to related church policy documents and other related documents.  

1. Church documents such as policies, guidelines, working practices, contracts, etc.  The most up to date information is found on the The Way We Work – https://twww.revivechurch.uk
2. Contact information for relevant subject matter experts Thirtyone:eight (https://thirtyoneeight.org/)