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The Methodist Church of Great Britain | Methodist Safeguarding Policy

Methodist Safeguarding Policy

SafeguardingMethodist policy on all offices, posts or responsibility including SO 010

It is the policy of the Methodist Church that:

  • no one who has been convicted of or has received a formal police caution concerning an offence against children as listed in the First Schedule of the Children and Young Person's Act 1933 shall work with children or young people in the life of the Church

  • no one who has been convicted of or has received a formal police caution concerning sexual offences against children and young people shall be appointed to certain offices in the life of the Church

This means that:

  • all who work with children and young people under the age of 18 are required to complete Safeguarding Form A and to observe good practice in their work.

  • all ministers, deacons and Local Preachers are required to complete Safeguarding Form B and to observe good practice in their work.

  • all members of the Methodist Council and all those involved in the new disciplinary procedures of the Methodist Church are required to complete Safeguarding Form B and to observe good practice in their work.

  • all reasonable care must be taken by those responsible to ensure that persons who have been convicted of or have received a formal police caution concerning sexual offences against children or young people shall not undertake work in the Methodist Church as listed below:

1. Any duty or responsibility exercised on behalf of the Methodist Church which involves:

  • (a) lone access to church premises

  • (b) face to face contact with children and young people without the presence of another adult

  • (c) carrying out duties off church premises in circumstances in which the person concerned may be seen as a representative of the church

2. Any office within the following categories:

Representational

Membership of the:

  • Church Council
  • Circuit Meeting
  • District Synod
  • Methodist Council
  • Methodist Conference
       
Liturgical or pastoral
 
  • Local Preachers
  • Worship leaders
  • Organists/choir leaders
  • Pastoral visitors/Class leaders
  • Communion stewards
  • Workers with children and young people

This page is from Safeguarding - A Policy for Good Practice in the care of Children and Young People , published by Methodist Publishing for the Methodist Church Connexional Team (April 2003).

Other documents relating to Methodist Safeguarding Policy can be found below.

Reporting cases of concern

Camping and Residential Trips, Residential Settings and Youth Meetings at home

Sharing Safeguarding information in the Methodist Church

Photography

The Church and Sex Offenders (Conference Report 2000)

Domestic Abuse (Conference Report 2005)