Preventing harm and abuse

The Safeguarding Service aims to prevent harm or abuse by ensuring that there is good recognition and reporting.

The Safeguarding Service provides the following:

  • Safeguarding enquiries and advice: Support and guidance with everyday safeguarding matters where there is not an incident of suspected or reported harm or abuse
  • Advice and support for the safe recruitment and selection of all paid staff and volunteers: The process of checking a person's suitability to work with children or protected adults via membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, 2007 – known as the PVG Scheme – or the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in England. Safe recruitment is about ensuring that only people suitable to work with children and adults at risk become part of the workforce.
  • A Recruitment Sub-Committee (RSC): The remit of the RSC is to risk assess potential volunteers and paid staff who have convictions on their PVG Scheme Record. This process demonstrates safe recruitment practice and it ensures that those with criminal offences can be safely employed.
  • Safeguarding training programmes: The training programmes meet the particular learning needs of different groups of people in the Church e.g., volunteers, paid workers, Trustees, Safeguarding Coordinators, Faith Action staff and CrossReach employees.

Safeguarding Policy Statement

Responding to disclosures of harm or abuse, or risk of abuse