archdeacons’ visitation news Spring 2015 - issue 11
Dear churchwardens In an article in 2013 Philip Jones, writing in his blog on ecclesiastical law ‘The Office of Churchwarden: A System of Checks and Balances’, has this to say... “Of all ecclesiastical offices, that of churchwarden is probably the hardest to analyse satisfactorily. The churchwarden seems to be an ecclesiastical jack-of-alltrades, with a multitude of different pastoral, disciplinary, proprietary and financial responsibilities (even if many of these have now been abolished). The office has a somewhat shapeless appearance, not fitting neatly into any category.” Do you have any sympathy with this? Do you feel like an ‘ecclesiastical jack-of-all-trades’? Certainly if your parish is in vacancy, this may hit the nail right on the head! Without question, the role of a churchwarden is multi-faceted and you will be called upon to do things that are often in addition to your legal responsibilities as officers of the parish
and also of the bishop. At times it might be good to resist this. One of the reasons we may find it hard to find churchwardens is that people think the job is vast and undoable, when in reality you need to focus on the key parts of the role. Make sure you work these out with your parish priest, meeting regularly with the clergy and other parish ministers and officers. Once again, a huge thank you to all of you for agreeing to serve in this office. Some of you may be new and some of you may be old hands, but whether you are new or old, thank you for your time and commitment. Unquestionably, this is part of your service to God, part of your discipleship and therefore needs to be rooted in your life of prayer and worship. Pray for God’s Spirit to equip you and strengthen you for the year ahead.
Contact our offices Archdeacon of Sunderland The Ven Stuart Bain St Nicholas Vicarage, Hedworth Lane, Boldon Colliery NE35 9JA Telephone: 0191 536 2300 Email: Archdeacon.of.Sunderland@ durham.anglican.org Personal Secretary: Mrs Linda Richardson Email: secretary@archdeacon.eu
Archdeacon of Durham The Ven Ian Jagger 15 The College, Durham DH1 3EQ Telephone: 0191 384 7534 Email: Archdeacon.of.Durham@ durham.anglican.org Personal Secretary: Rev Ruth Jagger Email: ruth.jagger@durham.anglican.org
Archdeacon of Auckland The Ven Nick Barker Holy Trinity Vicarage, 45 Milbank Road, Darlington DL3 9NL Telephone: 01325 480444 Email: Archdeacon.of.Auckland@ durham.anglican.org Personal Secretary: Mrs C Walton Email: Archdeacons.Secretary@ durham.anglican.org
Produced and printed by
The Venerable Nick Barker Archdeacon of Auckland
The Venerable Ian Jagger Archdeacon of Durham
The Venerable Stuart Bain Archdeacon of Sunderland
www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters
Managing your paid workers...
need to be considered, and often there will be no tax implications for individuals.
Employees Every PCC is responsible for any people who get paid for doing work for the parish. This includes cleaners, organists or musicians and vergers, as well as administrators and paid parish workers such as youth or children’s workers. The parish may also pay contractors for doing ‘one-off’ jobs.
Employees will have a written contract of employment and greater entitlements than ‘workers’ under employment law. PCCs should already have arrangements in place for those workers who are employees, and if there is any doubt further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/employmentstatus/employee
The PCC – not the diocese – has legal responsibility for ensuring that employment and tax law is complied with and will be liable for any breaches of the law.
When agreeing contracts for self-employed workers or contractors, as well as when setting pay rates for workers and employees, the PCC should remember that as a diocese we are committed to ensuring we pay the equivalent of the living wage, which in January 2015 is £7.85 per hour for our area.
The level of responsibility that sits with the PCC depends on the way that workers are engaged, and there are three main types of employment status that will normally be encountered by parishes:
What do PCCs need to do? All PCCs need to assess whether people they pay are contractors, workers or employees and keep a record of the outcome of the assessment
self-employed and contractor worker employee.
Self-employed and contractor
Workers
In most cases, people who do ‘one-off’ jobs such as repairs are contractors who are either self-employed or work for another business and are engaged through a contract for service (which for larger pieces of work is normally agreed in writing). They then submit an invoice for the services they provide.
In many cases, those who regularly get paid to do work for the parish would be legally classified as ‘workers’ rather than being selfemployed. This means that they have some employment rights (such as the statutory minimum level of paid holiday, the statutory minimum length of rest breaks and they may also be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay, Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay). For further details see https://www.gov.uk/employmentstatus/worker
The parish has minimal employment responsibilities for contractors: they (or their employer) are responsible for tax and national insurance and the parish does not have any responsibilities under employment law for these people. However, we still have to ensure protection for their health and safety and, in some cases, protection against discrimination. Their rights and responsibilities will be set out in the terms of the contract they have with the PCC and therefore contracts need to be checked before they are signed. Some parishes have traditionally regarded organists and cleaners as being self-employed, but Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is now applying more rigorous tests to check that workers are genuinely selfemployed, and a PCC may be asked to demonstrate that these people are not considered to be employees. The government website provides a useful checklist to give an indication as to whether a person is selfemployed and therefore responsible for their own tax and national insurance (see https://www.gov.uk/employmentstatus/selfemployed-contractor). HMRC also has an Employment Status Indicator (see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/calcs/esi.htm) that gives further guidance, and it is recommended that PCCs use the tool on those who work for the parish to check their employment status. Where people are deemed to be self-employed, a copy of the printout from the tool should be kept as evidence that the check has been made.
Where people should be classed as ‘workers’ or ‘employees’, contracts need to be agreed (in the case of ‘workers’ these can be simple and need not be in writing) All ‘workers’ and ‘employees’ need to be registered with HMRC and arrangements made to pay them and make the necessary deductions Where appropriate, arrangements need to be made for auto enrolment into a pension scheme. PCCs should set a target date of 1 April 2015 to have their arrangements in place.
The PCC will also have to register workers with HMRC (unless none of your employees is paid £111 or more a week, receives expenses and benefits, has another job or gets a pension), and depending on the worker’s earnings, deduct and pay to HMRC any employee national insurance contributions and tax payable under PAYE. There may also be employer national insurance contributions to pay. Further details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/paye-for-employers
What help is available?
Many small businesses (and for the purposes of dealing with its workers, a PCC operates in the same way as a small business) will use a local firm of accountants to run its payroll: for a small fee, the firm will calculate deductions and produce payslips and manage the registration and relationship with HMRC. The PCC will receive a statement of what has to be paid to each worker (and at the end of each quarter to HMRC) and can then make payments.
Alistair Jenkins, our Stewardship Officer, is running a workshop session within the Parish Finance Resources Day on Saturday 21 March (10am-3pm). Frank Cranmer of the Churches Legislation Advisory Service has been invited to present at this workshop. Details have been published on the diocese’s website in the general forum.
In addition, from an agreed date (in our case 1 August 2015), all qualifying workers (those who earn more than £10,000 per year from the PCC) must be enrolled in a pension scheme (known as auto enrolment). With the introduction of auto enrolment, all PCCs will need to take action to ensure that their workers are properly accounted for. In many cases there will be minimal additional costs as many part-time workers will be paid below the threshold at which a pension will
Parishes can download ‘Employment Status for Tax Purposes: a short guide for PCCs’ from the following link: http://www.parishresources.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/Employment-StatusGuide-for-PCCs-Oct-2013.pdf This gives some useful additional guidance in relation to organists and others who get paid for parishrelated activity.
As these rules apply across the board, there will be people in many congregations who have dealt with these issues in their business lives – they may be able to offer advice or recommend firms who can provide the necessary support at an affordable cost. Where parishes do not have the resources to complete the tasks, the diocesan office may be able to offer some advice and guidance – please email me details via the diocesan office (diocesan.secretary@durham.anglican.org) if you need advice and I will arrange for the appropriate person to get in touch.
Church Insurance Made Simple We’ve been talking to you, our customers, over the last year to find out how we can help make it easier for you to understand your insurance cover. Thanks to what you have told us, we have now developed a new series of ‘Made Simple’ documents to help you with key topics where you wanted straightforward, easy-to-follow, advice.
National Crime Helpline for Churches The Church Buildings Council has set up a national crime helpline for churches to use after a theft. Once a theft is reported it will trigger an alert to auctions houses, museums and crime prevention agencies which is a fast, effective way of preventing the sale and permanent loss of treasures. Both the Church Buildings Council and Ecclesiastical are keen that we can all enjoy the many treasures and artworks in churches. But, while the fear of crime is greater than the reality there is no room for complacency and we encourage churches to take simple security measures to protect their church contents such as marking metal items with SmartWater (see overleaf).
In addition we have also produced the following ‘Made Simple’ guides: Church Buildings – an explanation of the insurance issues related to church buildings such as ensuring you have fire risk assessments and avoiding slips, trips and falls. People in Church Premises – looking at health and safety and other matters to consider to help keep regular visitors to your buildings safe.
To report the loss of a treasure or artwork from your church contact the Church Crime Alert team on 020 7898 1860, or email churchcrimealert@churchofengland. org. Visit www.ecclesiastical.com/ churchsecurity for more information on keeping your church secure.
Events – from fundraising to Christmas services, a summary of what you need to know and when you need to tell us about events at your church.
The new guides are available to read or download from our website. Each provides a simple summary of a topic together with links to web pages and other documents that include moredetailed information. For those of you looking after your church insurance, we now have a simple guide to administering your policy. This includes help and advice on paying premiums and ways you might save money, including interest-free direct debits or increasing the excess on your policy (the amount you pay if there is a claim). It also explains when you need to tell us about changes or activities at your church.
Community outreach – churches increasingly offer services such as night shelters – here we summarise the main topics and what you need to consider with your outreach activities. The ‘Made Simple’ guides reflect our desire to make sure that churches understand what is covered by their insurance and what is not. Plus we hope they will help to encourage churches to take simple steps to mitigate possible risks. The guides supplement the wide range of content we have on our Church Matters website. If you have any feedback on the new guides or ideas for topics we might cover, why not email us at churches@ecclesiastical.com with your thoughts? All the new guides can be found at www.ecclesiastical.com/madesimple
Top Tip... If you feel your church should normally be kept locked, you might like to consider making the key available to visitors. You could ask a local shop, Post Office or garage to safeguard the keys and take details of those visitors who wish to use them. Information about where to obtain the keys can be displayed in the porch area or on the church notice board.
The Ongoing Fight against Metal Thieves Top Tip... SmartWater can be used on other items in addition to lead roofing – make sure you mark all church owned metals including memorial plaques as well as other valuables you may have inside your church such as silver, altar ware and valuable portable furnishings.
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Ecclesiastical has led a concerted effort in recent years to make churches less-attractive targets for thieves by working with the Church of England, parliament and other interested parties to tighten up the law on scrap metal dealing and increase building security. While we have seen a reduction in recorded theft of lead roofing, it is important that we remain vigilant as metal theft has not gone away. This is one of the reasons why Ecclesiastical is continuing its proactive work with SmartWater and the police to target metal thieves. We also continue to encourage the use of other security products such as roof alarms to protect churches. One key aspect of the ongoing fight against metal thieves has been to target the scrap metal and recycling industries in order to make it more difficult for thieves to sell on stolen goods. In the last 5 years, our partners at SmartWater have made over 1,150 visits to scrap yards accompanied by regional police forces in proactive ‘Days of Action’ to search for SmartWater-marked metals.
Man jailed for melting stolen lead
The purpose of these visits is to remind scrap dealers that they face being arrested and convicted of handling stolen goods if they buy SmartWater-marked metals. If scrap dealers
are checking for SmartWater and refusing to buy anything marked with it then thieves will quickly learn there is no point in stealing it in the first place. For this reason, it is very important that you continue to display SmartWater deterrent signs around your church. These should be placed in highly visible locations where would-be thieves are most likely to see them. If you require new signage then please call SmartWater on 01952 204 102. Remember, you will not be covered for metal theft or any subsequent damage as a result of theft or attempted theft of metal unless you have applied SmartWater (or an alternative forensic marker approved by us), displayed the signage, and registered the product. A number of helpful crime prevention tips – including information about SmartWater and roof alarms – can be found on the Ecclesiastical website at www.ecclesiastical.com/theftofmetal
An Abergavenny man has been jailed after being caught with £3,700 of stolen SmartWater-marked lead from a church roof. Jonathan Vaughn, 35, was caught after police received an anonymous call to say he was melting lead in his garden in St Llanfoist. When officers recovered the lead it was found to be marked with SmartWater traceable liquid. Subsequent analysis identified the lead as having come from St Mary’s Church roof in Abergavenny. At Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, Vaughn admitted a charge of handling stolen goods. He was sentenced to four months for the offence and 113 days for a previous offence of assault after magistrates activated a suspended sentence. Mr Vaughn stated he had bought the lead to melt for Christmas money and refused to say where he’d bought it from.
COVER UPDATE We have recently increased the maximum you may claim for theft of external metal – for more information see your next policy renewal pack. We are also now able to provide cover for metal theft when scaffolding is erected subject to certain conditions. For more information, visit www.ecclesiastical.com/theftofmetal or call 0845 777 3322.
Allchurches Trust aims to raise giving to record levels This January, insurer Ecclesiastical announced it had donated over £23m in 2014 to its charitable owner Allchurches Trust (ATL), a huge sum by any standard. But what is ATL and how does it use its resources to promote the Christian faith?
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St Giles Dell Centre, Ashtead, Surrey Ashtead is about 15 miles from London, close to the M25 motorway. Faced with an old wooden church hall now well past its sell by date, members of the congregation have set about fundraising for new facilities. Designs for the new Dell Centre include meeting rooms, a professional kitchen and a host of other facilities which the congregation envisage being used by the whole community. Pre- and afterschool clubs, social gatherings, fitness, dance and art classes are all on their agenda, alongside mentoring job seekers, community support and activities for the elderly.
The charity, founded in 1972, is chaired by Sir Philip Mawer, former Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and previously Secretary General of the General Synod of the Church of England. A career public servant, he remains closely involved with the work of the Church and its clergy. According to Sir Philip, ATL’s role is to support churches and other worthy causes linked to the Christian faith through a programme of financial grants. Over the last decade, it has donated over £75m to projects as diverse as church building refurbishments and repairs, creating new facilities for people in need – even helping Anglicans in New Zealand establish a temporary cathedral following the devastating Christchurch earthquake. In 2014 alone, ATL distributed grants of £9.7m, which went to a wide range of churches, dioceses and cathedrals throughout the British Isles. “ATL’s mission is to promote and support the Christian religion,” Sir Philip explains. “In broad terms, it does this by contributing financially to
charitable organisations and churches. Every month, we receive over 100 applications for grants, which are considered carefully by our trustees. “Although the majority of our support goes to the Church of England, grants are also made in response to applications from ecumenical partner churches, church schools and charities. We particularly welcome applications from less well-off parishes and for projects which will benefit mission and help local communities.” Grants to parishes from ATL range in size depending on the scale of the project to be undertaken. The prospects for ATL’s activities are very positive based on Ecclesiastical’s commitment to donate £50m during 2014-2016. “This is a hugely commendable ambition,” Sir Philip notes. “What this means is that, given Ecclesiastical’s solid financial performance and favourable conditions in the insurance market, we hope to be able to increase our giving to the Church to record levels over the coming three years.” For more information or to apply for a grant, visit ATL’s website at www.allchurchestrust.co.uk, where full details are available.
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St Aidan’s Church, Stobhill, Morpeth St Aidan’s is a modern church located in a deprived area on the outskirts of the market town of Morpeth, Northumberland. With an outdated hall, the church was desperately in need of more community space. An exciting project was devised, resulting in the sale of the old church hall and the proceeds funding an extension to the church for community use. The new building will house a crèche, holiday clubs, a luncheon club and meeting rooms, and it can also be used to provide extra seating capacity for larger services, concerts and other events in the church.
Keeping up to date WIN an iPad Home insurance prize draw Just call us for a quote or let us have your home insurance renewal date and we will enter you into a prize draw to win an iPad for you or your church. You can enter the draw by calling 0800 917 3345 and quote IPAD15 or go on line at www.ecclesiastical.com/ipad
Top Tip... If you are planning to support your community, for example, through providing a night shelter, food bank or parish nursing, there are important regulatory issues you need to be aware of. We can help you with free advice to make sure you comply with the regulatory requirements.
We hope you are familiar with our Church Matters website which has a wide range of information, guidance and tools you can use to help you look after your church. All our risk management guidance notes are collected together and sorted into the key categories of security, health and safety, fire, and storms and bad weather. Many customers also now get updates by email – just let us have your email address if you, too, would like to be updated in this way. For further information:
Our website: www.ecclesiastical.com/church
Do you need help with your finances? Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services can offer you totally independent financial advice on investments, retirement and protection. They can also help parishes who have funds to invest with their investment strategy. Please note, the value of investments can fall as well as rise and past performance is not a guide to future performance. For more information call: 0800 107 0190 or email: getadvice@ecclesiastical.com
call 0845 777 3322 or email churches@ecclesiastical.com
Claims: call 0845 603 8381 (24-hour service) or email faithclaims@ecclesiastical.com Our customer service lines are normally open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, except for bank holidays. However, claims can be registered at any time during the day or night.
Did you know? Here we highlight two features of your Parishguard policy that you may not be aware of. Consequential loss Consequential loss cover is included in your Parishguard policy to help offset loss of income if your church has to close for repairs following insured damage that Ecclesiastical is covering under the Property section of your Parishguard policy. You may be able to claim up to £100,000 over a four-year period for loss of income from your normal church activities, such as service collections, income from hirers not being able to use the building and costs such as hiring alternate premises.
Money cover
Independent Financial Advice
Customer services:
The prospect of having money stolen by a church official or a volunteer is never an easy one for a church to contemplate, but sadly this is a risk that needs to be addressed.
In the last year there have been a number of court cases involving theft from church funds. For example, in 2014, a deputy church treasurer in the Wirral was found guilty of systematically stealing collection money for over a decade, amounting to almost £20,000. The good news is that our Parishguard policy offers some protection against the risk of misappropriation. However, in order to meet the conditions of the policy and ensure that a claim can be defended, you will need to provide specific information and make certain that important checks are carried out. For example, regular reconciliations should be carried out of bank statements, cash-inhand and petty cash, and these checks should be conducted by someone not usually responsible for money, so that thefts cannot be concealed during the reconciliation. Our website has more information about how to limit the risk of internal fraud.
Budgeting and Stewardship What could we do if the PCC had more money? Is there any way to feel financially more secure? How can we raise more money? Money is basic to life. We can’t do without it. Let’s not be frightened of it but look at it clearly. For a PCC, money always seems tight. There are bills to pay, heating, candles, small repairs, clergy expenses, parish share and, for many churches, a number of other things too. Then there are the things we would like to spend money on if we had more. There are at least two things we could do to get our parish finances in a better place. 1. Create a budget. This will help us see what we might have to spend in a year. It will give us a benchmark as money goes in and out of the PCC account. It helps us measure how we are doing financially as the year unfolds. It will help us when we come to that question of how much we can offer in our contribution to parish share. 2. Think about stewardship. It must be remembered that the first beneficiary of good stewardship will be your PCC. How much better would we feel if income was increasing and things weren’t so tight?
1. Budgeting It is helpful in the life of a PCC if an annual budget for the forthcoming year is approved by the PCC before the start of each financial year. The basis for any parish budget should be linked to a coherent plan of the PCC’s activity for the year based on prayer, vision, prioritisation and open discussion. In particular, it should take into account the allocation of Parish Share for the year ahead and any major repairs that may be required to church buildings. A sound budget should be owned by the PCC and not simply imposed by the treasurer. Once approved, the budget should become a policy document that provides a framework for the ministry and mission of the parish. So, how can you go about setting a budget in your parish? At a basic level: Have the most recent completed accounts in front of you (last year’s accounts?) Put three columns on a piece of paper In the first column write down each main heading under which money was spent In the next column, against each area, write in what was spent Think about each area. Think whether your costs will go up or down So then in the third column write what you think you might need to spend in this year At a further level you may wish to link your budget more closely to the mission and vision for the parish:
Identify any known changes and unusual/exceptional events Consider any additional payments and receipts that relate to planned activity Receipts Consider all types of receipts Estimate the most predictable sources first (eg planned giving, regular hall rental)
Week 3 – visit by the stewardship development officer who will preach and summarise the programme, challenging people to reflect on what they have heard and suggesting how they might respond. Leaflets will be produced to accompany the programme, and response forms will be provided. People are asked to make their response after prayerful consideration. There have been some excellent results from using this approach in parishes. Other resources The Parish Resources website has a lot of valuable information and ideas. Legacies
Allow for inflation on regular spend items
A gift in someone’s will to their local church is one of the most valuable and lasting ways they can continue to support its mission and ministry within its community. A gift can be an expression of your gratitude and thanksgiving towards God, and can help keep your local church alive and transform its future. Legacy giving is an important aspect of stewardship and we can provide support and resources to assist with the promotion of legacy giving.
Remove any non-recurring items from the previous year
Funding/fundraising
Use best estimates to budget for more variable income, eg weddings and funerals Better to underestimate than overestimate Payments Consider all types of payments Adjust for known changes
Insert any new payments you are aware of Better to overestimate than underestimate Regular monitoring of the financial situation The treasurer should keep the parish’s finances under review and provide regular reports to the PCC. It is likely that your income and expenditure will be uneven throughout the year, so it is good practice to produce an estimated cash flow forecast that can be an aid to timing of expenditure.
While it is generally a good principle for the dayto-day running costs and routine maintenance of the church to be met by regular giving, regular one-off fundraising activities can significantly contribute to a church’s income.
2. Stewardship Jesus talked a lot about money and how we manage it. What he said then shows it was as touchy a subject as people feel it to be now. Sometimes Jesus was very direct, as with the rich young ruler. Sometimes he painted in broad brushstrokes, such as when he asked people what was really important to them in life and how did money and God compare? “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. (Matthew 6:19-21) Dealing with money is part of church life. It may seem frightening, but support is here to help you. Stewardship programmes Fully-supported parish stewardship programmes are available on request. This will involve a number of meetings between members of the PCC and the stewardship development officer, working on developing a clear communication of the mission and vision of the parish. This will lead into a full programme in the parish. The normal suggestion is to run such a programme over three consecutive Sundays (although it is recognised that this is not always possible). This helps to generate momentum and allows different aspects of the campaign to be highlighted at different times. A typical threeweek campaign will look something like this...
Establish your plan of activity for the year ahead
Week 1 – preaching on the subject of generosity
Use headings from your latest accounts as a basis for your budget
Week 2 – presentation/preaching on the vision and mission of the parish, often with lay involvement
In addition, there will inevitably be times in the lives of many churches when a major fundraising project is needed. We can provide support and guidance to help parishes raise funds for large fundraising appeals (building projects) as well as funding the ongoing mission of the church. We can also assist with any other matters relating to planned giving or effective stewardship of resources, ranging from Gift Aid to purchasing to maximising income in all other areas. All these things will help a parish financially. This year Holy Trinity Darlington has a £420,000 building project to re-roof the nave and provide facilities. I know well that basic prayer which says to God, “Help!” or more calmly, “Please help!” We hope the HLF will fulfil their early offer and confirm their support. But we are discovering the faithfulness of God, not least through two very timely and sizeable legacies. We live in a God-made material world. God took matter and became flesh. Our spirituality cannot but engage with our day-to-day living in a material world. Money is key. In my experience, dealing with money on our knees is often where we meet with the reality of a generous God. Ven Nick Barker – Archdeacon of Auckland
Protecting all God’s children Last year I wrote: “Issues of abuse by individuals and institutions, including the Church, are very much before us at the moment through the media, and without doubt this has challenged us to see that policies and practices within our churches are as good as we can make them. This needs to be constantly reviewed and monitored to ensure that everyone who engages with our churches, whether old or young, is safe from possible abuse.”
One year on, this is still the case and we continue to be made aware in the news of more cases of abuse coming to light and the devastating affect this has on victims. As a church nationally we continue to engage with these issues with the utmost seriousness and to develop national policies and approaches as well as training which will enable the culture to change. At parish level we have to continue to be vigilant and to embed good practice with regards to safeguarding into church life and activities. As a diocese we have been asked to pilot a new national training programme and this has already been launched for those who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults. If your leaders and helpers have not received training in the last three years, then there is national expectation that
Control of asbestos The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 require a competent person to undertake an inspection of the premises, and compile a register to note any asbestos present. This should be for all buildings for which the PCC is responsible. A competent person is usually someone with the necessary knowledge and training. If there were someone competent in a church they could do a survey but there are also professional firms who carry out surveys. If you are having significant work done in the church or church hall, you may need to have a professional survey done. It would be useful to know if there are a sufficient number of churches that want a professional survey carried out as we might be able to negotiate a significant discount, which might be around £300+VAT. Halls would be less. We will explore this if sufficient churches express a need, so please contact your archdeacon about this.
this will happen. Often people ask about training they have received in other contexts and with other organisations and whether this is sufficient. The key thing is that training is specific to the church context. So keep watch for future dates as they come up throughout the year. Again to stress that if you have concerns about a safeguarding issue in relation to a child or young person, vulnerable adult or an adult leader or helper, then please contact: Beth Miller, our Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser. Mobile 07968034075 or email beth@bethmillerisw.co.uk A reminder too that all our policies and information regarding DBS checks can be found on the diocesan website www.durham.anglican.org and then follow the link on the first page. Stuart Bain Archdeacon of Sunderland
Below is an extract from a checklist produced by the Health and Safety Executive. A full checklist can be found on the website. What you need to do as a dutyholder
The environmental health officer is the enforcing officer. If he or she did not believe a church had carried out a survey, then the officer could prosecute the church. A church would not be protected by insurance against any fine imposed. More information can be found on the ChurchCare website at http://www.churchcare.co.uk from which you will also be directed to the Health and Safety Executive website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/ which contains a lot of information.
Find out if asbestos is present Make a record of the location, type and condition of the asbestos (presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence they do not) Assess the risk of anyone being exposed to the asbestos Prepare a plan on how to manage these risks Put the plan into action, monitor it and keep it up to date Provide this information to anyone who might work on or disturb the asbestos. Please note: If you don’t have professional tests done to confirm the presence or absence of asbestos, materials are presumed to be asbestos. You must apply full asbestos safety precautions when doing all work. This means getting either a licensed or a trained contractor to do the work.
Whilst Ecclesiastical has used reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information in this newsletter is correct at the time of publication, please note: (a) the information is not intended to constitute a definitive or complete statement of the law on any subject, (b) the information may over the course of time become incorrect or out of date; and (c) neither Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc. nor its subsidiaries can accept any responsibility or liability for action taken or losses suffered as a result of reliance placed on the information provided in this newsletter.
For more information call 0845 777 3322 email information@ecclesiastical.com visit www.ecclesiastical.com/churchmatters Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO) Reg. No. 24869. Ecclesiastical Insurance Group plc (EIG) Reg. No. 1718196. Ecclesiastical Life Ltd (ELL) Reg. No. 243111. Ecclesiastical Investment Management Ltd (EIM) Reg. No. 2519319. Ecclesiastical Financial Advisory Services Ltd (EFAS) Reg. No. 2046087. Ecclesiastical Services Ltd (ESL) Reg. No. 1811698. E.I.O. Trustees Ltd Reg. No. 941199. All companies are registered in England at Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL1 1JZ, UK. EIO and ELL are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. EFAS and EIM are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ESL is an appointed representative of EIO who is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. © Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc 2015
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