Safeguarding

St Paul’s Cathedral aims to be a safe, welcoming and peaceful place for everyone – a place where people can take part fully in church life.

We believe that caring for others and showing respect are important parts of being a Christian. We are committed to doing all we can to protect children and vulnerable people of all ages and needs.

To report a safeguarding concern, contact the Cathedral’s Safeguarding (PVG) Co-ordinator, Alison Taylor : safeguarding@saintpaulscathedral.net.

Alternatively, you may want to contact the Provincial Safeguarding Team: safeguarding@scotland.anglican.org

The Cathedral follows the Safeguarding Policy of the Scottish Episcopal Church. These are its five central commitments:

1. We will promote a culture of safety in our congregations and church organisations and communities by education and training to help clergy, other church workers and participants prevent the occurrence of harm and abuse.
2. We will have and implement policies and procedures to assess the suitability of persons for ordination and clergy appointments, and lay appointments to positions of responsibility and trust in the church including checking their background.
3. We will adopt and promote by education and training standards for the practice of ministry by clergy and other church workers, whether employees or volunteers, who share in specific areas of the church’s ministry.
4. We will have and implement policies and procedures to respond properly to allegations of abuse against clergy and other church workers that include:
   1. making known the procedure for making complaints;
   2. arranging care and advice for any person making a complaint of abuse;
   3. the impartial determination of allegations of abuse against clergy and other church workers, and assessment of their suitability for future ministry;
   4. providing support for affected congregations and church organisations.
5. We will provide support for the abused, their families, and affected congregations and church organisations and communities by:
   1. listening with patience and compassion to their experiences and concerns;
   2. offering spiritual assistance and other forms of care.

The Scottish Episcopal Church has outlined the following Code of Good Practice for safeguarding children and young people in particular:

1. Adopt the Policy Statement agreed by the General Synod on safeguarding the welfare of children and young people.
2. Plan the work of the organisation so as to minimise situations where the abuse of children and young people may occur.
3. Introduce a system whereby children and young people may talk with an independent person.
4. Apply agreed procedures for protecting children and young people to all paid staff and volunteers.
5. Give all paid staff and volunteers clear roles.
6. Use supervision of staff and volunteers as a means of protecting children and young people.
7. Treat all applicants for any position involving children and young people in the same way.
8. Gain at least one reference, ideally from a person who has experience of the applicant’s paid work or volunteering, if any, with children and young people.
9. Explore all applicants’ experience of working or contact with children in an interview before appointment.
10. Find out whether an applicant has any conviction for criminal offences against children or young people.
11. Make paid and voluntary appointments conditional on the successful completion of a probationary period.
12. Issue guidelines on how to deal with the disclosure, suspicion or discovery of abuse.
13. Train paid staff and volunteers, the Co-ordinators or Supervisors, and policy makers in the prevention of child abuse.

The full policy, Code of Good Practice and other SEC safeguarding resources can be found on the Scottish Episcopal Church website.