Safeguarding and Policies

1 . The leadership of safeguarding policy and practice is distributed across a team of leaders, both clergy and laity;

2. We ensure that several members of this team are trained to Level 3, updated at least every two years;

3. This team meets at least every three months to consider safeguarding practice, training, risk assessments and ways of keeping this important subject high profile in the minds of the congregation;

4. Our practice is constantly reviewed and evolving to ensure any new risks are identified and addressed promptly;

5. Our policy too is reviewed, updated and ratified by the PCC annually;

6. Safeguarding awareness training is delivered to the whole PCC twice annually and a brief safeguarding report is a standing item at each monthly PCC meeting;

7. All children and youth leaders, and those working or volunteering with vulnerable adults, are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check;

8. We also require all PCC members to undergo the same check.

ECN has adopted the London Diocese Safeguarding Policy on protecting children from abuse. This forms part of our wider commitment to nurture and support children, providing a safe environment in which they can grow and flourish spiritually, emotionally, physically and socially. It is the responsibility of all who are involved with children and young people in the Parish under the age of 18 to work within this policy to promote these aims and to help in the prevention of abuse.

ECN has also adopted the London Diocese Safeguarding Policy for safeguarding vulnerable adults. It is the Christian duty of everyone to recognise and support those who are identified as being vulnerable. When supporting a vulnerable person we must do so with compassion and in a way that maintains dignity.

Our Safeguarding Policy, encompassing the Diocesan Policy and our safer recruitment process, reporting a concern form, procedures for children's Sunday groups and useful contacts sheet can be downloaded here. We also use the Church of England Parish Safeguarding Handbook to guide all our safeguarding policies and practices - this can be downloaded here.

At ECN we believe in learning from the past and so post safeguarding case studies on our website to support training and to improve safeguarding within our own church and within other faith organisations locally and nationally. This reflects the spirit and intent described in the new Diocese of London Safeguarding Policy which ECN has adopted. You can download the case studies here.