EDITORIAL

In this together

Since our last edition of Together, much has changed. And yet, what hasn’t changed is the ongoing need for churches and organisations to be doing all they can to ensure the safety of vulnerable people within their care.

In this edition we’ve tried to address some of the challenges and concerns that churches and organisations face during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Do check out our 7 top tips for churches (p11) which gives some helpful reminders about some of the key things to watch out for. Also our article on DBS checks in a time of crisis (p23) gives an important update on some of the temporary changes to DBS procedures during this time. In this edition we’re introducing you to our current Trustee board (p14). Like any charity our trustees play a crucial role in the governance of our organisation, and have supported our staff in making the transition to work from home so that the majority of our vital services have been able to continue to operate unchanged. If you haven’t already signed our Safer Places Pledge we’d love you to consider doing so. Hundreds of individuals and organisations have already signed-up since we launched it at the start of the year (p7). Do also take a look at our article on Contextual Safeguarding (p26) where we shine a light on this emerging concept. We look at what contextual safeguarding is, and how churches can get involved in supporting young people outside of the context of family. To help you navigate some of the challenges during this time we’re highlighting a new free resource that we’ve produced together with the charity Youthscape giving guidance for communicating and working with young people online (P20), plus we look at the importance of training and how to make the most of our online webinar learning opportunities to support your workers (p17). Don’t forget to check our website for the latest updates plus our new podcast focusing on safeguarding during the pandemic. If you’re a member with us, please do consider joining our members only Facebook group where you can ask questions and share your thoughts and comments with others. As always 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 Stay home, stay safe. Peter Editor

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