Tollgate Evangelical Church
Child Protection Policy
1. Statement of Purpose
a) Tollgate Evangelical Church (referred to as 'the church' throughout this document) recognises its duty to proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all sections of society as God gives it opportunity. It recognises the particular importance of proclaiming that truth to children and of developing ministries specifically aimed to meet the spiritual needs of children and young people (Matthew 18:1-6 & Mark 10:14). The aim of these ministries is to provide Biblical instruction and practical example in an atmosphere of safety and enjoyment. We aim to include children and young people from within the church community and from outside, without regard to their background or ethnic origin.
b) Ministry to children and young people is an integral and vital part of the overall ministry of the church, which can be likened in many ways to a family. The contribution made by children to the wider family is valuable and likewise, the church as a whole has a responsibility to care for, protect and nurture the children within it through wise counsel and godly example. (Matthew 21:15,16)
c) In view of the above, it is essential that all those involved in ministry to children are Christian men and women in whom Biblical standards of godliness and integrity are apparent. Leaders of children's and young people's ministries must be recognised 'members' of the church. Those not in membership may assist in these ministries under the direct supervision of the recognised leaders. A person is considered to be in a 'leadership' capacity if they are required to organise activities or have unsupervised access to children. (See appendix 'A')
d) In recognising the importance of children's and young people's ministries, the church is committed to ensuring that adequate time and resources are made available to enable the ministries to achieve their goals.
2. Children's and Youth activities
a) The following are the recognised and authorised Children's and young people's
activities of Tollgate Evangelical Church:
Sunday Club meets at 10:30am each Sunday morning and is for children from four to eleven years of age. After joining with the adults in the main worship service for a short while, children attend classes for lessons from the Bible. There are two classes, divided by age and movement between these classes is the prerogative of the Sunday Club leader.
There is a crèche for babies and children under four years of age which runs at the same time as Sunday Club and on other occasions as necessary.
A discussion group for young people meets after the evening service on the third Sunday of each month. From this, other activities are sometimes arranged on an irregular basis. These activities may involve Bible teaching or activities or combine both elements.
The church runs an annual Holiday Club for children from four to eleven years of age in the October half term week. Each morning from Monday to Friday games, quizzes and activities are linked to Bible story themes. Holiday Club 'reunions' involving similar activities are also staged at varying intervals throughout the year.
b) Children and young people may join any of the above activities at any time on application to the leaders. The church will keep a record of their name and address, emergency contact number and any special dietary or health needs. These details will be kept on a computer and parents/guardians may view them at any time on application to the group leader.
c) The church recognises the need to maintain a safe environment in which the children and their leaders may operate. Proper attention is paid to the safe storage of materials and resources. Proper first aid provision is always available on the premises and several members hold first-aid qualifications. There is a telephone for emergencies.
Records are kept of those attending the various activities, together with the necessary contact information. Where activities are outside of the normal range, parental permission will be sought and retained for future reference.
Several of the leaders of children's and young people's activities have been subject to police vetting in their formal sphere of employment. Other leaders who will be expected to have unsupervised access to children have been checked under the new 'Disclosure' procedures
Those who assist in these ministries occasionally are also required to be checked under 'Disclosure'.
An accident book is kept on the premises for the purpose of recording accidents or incidents in which people may have been hurt.
3. Responsible persons and appointments of workers
a) Overall responsibility for the children's and young people's ministry of the church belongs to the Pastor and the Eldership. The Child Protection Co-ordinator is the Pastor.
The appointment of a person to a leadership role in connection with children's or young people's ministry is the responsibility of the Pastor and Eldership, subject to the confirmation of the whole church at one of its formal business meetings. Leaders in these ministries are expected to have shown the Biblical qualities and spiritual gifts necessary for such an appointment. A term of 'proving' will always be agreed in order to ensure that the appointment is an appropriate one for all concerned.
The decision to hold, extend or to discontinue children's or young people ministries also rests with the Eldership.
b) Please see appendix 'A' for a list of the recognised leaders of ministries involving children and young people:
4. Discipline
a) It is recognised that discipline is necessary in order to provide a safe environment in
which children and young people can learn. The behaviour of one person may disrupt and spoil the enjoyment of the group as a whole. Discipline is not simply about chastisement, but is a means of helping to form the character and also of giving security and confidence to all
concerned. It is beneficial to all when discipline is wisely applied to any situation (Hebrews 12:5-11 ).
It is expected that children and young people will comply with the instructions of their leaders. No leader of any children's or young people's ministry will use physical punishment but it may be necessary for them to have a child removed from the activity in order to preserve the safety and well-being of others. Where a child or young person repeatedly presents unacceptable behaviour, parents/guardians must be informed and their assistance and support sought. If there is no subsequent improvement in the situation, then the child must be withdrawn from the activity.
Please see appendix 'B' for guidelines on maintaining discipline.
b) Where comments or complaints are made in respect of children's or young people's ministry, this should first be drawn to the attention of the activity leader who should take the necessary steps to deal with the comments or complaints. In serious cases, the matter should be drawn to the attention of the Pastor or one of the Elders.
c) The church is committed to good communication with parents and children and welcomes suggestions from responsible persons.
5. Child Protection Issues
a) The church recognises that it has a duty to ensure the safety and well being of all the children and young people in its care. The responsibility is wider than simply ensuring they are safe whilst on the church premises and extends to being aware of the opportunity to offer them help and support should the need to do so become apparent. It also acknowledges, with sadness, that churches have often been the places where children and young people have been exposed to the dangers of abuse through the lack of care taken in appointing leaders in children's and young people's work. The church is determined that it should do all it can to prevent children and young people in its care being exposed in any way to such dangers.
b) Those involved in working with children and young people should be aware that abuse
takes many forms:
Abuse may be deliberate acts of harm towards a child or young person as well as being the consequence of neglect and the failure to prevent harm.
Physical abuse involves acts that cause physical harm to a child or the deliberate causation of symptoms of ill health in a child or young person by a carer.
Emotional abuse may take forms in which the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child causes severe adverse effects on a child or young persons development. It may involve conveying to children the idea that they are worthless, unloved or inadequate.
Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities whether or not the child or young person is aware of what is happening.
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet the basic physical and/or psychological needs of a child or young person.
Organised abuse may be defined as abuse involving one or more abusers and a number of related or non-related abused children or young people.
Some forms of abuse constitute criminal behaviour and must be dealt with as such. In other cases, abuse may not strictly amount to criminal behaviour but will take the form of serious bad behaviour which falls outside of that which society considers acceptable.
c) The following is a list of some of the usual primary indicators of abuse and may be helpful in identifying whether a child is being abused. The list is not exhaustive or infallible but sufficient credence should be given to the indicators and action should be taken where there are strong grounds for concern.
i) Signs of physical abuse.
Injuries not consistent with the explanation given for them.
Injuries that occur to the body in places that are not normally exposed to falls, knocks etc.
Injuries which are not receiving medical treatment.
ii) Signs of sexual abuse.
Physical damage to the private parts of a child, which the child brings to someone's attention.
Claims of rape or molestation, sometimes accompanied by other evidence.
A child with an excessive preoccupation with sexual matters and detailed knowledge of sexual behaviour inappropriate to the age and circumstances of the child.
iii) Signs of serious neglect or mental cruelty.
Serious under-nourishment, the persistent absence of appropriate clothing or extreme uncleanness.
Constant coughing or other illnesses which are not attended to.
Frequent depression or aggression which cannot be explained by a known health condition and which is receiving no treatment.
In addition to the above, there are other indicators which by themselves do not constitute evidence of abuse or neglect but which may arouse suspicions that something is wrong. Leaders of children's and young people's work may often come into possession of information which falls in the following categories. These may have simple, alternative explanations and should be responded to with care.
Such secondary indicators may include:
i) Instances where children are kept away from group activities for no apparent reason.
ii) Reluctance to participate in activities which involve changing clothes in the presence of others, or seeking private changing facilities to avoid being observed.
iii) Inappropriate bed-sharing arrangements at home. iv) Serious sleep disturbances with fears, vivid dreams and nightmares, and phobias, some of which may have overt or veiled sexual connotations.
v) Changes in mood or behaviour, especially in which a child becomes unusually 'clinging'.
vi) Sudden and unexplained under-achievement or lack of concentration.
vii) Nervousness or what is sometimes called 'frozen watchfulness' in which a child withdraws from activities and watches others in a nervous or suspicious way.
viii) Inappropriate relationships with adults or peers.
ix) Attention-seeking behaviour.
x) Bullying or being bullied by others.
xi) Constant hunger or tiredness.
xii) Running away, stealing or lying.
In such cases, attention may be drawn to the home life of a child and care should be taken to ensure that any possible deficiencies in parenting or care are brought to the attention of the child protection co-ordinator. It must be remembered that many of these indicators are subjective and can only be truly evaluated in the whole context of the normal life of the child and his or her social, cultural or religious background.
d) Where the occasion arises that a leader or helper is involved in a conversation with a child or young person which gives them cause for concern, the following guidelines may be helpful in responding to the situation:
. Listen to what is said seriously and carefully
. Do not interrupt but save responses and questions until the child has finished speaking
. Keep calm and do not react to what is being said
. Look at the child and maintain interest and concern.
. Avoid being dismissive or challenging the accuracy or honesty of what is being said.
. Do not, however, say things like 'I believe you' or otherwise commit yourself to a position which you may need to change at a later date. Avoid making or giving assessment of the situation at this stage.
. Be honest and encourage the child to tell the truth.
. Do not promise confidentiality but make the child aware that you may have to tell others.
. Be aware that the child may be enduring threats from someone, do not apply pressure yourself.
. If there is reluctance to explain an issue, do not push for that information
. Avoid putting words or ideas into the child's mind.
. Be open in your responses and questions - such questions should simply be
for clarification.
. Reassure the child constantly of your genuine concern and desire to help.
. Let the child know at the end of the conversation exactly what you intend to do.
. After the conversation make detailed notes of all that was said by the child and yourself.
. Give a detailed record of your conversation to the child protection co-ordinator.
. Apart from the initial conversation prompted by the child, subsequent conversations with the child must be undertaken by an experienced person.
e) Those who work with children and young people should be given the opportunity to develop their gifts and knowledge as occasion arises and in accordance with the levels of their responsibility. Copies of the FIEC publication 'Child Protection in the Local Church should be
available to all involved in children's and young people's ministry.. Leaders should be given opportunity to attend seminars and workshops on the care and protection of children and young people where opportunities exist for them to do so.
f) In cases where abuse or neglect is suspected, the circumstances must be brought immediately to the attention of the Child Protection Co-ordinator who will enquire further into the circumstances and decide on any further action which may need to be taken.
g) Where an allegation of abuse or neglect is made, this must also be brought to the immediate attention of the Child Protection Co-ordinator who will consult with the church leadership on the appropriate action to be taken.
The required level of action will vary according to the particular circumstances but the following should be considered:
. Accusations that are accompanied by sufficient evidence to cause the church leaders to believe that a crime has been committed, should be reported to the Police without delay.
. Where church leaders believe that a child is suffering significant harm, but are not sure that criminal offences are involved, they may decide to refer the situation to the Social Services who work in close liaison with the Police in all such matters.
. Where church leaders believe that there may be cause for concern but that there is insufficient evidence for further action, or the concerns are based upon secondary indicators, the matter should be recorded in the appropriate book and consideration should be given to informing the parents/guardians of the concerns. Close attention should then be paid to the persons involved and extra care taken in dealing with them.
. In all cases, the need for Pastoral care to be given to all parties concerned should be
remembered.
h) It should also be a goal of those working with children and young people to foster good relationships with the Social Services, Police and Head-Teachers so that there is a mutual understanding of each other's responsibilities and good communication in the event of a situation arising that may involve the interaction of the church with these different agencies. The church should demonstrate that it is willing to help and that it regards its Pastoral responsibilities very seriously.
i) In all cases where abuse or neglect is suspected, confidentiality is important. The concerns and their details should be handled on a strictly 'need-to-know' basis and never be the subject of gossip or careless talk. The child and any party allegedly responsible for the abuse or neglect must be protected from malicious gossip or from harsh treatment. It has to be borne in mind that some allegations are the result of malicious fabrication, innocent misunderstanding, unwise actions and exaggeration, consequently the details of any allegation or suspicion should be closely guarded to avoid harm to any party. The Child Protection Co-ordinator will liaise directly with those who have had concerns brought to their attention and consult only with those necessary to resolve the situation.
j) The church realises that there is a definite and genuine risk of infiltration by paedophiles into the life of the church and into departments involving children and young people. In order to minimise the risk of harm to children and young people in our care we will:
. Check all leaders and workers in children's and young people's work with the Criminal Records Bureau's Disclosure agency (unless they are already cleared by Police and Social services in the course of their occupation).
. Be certain of the background of all leaders and helpers in departments involving work with children and young people.
. Seek references from previous churches in cases where potential leaders have only arrived in the church in the pervious 3 years.
. Be aware that not all paedophiles are single men.
. Encourage all to recognise that checking procedures are a wise and valuable precaution without creating a climate of suspicion and mistrust.
. Agree firm guidelines with any persons who may join themselves to the church but whose backgrounds give cause for concern, restricting or denying them involvement with children and young people and stipulating the levels of supervision required in a formal contract.
. Encourage parents to ensure the safety of their children through proper supervision and in being aware of the dangers and signs of abuse.
. Encourage parents to ensure that they only entrust their children to those authorised by the church to work with children and young people.
k) The church commits to provide Pastoral care for all those affected by a case of abuse or neglect. These include:
. Those affected by a particular incident - the child or young person at the centre of the issue.
. The accused member of the congregation.
. The family involved.
. The co-workers of any department.
. The wider congregation
. Other children and young people
. Those outside the church
. The returning offender
Appendix ‘B'
Guidelines for maintaining good discipline
. As with all aspects of working with children, the exercise of discipline needs to be undertaken prayerfully and in an attitude of dependence upon God. We all need his wisdom and love to be able to deal properly with the difficult situations that will inevitably arise.
. Good relationships with children are at the heart of good discipline. Every child is different and their individual circumstances, experiences and characters will involve dealing with each of them in a different way. In order to respond effectively to any unacceptable behaviour it is vital to work hard at getting to know each child as an individual person and personality, and to have in mind their backgrounds and individual needs.
. The best way to maintain good discipline is to ensure that what you do is interesting enjoyable and stimulating. A happy and involved child is less likely to require correction.
. Avoid comparing one child with other children. Such comparisons can create bad feeling within the group. Work instead on the positive aspects of the behaviour and character of each child, and concentrate on encouraging them and building them up.
. Personal example and conduct has a profound impact on children. The way you conduct yourself, the respect you give and the interest you show in them will usually be reflected
back and win their affection and co-operation.
. Make sure that you have clear, simple and easily-understood rules for behaviour. Make sure that every child 'Is familiar with them, and knows what the consequences will be of breaking them. In applying these rules, be consistent, insistent and persistent. All workers should make sure that they apply uniformly the standards of behaviour laid down in the discipline policy. This will prevent children attempting to playoff one worker against another.
. Avoid treating children harshly and too severely. Be friends with them, while maintaining an
attitude of respect towards them, and requiring respect from them.
. Ensure that quieter and more well-behaved children are not neglected. Seek to treat
everyone equally and give time to every child.
. If a child does behave badly, respond in a calm and controlled way. Avoid shouting at
children or putting a child down.
. Resolve in advance what your policy is to be on the physical correction of children. This can only be applied with the consent of parents, which some parents will be willing to give. However there are significant dangers if some children are able to be smacked and others not. It is preferable to agree with parents that where their child persistently misbehaves then
you will report this to them, and they can then take whatever form of discipline they believe to be appropriate. In any policy it may be useful to state that misbehaviour will be reported to parents, who have the final decision on the nature of punishment.
. Discipline should be exercised in love and sorrow - never in anger. If a worker finds himself
or herself in difficulty, he or she should call for another worker to assist.
. When dealing with a group that is rowdy and disruptive, change the tone of your voice to
gain attention and control, but without shouting.
. It may be helpful to separate some children from their friends if you know they are likely to provoke one another. If possible it is good to anticipate potential problems in order to
eliminate the danger of disruption.
. Constantly encourage and applaud good behaviour. Try to keep these encouragements as
general as possible. Avoid focusing favourably on certain better-behaved children, as this
could stir up resentment against them on the part of the less well-behaved children.
. If a child does misbehave, and ignores general warnings, then take the child apart from the group. Public correction and rebuke can be humiliating and should be avoided. If private correction becomes necessary, reference back to parents is important, since this reinforces the role of parents in the discipline of their children and creates a sense of mutual involvement and support.
. When correcting a child, have another worker with you, and keep a written record of what
you did and said. Challenge the child to better behaviour and encourage any strong points.
. If bad behaviour persists, carry out the sanctions laid down in your rules. Failure to do so will
quickly he noticed and exploited.
. Look out for bullying and children being 'picked on'. Act decisively to prevent such behaviour.
. All actions in connection with discipline should be recorded at the time they take place. Any
future accusations or criticisms can be more easily dealt with if there is a record of what actually happened.
. Do everything with love, understanding and in prayer.
(Taken from 'Child Protection in the Church' FIEC Publications 2001) |