Together - Spring 2021

SPRING 2021

magazine IN FOCUS

Seven top tips for safer, healthier culture PAGE 18 RESOURCE FOCUS

International missions resource focus PAGE 22

CONTENTS

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6

18

14 Character Eats Culture Before We Sit Down to Breakfast

7

26

Top Tips

22

In this issue 1 EDITORIAL In this together 3

NEWS REVIEW

Safeguarding champion among New Year Honours

Encrypted messaging putting children at risk Northern Ireland mother-and-baby homes investigation promised

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IN BRIEF

6

FROM THE CEOs

Hope for the future.

Our four key areas of growth strategy

IN FOCUS

10 Keeping Children Safe Guidance 14 Character Eats Culture

Before We Sit Down

to Breakfast 18 7 top tips for safer,

Healthier Culture 20 Working in Partnership 22 RESOURCE FOCUS

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 2021 DESIGN epls.design

International Missions 26 SPOTLIGHT Meet our Patron: Dr Paula Gooder

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EDITORIAL

In this together One year on since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in this country there are still many questions and difficulties for churches and faith-based organisations to overcome.

Yet we have seen how the Church and faith organisations have consistently stepped up and provided hope and support in their communities.

This includes hosting meetings online, running foodbanks, shopping on behalf of those shielding and now opening meeting spaces for vaccination centres.

Alongside this on page (18) Justin Humphreys has written another in our series of seven top tips, this time to help us map our culture against our aim of creating safer places.

Many churches and faith-based organisations have some sort of involvement in overseas mission, however some of these have been in the news over the past few years for the wrong reasons. On page (22) we outline the findings of our recent research project that we commissioned in response and will be used to improve knowledge around safeguarding during international missions.

Things may still not look the same as they did before March 2020, however we must continue to be vigilant and aware of the ongoing need to actively protect vulnerable people.

Wherever our churches or faith-based organisations are at the moment, we can all play a part in creating safer spaces for all. In this edition we hope to provide tools and advice to help and encourage you to do that.

At Thirtyone:eight we believe value is brought by combining different perspectives, knowledge and expertise. On page (10) one of our safeguarding advisors, Bill Stone, discusses the recent advice document for out-of-schoolsettings that the government has released and how we can apply it to our own situations. On page (20) we look at three partnerships we have developed with other charities and on page (26) we get to know our new patron, Dr Paula Gooder.

At the end of 2020 our founder, David Pearson, received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for services to safeguarding vulnerable people in the United Kingdom. His work is a testament to how far we have come over the years and gives us encouragement to continue into the future. On page (6) our CEOs give us an idea of how we can do that as they outline our five-year plan.

As always we love to hear what you think and get your thoughts and feedback on what we can include, so do 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.

The need to build healthy cultures is a consistent theme when it comes to good safeguarding practice and on page (14) we have a guest column written by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer, two American writers who have written a book called A Church called Tov.

Matt Cooper Editor

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NEWS REVIEW

Safeguarding champion among Christians on New Year Honours List

D

avid Pearson, central figure in the development of Thirtyone:eight, received an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list. David, who was CEO of the charity until his retirement in 2010, and then Company Secretary and a Trustee until 2019, was instrumental in founding the charity which at one point he ran from a caravan on his driveway. It has grown over the last 40 years to become the largest independent faith-based safeguarding charity in the United Kingdom with a team of over 50 people and engaging with a network of over 10,000 organisations nationally and internationally.

We now see a significant proportion of churches implementing safeguarding procedures, churches being held to account for past and present failures, and the right attention being given to faith communities through the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in which Thirtyone:eight has been an active participant.

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I DREAMED OF A CHURCH THAT WAS AHEAD OF THE GAME, SETTING THE STANDARD IN ITS MEASURES TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND SUPPORT ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY SUCH HORRIFIC ABUSE AND NEVER SEEKING TO DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE.

David says he “dreamed of a church that was ahead of the game, setting the standard in its measures to protect children and support all those affected by such horrific abuse and never seeking to defend the indefensible.”

Although that dream may still be some way off, the significant progress made since David began his work is evident.

David Pearson

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NEWS REVIEW

Encrypted messaging puts children at risk, commissioner warns A debate has started over the laws around encryption of online messages, such as those on WhatsApp and Facebook. The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, and others have said encryption prevents police from gathering evidence to prosecute child abusers.

However, digital rights groups see it as an essential part of online privacy. They believe unencrypted messaging puts everyone at risk from hackers and police misuse. End-to-end encryption is a privacy feature that makes it impossible for anyone except the sender and recipient to read messages sent online.

European commission’s e-privacy directive require messaging services to follow strict new restrictions on the privacy of message data.

Facebook blamed that directive for shutting down the child protection operation. However, the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released data showing a 46% fall in referrals for child sexual abuse material coming from the EU in the first three weeks since Facebook turned off scanning.

In the United Kingdom, which is no longer covered by the directive, Facebook continues to operate its scanning programme, as it does in the rest of the world. In a joint statement, four of Facebook’s competitors, including Google and Microsoft, said last year that they would continue to scan their platforms.

Facebook came under criticism in January for shutting down its programme that scanned private messages for indications of child abuse in the European Union. Recent changes to the

Northern Ireland mother-and-baby homes: Investigation promised into ‘significant wrongs’ The voices of survivors of mother-andbaby homes in Northern Ireland will be heard “loudly and clearly” with a new independent investigation, Arlene Foster has said. The first minister’s comments follow the publication of a long-awaited report into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland.

should be held into the homes. Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said it was “really, really important that victims and survivors are at the centre of what comes next.”

The release of the report comes after a damning report published in the Republic of Ireland in January found that around 9,000 children died in the homes - around 15% of those admitted. Irish prime minister Micheál Martin apologised for the “profound and generational wrong.”

Similar homes, run by the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Salvation Army, existed in Northern Ireland until the 1980s. The longdelayed report into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene laundries in Northern Ireland was set up in 2016.

The Stormont-commissioned research was carried out by Queen’s University and Ulster University and examined whether a public inquiry

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IN BRIEF

IICSA: Child abuse inquiry hears from 648th and final witness The inquiry into claims of child sexual abuse in England and Wales finished its final public hearing after hearing evidence from 648 witnesses over four years. It is investigating claims against local authorities, religious organisations, the armed forces and public and private institutions - as well as people in the public eye. The inquiry’s final report will be published in 2022. IICSA was set up in July 2014 by Theresa May after hundreds of people came forward to say Jimmy Savile had abused them as children. Thirtyone:eight were active Core Participants in the inquiry during the summer, providing both information and giving evidence.

Covid-19: Rise in suspected child abuse cases after lockdown The number of reported incidents of children dying or being seriously harmed after suspected abuse or neglect rose by a quarter after England’s first lockdown last year. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel received 285 serious incident notifications from April to September- an increase of 27% from 225 in the same period in 2019. However, there was a significant fall in referrals to council children’s services of 10% between the end of April and November, according to research by the Office for the Children’s Commissioner in England. It has raised concerns that some children at risk have become “invisible” during the pandemic.

Churches in Scotland showed 212,000 acts of kindness during pandemic The role of the church as a force for good in society was on display again over the winter. A church feeding and clothing the poor in Burnley featured in a BBC report in December that was watched by millions. Many were moved by their work and since then they have received more than £250,000 in donations. As well as this, a report released from the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland revealed churches in Scotland showed 212,000 acts of kindness between May and July 2020.

It found that there were 212,214 individual acts of support at 181 locations. It also showed that 3,212 volunteers and staff helped out, and there were 89 different community projects.

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TOP TWEETS @AnnaAverkiou

Thanks @thirtyoneeight for a really useful session on #Safeguarding for #Trustees.

Highly recommend.

@emma_sivyer Did day one of excellent @thirtyoneeight safeguarding training on Zoom today.

Probably drank too much coffee though as I’m still wide awake...

@HayleyChapman5 Good to be at the @thirtyoneeight training webinar on #safeguarding adults this afternoon, covering the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 & case studies. @thirtyoneeight do great work helping people and organisations understand best practice in complex situations.

@alantlwilson Brilliant post from @thirtyoneeight on how to make sure #safeguarding reviews are genuinely independent (and thus can lead to repentance and hope) rather than just window dressing.

@SocWorkToday Hear @DaveNiven and @justin_31v8 in a discussion about the independent Christian safeguarding charity. @thirtyoneeight

FROM THE CEOs

The next five years Spring and Easter are full of imagery of hope for the future.

This year in March Britain marks a year since the government responded to the Covid-19 pandemic with the first lockdown.

Now many are starting to look to the future.

At Thirtyone:eight we are looking to the future in terms of our long-term strategy. March 2020 marked the end of our previous three year strategy and we are now focusing on our new growth strategy that will cover the next five years.

The new strategy is built around four key areas of focus: sustainable growth, collaborative approach, professional development and ethical application.

Sustainable growth With the backdrop of Covid-19, this year has brought sustainability for the long term sharply into focus in terms of our business model and our environmental impact. At Thirtyone:eight we value our environment and strive to use the best technology and resources to maximise the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of our work. Financial planning and ensuring sound business models for the future alongside engaging with changes in the structure of Christian churches and communities are central to this.

Greater engagement across all four nations of the United Kingdom and internationally are also high on our agenda. We continue to reduce our carbon footprint and are working to be a carbon neutral organisation.

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Collaborative approach We are an organisation that believes in the value that is brought by different perspectives, knowledge, experience and expertise and we will seek to strengthen the support we provide through working with others where possible. We are experts in our field, but recognise other organisations are experts in their related areas – working in partnership ensures users get the best possible service with a wide wealth of resources. This will help us continue influencing and leading change at a national and local level; growing new and existing partnerships and expanding our membership models and offers. We will also aim to develop our consultancy, training, helpline and DBS offers in collaboration with our membership.

WE ARE EXPERTS IN OUR FIELD, BUT RECOGNISE OTHER ORGANISATIONS ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR RELATED AREAS – WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP ENSURES USERS GET THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE WITH A WIDE WEALTH OF RESOURCES.

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FROM THE CEOs

Professional development Thirtyone:eight is an organisation that seeks to positively influence others through the outworking of our Christian faith, professionalism and desire to improve people’s experience through our own learning and development. This is measured by independent accreditations such as our growing CPD certification for our training, achieving and maintaining the Helpline Standard mark and working towards other recognised professional standards across the organisation. This increases the quality of work undertaken and provides opportunity to recognise good practice and increases our role as a leading and learning organisation.

AT THIRTYONE:EIGHT WE ARE INSPIRED BY GOD’S CALL TO ‘SPEAK OUT ON BEHALF OF THE VOICELESS, AND FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO ARE VULNERABLE’ AS DESCRIBED IN PROVERBS 31:8.

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Ethical application At Thirtyone:eight we are inspired by God’s call to ‘speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable’ as described in Proverbs 31:8. We are motivated by our Christian faith, which will always be demonstrated in our love for people and the way we engage with them; whether they share our faith or not. In this area of growth we will ensure all services continue to operate in line with our core Christian values, as well as seeking to respond to challenges and diversity in society.

As we reach the end of our current strategic plan, all our departments continue to work hard to ensure the focus of our work remains in line with our mission and vision, especially given the challenges posed by the global pandemic that hit from March 2020 onwards. The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown meant that some areas of our strategic plan had to be moved forward to meet demand. Our online training offering has been fast-tracked and we now offer all our courses through webinar. Internal infrastructure has been reviewed in the light of the pandemic and we continue to make improvements to give us further flexibility in the future. We are proud and humbled by the dedication and professionalism of our staff at such a time as this and how they have responded to the challenges.

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OUR VISION IS A WORLD WHERE EVERY CHILD AND ADULT CAN FEEL, AND BE, SAFE. IT’S A BIG VISION AND SETTING OUT OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN MEANS WE CAN SUPPORT ALL OUR MEMBERS IN MOVING TOWARDS THAT VISION WHERE SAFER PLACES ARE CREATED AND PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE IMPACTED FOR THE BETTER.

IN FOCUS

Keeping Children Safe Guidance Last October, after a lengthy period of consultation, the government published its guidance on safeguarding in Out-of-School Settings (OOSS). Here Bill Stone, Safeguarding Advisor at Thirtyone:eight, discusses the document and its uses.

T

his document, to give it its full title, is called “Keeping Children Safe during Community Activities, After School Clubs and Tuition” and the title is further elaborated as ‘Non statutory guidance for providers running out-of-school settings.’ The guidance is accompanied by a parallel document with the subtitle: ‘Questions to help parents and carers choose out-of-school settings’. Both documents are carefully designed to be easy to read with line drawings and user-friendly formats.

Child safeguarding policies and processes are now relatively established in formal school settings and statutory guidance from the government’s Department for Education‘Working Together’ (2018) and ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (Updated September 2020)has become familiar to those working with children in the statutory sector.

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However, if we want, as a society, to keep children safe, not just when they are at school but wherever they are and whatever they are doing, then we all have a responsibility to do our part. The role played by the multitude of voluntary, faith-based or other type of organisation or individual, working with children and young people in the community, is critical too, as is illustrated by community responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the guidance for parents, out-of-school settings are simply described as follows: an outof-school setting can mean many things, from places like community and youth centres, sports clubs, and places of worship to individuals offering tuition in their own home, or providing one-to-one coaching at a playing field or local park. Fees may or may not be charged. Some settings may be run as businesses.

This sector is extremely diverse and comprises many organisations (large and small, as well as sole providers) that engage with and provide services to children and young people in community settings. As a sort of catch-all category which attempts to sweep up all those working with children when they are not in school, the phrase ‘out of school settings’ began to be used some years ago. This inelegant phrase with its accompanying acronym, OOSS, has now entered common parlance.

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We want, as a society, to keep

children safe, not just when they are at school but wherever they are and whatever they are doing. We all have a

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responsibility to do our part.

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IN FOCUS

For Thirtyone:eight members the most relevant out-of-school settings would include:

The guidance on health and safety is likely to be familiar to most people working in these settings- although they may not traditionally have included health and safety within the safeguarding remit.

• Open access youth provision.

• Sunday schools and any other context where faith is taught (not including faith schools which are covered by statutory guidance).

The safeguarding and child protection guidance is a useful summary and is consistent with Thirtyone:eight’s safeguarding policy and advice.

The guidance suggests that each provider should have a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), a role that is virtually identical to the Safeguarding Coordinator role that we have been recommending for over 20 years. One issue that is highlighted (perhaps reflecting the origins of this consultation in the wake of the Trojan Horse scandal in Birmingham) is that of extremism and radicalization and providers are encouraged to report any concerns to the Local Authority’s ‘Prevent’ lead.

• Uniformed organisations like Scouts, Girl Guides, Boys Brigade etc.

In recognition of the diversity of out-of-school settings and in response to feedback from the consultation, the guidance divides settings into three categories: large providers (five or more employees or volunteers), small providers (four or less workers) and ‘lone providers’ (an individual providing a service like tuition or youth mentoring). The guidance is differentiated in that there are more requirements for larger organisations than for smaller organisations or lone providers.

The chapter on Suitability of staff and volunteers is about safer recruitment and essentially duplicates guidance that Thirtyone:eight is already giving. Eligibility for different levels of background checks for volunteers and workers is a complex matter and we would advise our members to contact our Disclosure Service for specific advice.

There are four major chapters in the guidance, corresponding to four basic areas where children need to be kept safe, and examples from across the range of settings and providers are given in each chapter: 1) Health and safety 2) Safeguarding and child protection

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3) Suitability of staff and volunteers 4) Governance

The guidance on health and

safety is likely to be familiar to most people working in these settingsalthough they may not traditionally have included health and safety

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within the safeguarding remit.

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In the section on governance, it is recommended that providers should have a complaints policy and for large providers a whistleblowing policy.

Once again, these are not new and further information about governance can be found in our safeguarding manual and our guidance for trustees. For organisations that are charities, the Charity Commission has its own safeguarding guidance which goes into greater detail on the responsibilities of trustees for safeguarding.

together into an integrated whole. For example, healthy and safety guidance is given along with safeguarding and child protection (including safer recruitment) and governance.

All these areas are seen as being interlocking and essential safeguarding requirements that apply to all providers, whether large or small organisations or even individuals. Safeguarding is seen as an essentially preventative activity, not just protecting children from harm and the risk of harm, but also working towards the elimination or reduction of those potential harms in the first place. A further achievement in the guidance is its clear, logical structure, engaging presentation and user-friendly tone.

There is very little in the guidance that is new or that is not covered in other guidance from the Department of Education, the Health and Safety Executive or the Charity Commission.

What is notable about the guidance is the way in which different areas of guidance are brought

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The safeguarding

and child protection guidance is a useful

summary and is consistent with Thirtyone:eight’s safeguarding policy

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and advice.

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IN FOCUS

Character Eats Culture Before We Sit Down to Breakfast.

By Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer

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n recent years there have been numerous revelations of abuses in our most respected churches. Author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek Church member Laura Barringer have written the book A Church called Tov to paint a pathway forward for the church during these times. Scot is a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Illinois, USA and Laura works in education in Chicago. Here they provide a timely reminder for us all about the need to develop and nurture healthy cultures in our churches and faith-based organisations.

The world’s widely-respected founder of modern management theory, Peter Drucker, laid down the claim that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” By which he meant no matter how clever your plan is, no matter how detailed your strategies for working out that plan, and no matter how gifted your workers, if the culture of the workplace is toxic, the strategy will fail. I am no one to consult for management, but I do have something to say about culture.

But before we get to that I want to bring in David Brooks, an expert observer of American culture and politics.

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Brooks once wrote that we should “never underestimate the power of the environment you work in to gradually transform who you are. When you choose to work at a certain company, you are turning yourself into the sort of person who works in that company.”

(The Second Mountain, p22).

Culture matters as well in a church. Perhaps even more so because churches make the bold claim to be more than cultures. Brooks is right: where we work and where we go to church are cultures that make us into their image. The longer we participate in a workplace or a church the more it will form us. Drucker is right, too: culture is more important than strategy.

But behind culture, however, is character.

Ancient Greek thinkers like Theophrastus and Aristotle wrote extensively about character and virtue, and though our Bible doesn’t use the term “character” or “virtue” the way these Greeks did, we can see glimpses of much the same idea in two texts, one from Jesus and one from Paul. Jesus taught that a good tree produces good fruit, which is another way of saying a good person, a good character, produces good behaviours.

The world’s widely-respected founder of modern

management theory, Peter Drucker, laid down the claim that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” By which he meant no matter how clever your plan is, no matter how detailed your strategies for working out that plan, and no matter how gifted your workers, if the culture of the

”

workplace is toxic, the strategy will fail.

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IN FOCUS

family, in each leadership team, and in each church as a whole. Goodness is not an option because it’s the divine vision. God, the Bible tells us often enough, is good (Ps. 119:68) and everything God does and everything God touches is good. The Bible’s first chapter is all about God doing and then evaluating. God’s evaluation of all God does is “good” and when God’s all done God says “very good!” The Hebrew word is tov, with a long ō (as in she drove the car). Jesus was known for going around doing tov or good, and Peter is the one who tells us that (Acts 10:38).

The paired word with tov or good in the Old Testament is “evil” (ra). In the Garden of Eden was a tree called the “knowledge of tov and ra”

Here are Jesus’ words: “In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”

(Matthew 7:17-18).

The apostle Paul comments on the image of Jesus by saying the “fruit of the Spirit” and then lists nine-character traits (Galatians 5:22-23). For Paul the tree of Jesus is the Spirit of God in us transforming us into good fruit! Both Jesus and Paul are speaking of the importance of character.

A person is being transformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit (2 Cor 3:18) by gazing upon the Lord Jesus as the Spirit forms us into the

Behind strategy is culture.

Behind culture is character.

(Gen 3:5), and over and over in the Bible God’s people are called to resist evil and do what is good (Ps. 37:27). When it is all said and done, what matters most is God looking at us and saying “She’s tov” or “He’s tov.” This is God’s term of approval and it is a master term.

image of Christ. One’s transformed person is one’s character.

One of the fruits of the Spirit is “goodness” just as Jesus spoke of a “good tree.” We don’t hear much anymore about being good or about goodness, and it is probably because our Protestant instincts have taken over. We are all taught in catechism or in gospel preaching that there is “none good, no not one” (Rom 3:12). If no one is good, why then talk about good?

It is a term about character, about persons who are transformed by God’s grace from agents of sin into agents of goodness. Good people, like good trees, produce good cultures and good cultures accomplish the strategies of the culture.

But without character, the culture cannot flourish and the strategies fail. Sometimes, so it appears to me, we focus on the wrong thing: we want our strategies of success to flourish but haven’t worked on the deepest factor of all: character.

Good is a master term for the character God wants formed in us through the Spirit. If Jesus wants us to be “good trees” and if Paul says one of the fruits of the Spirit is “goodness,” then we need to gaze upon the good Lord Jesus often enough for us to be transformed by God’s grace into good characters.

Pick up your Bible today and watch Jesus in the Gospels, and you will see Tov Incarnate in action. Watch him, listen to him, gaze on him.

Over time this gazing will work on your heart as God’s Spirit guides you into a character about whom God will say “Tov!”

Behind strategy is culture. Behind culture is character. Churches are called by God’s Spirit to concentrate their efforts on forming the character of goodness in each person, in each

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NEW Webinar

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Not only has this been ground-breaking for our partners, but it has definitely given us a greater understanding of our role and responsibilities in both the UK and abroad.

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Safeguarding in an international context This brand new course is for those who oversee partnership relationships with organisations overseas, recruit and equip individuals to undertake mission trips to overseas partner projects, or for individuals undertaking mission trips themselves.

Based on the findings of our groundbreaking research into international Christian work, this course will explore the complexities and challenges of safeguarding in an international context and will help you to understand your safeguarding responsibilities, improve safeguarding practice in your own context as well as how to build capacity.

Accessible. Affordable. Relevant. visit thirtyoneeight.org/webinars or call 0303 003 1111 (option 3) to book your place or to host a webinar for your church.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578

7 IN FOCUS

Top Tips for Safer, Healthier Culture

by Justin Humphreys

C

If we want to see our culture having a positive effect on those we work with or minister to, we must start with ourselves; our attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Sometimes this means we will need to be the change we want to see around us and help others to see what we see.

ulture is the all-important ingredient in the success of any organisation or community. Strategy is important – in fact it is essential - we have to know where we are going and how we are going to get there, but knowing how we are going to get there is as much about our culture as it is the plans and dreams for our work or ministry. The need to focus on culture and get that right, in whatever setting we are working in is critical to the success of achieving our goals. So, culture and strategy go hand in hand, but good strategy without good culture will never achieve its fullest potential.

Safer, healthier culture means: • We have the principles of safeguarding as the foundation of our efforts.

• We respect, value and nurture those in our care.

• We empower and guide through appropriate use of scripture.

Creating environments in which everyone is safe and can flourish is fundamental to our purpose as God’s Church. Building safer, healthier culture is all about modelling attitudes and behaviours to those around us to achieve this purpose.

To effectively create safer places, we must be prepared to take a long cold look at our cultures – do they support this mission and vision? How do we know that we are both safe and healthy?

• We nurture our leaders at all levels.

Safer, healthier culture also means that: • We value whole-life service, not just what happens in church.

What are the characteristics of safer, healthier Christian culture? It is important that we consider this. Safe and healthy culture doesn’t happen by mistake. We have to work at it. We can’t just assume that we all know the answer to this question, like the child in Sunday School who worked out that the answer to every question was Jesus.

• We operate with a healthy regard for accountability (for ourselves and others).

• We model inclusion and participation.

• We guide in a manner that maintains freedom of choice.

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So, how do we ensure that a focus on these things stands a chance of making a difference? Here are seven top tips to help us map our culture against our aim of creating the safer places that incorporate the points on the previous page.

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Listen to the stories and commentary

Be proactive in your communications and messaging

Pay attention and genuinely listen to what is being said about your church or organisation, both by those inside and those outside.

How do people think you have managed challenging issues?

Can you demonstrate that you are prepared to learn lessons from what didn’t go well?

Make every effort to be clear in your intention to facilitate and foster safer practices.

Ensure that people know who your key contacts are and that you welcome comments and concerns being shared appropriately. Reinforcing positive messages about safer places within services will help too.

Be transparent about your structures and accountability mechanisms

Be clear about governance and leadership

Foster good customs and practices

Make sure you are clear about how your church or organisation is governed.

Would people know who to speak to and know the difference between organisational governance and spiritual leadership? Ensure you give the maintenance of your culture sufficient attention alongside the pursuit of mission and vision.

Encourage and model the dayto-day behaviours and ways of working that you want to see in your church or organisation.

Welcome appropriate and respectful challenge to behaviours and attitudes that threaten or conflict with safer, healthier culture.

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Be alert to the formal and informal structures and accountabilities that exist in your church or organisation – it will make all the difference to the long-term sustainability of your culture-setting efforts. Ensure that shadow structures (i.e. informal and often unrecognised) don’t undermine your efforts and reduce accountability.

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Review and Refresh

Keeping issues of safer, healthier culture on the agenda so that it becomes expected as the norm will encourage growth and flourishing.

Reviewing the impact of all the above will help you to make changes in a timely way and allow you to deal with low level concerns before they get too big.

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Manage power dynamics Be attentive to how power is used within your church organisation, by who and for what purpose. Is any exercise of power coupled to appropriate accountability?

Make every effort to ensure that power is used in a way that empowers others – to be most effective, it should be given away.

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Despite our best intentions and the best strategic planning, our work and ministry will be limited in its ability to foster flourishing unless we can demonstrate that it is founded on and characterised by a well-informed culture – one that is safe and healthy.

The material in this article is based upon the book ‘Escaping the maze of spiritual abuse: Creating healthy Christian cultures’ by Lisa Oakley & Justin Humphreys, SPCK, 2019.

IN FOCUS

Working in

Partnership

Youthscape

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outhscape’s mission is to bring positive transformation in the lives of young people – especially those facing critical challenges and issues in their lives.

Youthscape began over 25 years ago in Luton.

They worked alongside secondary schools, aiming to show that Christians can and should be promoting positive change in their communities and in the lives of young people.

Over the years, the resources, research on youth culture and training courses developed in Luton

by Youthscape have begun to be used by youth workers across the country.

As part of our ongoing partnership, Thirtyone:eight and Youthscape have worked together to produce a number of resources for churches and youth workers, including our joint guidance on communicating and working safely with young people online.

Another resource we have created together is an interactive ‘game’ for youth workers called ‘Safe?’.

This game is for anyone working with young people, whether that is professionally or in a voluntary role.

The game is designed to help people recognise signs of various types of abuse or safeguarding risk by creating hypothetical situations and asking them to consider their response. As the fictional case study grows, they have to decide whether or not this young person is a safeguarding concern and how they would respond.

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t Thirtyone:eight we believe value is brought by combining different perspectives, knowledge and expertise. We aim to strengthen the support we provide through working with others where possible.

youthscape.co.uk

This is demonstrated in our new five year strategy with its focus on having a collaborative approach. For us, ‘partnership’ means more than simply having another charity or company logo on a website.

Partnership is about relationship and an outward benefit. Working in partnership ensures our members and those that come to us for support get the best possible service with a wide array of resources.

Thirtyone:eight has worked in partnership with a number of other charities and organisations over the years and continues to do so. Here we highlight three current partners we are working with: 20

Kintsugi Hope

K

intsugi Hope share our joint commitment to promoting safer places for vulnerable people. Kintsugi Hope was founded by Diane and Patrick Regan after a series of events took them to the brink; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They faced illness and loss in their family and community.

They wrote a book and produced a DVD about their experiences. Through opening up about their struggles they realised how many people have felt alone in theirs and the great need for each of us to be vulnerable, open and honest when life is hard.

Restored

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nother charity we work in partnership with is Restored. Domestic abuse happens in churches too, and Restored equip the Church to end domestic abuse and create a safe place for survivors of abuse.

Over the last year the Kintsugi Hope team have spoken about wellbeing through conferences, tours, seminars, breakfast meetings, and preaching. Internationally, they are committed to working and supporting people whose mental and emotional health has been affected by conflict, trauma and poverty, particularly within the refugee community.

Restored was launched in June 2010 as an international Christian alliance dedicated to transforming relationships and ending violence against women. Since then they have provided thousands of churches with packs on ending domestic abuse, have trained over 5,000 church leaders and safeguarding officers and have published the first ever research study on domestic abuse in British churches. Among other things they have also established both an online survivors’ network and a network for men to help end violence against women.

The vision of Kintsugi Hope is: ‘A world where mental and emotional health is understood and accepted, with safe and supportive communities for everyone to grow and flourish.’ The vision of Thirtyone:eight is: ‘A world where every child and adult can feel, and be, safe.’

The parallels of the visions of the two charities have the potential to further our joint aims for the good of everyone who is supported by each charity. This comes at a time when safeguarding and mental wellbeing are among the most important concerns facing the Church today.

We have worked with Restored to produce a training course (currently available as a webinar) which looks at the prevalence and impact of domestic abuse and explores how the church is not immune from these issues. The course looks at how to respond well and actions to take to address this form of abuse. The course is for anyone who is passionate about preventing domestic abuse and helping people access the right support.

kintsugihope.com

restored-uk.org

Partnerships are a key part of growth for charities and organisations. We hope to build more partnerships in the future.

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RESOURCE FOCUS

International Missions 22

Many churches and faith-based organisations have some sort of involvement in overseas mission and the positive contribution this makes to people’s lives around the world is well-known.

H

owever, recent headlines highlighting poor practice by some organisations working abroad have alerted society to the need for scrutiny around overseas missions.

This has compelled us to develop our support and base it on the latest understandings, statistics and research. However, with ICW we found limited knowledge about what is needed, particularly for sending organisations such as churches and charities.

When an organisation based in the United Kingdom sends someone to work or serve overseas, the expectation is that appropriate measures will be in place. This includes vetting the suitability of individuals and making sure their working practice is as safe as possible for themselves and the people they work with. Sadly, this has not always been the case.

We responded by commissioning Dr Lisa Oakley and Professor Moira Lafferty, from the School of Psychology at the University of Chester, to undertake research into safeguarding in ICW. The exploratory study used a questionnaire to discover the experiences of agencies supporting people in the United Kingdom engaged in ICW, as well as the experiences of individuals who engage in ICW. We published the findings of our research on 25th February 2021 in a report called: ‘Sending and serving safely’ which is available to download from our website.

As the United Kingdom’s only independent Christian safeguarding charity working with churches and faith-based organisations, requests for Thirtyone:eight’s expertise in the area of safeguarding in international Christian work (ICW) have grown recently.

69%

of agencies and organisations surveyed in the research stated they had a written child safeguarding policy that included a section for those going overseas who will be contacting children and young people.

74%

stated they provided ongoing child safeguarding support when individuals were overseas.

86% stated they prepared individuals to address child safeguarding concerns that could arise overseas.

Although this is certainly very encouraging, the results from individuals engaged in ICW (or in the past three years) showed a slightly different picture and highlights the difference between policy and process and the challenging reality of implementing these in practices on the ground.

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RESOURCE FOCUS

44%

56%

31%

47%

42%

62%

of individuals stated they underwent recruitment processes when they applied for ICW.

felt the organisation helped to prepare them for any child safeguarding concerns that could arise.

stated their organisation had a child safeguarding policy covering working with children and young people in ICW.

of individuals reported they encountered child safeguarding issues they had not been prepared for.

stated they were provided with child safeguarding training.

of those previously engaged in ICW reported they were not provided with a debrief.

The safeguarding challenges identified were:

Participants suggested areas that training should cover, including:

• C ultural differences in awareness and understandings of child safeguarding.

• Cultural differences and cultural sensitivity.

• Preparation.

• The need to work in a culturally sensitive way.

• Policies procedures and indicators.

• Issues around boundaries and legislation.

• Awareness of safeguarding in host country.

• The need for safeguarding procedures and oversight.

• Legislation.

• Challenges associated with partnership working.

• Safeguarding of individuals engaged in ICW.

The answers provided by organisations showed awareness of the challenges of safeguarding internationally and provided detailed reflections.

To view the research go to: thirtyoneeight.org/ICWresearch

The major challenge seems to be implementing good safeguarding practice in a context of different cultures, whilst guarding against an ethnocentric mindset.

This raises some critical points but demonstrates awareness and engagement with safeguarding from organisations supporting those undertaking ICW. 24

The responses from individuals who are, or have been engaged in ICW in many ways reflect that from organisations.

The findings of this research provide a foundation on which to further develop safeguarding policy and practice in this area.

However, there were more comments on differences in understandings of child safeguarding in locations where there is limited or no equivalent understanding to the British context workers are from.

What we have sought to do with this research is give a voice to the experience of those working on the frontline of ICW, so we can learn and develop methods to support them and fill any gaps in practice.

The findings demonstrate some good practice but show further materials, support and training will enhance safeguarding for children and young people in ICW and those who engage in this work.

Through this report we have given recommendations which we hope will be a resource for anyone preparing to travel abroad to work with children and for the organisations that send and support them.

Recommendations for improving practice and support:

Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Select Committee, commented on the research. She said: “Thirtyone:eight are uniquely placed to understand the issues of safeguarding in international work with children where there is a Christian faith basis.

1. Organisations which support individuals in ICW with children and young people should ensure they are safely recruiting those they are sending.

“I am hugely encouraged that they have collaborated with the University of Chester to undertake this exploratory study into this underresearched area.

2. Cultural difference and sensitivities with regard to child protection should be specifically addressed by organisations as part of an individual’s preparation for ICW, including when and how to report concerns.

“The recommendations that this research have produced should be considered by all organisations who are engaged in international work with children and young people; whether this is short or longer term.”

3. Specific training which prepares individuals for ICW with children and young people should be developed and made accessible for organisations to offer to individuals before they undertake any work.

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THE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE SOME GOOD PRACTICE BUT SHOW FURTHER MATERIALS, SUPPORT AND TRAINING WILL ENHANCE SAFEGUARDING FOR

4. Organisations who support individuals in ICW should provide an opportunity for all workers to debrief.

5. Specific resources should be developed and made accessible to support organisations to help them recruit safely, support and equip individuals who engage with ICW through them.

6. An awareness campaign aimed at organisations reminding them of the importance of safer recruitment should be developed to make this a common feature of all ICW.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN ICW AND THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN THIS WORK. 25

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SPOTLIGHT

Meet our patron:

Dr Paula Gooder

W

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’ve recently started working together 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 newest patron Dr Paula Gooder. Dr Gooder is a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies. Her research areas focus on the writings of Paul the Apostle, with a particular focus on 2 Corinthians and on Paul’s understanding of the Body. Her passion is to ignite people’s enthusiasm for reading the Bible today, by presenting the best of biblical scholarship in an accessible and interesting way. She is currently the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

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Q&A

sadly died from Covid-19 in January 2021) to Bishop Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London. Yes I do recognise that nearly all of these are women but it is, for me as a woman, so very encouraging to look to those many women who have changed the world by being themselves and to be inspired by them.

1. You’ve worked in and with churches for most of your life, what have been some of the main lessons this has taught you about church and your faith?

4. You have a passion for ecumenism. What does Christian unity mean to you and why do you think it is so important for the church?

One of the things that I am constantly astounded by are the countless faithful Christians, who everyday of their life live out God’s love and justice in the world. Almost every week I meet (in person or online) someone who so lives out the good news of Jesus in the world that I am inspired all over again. And yet – as we all know so well – it is so very easy to get things wrong, to go for what is easy rather than what is right. One of the crucial features of faithful Christian living is the ability to hear the voice of critique that asks us to look again at ourselves and our actions and ask how Christ-like we have really been.

I am passionate about church unity but not the kind of church unity that pretends that we don’t really disagree. For me church unity is vital – it is what Jesus prayed for his followers in John 17 – but church unity only has value if we can be honest about what we really think and are humble enough to listen to those who are completely different from us so that we can discover what they can teach us about faith and following Jesus.

2. As a writer (having written and co-authored over 30 books) and lecturer in Biblical studies, what inspires and motivates you most in your work?

5. What do you see as some of the main challenges facing churches in the UK today?

Oh, there are so many it is hard to know where to start. We live in anxious times and it is possibly anxiety about the future that is the biggest challenge the churches face. We spend such a long time worrying about things over which we have no control at all that we forget to celebrate what we do have – the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God is no less good news than it was 2000 years ago. Maybe our biggest challenge is to remind ourselves why it is such good news!

The Bible! One of the great joys of my life is that it is my job to read the Bible carefully and prayerfully and to ask what new things we can learn from it. I never cease to be inspired by it – especially the writings of Paul which are my particular expertise – and to gain wisdom from its pages.

3. Who are your role models or people that inspire you, either from history or present day?

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People who change the world by being who God has called them to be: from Paul the Apostle to Phoebe the Deacon (Rom 16.1-2); from Theresa of Avila to Mother Theresa; from Mary Seacole to Ruth Bader-Ginsberg; from the Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya (Bishop of Swaziland/Eswatini who

ONE OF THE GREAT JOYS OF MY LIFE IS THAT IT IS MY JOB TO READ THE BIBLE CAREFULLY AND PRAYERFULLY AND TO ASK WHAT NEW THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM IT.

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”

SPOTLIGHT

7. You’ve worked for the Diocese of Birmingham as their Director of Mission Learning and Development.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities to the church for mission in the current times?

I would say that sharing the love of God in Jesus Christ is always our opportunity for mission. It doesn’t change if circumstances change – how we do it might change – but proclaiming God’s love remains at the heart of who we are called to be as Christians.

8. Awareness of safeguarding among churches and the need to 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?

6. You’ve studied and spoken on theology throughout your career, and served for six years with the Bible Society as their Theologian in Residence. Why is theology so important to you, and what role does it play in the way churches and faith organisations respond to safeguarding issues?

It is really very simple. If we believe that everyone is created in the image of God and is loved by God, then our churches must reflect that in every single relationship. Safeguarding is surely an outworking of the belief that everyone deserves to live, not just free from harm or abuse, but fully alive and aware of the fact that they are a child of God, loved and precious. Safeguarding provides the protocols that allows this to be a lived reality for everyone.

For me theology is very simply words about God. Talking about God thoughtfully and carefully is what we are all called to do as Christians.

While some people are called to be professional theologians, we are all called to do theology.

So theology is important to me because in my view it is important. Finding the right words to describe God and everything God has done in the world is really important.

9. What does becoming an ambassador for Thirtyone:eight mean to you?

In terms of safeguarding, I think that good theology will lead us to be passionate about taking care of everyone, no matter who they are, in such a way that they will know the love of God for themselves. I think it is very important to ensure that what we say about ourselves (our espoused theology) matches what we do (our operant theology). Sadly, in the past what churches have done has been, in some instances, a long way from what they claimed to believe about God.

I have always been passionate about safeguarding generally, and particularly in the church. Becoming an ambassador for Thirtyone:eight allows me to stand with them, and with all the vitally important work that they do, to call the churches to look again and again at themselves and ask whether what they do in practice lives up to God’s vision for us and for the world.

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IT IS REALLY VERY SIMPLE. IF WE BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD AND IS LOVED BY GOD, THEN OUR CHURCHES MUST REFLECT THAT IN EVERY SINGLE RELATIONSHIP. 28

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This template will be extremely useful when updating and making a new policy. Made the huge task of writing a safeguarding policy much easier.

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NEW International safeguarding policy template.

Does your charity or organisation work internationally or support those that do?

Charity regulators across the United Kingdom have an expectation that all partner agencies will have effective safeguarding arrangements in place. When it comes to writing a safeguarding policy that covers international work, what do you include and where do you even start?

Find out more at: Thirtyoneeight.org/get-help Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578

Introducing our brand new international safeguarding policy template and guidance.

Available to members to download for free from our website, this template and accompanying guidance notes provide everything you need to develop an effective safeguarding policy for your organisation.

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Safeguarding can be a subject that some people are not too keen to listen to. Using the great resources you provided everyone was engaged.

” Safeguarding Sunday 10th October 2021 Join hundreds of churches across the country who throughout October will be highlighting all the incredible work that is being done to make our churches safer for all.

It’s your chance to: • Explain why safeguarding is so important • Talk about what you have in place to keep people safe • Introduce your safeguarding team • Acknowledge and thank your volunteers • Commit together as a church to create safer places for all

Register and download your free resource pack: thirtyoneeight.org/safeguarding-sunday to sign-up and take part.

Charity No. 1004490, Scottish Charity No. SCO40578