Safer Recruitment Policy, Procedures and Guidance
The Methodist Church are committed to the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults, care and nurture of children within our church communities. We will carefully select, train and support all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles.
This policy sets out the necessary actions that the Church needs to implement in its recruitment and selection procedures in order to identify and deter people who are a potential risk to children or vulnerable adults.
Safer Recruitment is more than the undertaking of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. It is about promoting and exercising a safe culture including the supervision and oversight of those who work with children and vulnerable adults.
Safer Recruitment Policy, Procedures and Guidance January 2024
Amended January 2024 to correct pagination. Updated November 2023 to include new guidance on Confidential Declarations. This document replaces the former ‘Practice Guidance on Carrying out Disclosure and Barring (DBS) Checks as part of Safer Recruitment’ (January, 2018)
Scotland
Guide to PVG and the Methodist Church in Scotland - Revised August 2021
This document contains a brief ‘step by step’ guide to the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme in Methodist Churches in Scotland and is a detailed guidance document for reference to the scheme.
The PVG Scheme was introduced in Scotland on 28th February 2011 and is now well established as part of the recruitment process for those deemed to be carrying out “Regulated Work” with children, protected adults or both.