At St Mary’s we are committed to ensuring that all those who come into contact with our Church have a safe and positive experience
- Safeguarding policy
- Domestic abuse policy
- Promoting a safer church (safeguarding policy statement from the House of Bishops)
If you have a concern about any aspect of activities at St Mary’s with respect to children, young people or vulnerable adults, please speak with our Safeguarding Officer (07840 564221).
The Parochial Church Council has approved the following guidelines:
- Duty of care
- Parish safeguarding checklist
- Best practice guidance for working with children
- Best practice for working with vulnerable adults
- Model Parish Safeguarding Officer role
- First Aid and administration of medication
- Guidelines for the appropriate use of touch
- Transport – private cars and minibuses
- Bellringers – general safeguarding statement
- Model safeguarding provision to attach to a Hire of Church Premises agreement
- Safer working practice with children, young people and vulnerable adults
- Inappropriate behaviour by children, young people or vulnerable adults
- Unaccompanied children, young people or vulnerable adults at church services
- Food hygiene
- Safe use of images policy
- Recruitment of ex-offenders policy
There is also a considerable amount of information available from the website of the Diocese of St Albans.
Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser: Jeremy Hirst (01727 818107)
We commit to processing all personal data collected by us in accordance with applicable Data Protection laws for the purpose of our ministry in the community.
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At St Mary’s we welcome and support the principles of the report ‘Removing Barriers’, designed to enable those with access needs (physical needs and learning needs) to worship God in fellowship with other members of the community.
St Mary’s is proud to be an Inclusive Church.
In 2017 the United Church Council agreed that St Mary’s register with Inclusive Church and adopted its statement of belief:
We believe in inclusive Church – church which does not discriminate, on any level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.