Safeguarding

The Senior Pastors and Trustees recognise the importance of Vineyard25’s ministry and work with children, youth and adults at risk, and the church’s responsibility to protect everyone entrusted to its care.

The safeguarding statement and policy were agreed by the Safeguarding Coordinator, Senior Pastors, Designated Safeguarding Trustee and Trustees in May 2024. We review both the statement and the safeguarding policy and procedures annually.

Vineyard25 is committed to safeguarding children, youth and adults at risk and ensuring their well-being.

• This church is committed to safeguarding children, youth and adults at risk and working to ensure their wellbeing.
• We recognise that we all have a responsibility to help prevent physical, sexual, psychological, financial and discriminatory abuse and neglect, and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.
• We recognise the personal dignity and rights of children, youth and adults at risk and will ensure our policies and procedures reflect this.
• We believe all children, youth and adults at risk should enjoy and have access to every aspect of the life of the church, unless they pose a risk to the safety of those we serve.
• We undertake to exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of all those who will work with children, youth and adults at risk.
• We believe every child, young person and adult at risk should be valued, safe and happy. We want people we have contact with to know this and to be empowered to tell us if they are experiencing harm.

• Following statutory, denominational and specialist safeguarding guidelines, and ensuring that all workers with children, youth and adults at risk work within the agreed procedures of our safeguarding policy.
• Implementing the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005, Equality Act 2010 and all other relevant legislation.
• Supporting, resourcing and training those who undertake this work, and ensuring that everyone agrees to abide by these recommendations and the guidelines established by this church.
• Supporting all in the church affected by abuse, with survivors prioritised, protected and enabled to participate in the life of the church as far as possible.

• Children’s Social Services (or equivalent) has lead responsibility for investigating allegations or suspicions of abuse where there are concerns about a child or young person. Adult Social Care (or equivalent) has lead responsibility where there are concerns about an adult at risk.
• Where an allegation suggests that a criminal offence may have been committed, the police should be contacted as a matter of urgency unless that is against the advice of Thirtyone:eight or a statutory agency.
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Safeguarding: Safeguarding means protecting people’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. It is about individuals and organisations working together to prevent and stop both the risks and experience of abuse or neglect, while at the same time making sure the individual’s wellbeing is promoted, including where appropriate having regard for their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs in deciding on any action.

Children: The legal definition of a child is someone under the age of 18 according to the Children Act 1989.

Youth: For the purposes of this policy, we use the term youth for an individual between the ages of 11 and 18.

Adults at Risk: For the purposes of this policy, the term Adults at Risk is used for ‘adults with care and support needs’ as defined by the Care Act 2014; adults to which local authority safeguarding duties apply in the Care Act 2014; persons who are 18 years old and over and:

• are experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and
• have care and support needs, whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs; and
• as a result of those care and support needs are unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect.