Creating Safer Space Leadership Module

1. Creating Safer Space Leadership Module Safeguarding Children, Young People & Vulnerable Adults Leadership Training

2. SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

3. Trainers Name Role Name Role Chaplain Name Role

4. The faith-based underpinning of safeguarding Devotions

5. Creating Safer Space • The focus of the Foundation Module is to promote awareness of possible safeguarding concerns and to equip people in relevant roles to feel confident to share with the appropriate person. • The focus of the Leadership Module is to develop the knowledge, skills, understanding of those in the church with whom concerns may be shared.

6. The Creating Safer Space Leadership Module aims to: Enable Safeguarding Officers, Ministers and other leaders in churches to develop a deeper understanding of their role and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and to develop confidence in carrying out this role.

7. By the end of the day participants will: understand their role and responsibilities appreciate the Church’s commitment to safeguarding children, young people and adults; survivors of abuse and people who may be a risk to others have sharpened their awareness of the Methodist Church policies and procedures on safeguarding know about routes for referrals have reflected on the challenges of the leadership role for the Church know where to find resources, further help and guidancewithin and beyond the Church.

8. Housekeeping Mobile Phones – silent or off Toilets Fire Exits Refreshment Breaks Timekeeping Question Park Attendance Sheet H&S + Certificates

9. Looking after ourselves: • This training can be difficult for any of us, at any time. • If you need a break, feel free to move about or leave the room. • There is more than one trainer here, so we can be free to spend time with you outside the main room if necessary. • If this raises painful issues for you, share this with somebody you trust. Look after yourself!

10. We aim to: • listen without interrupting • respect the diversity, feelings, experiences and perspectives of others • listen to differences in views and question in a constructive way that enables the group to learn • respect confidentiality unless it puts others at risk • take responsibility for our own learning and share as well as receive • be aware of the potential impact of the subject on ourselves and others.

11. The church’s unique focus: welcoming in safety Children and young people Adults who may be vulnerable Survivors of abuse People who may be a risk to others but have expressed a commitment to change

12. The Church’s unique focus in safeguarding • A leadership role: • ensuring all are welcome in safety • keeping a balance • being aware of those who may be a risk • ensuring those who are a known risk are monitored and supported • and…

13. Prevent Protect Promote

14. SECTION 2PROMOTE SAFEGUARDING

15. Promote: Where do I fit in? Think of an example of when you have promoted a culture of safeguarding.

16. Promote: a leadership role • working towards a culture where safeguarding is routine • developing a culture of informed vigilance • valuing safeguarding work • creating safer spaces and ...

17. Promote • Roles a leader might need to take on • decision maker • enforcer • listener • mediator • negotiator • pastor • and…

18. Promote Resources to support the leadership role in safeguarding Promote Resources to support the leadership role in safeguarding • Church • national • local

19. SECTION 3 PREVENT ABUSE AND HARM

20. Prevent harm Premises People Policies Practice

21. Prevent: people • A leadership role (1) • knowing who to go to with concerns • knowing people who may be a risk to others; passing on concerns to District Safeguarding • awareness of diversity issues • implementing safer recruitment.

22. Prevent: people A leadership role (2) • ensuring clear job/role descriptions • avoiding boundary drift • setting up and monitoring Covenants of Care and ...

23. People: Sharing concerns Worker /volunteer tells coordinator of their observation Someone else tells worker/volunteer who tells coordinator Child or vulnerable adult tells worker /volunteer who tells coordinator In an emergency worker may contact relevant authorities directly and inform coordinator later Coordinator may tell the relevant authority

24. Prevent: People • Safer Recruitment: employees and volunteers • job or role description/person specification • references • panel interview • confirm identity • explore discrepancies • completion of appropriate vetting procedures before beginning job or role.

25. Blemished disclosures: possible outcomes • clear (minor ‘spent’ issues) • more information so any risk can be assessed: the individual may need to stand down • clear (after receiving more information) • clear with conditions • decision by SAP • appeal and...

26. Protect from harm Recognise Record Respond Refer

27. SECTION 4 PROTECT FROM HARM Recognising abuse

28. Protect: recognising Types of abuse • Physical • Emotional • Neglect • Sexual • Spiritual or ritual • Financial/ material • Discriminatory • Institutional • Domestic abuse

29. Protect: recognising • A leadership role • knowing what to be concerned about • being observant • listening well • recognising patterns of behaviour • joining up different pieces of information • and...

30. ACTIVITY

31. Finkelhor’s stages in offending Protect: four pre-conditions to abuse Victim Resistance ‘doing it and getting away with it’ Grooming External Inhibitors ‘others creating opportunity’ Internal Inhibitors ‘conscience’ Motivation ‘wanting to’

32. Grooming:a definition Grooming is a word used to describe how people who want to sexually harm children and young people get close to them, and often their families, and gain their trust.

33. Protect: recognising Grooming in the church context: lessons learnt Ithappens at different levels • individual • family • the Church community • those in influential positions in the Church. It can happen over long periods of time.

34. SECTION 5 PROTECT FROM HARM Responding well

35. Protect: responding • A leadership role: • responding well to disclosure and to concerns about abuse or harm • responding well to survivors • responding well to people who might pose a risk • responding well to serious situations • responding well to the church congregation and...

36. Protect: responding • Challenges to responding well: why the Church may not respond well to concerns • too difficult • ‘doesn’t happen in the Church’ • the person/family concerned is respected • confidentiality is not understood • confusion about false allegations • wanting to keep it within the Church • needing to handle everything • not knowing who to go to • conflicting loyalties.

37. Protect: responding A leadership role: responding well …is often about ‘walking alongside’ people. It is primarily about listening and not reacting with haste. It is not about judgment or imposing what we think is best for someone. It is about not feeling that we must have all the answers and not wanting to solve everything now. The Archbishops’ Council (2011) Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused: policy and guidance for the Church of England

38. SECTION 5a PROTECT FROM HARM Responding well to concerns

39. Protect: responding • A leadership role: • Listening well to people who have concerns about possible abuse or harm helps them: • to remember • to make sense of what they experienced, heard, saw or were told – to make connections • to build up as full a picture as possible • to provide acknowledgement and affirmation especially when sharing painful or difficult issues • and...

40. Protect: responding well to concerns • A leadership role: Key listening skills • attention giving; active listening, non-critical acceptance • ability to use different kinds of questions • paraphrasing; reflecting back, summarising and checking • and...

41. Protect: respectful uncertainty • Check your impressions • The concept of ‘respectful uncertainty’ developed from learning after the death of Victoria Climbié and combines • the critical evaluation of information • keeping an open mind • dealing with everyone with respect. • Munro describes it as “Showing compassion but retaining an open and questioning mindset.”

42. Protect: responding well • Defensible decision-making • In the context of the church this means taking decisions which: • are consistent with policy • are thoroughly thought through • are based on as reliable evidence as possible • take things forward • have been recorded.

43. SECTION 5b PROTECT FROM HARM Responding well to survivors

44. Protect: responding well to survivors • A leadership role • Developing an awareness of • the impact of abuse • what survivors find helpful or difficult • the prevalence of abuse and...

45. ACTIVITY

46. SECTION 5c PROTECT FROM HARM Responding well to people who might pose a risk

47. Protect: responding well to people who might pose a risk • A leadership role • identifying the pastoral needs of all concerned • working with Covenants of Care • using ‘respectful uncertainty’ • being alert to ‘disguised compliance’ and...

48. Protect: responding well to people who might pose a risk • Covenants of care • small group at church and/or circuit level • risk assessment • contract • meeting regularly, reviewing, recording • training and support for the group • review of the contract • inform and annually report to the DSO.

49. Protect: understanding disguised compliance Behaviour which gives the appearance or impression of co-operation to avoid raising suspicion, to mask abuse and to allay concerns.

50. Protect: dealing with disguised compliance • Use respectful uncertainty. • Avoid over-optimism. • Remember history and risk factors. • Don’t be over-influenced by dynamic factors. • Keep to your focus. • Maintain careful records. • Communicate openly in the Covenant of Care group. • Check with the DSO if you are concerned.