Policies

Safeguarding

Safeguarding of Adults

This statement was adopted by the Parish of St George with St Anne and St Mark at a PCC meeting on 18th March 2019

This policy will be reviewed annually by the PCC and a report given to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting by the parish representative in order that the policy might be monitored.

1. We recognise that everyone has different levels of vulnerability and that each of us may be regarded as vulnerable at some time in our lives.

2. As members of this parish we commit ourselves to respectful pastoral care for all adults to whom we minister.

3. We commit ourselves to the safeguarding of people who may be vulnerable, ensuring their well-being in the life of this church.

4. We commit ourselves to promoting safe practice by those in positions of trust.

5. The parish commits itself to promoting the inclusion and empowerment of people who may be vulnerable.

6. It is the responsibility of each of us to prevent the physical, verbal, emotional, financial, sexual, institutional and spiritual abuse of vulnerable people and to report any such abuse that we discover or suspect.

7. We undertake to exercise proper care in the appointment and selection of those who will work with people who may be vulnerable, including the request for a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance when required, to be processed by our parish CCPAS Lead Recruiter.

8. The parish is committed to supporting, resourcing, training and regularly reviewing those who undertake work amongst people who may be vulnerable.

9. The parish adopts the guidelines of the Church of England and the Diocese.

10. Each person who works with vulnerable people will agree to abide by these recommendations and the guidelines established by this church.

This church appoints: Matthew Ryan

ADDRESS: c/o St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Brighton, BN2 1ED

Parish Office telephone number: 01273 279448

Email: matthewryan06@yahoo.co.uk

to represent the concerns and views of vulnerable people at our meetings and outside bodies.

Our CCPAS Lead Recruiter is: Matthew Ryan

Incumbent Rev Dr Andrew Manson-Brailsford

Churchwarden Sue Clough Churchwarden Matthew Ryan

DATED: 18th March 2019

Safeguarding of Children

The following policy was agreed by the PCC of St George’s Church at the meeting held on 18th March 2019

As members of this PCC we are committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of all our members, particularly the children and young people.

We recognise that our work with children and young people is the responsibility of the whole church community and, consequently, safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone.

We are committed to implementing the House of Bishops’ Child Protection Policy ‘Protecting All God’s Children, 2010, and the diocesan procedures, which are based on the Children Act, and Government guidance “Working together to Safeguard Children”, both published in 2013.

We will carefully select and train ordained and lay ministers; volunteers and paid workers with children and young people. We will use the Disclosure and Barring Service, amongst other tools, to check the background of each person.

We will respond, without delay, to every concern made that a child or young person, for whom we are responsible, may have been harmed.W

We will co-operate fully with statutory agencies during any investigation concerning a member of the church community.

We will seek to ensure that any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse is offered support that meets their needs.

We will care for and supervise any member of our church community known to have offended against a child.

We will review this policy annually and as part of this process will ensure that all our procedures, particularly in relation to the Disclosure and Barring Service, are up to date.

Our Church Safeguarding Representative is:

Sue Clough — susieclough@hotmail.com

Our CCPAS Lead Recruiter is: Matthew Ryan

Incumbent Rev Dr Andrew Manson-Brailsford

Churchwarden Sue Clough

Churchwarden Matthew Ryan

Inclusion

St George’s is an inclusive church and as such actively welcomes and affirms people from all backgrounds, identities, and life situations, reflecting a commitment to diversity and equality in its worship, community life, and ministry. This includes embracing people of different sexual orientations, gender identities, ethnicities, abilities, ages, and socioeconomic status.

St. George’s seeks to embody the message of Christ's love for all people, ensuring that everyone feels valued and accepted within the community.

Regarding particular features of inclusivity St George’s:

Promotes gender equality, supporting women's full participation in all aspects of church life, including ordination and leadership
Affirms heterosexual and LGBTQ+ identities and welcomes all in becoming part of our church including in leadership roles.
Will offer blessings or prayers for same-sex couples, even if it is not yet officially sanctioned by the wider Church.
Is committed to racial and ethnic diversity and works towards racial justice, ensuring that people of all ethnic backgrounds are welcomed and represented in the church's life and leadership.
Strives to be accessible to people with disabilities, not just physically but also in terms of participation in worship and community life.
Creates spaces and programs that are welcoming to people of all ages, from children to the elderly.
Everyone is welcome to receive communion or a blessing, regardless of their baptismal status or personal circumstances.

Data Protection

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St George with St Anne and St Mark, Kemp Town, Brighton

1. Your personal data – what is it? Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data. Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”).

2. Who are we? The PCC of St George’s, Kemp Town is the data controller (contact details below). This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

3. How do we process your personal data? The PCC of St George’s, Kemp Town complies with its obligations under the “GDPR” by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data. We use your personal data for the following purposes: - ï To administer membership records; ï To manage our employees and volunteers (where applicable); ï To maintain our own accounts and records (including the processing of gift aid applications); ï To inform you of news, events, activities and services running at St George’s;

4. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data? ï Explicit consent of the data subject so that we can keep you informed about news, events, activities and services and process your gift aid donations and keep you informed about diocesan events.

ï Processing is necessary for carrying out obligations under employment, social security or social protection law;

ï Processing is carried out by a not-for-profit body with a religious provided: -

o the processing relates only to members or former members (or those who have regular contact with it in connection with those purposes); and o there is no disclosure to a third party without consent.

5. Sharing your personal data Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other members of the church in order to carry out a service to other church members or for purposes connected with the church. We will only share your data with third parties outside of the parish with your consent.

6. How long do we keep your personal data1? We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out in the guide “Keep or Bin: Care of Your Parish Records” which is available from the Church of England website [see footnote for link]. Specifically, we retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 7 years after the tax year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently.

7. Your rights and your personal data Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: - ï The right to request a copy of your personal data which the PCC of St George’s, Kemp Town holds about you; ï The right to request that the PCC of St George’s, Kemp Town corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date; ï The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for the PCC of St George’s, Kemp Town to retain such data; ï The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time ï ï The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing; ï The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.

8. Further processing If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Data Protection Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.

9. Contact Details To exercise all relevant rights, queries of complaints please in the first instance contact the PCC Secretary / Parish Administrator at St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1ED. You can contact the

Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or
via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or
at the Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF