Together - Winter 2019/20

Together

WINTER 2019

magazine

IN FOCUS

Safeguarding for Trustees PAGE 11 SPOTLIGHT

Meet our new patron PAGE 14

CONTENTS

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7

26

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In this issue 1 EDITORIAL Thriving together.

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NEWS REVIEW

Safeguarding tops whistleblowing list to Charity Commission

Survivors call to make reporting abuse mandatory Scotland first UK country to ban smacking

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IN BRIEF

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FROM THE CEO’S

Engaging with government

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IN FOCUS Where the buck stops: Understanding the responsibilities of trustees

14 SPOTLIGHT Meet our patron: Bishop Dr Joe Aldred 17 POLITICS United Kingdom? – the legislation landscape 20 RESOURCE FOCUS Guidance for safeguarding refugees and asylum seekers 23 YOUTH WORK FOCUS The S word 26 PASTORAL CARE A new way to care?

COVER IMAGE Bishop Dr Joe Aldred EDITOR Peter Wright DEPUTY EDITOR Matt Cooper Call us 0303 003 1111 email us info@thirtyoneeight.org or visit thirtyoneeight.org follow us @thirtyoneeight PO Box 133, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7UQ Charity No. 1004490 Scottish Charity No. SCO40578 ©Thirtyone:eight 2019 DESIGN epls.design

EDITORIAL

Thriving together.

Welcome to Together, the new name for the magazine of Thirtyone:eight.

H

ow has the last year been for you?

At thirtyone:eight we’re very aware of the breadth and volume of activity that we support our member organisations to undertake throughout the year. Everything from Sunday children’s activities, to debt advice and food banks, camping trips, prison ministry and everything in between!

The calls we get to our 24/7 helpline (which continue to increase year on year) and the sheer number and nature of DBS checks that we process (which make us the largest provider of checks to the faith sector) are testament to the incredible number and range of activities that are taking place across the country. Our mission is to equip, empower and encourage you to do these in a safe way, and as the year comes to close, we’d encourage you to take some time to reflect on the activity that you’ve been involved with, and to think ‘how can we do this safer?’

In this edition, we have lots of practical ways to help you do that. We have a focus on the responsibilities of Trustees and their role in governance and safeguarding (p11). We explore the role legislation plays

and the impact of political devolution on safeguarding where you are (p17). Our new Youth Work focus offers some useful support in tackling the sensitive issue of sex and relationships among young people (p23). Plus we introduce you to our new Patron Dr Joe Aldred (p14) and hear from our joint-CEO Justin on our developing work with government over the last year. (p7). So all in all it’s a pretty packed issue.

It’s been great to meet so many of you as we have been out and about at various events and exhibitions across the country. Thank you for visiting our stand and for coming to say a hello. If you’re one of the many new members who have joined us over the last months, we want to welcome you to our community. It’s great to have you on board.

Lastly, we want to say a massive thank you to everyone that took part in our Members Survey 2019. This important bi-annual survey gives us an important snap-shot into our membership, and helps us to gain valuable insight into the challenges you’re facing so that we can best support you in the work you do. We’ll be sharing the results of the survey soon, but they’ve

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already begun to be used to improve and develop our services, so thank you for taking the time to tell us what you think. We’re especially delighted to report that 98% of our members would recommend membership with us to others, which is fantastic to hear!

Whatever you do, and whatever role you fulfil we’ve got you covered. We’d love to hear from you about the issues that matter to you and the challenges you face so please do continue to get in touch.

You can do this through our website, by dropping us a line on our social media @thirtyoneeight or emailing us at info@thirtyoneeight.org Peter Editor

31 January - 1 February 2020 Castle Hill Baptist Church, Warwick £150 Price includes all training materials, lunch and refreshments on both days.

Safer, healthier leadership course.

Are you a Christian leader in a church, charity or business? Join us for this unique two-day course specifically designed to equip leaders to create safer places through healthier, more honest leadership. With expert speakers, time to network and reflect, plus loads of practical tools to empower and encourage you in your leadership role.

This course will help you: • Become more secure in your identity as a leader • Identify issues in your culture that hinder safer environments • Develop a clear action plan for individual and corporate action

Learn. Network. Reflect. visit thirtyoneeight.org/safer-leadership or call 0303 003 1111 (option 3) to secure your place today.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578

NEWS REVIEW

Safeguarding tops whistleblowing list to Charity Commission

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n September 2019 the Charity Commission published its report into whistleblowing disclosures which showed safeguarding to have replaced governance as the top reported issue over the last two years.

emerging from the charity sector this year, which may have encouraged others to come forward with concerns. Importantly the report now also includes disclosures made by charity volunteers as well as workers.

Whistleblowing is the term used when a worker passes on information concerning wrongdoing which will typically (although not necessarily) be something they have witnessed at work. The report which also highlighted that the number of whistleblowing reports had doubled over this period, showed charities engaged in ‘Religious Activities’ had the third highest number of whistleblowing disclosures out of 17 charity classifications.

The Charity Commission said “We have a regulatory interest in encouraging people on the inside of charity to report their serious concerns to us so that we are better able to detect problems in charities. [Recording disclosures from volunteers] is a significant change that extends our ability to identify serious concerns that we need to act on.”

The Charity Commission has set up a confidential advice line run by independent whistleblowing specialists Protect launched in June 2019, to help workers and volunteers who have serious concerns about a charity to decide what to do including whether and how to raise concerns.

In the report, the commission stated it believed this increase was probably influenced by the high profile nature of safeguarding incidents

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NEWS REVIEW

Survivors call to make reporting abuse mandatory Survivors have told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) at the start of its investigation into boarding schools, that failure to report child abuse should be made illegal.

In addition, Professor Ben Mathews from Queensland University of Technology delivered two presentations on the mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in countries other than England and Wales and the impact that the introduction of mandatory reporting has had.

IICSA heard of an “overwhelming body of evidence” to support the introduction of “mandatory reporting”. The inquiry was given a summary of past emotional, physical and sexual abuse at private residential schools, with a senior IICSA lawyer warning that such abuse could happen again.

The seminar specifically considered the arguments for and against the introduction of mandatory reporting legislation and the practical considerations involved in introducing such a law. This comes after the government in England carried out a consultation in 2016 which examined the case for mandatory reporting.

If a law were introduced, it would be illegal for professionals working with children not to pass on reports of abuse.

In April IICSA held a seminar to look at the issue of mandatory reporting which was attended by representatives from government departments in England and Wales, charities, campaign groups, safeguarding professionals and victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

Scotland first UK country to ban smacking Scotland will become the first country in the United Kingdom to make it a criminal offence for parents to smack their children and ban outright the physical punishment of children.

1979 - with Scotland becoming the 58th to do so.

This new bill will end the defence of reasonable chastisement, meaning parents could face prosecution for any use of physical punishment on their children. The new bill uses the same definition of physical punishment, sometimes referred to as corporal punishment, used by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and will give children the exact same protection from assault as adults.

The member’s bill, was passed overwhelmingly in October, with 84 MSPs voting in favour and 29 against. It is designed to give children equal protection from violence by removing the defence of “justifiable assault” in Scots law.

In Scots Law, all physical attacks on adults can be treated as assault - but children do not have the same protection. Sweden became the first country in the world to ban smacking in the home when it outlawed corporal punishment in

Wales is also on the verge of introducing a ban but there are not currently any plans for England or Northern Ireland to follow suit.

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IN BRIEF

New study finds domestic abuse killers follow eight-stage pattern Men who kill their partners follow an eight-stage timeline that could be tracked by police to help prevent deaths, new research published in the Violence Against Women Journal has suggested.

Criminology expert Dr Jane Monckton Smith, from the University of Gloucestershire, found an eightstage pattern in 372 killings in the United Kingdom.

Dr Monckton Smith said: “If you start looking at all these cases, there’s planning, determination, there’s always coercive control. Once police learn the eight stages, they are able to keep track of certain potential perpetrators - while victims are more easily able to articulate to professionals what situation they are in.”

About 30,000 women across the world were killed by current or former partners in 2017.

Hollywood film credited for rise in clergy allegations The 2015 Oscar winning film Spotlight, which depicted the Boston Globe journalists who uncovered widespread sexual abuse of children by clergy, has been suggested to have played a part in increasing awareness on reporting abuse in the Catholic Church. Last year, allegations against people linked to the church were up 50 per cent from 2017 and 123 per cent from 2016 - the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission said. Phil Johnson, chairman of the support group, Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors, said the rise was primarily due to increased awareness on reporting abuse.

TOP TWEETS @RachelGardnerRA ‘Safeguarding is sometimes seen as the thing that gets in the way of the mission & ministry of Jesus.

But safeguarding is sometimes the mission & ministry of Jesus.’

Great discussion today between @martinsaunders & @thirtyoneeight #youth

@isobel_lines 7 hours of training and 2 safeguarding qualifications later Brilliantly ran children and adults course ran by @thirtyoneeight today at the YMCA BC.

@poohbearthetsum This is already an incredible read and I’m only about 10 pages in.

10/10 recommend. Thank you @LisaROakley and @justin_31v8 @thirtyoneeight

@InquiryCSA Mr Humphreys of @thirtyoneeight : “Sadly there are still cases that we are aware of where the response has not been what it ought to be.”

@timjdavy

MPs call for Ban on in-game gambling for children A committee of MPs have called for the spending of money in video games to be regulated by gambling laws and so-called loot boxes should be banned entirely for children. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into addictive and immersive technologies heard stories of young adults who had built up debts of thousands of pounds through spending in video games. Free video games often encourage players to buy virtual loot boxes, which contain an unspecified amount of items to improve further game-play.

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Day 1 of Vulnerable Children: Bible, Theology and Society module at @redcliffeuk summer school. Thank you so much to @claudiacbell and Bill Stone from @thirtyoneeight for helping us think about safeguarding.

@bethmarywright So excited to be in #Peterborough this week at @newwineunited and working as a volunteer for @thirtyoneeight

”THIS NEW INQUIRY WILL PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHURCH TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED FOR MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO SAFEGUARDING”

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FROM THE CEO’S

Engaging with government Justin Humphreys CEO, (Safeguarding)

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t thirtyone:eight we’ve been at the forefront of raising safeguarding standards for over 40 years. To do this we share our knowledge with individuals, organisations, charities, faith groups, community groups and with the government.

This strand of our work, engaging with government has kept us extremely busy over the past few months and I’d like to share with you something of what we’ve been doing and why this work is so crucial .

This has helped us to gain unrivalled knowledge, understanding and expertise which is now of significant importance to the Inquiry as they explore the extent to which children have been and are protected in a range of organisations and settings.

The decision to grant Core Participant status to us is a recognition of this and we accept the responsibility this carries with humility and a desire to see further strengthening of safeguarding across the faith sector. The public hearings where evidence will be heard from a range of respondents to this investigation (including ourselves) will take place in March 2020.

Our work with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has recently seen us being granted Core Participant status in the investigation into Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings. This means we have been given a specific role in terms of assisting the Inquiry and particular privileges in the proceedings.

In addition to the Inquiry, we have also been working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Settings (APPG) which we helped to set-up and for which we provide the Secretariat, as it launched its latest inquiry. The inquiry focuses on ‘Positions of Trust within Faith Settings’ with a call for evidence on whether a change in legislation is needed relating to those working with 16-17 year olds in churches, other places of worship and faith-based environments.

This new investigation, announced in May 2019 will review the current child protection arrangements in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales.

This will include non-conformist Christian denominations (i.e. outside of the established Church of England), Jehovah’s Witnesses and those within a range of other faiths, including the Islamic, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

Under the current legislation, it is illegal for professionals deemed to be in ‘positions of trust’ such as teachers, care workers and youth justice staff to engage in sexual activity with a 16 or 17-year-old under their care or supervision.

However, other adults (including volunteers) who hold similar positions of power within settings such as faith and religious organisations and sports teams are not covered by the current provisions. It seems incredible to think that when opportunities present themselves to help strengthen the safety of the environments where children and young people live and learn, that we would not take them.

In our role as Core Participants, we will be given access to all relevant documentation and can help guide the inquiry through consultation, legal submission and by suggesting questions for the Inquiry counsel or panel.

We are privileged to have this opportunity to work alongside the Inquiry in this way. There are few organisations that have worked so closely with faith-based organisations for as long as we have to support best practice in safeguarding.

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The current arrangements for ‘position of trust’ as identified within the Sexual Offences Act 2003, are inadequate to protect young people in the widest range of settings. The fact that there should be any difference in the protection afforded to young people in a school and what they are afforded in a faith-based setting makes no sense.

If you were to ask any parent or carer whether they thought it was against the law for a teacher to enter a sexual relationship with a 16 or 17 year old, the majority would agree that they would expect this to be the case. If you asked the same question regarding youth workers and ministers in religious settings, it’s likely that the same would be the case.

What they would probably be

amazed to learn is that the latter do not currently fall under the law in this respect.

At thirtyone:eight we believe this is wrong. We believe that it actually directly undermines the young person’s right to freedom from harm and abuse in those settings. That is why I asked Sarah Champion MP and Michael Tomlinson MP, the co-Chairs of the APPG, to launch the inquiry to establish

THE INQUIRY FOCUSES ON ‘POSITIONS OF TRUST WITHIN FAITH SETTINGS’ WITH A CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON WHETHER A CHANGE IN LEGISLATION IS NEEDED RELATING TO THOSE WORKING WITH 16-17 YEAR OLDS IN CHURCHES, OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP AND FAITH-BASED ENVIRONMENTS.

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the evidence-base that might support a change in the law, such that faith-based settings will be covered in these cases.

As the current Chair of the Christian Forum for Safeguarding (a national group consisting of the nationallevel leads for safeguarding in the majority of mainstream Christian denominations), it has been my privilege to facilitate extensive discussions regarding the need for a change in this law for many months, with general support for this expressed around the table.

This inquiry, which is the second for the APPG, included a call for evidence inviting individuals and organisations to submit evidence in order to assess the need for any change in current legislation and its application. Evidence was received and heard from a range of contributors, including academics, professional bodies, the NSPCC, Christian denominations and other groups operating across other faiths and traditions.

Following the evidence session held in parliament on 22 October, the APPG’s report is expected to be published in early 2020 and will be presented to the Ministry of Justice who are responsible

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for this aspect of legislation and policy.

This new inquiry will present an opportunity for the Church, other faith groups and those that work alongside them, to stand up and be counted for making a positive difference to the safeguarding of young people in this country.

With our involvement in the IICSA and the APPG, these are important and exciting times for Thirtyone:eight and the voice of the Church.

To keep up-to-date with the latest news on our work visit thirtyoneeight.org/news or follow us on social media @thirtyoneeight

“

I’ve done lots of safeguarding training before but this one was the best I’ve been to and covered aspects I’ve never considered before.

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Safeguarding training for Trustees.

For trustees, knowing your responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding can be confusing. Join us for this half day course designed to fully equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to lead and embed good safeguarding practice within your organisation. Whether you’re newly appointed or looking to refresh your knowledge we’ll help ensure you understand your legal responsibilities for safeguarding and the practical aspects of management and governance.

Trusted. Affordable. Relevant visit thirtyoneeight.org/trustees or call 0303 003 1111 (option 3) to book your place or discuss hosting a course.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578

Topics covered include: • Understanding charity commission guidance • The role of Leadership and accountability • Managing internal processes and expectations • Reporting serious incidents • Creating a culture of transparency

IN FOCUS

Where the buck stops

Understanding the responsibilities of trustees

by Bill Stone

T

here are many different theologies and understandings across the different traditions of the Christian church about the proper relationship between Church and State. However, the fact is that Churches are public organisations which, like other organisations in our society, are subject to the law of the land. Churches may claim God’s authority over their mission but, their activities in the here and now in pursuit of that mission, are subject to the authority of the State, expressed in laws created by parliament.

The way in which the Charity Commission holds churches to account and insists on certain standards in relation to safeguarding, is by focusing on governance arrangements, systems, policies and procedures. In charities, and churches are charities by law, the organisational structure, whatever that looks like, comes under the umbrella of the trustee board.

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CHURCHES MAY CLAIM GOD’S AUTHORITY OVER THEIR MISSION BUT, THEIR

There are certain things that Churches may not do and there are other things which they are obligated, by law, to do. Additionally, and probably more significantly when it comes to their safeguarding responsibilities, Churches are expected to take reasonable steps to follow good practice guidance given by the government.

Churches are charities and the government body with responsibility for the regulation of charities is the Charity Commission.

ACTIVITIES IN THE HERE AND NOW IN PURSUIT OF THAT MISSION, ARE SUBJECT TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE.

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This is the body ultimately responsible for the public trust vested in the charity and therefore the trustees are tasked with directing and overseeing the management of the totality of the charity’s activities. Trustee boards have the job of managing risk and some of the biggest and most high-profile risks facing Churches today are to do with safeguarding. These risks include the risk of the charity’s beneficiaries being harmed, but they also include the risk of harm to others too, such as to the charity’s employees, volunteers and all who come into contact with the charity.

The reputation of the charity and the trust in which it is held by the general public also needs to be protected, so reputational risk is a further priority. The trustee board consists of a number of trustees who are, from a legal perspective, jointly and severally responsible for the charity.

These individuals, who are not allowed to be paid, are expected to embody the charity’s values and ethos and they are ones who are held to account when things go wrong. The buck stops with the board of trustees.

In a recent report published by the Charity Commission on the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham the duties of charity trustees are spelled out as follows:

Trustee duties include taking reasonable steps to protect people who come into contact with their charity from harm.

This includes people who benefit or come into contact with their charity through its work, staff and volunteers.

It is important that all charities take reasonable steps to protect the people they come into contact with, including those for whom they have a specific duty of care.

The Commission’s role is to hold charities to account for the steps that they take.

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“

TRUSTEE BOARDS HAVE THE JOB OF MANAGING RISK AND SOME OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST

HIGH-PROFILE RISKS FACING CHURCHES TODAY ARE TO DO WITH SAFEGUARDING.

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Churches safeguarding practices have been put under the spotlight through the IICSA review and Churches have been, and are continuing to be, heavily criticised for ignoring, minimising or covering up abuses. What is different about this report is its focus on “failings in the oversight and governance of safeguarding” and the trustee board of the Birmingham Diocese is held accountable for these failings.

Reflecting on these events from the perspective of an independent local church some questions arise for Church trustees:

Before initiating the inquiry, the Charity Commission gave the Board of Trustees an opportunity to put together a response to these serious concerns but was not satisfied with their plan, saying that it was insufficiently robust and lacked urgency. By the end of the six month investigation, on publication of the report, a Charity Commission spokesperson said that they were pleased with the progress that was being made but that more needed to be done.

• Do you, as a team of trustees, have a grip of the safeguarding practices within your church?

• Do you have sound understanding of your safeguarding responsibilities as a trustee?

• Have you received any training, as a trustee, on your safeguarding responsibilities?

• Are you able to evidence the way that your organisation has dealt with any safeguarding concerns that have arisen?

To find out more about our training specifically for charity trustees go to: thirtyoneeight.org/trustees

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SPOTLIGHT

Meet our patron:

Bishop Dr Joe Aldred

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e’re continuingly looking for ways to raise awareness of safeguarding and to get the message out about the importance of creating safer places. To help us do this even more effectively we’re starting to work with a small group of charity patrons to help us raise the profile of the work that we do to protect vulnerable people from abuse.

We’re delighted to announce our first patron Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, who has been a long-term friend and supporter of thirtyone:eight. Bishop Aldred is an author, broadcaster, church-leader and currently has responsibility for Pentecostal and Multicultural Relations at Churches Together in England.

We chatted with him about what motivates him and why he’s taken on this new role:

You’ve been involved in church leadership most of your life – as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader, pastor and bishop in the Church of God of Prophecy what have been some of the main lessons this has taught you about church and your faith?

“I’ve observed that church is a complex human space, a place of discipleship where diverse peoples and cultures, grapple with what it means to be the people of God, live as sisters and brothers in a complex world. Agape love towards one another as individuals and groups is therefore an essential component if the church is to function as God’s missional instrument, salt and light, in the world for which Christ died. Sadly, the church doesn’t always live up to this ideal; and yet in the midst of its imperfections the church manages by the grace of God to be a catalyst for good more often that might be thought possible.”

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You’ve written and edited a number of books including; The Black Church in the 21st Century, Thinking outside the box – on race, faith and life, and most recently Pentecostals and Charismatics in Britain.

What inspires you as a writer and what do you see as some of the main challenges facing Black and multi-ethnic churches in the UK today?

You’ve spoken publicly about your interest in Christian ecumenism being born out of a concern about fragmentation. What does Christian unity mean to you and why do you think it is so important for the church?

“The premise on which my ecumenical work is based is a pre-existent ‘oneness’ in Christ, as one Christian family in the world belonging to many different ‘rooms’ or cultures, streams, denominations, etc. My understanding is that we are already one in Christ, like a natural family, but diverse and challenged to live out a unity that is true to the family name, the oneness we share because of belonging to the same parent, God in Jesus Christ. Christian unity does not mean for me a search or quest for uniformity or forced cohesion. It is important the church works hard to live unitedly in diversity because it shows that diversity is God’s idea and we can be one yet not all the same. When observers see how we can love and live in unity in the midst of such great diversity they may be convinced that the Prince of Peace Jesus is alive in our midst.”

“I was initially inspired to edit and publish mainly black British Christian writers to address the lack of literature from the black church community.

Since working more closely with Pentecostals and Charismatics, black and white, I have discovered a similar though less acute lack. I believe any people ought to be the epicentre from which their stories are told. I write and broadcast for similar reasons, to represent an informed insider view to itself and the wider world. The main challenge facing these churches seems to me to concern applying a Pentecostal ethic that effectively communicates with the society in which we live.”

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are prepared to pay a lot of money and support with their time something that gives them excitement and belonging. Too much of church can be lacking in a commitment to excellence and commitment to make every church service ‘an experience’ that is planned and delivered to the very best of all our abilities.”

In your role at Churches Together in England (CTE) you have responsibility for Pentecostal and Multicultural Relations. What are some of the main strategies the churches could be using to build and maintain strong relationships?

“The big idea at CTE is that relationship is key. We also recognise that all churches have their separate lives, organisations to run, etc, therefore ecumenism that builds relationship has to be wise, light of touch and inclusive. The twenty-two different national members that make up the constituency I work alongside meet twice a year through their nominated representatives, there are four working groups that support the forum and reports to the halfyearly meetings, and one of the CTE Presidents represents Pentecostals and Charismatics.

By these means we seek to strengthen relationships between Pentecostals and charismatics themselves and between they and other church traditions. I act as a kind of centre of contact on matters relating to this ecclesial community and try to convey the essence of Pentecostalism and charismatic beliefs in my broadcasting, writing and preaching.”

Awareness of Safeguarding among churches and the need to be invest time, money and energy into creating safer places for all is growing. Why do you think safeguarding is so important for churches and how does it reflect the message of the Gospel?

“I am afraid the church’s record on safeguarding issues is not as good as it has needed to be.

Some of the reasons may be that society on a whole have not taken safeguarding seriously enough and churches are part of society. I for one welcome the current and increasing focus on keeping people safe. Whether children, older people or vulnerable adults everybody must both feel safe and be safe in our care. Jesus in his earthly ministry shows how to be welcoming to people from all walks of life, typified by his ‘let the children come to me’ rebuke to his disciples shushing them away. The gospel is about salvation, redemption, flourishing in this life and the next and the church at all levels must simply work harder to ensure the value we place on the image of God in ‘the least of these’ is reflected in how we care for everyone.”

You’re a big Chelsea football fan. What are some of the parallels with the world of sport that the church could be leaning from?

“My Chelsea support is really quite light of touch…I am the ultimate armchair supporter from a far. My support of West Indies cricket runs much deeper and is the source of much pain in the past twenty to thirty years. I am welling up even as I speak! The glory days of the 70s and 80s are well behind us. I really fell in love with Chelsea during Mourinho’s first stint as manager - I loved his confidence and must win philosophy. After he left I stayed a supporter and have watched then once and recently did a tour of the Bridge – a gift from my daughters.

A big lesson for the churches from the world of football may be the intensity of training to get the best from players and observing that people

What does becoming an Ambassador for Thirtyone:eight mean to you?

“Thirtyone.eight has been helping churches create and maintain safe spaces for many years, but is not sufficiently well known about in some spaces. I hope that my ambassadorial role as patron can assist even a little in making the organisation more visible and its services taken up in more churches in the sector I work with and beyond, so that more people may be protected from harm and abuse”.

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POLITICS

United Kingdom?

The legislation landscape

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n June, we ran our second member-wide survey. One of the many reasons we run this survey is to find the areas where our member organisations are wanting the most help and support. The answer to ‘What would you like to see more of in our communications’ was updates on legislation. So to respond to that call, we thought we’d begin by looking the existing legislative landscape across the UK and what that means for you where you are.

Local Authorities. There are some things that are not devolved, such as the constitution and international relations. Examples of things that are devolved are health care, social care and education. Devolution entered a new phase in 1997 when referendums were held in Scotland and Wales, with Northern Ireland holding one in 1998. In addition, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and debate surrounding it resulted in more powers being offered to the Scottish Parliament.

The variations in how different parts of the United Kingdom function have been around for a long time, leading to significant differences in law, guidance and terminology across the four nations. These include changes in laws and policies in relation to safeguarding children and adults across the nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Changes in legislation and practice can often leave churches feeling confused about what they should and should not be doing with regards to safeguarding.

Legal Frameworks England The legal framework for England includes the Children Acts 1989 and 2004, and, for vulnerable adults, the Care Act 2014. In 1991, following the implementation of the Children Act 1989, the Government issued ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, describing the responsibilities of agencies working with children to ensure that they are kept safe.

The guidance is for statutory agencies and voluntary organisations, including churches and faith-based organisations. The document covers all the expectations of government in relation to safeguarding children in England. A number of revisions of Working Together have been produced, the most recent version being published in July 2018.

Legal History Parliament defines devolution as ‘the decentralisation of governmental power.’

Examples of devolution are the powers granted to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and to the Greater London and

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CHARITIES REGISTERED IN ENGLAND OR WALES NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE SAFEGUARDING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CHARITY COMMISSION. ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS CHURCHES APPLYING TO REGISTER WITH THE CHARITY COMMISSION WHO WORK WITH VULNERABLE BENEFICIARIES WILL NEED A SAFEGUARDING POLICY.

The organisation’s policy must be submitted along with evidence that all those working with children or vulnerable adults have been safely recruited and undertaken a Disclosure and Barring Service check where eligibility is met.

Wales Following devolution in 1997 and the increase in law-making powers in 2014, part 3 of the Children Act 1989 was replaced by part 6 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. Furthermore, a set of guidance and codes of practice were issued under Section 145 of the act.

The Act brought Adult Safeguarding onto an equal statutory footing with Safeguarding Children.

This was achieved through establishing a statutory duty to report concerns about both children and adults, and strengthening the response of statutory authorities to adults at risk. The processes for statutory agencies to respond to concerns about children remained unchanged.

The Act also imposes a duty on relevant partners to report to a local authority if an adult suspected of being an adult

at risk is living in or moving to another area. The 2014 Act also introduces a statutory duty to local authorities to make enquiries to enable it to decide what action should be taken and, if so, what and by whom. The response of Local Authorities has been further strengthened through the creation of Adult Protection and Support Orders. The purposes of an APSO are to enable an authorised officer to speak in private with a person suspected of being an adult at risk, to ascertain whether that person is making decisions freely, and assess whether the person is an adult at risk and what, if any, action should be taken.

In addition, the ‘Duty to Promote the Third Sector’ section of the Act introduces a duty on local authorities to promote the development, in their area, of not-for-privateprofit organisations. These include social enterprises, co-operative organisations, co-operative arrangements, user-led services and the third sector. Churches now have increased opportunity to work in partnership with statutory agencies to identify and meet people’s well-being needs.

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Scotland The legal framework for Scotland includes the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and, for adults at risk, the Adult Support and Protection Act 2007.

The National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2014, revised from first publication in 2010, sets out the responsibilities of all agencies working with children and covers the expectations of government in relation to keeping children safe in Scotland. This document was accompanied by a number of additional publications, such as the National Risk Framework for Assessment of Children and Young People.

Any registered charity in Scotland needs to abide by the child protection and adult protection requirements of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). They work with the Care Inspectorate which is an independent body responsible for the scrutiny and improvement of care, social work and child protection services in Scotland.

Northern Ireland Safeguarding within the Northern Irish church context has grown and developed at a rapid pace over the last 20 years, creating a landscape that many may not fully understand. There are three documents that are essential reading. For ministry relating to children and young people, Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland 2017 and Safeguarding for Northern Ireland (SBNI) Procedures Manual (Nov 2017) are key.

For ministries working with adults at risk of harm, Adult Safeguarding: Prevention and Protection in Partnership 2015, is the primary source of good safeguarding practice.

The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) was established in 2012 to ensure that safeguarding children happens in an inclusive, co-ordinated and consistent manner. Importantly for churches, the SBNI has a faith-based sub group that understands the context and culture in which safeguarding operates in churches.

It is also possible to apply for a basic level check from AccessNI as part of a safer recruitment process for people in non-regulated activity posts.

This is a relatively new level of check and many organisations find the check beneficial in providing consistency and transparency throughout their recruitment process.

Having an active, up-to date safeguarding policy is imperative. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI) expect churches to have a policy in place.

Churches are required to report any serious safeguarding incidents to CCNI as soon as possible after they have been disclosed. Trustees are required via their Annual Monitoring Return to demonstrate that they are satisfied with the safeguarding policies and procedures and to confirm that serious incidents have been reported.

One area where churches often struggle is with AccessNI disclosures. Certain activities are considered ‘regulated activity’ and require staff members or volunteers to have an enhanced disclosure prior to working with vulnerable groups. It is illegal to have a person working with vulnerable people in regulated activity who is on the barred list.

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Following the changes Whether in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the ways in which churches and organisations arrange themselves vary. However, it is important for places of worship to work to a safeguarding policy so they are able to respond appropriately whatever the situation.

It can be helpful for churches to be aware of changes in legislations and definitions depending on their country, and as a result of devolution, so they can update their safeguarding policy if needed.

Our commitment is to keep members up to date and informed about all changes in legislation so make sure you register your details with us or follow us on social for the latest information.

Members can access our complete online safeguarding manual at thirtyoneeight.org/ get-help

RESOURCE FOCUS

Guidance

for safeguarding refugees and asylum seekers

R

ecently we’ve partnered with the charity Welcome Churches to jointly produce new safeguarding guidelines to help churches working with refugees and asylum seekers understand their responsibilities and the needs of those they are working with.

The recent horrifying story of the 39 people found in a lorry in Essex shines a fresh spotlight on the ordeals and dangers some people face in seeking refuge in the UK, how we support those that are vulnerable is of the utmost importance.

Speaking in the Observer recently after the bodies where discovered, The Archbishop of York said “Many of the world’s religions share what we call the golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated. It’s a universal template for right behaviour towards one another. We just need to turn today’s sentiments of sadness into a national policy of welcome.”

Every church in the UK, no matter where it is based has the opportunity to welcome refugees and asylum seekers into their community. There are lots of different initiatives churches are involved in as they follow the biblical mandate to welcome ‘the stranger’ and demonstrate Christian love and hospitality. However, understanding how to engage and offer support in a safe way can present a number challenges.

Welcome Churches’ vision is for every refugee to be welcomed by the local church. They provide on-the-

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CREATING SAFE AND WELCOMING PLACES FOR REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS WITHIN OUR CHURCHES IS SO IMPORTANT.

ground training, tools, and expertise for churches, equipping them to care practically for refugees and welcome them into their church community.

Working in partnership with us, this guidance has been produced to equip and empower churches to respond in a compassionate, loving and safe way to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in their local communities.

to write these guidelines. They give much needed clarity to churches working with refugees and empower churches to welcome asylum seekers and refugees into the community and help them find a place to belong.

These guidelines are beneficial to any church wanting to get involved in this ministry.”

Emily Holden, Operations Director at Welcome churches says about the resource:

“Welcome Churches is seeing huge growth in the number of churches joining our ‘Welcome Network’: an online platform profiling churches across the UK actively welcoming refugees into their communities. This is helping refugees all over the UK find a local church who will give them a warm welcome.

Bill Stone, Safeguarding Advisor at thirtyone:eight says

“Creating safe and welcoming places for refugees and asylum seekers within our churches is so important. However, the church has a responsibility to do that safely and to understand the specific, needs, risks and challenges this presents.

That’s why we’ve been so pleased to partner with Welcome Churches and bring our expertise together produce this guidance to help support the great work that is being done in this vital area.”

As more and more churches are following the Biblical mandate to ‘welcome the stranger’ the safeguarding challenges can be difficult to navigate. We have been delighted to work with Thirtyone:eight

The guidance can be downloaded at thirtyoneeight.org/resources

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The Word

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YOUTH WORK FOCUS

Tackling the issue of sex and relationships among young people One of the challenges of working with young people can be how to tackle the issue of sex and relationships within your group. How do you balance the teachings of your church and the expectations of parents, with a culture that is highly sexualised and sometimes has very different standards.

promoting them as keys to a happy and fulfilling life. Many young people will see no harm in engaging in sexual activity, irrespective of age.

However, you may choose to tackle this topic, to have an understanding of what the law sets as guidance and boundaries is a good place to start, and will likely determine any course of action you may need to take:

In March 2017, the then Education Secretary, Justine Greening, announced her intention to put ‘Relationships and Sex Education’ on a statutory footing. Section 34 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 provides for relationships and sex education to be taught in all schools in England.

The changes involve all primary schools in England teaching ‘Relationships Education’ and all secondary schools teaching ‘Relationships and Sex Education’. These changes will come into force in September 2020.

Ages of Consent Legally the age of consent is 16 years. The law makes it clear that a child under 13 years is not capable of consenting to sexual activity and any allegations should be taken very seriously.

However, this leaves the age range of 13-15 year olds where issues of consent will need more careful consideration. In some cases advice should be sought for young people aged 16-17 if there are concerns.

The reality is that many young people will already be engaging in sexual activity at some point during their teenage years. Social media, television and the culture we live in produce huge amounts of pressure on young people as well as many unhealthy ideas about sex and romance,

Under 13s In the UK, sexual activity with a child under the age of 13 is illegal. These cases should always be reported to your safeguarding co-ordinator

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or directly to the police or children’s services. The current age of criminal responsibility is 10 years, but any sexual activity involving younger children should always be reported to the police children’s services.

13-15 year olds Government guidance states that “any sexual activity between a 13-15 year old child and anyone else is a criminal offence. Where it is consensual it may be less serious than if the child were under 13, but may nevertheless have serious consequences for the welfare of the young person. Consideration should be given in every case of sexual activity involving a child 13-15 as to whether there should be a discussion with other agencies and whether a referral should be made to children’s social care” What this means is that a greater degree of professional discretion is allowed for in the case of 13-15 year olds. There are a number of factors that would raise concerns and would need to be taken into account in deciding whether or not to report: • The age and level of maturity of the child.

• The age imbalance between the child and the other partner.

The greater the age gap, the more significant the harm to the child is likely to be.

• Any aggression, use of force or attempt to bribe the child.

• The role of substances such as drugs or alcohol.

16–17 year olds Although it is recognised that a young person can marry from the age of 16, they are also still defined as a child under the Children Act 1989. Concerns could arise if any of the factors that relate to 13-15 year olds are present, which will imply that appropriate advice and support will need to be sought from statutory professionals to ensure the safety of the young person.

Confidentiality Confidentiality is particularly important to young people wanting advice about sex and relationships. Many will not ask for help at all if they do not believe it is going to be confidential. This leaves them at risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, as well as increasing the chances that abusive or coercive relationships will remain hidden. Having said this, individuals who work with them also have a duty to protect children from harm and this inevitably involves passing on information to other agencies in situations where children and young people need protection. This balance is not always easy to find.

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Do you tell the parents?

A big question that can be a struggle for youth workers is whether they should inform the parents of young people who are known to be sexually active. Our advice is that young people should be encouraged to talk openly with their parents about sexual matters wherever this is practicable and appropriate. The young person concerned has to make his or her own choices and do what they believe to be the best thing for them. Unfortunately, there are some parents who would react very badly to their son or daughter confiding in them in this way, and so it is only natural for them to fear that, were they to tell their parents, their situation would become even worse. The consequences for young people of telling their parents needs to be carefully thought through. If they do want to tell them, they may need help and support in doing this. The thirtyone:eight Helpline can always be contacted to talk through these issues (0303 003 1111).

Child sexual exploitation The understanding of child sexual exploitation (CSE) has been impacted by grooming scandals in places such as Rotherham and Rochdale. The young people in these situations were made by perpetrators to believe they were consensually involving in sexual activities. The reality was the young people lived under fear, making it difficult for them to safely disclose the abuse they were experiencing.

A young person who is experiencing sexual exploitation may not see themselves as a victim of abuse, making it challenging for those working with the young person to help them access support to break away from these abusive relationships.

A longer term approach When churches connect with young people, whether or not they are from Christian communities, the question of sex will come up sooner rather than later. We live in a highly sexualised society and young people need respectful and faith based relationships modelled for them.

We must be realistic and compassionate enough to understand that for many young people in our churches as well as outside them, the Christian ideal of sex within marriage is a world away from their actual lived experience.

As a church, be willing to offer practical and genuine support to young people who struggle with social pressures linked to sex and relationships. If you feel unskilled at the level of support they require, be honest in seeking specialist support and advice from charities and even statutory agencies.

For further help and advice visit our website thirtyoneeight.org/ resources or call our helpline on 0303 003 1111 25

PASTORAL CARE

A new way to care?

Changing models of pastoral care

P

astoral care is perhaps the one thing that people most associate with the church, be it in the context of local parish ministry, chaplaincy, or even in places of education or work. Expressing care and concern for one another, especially in practical ways has been part of the Christian faith since it first began.

The gospel of John quotes Jesus as saying “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35.

Traditionally the minister or priest has been seen to primarily fulfil this pastoral role as part of their duties. In fact the word “pastor” - which is derived from the Latin word for “shepherd” - is often used interchangeably for the role of minister. However, as many churches begin to move away from this minister centric model of pastoral care to a more sustainable model of employing and/or of building a team of pastoral workers, and with an increased focus on issues of mental health and wellbeing within pastoral care, what does this mean in terms of safeguarding and some of the challenges it may bring: Every tradition and culture in the world has its own version of pastoral care to support people as they grapple with the challenges of life - issues such as identity, motivation, values, grief and loss, loneliness,

meaning, relationships and resilience. One of the responsibilities set out for Anglican clergy is the ‘cure of souls’ perhaps better translated as the care of souls.

However, problems can arise when people fall through the gaps because they are not in small groups or especially in larger churches, where they may go unnoticed.

The principles of good pastoral care can be applied to all faiths and secular organisations, with the provision of pastoral care becoming a profession in its own right. Increasingly, ordained ministers are being conflicted between their responsibilities for the ‘care of souls’ and the demands of running the church as a complex organisation. The responsibility for pastoral care within churches and other Christian organisations has become increasingly devolved.

Another challenge can be the blurring of boundaries between friendship and pastoral care.

People do not always recognise when others have more complex pastoral needs and fail to refer them to those who have specialist skills.

Churches of all denominations are increasingly developing an ‘every member ministry’ model of pastoral care where church members are encouraged to care for one another through small groups and the organic development of Christian friendship. This is an appropriate model which works well much of the time.

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What is Pastoral care?

Pastoral care may involve: • Sustaining others through prolonged difficulty or immediate need • Enabling a persons journey of healing and wholeness • Supporting someone through the process of reconciliation with God, self and others • Offering guidance about resources • Bringing different perspectives

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CHURCHES OF ALL DENOMINATIONS ARE INCREASINGLY DEVELOPING AN ‘EVERY MEMBER MINISTRY’ MODEL OF PASTORAL CARE WHERE CHURCH MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER THROUGH SMALL GROUPS AND THE ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP.

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Who is a Pastoral Carer?

A Pastoral carer is: Someone who either formally, as part of a pastoral team, group or network or informally, as part of their fellowship group or everyday relationships in the community, offers care and support to another.

What are the safeguarding challenges?

Perhaps the biggest challenge with pastoral care is the issue of blurred boundaries. People can often act out of good intentions but lack appropriate support, supervision and

accountability. Many within your organization may be excellent befrienders and carers but lack the understanding or discernment to know when pastoral needs are complex and the person needs signposting to further help from clergy or other agencies. When people operate beyond the limits of their own competency the church ceases to be a safe place for all.

Some people feel compelled to care and behave as though they are the sole life-support system for everyone. From the outside they may appear to be living out exemplary Christian care, but such relationships may not be healthy and may 27

not help people to discover God or grow in their faith during difficult times.

Guarding against Codependency can be another challenge. Codependency describes a relationship in where one person is perpetually needy and the other person is perpetually rescuing – this is an unhealthy combination. The rescuer can often take on the role of the matyr and cannot cope with the sense of not being needed.

The rescuer enables the needy person to become even more dependent and their condition becomes worse rather than better.

Other challenges can include: Pastoral relationships being confused with personal friendships; Romantic attachments developing; visiting people alone in their home late at night or allowing

challenge. Regular supervision for workers and group leaders is also important as it allows opportunity to talk and discuss any issues that may have arisen.

It is important that anyone seeking pastoral care should know exactly what to expect in terms of good conduct, and that any boundaries set are respected at all times.

Pastoral relationships at all levels will often run parallel with friendships and social contacts, but it is essential that they always remain distinct.

them to visit the carer; Inappropriate confidentiality; and the perceived need to be available 24/7.

Steps to take Everyone who is involved in pastoral care needs to be aware that in pastoral relationships there can be an imbalance of power. Workers need to be aware that they can be exercising power and influence even without that intention. Your team need to recognise when pastoral relationships are becoming unhealthy and must be accountable to others.

Training should be provided in terms of identifying the signs and indicators of abuse and in ways of working safely. Training teams can be relatively easy but developing the understanding of the wider congregation can be a huge

Pastoral workers should be aware of the limits of their own abilities and competencies.

They should seek further help when dealing with situations outside their expertise.

Recognising complex pastoral needs and the need to signpost to others, can avoid the creation of dependency.

Clear guidelines should be put in place where workers are involved in any aspect of personal finance to ensure financial integrity and accountability. That includes tasks such supporting with doing shopping for others.

The same applies for lone working policies to protect both the worker and the person receiving support.

It’s also important to have a system in place for recording incidents and concerns for all activities. Entries should be signed and dated and sensitive information referenced to other records. Visiting teams should always keep records of visits – date, time and any concerns.

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At all times, every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is preserved and not shared inappropriately; although this may well be subject to what may be an overriding need to protect someone who has been, or is at risk of, abuse. Everyone working with adults must be clear that it may not be possible to keep information about suspected or actual abuse confidential. The needs of the person and any potential risk to others must come first.

Taking it forward Many churches are caring environments that are well placed to provide a good level of pastoral care. There is a desperate shortage of organisations within local communities who can provide this type of support. With many churches moving from a ministerial to a congregational model of pastoral care, we need to change the culture of expectations that are put upon ministers. This takes time and requires a willingness to embrace change and recruit, support and train our volunteers well. Unless we do this, ministers will continue to be overloaded and burn out.

We run a half-day safeguarding course: Pastoral Care and Supporting Survivors. To learn more go to thirtyoneeight.org/pastoral-care

Can’t DBS check workers because they don’t qualify?

Now you can.

Our new Basic Disclosure checks can be used for any role that isn’t eligible for an enhanced check but where it requires a certain level of trust.

Easy to register, and with no registration fee for existing DBS users, our online Basics service means you stay in complete control of the process and can monitor it from end-to-end.

Fast. Affordable. Secure. visit thirtyoneeight.org/dbs-service or call 0303 003 1111 (option 1) and speak to our friendly and experienced team.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578

Roles you could check include: • Worship leader • Preacher • Welcome team member • Caretaker • Administrator

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It simply got people talking, thinking and being mindful around safeguarding. Resources were good and easy to use.

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Safeguarding Sunday 11th October 2020 Put the date in your church calendar and join with hundreds of organisations across the UK as together we seek to raise awareness of safeguarding in our churches.

It’s a great opportunity for your church to highlight all it is doing to create safer places, and to publicly thank and acknowledge all those working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen.

It's your chance to: • Explain why safeguarding is so important • Talk about all you have in place • Introduce your safeguarding team • Acknowledge and thank your workers • Pledge together to create safer • Places for all

Protecting vulnerable people is at the heart of the Christian message and so we want to take this opportunity to show our communities that we take this mandate seriously.

Share. Celebrate. Commit. visit thirtyoneeight.org/safeguarding-sunday and register your interest to be sent up-dates and your free resource pack.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578