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Safeguarding Policy


The Parish of St Andrews Church, Oakington, Cambridgeshire

PROMOTING A SAFER CHURCH

 

The following policy was agreed at the Parochial Church Council (PCC) meeting held on 18.03.2019
In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:
 
Promoting a safer environment and culture.
Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.
Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others. 
The Parish will: 
Create a safe and caring place for all.
Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.
Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.
Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.
Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.
Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.
Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser(DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.
Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.
Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.
Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.
Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually. 
Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.
This church appoints Cynthia Maragna and Celine Pinter as the Parish Safeguarding Officers
Incumbent -Rev James Alexander
Churchwardens – Brian Esson – Simon Turner
Date: 24.4. 2023 
 
SAFEGUARDING CONTACTS
Call 999 if a child or adult is in immediate danger of significant or serious harm.  
Local Contacts for St Andrews, Oakington
 
Vicar of St Andrews
Rev. James Alexander – 01223 232396
 
Parish Safeguarding Officers
Cynthia Maragna - 07801 337815
Celine Pinter –       07541 997299
 
 
Ely Diocese Safeguarding Contacts
 
Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Rebecca Boswell
·         Email: rebecca.boswell@elydiocese.org
·         Tel: 01353 652731
Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Sharon Gage (part-time)
·         E-mail: sharon.gage@elydiocese.org
·         Tel: 01353 652706
Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Lisa Pearson (part-time)
·         E-mail: lisa.pearson@elydiocese.org
·         Tel: 01353 652738
 
Ely Diocese Safeguarding Website link
www.elydiocese.org/safeguarding
 
 
National Helplines
 
NSPCC                       – 0808 800 5000
Childline                      – 0800 1111
Stop it Now                 – 0808 1000 900
NAPAC                       – 0808 801 0331
Samaritans                  – 116 123
Family Lives                – 0808 800 2222
Action on Elder Abuse – 0808 808 8141
National Domestic Violence Helpline – 0808 2000 247
                                                                                                                                  

Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is for those planning a first visit to church, so that you know beforehand, what to expect on arrival. On Sundays we have two services one at 10.00am, our family service, and one at 5.00pm which is a more formal Holy Communion service.

Where and When

For your first visit to either service, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes before the services start to ensure you find an on-street parking space if needed and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you will be greeted by a member of our Welcome Team.

After the 10.00am services we serve tea, coffee and biscuits in our church hall. It is a great way to meet people, and ask any questions. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access through the porch entrance at the right hand side of the church. The toilets are in the hall just next to the church.

Our Services

The morning service begins at 10am with a welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band, lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We may share news and notices about what’s going on in the life of the church. A member of our fellowship will lead us in prayers.  One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song which may be accompanied by our vicar on the organ.  There is always an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

The evening services follow the Church of England liturgy with hymns of praise accompanied by music on the organ.  Everyone is welcome at this service. No refreshments are served.

What about my children?

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the 10.00am service for the welcome, songs and notices to worship God all together as a family. After this it’s time for the younger members to go to the hall. You will need to go with your children at a first visit to register them as part of our child safety policy.

The childrens activities vary depending on the age but they will find a friendly welcome, and bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, etc. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected:

 
Small Groups

While Sundays are a great opportunity to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups helps you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have groups that meet throughout the week, some mornings and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

Once you have settled into our church life and family you may feel called to serve in some way. This may be in the spiritual life of the church or in the practical realm which keeps us running smoothly and not just on Sundays.

Other Ministries

We also have the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Overseas Missions
  • Bell ringing