Safeguarding

 

 

If you have any concerns regarding the safety and well being of the church and its members, please contact one of our safeguarding officers or the Parish Office.

Details of our safeguarding policies and contacts can be found on the noticeboard in the church foyer.

The people working in St Mark’s Church have always striven to nurture and care for those living, working and worshipping in the parish and, since 1997, the Parochial Church Council of St Mark’s Church has adopted and followed a number of specific policies designed to protect all the children and vulnerable adults with whom the church has contact.

There have been many changes to these policies and their application over the years but the most significant changes occurred in 2002, when the Criminal Records Bureau was created, and in 2009, when the Diocese of Southwark published standardised safeguarding policies in a document entitled, “A Safe Church.”  “A Safe Church” superseded all previous policies and the document or portions of it can be either viewed or downloaded to a computer from the diocesan website at www.southwark.anglican.org.  A printed copy of “A Safe Church” is kept on permanent public display at the back of the church.

To ensure that the parish complies with the safeguarding policies, procedures and guidelines in “A Safe Church,” the Parochial Church Council appointed two Parish Safeguarding Officers who have processed around 300 confidential self-declarations and applications to the Criminal Records Bureau (now known as the Disclosure and Barring Service) since May 1999.  In addition to registering formally all volunteers who work with children and vulnerable adults in the church and monitoring the application of safeguarding policies, the Parish Safeguarding Officers also ensure that everyone who works either directly or indirectly with children and vulnerable adults in St Mark’s Church is aware of and attends the diocesan training courses that are appropriate to their roles.

All parishioners are encouraged to

  • familiarise themselves with the safeguarding policies, procedures and guidelines adopted and followed by St Mark’s Church.
  • use all the information about safeguarding available in the church, the parish magazine and on the Church Centre notice board.
  • contact the Parish Safeguarding Officers should anything of concern arise in relation to the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

We take the safeguarding and care of children and vulnerable adults very seriously at St Mark's Reigate. Our Parish Safeguarding Officers can be contacted via the office on 01737 210785 and our Churchwardens can be contacted using the same number.

If you need additional help with child and adult safeguarding issues, the following organisations can also help:

  • NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are worried about a child.
  • Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything.
  • National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
  • Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours). Phone if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
  • Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 ( free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm).

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers
Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser:

Kate Singleton
kate.singleton@southwark.anglican.org
Office: 020 7939 9423
Mobile: 07982 279713 (for urgent matters out of hours)

Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers:

Marie Daly
marie.daly@southwark.anglican.org
Office: 020 7939 9441
Mobile: 07946 255295

Louise Vernon
louise.vernon@southwark.anglican.org
Office: 020 7939 9462
Mobile: 07946 255622
 

A Safe Church: https://southwark.anglican.org/safeguarding/diocesan-policies-and-procedures

 

Parish Safeguyarding Officers
Alexia Hartman 

(Tel: 01737 210785)

Churchwardens
Louise Wallis (Tel: 01737 242129)
Ben Read (Tel: 01737 244440)