We take child protection very seriously. Each of our children’s workers has undergone a DBS check, as well as appropriate training given and adults are never left alone with an individual child. Should you have any concerns, our Child Protection Advocate (Jacob Simpson) and Deputy (Dr Naz Pambakian) would be happy to speak with you. Copies of our child protection guidelines are available at our welcome stand, for your information.

We prioritise the safeguarding of children, young people & vulnerable adults and have a safeguarding policy, which is registered with the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service and can be viewed or copied from our correspondence address at:

Bless Community Church
5 Balmoral Gardens
Ealing, London
W13 9UA
020 8569 8333

or by visiting - www.blesscc.org/safeguarding.

We are committed to ensuring everyone working with children or young people has been safely recruited including having a DBS check, is adequately trained & supervised and understands & follows our safeguarding policy. If you have any concerns for a child or vulnerable adult or about any safeguarding matter please speak to Becky Blackwell (Becky@blesscc.org), our Safeguarding Coordinator, or Naz Pambakian (naz@blesscc.org), our Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator. All children, young people & vulnerable adults involved in church activities know them & how they can be contacted.

Should we have any safeguarding concerns we will seek the advice of the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service & if appropriate contact the statutory authorities.

Bless Community Church:

• Is committed to safeguarding children & vulnerable adults & ensuring their well-being.

• Will appoint & select carefully those to work with children & vulnerable adults.

• Recognises we are all responsible to help prevent physical, sexual, psychological, financial & discriminatory abuse & neglect of vulnerable adults & to report any abuse we find or suspect.

• Recognises the personal dignity & rights of vulnerable adults & will ensure all our policies & procedures reflect this.

• Believes all adults should enjoy & have access to every aspect of church life.

• Believes every child should be valued, safe & happy and will work to help children we have contact to know this & to be empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.

We are committed to:

• Following statute and good practice in safeguarding children & adults & will ensure that all our workers work in line our safeguarding policy.

• Implementing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 & 2005 & other relevant legislation.

• Supporting, resourcing & training those who undertake this work.

• Ensuring that we are up to date with national & local safeguarding developments.

• Ensuring everyone agrees to abide by these recommendations & our guidelines.

• Supporting all in the church affected by abuse.

We recognise that:

• Children’s Services has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of child abuse and Adult Social Care has lead responsibility for investigating all allegations or suspicions of vulnerable adult abuse.
  Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed then the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency.

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We will review this statement & our policy bi-annually.

Further details about safeguarding policies, training & our Disclosure Service can be obtained from:

Churches Child Protection Advisory Service,
P O Box 133,
Swanley,
Kent BR8 7UQ.
0845 120 4550.
info@ccpas.co.uk
www.ccpas.co.uk