Safeguarding and Recruiting Safely
Before advertising a vacancy it is vital that those in charge of recruitment read the Safer Recruitment Policy and follow the 10 Step Procedure For All Recruitment .
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps churches, circuits and districts make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children.
At the point of reviewing or writing new job description and person specification for a church role consideration must be given to whether the post is eligible for a DBS check.
There are four types of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check:
- Basic disclosure: Shows details of unspent convictions only.
- Standard disclosure: Shows details of spent convictions, unspent convictions and cautions that have not been filtered.
- Enhanced disclosure: Shows details of spent convictions, unspent convictions and cautions that have not been filtered. Includes a check of local police records.
- Enhanced disclosure with barred lists check: Shows details of spent convictions, unspent convictions and cautions that have not been filtered. Includes a check of local police records and the barred lists held by the DBS.
Role holders, lay employees as well as volunteers, may be required to submit a standard DBS disclosure where they work in positions of trust which are defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Exceptions Order 1975.
Successful appointees will be required to submit an enhanced DBS disclosure request which includes a barred list check, where they will be working in 'regulated' activity with vulnerable groups .
For posts which are eligible for DBS check, the advertisement and the person specification must state that the appointment is subject to satisfactory Disclosure at the specified level, from the Disclosure and Barring Service (in case of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Disclosure Scotland (in Scotland).
Please refer to Safer Recruitment Policy Statement and Practice guidance for DBS checks (as part of Safer Recruitment) for further guidance and information.
For more information on safeguarding in the Methodist Church's please go to: www.methodist.org.uk/safeguarding
DBS Checks for Working with Children in Places of Worship
The guidance published on the government website (see the link below) highlights the rules for DBS checks for working with children in places of worship.
The main activities that are likely to occur in church settings which will make a role eligible for a DBS check when working with children are:
- teaching, training or instructing children
- care of children
- providing advice and guidance wholly or mainly to children in relation to their emotional, physical or educational wellbeing
- Driving children
- Day-to-day management of people undertaking these activities
Anyone undertaking these activities on more than 3 days in any 30-day period will be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with a check of the Children’s Barred List.
Anyone undertaking these activities overnight between 2am and 6am with contact with the children would also be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check with a check of the Children’s Barred List. If someone does these activities but less often they will be eligible for an Enhanced DBS check without the Children’s Barred List check.
For further details please go to: DBS checks for working with children in places of worship - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Regulated Activity - Adults
The new legal definition of regulated activity for adults no longer uses the term ‘vulnerable adults’ and no longer requires the activity to meet a minimum frequency threshold. The definition now focuses on the nature of activities, which, if required by an adult, will define them to be vulnerable. The following activities fall under the category of regulated activity:
- Health care – any health care professional providing health care to an adult or anyone who provides health care to an adult under the supervision of a health care professional.
- Personal care – providing assistance, supervision, or advice in relation to activities including eating and washing.
- Social care
- Assistance with cash, bills, or shopping
- Assistance in the conduct of a person's own affairs
- Transporting an adult because of their age, disability, or illness to or from their home and a place where they will receive health care, personal care, or social care.
For further details on regulated activity please go to the government website: DBS eligibility guidance.
Safeguarding Training
Creating Safer Space Foundation Training is available on-line. This training aims to build an understanding of safeguarding in the Methodist Church and our collective responsibility for creating safer spaces for all. This training has been designed to serve either as a basic starting point or as a refresher course.
For further information about this and other training please visit the Safeguarding Training website: www.methodist.org.uk/safeguarding/methodist-safeguarding-training/