Safeguarding policy

The Well offers a safe environment for all to receive healing prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. 

The effective safeguarding of all our guests and Team is very important to us. If you are concerned that someone you know is at risk of, or is being abused, or presents a risk to others, please contact our Safeguarding Officer, Ian Dowsett, straight away.

Your concern will be taken seriously and acted upon.

Here is our full Safeguarding Policy:

1.   Purpose

The Well is committed to safeguarding as an integral part of its Ministry. Safeguarding means the range of proactive measures we put in place to create and maintain a safe and caring environment for all. These include promoting the welfare of Guests and Team, preventing potential abuse from occurring, and responding appropriately where abuse or harm is found to have occurred either recently or in the past.

This policy sets out The Well’s safeguarding commitments, principles and governance framework. It establishes:

• Our commitments to protecting those who engage with our ministry
• The responsibilities of trustees, leaders, staff and volunteers
• The safeguarding culture we seek to implement and maintain
• The legal framework within which safeguarding is undertaken

Our policy commitments include the following:

1. Promoting a safe environment and culture
2. Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to Guests
3. Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern, disclosure or allegation
4. Caring for those who have experienced harm and other affected persons
5. Caring for Team members who may be the subject of a safeguarding concerns and other affected persons
6. Caring for and managing risks associated with ministering to those that may pose a current risk[1] to themselves or others.

Detailed operational guidance is contained in supporting safeguarding procedures.

2.   Scope

The care and protection of children [2] and vulnerable adults[3] who come to The Well as Guests and the wellbeing of Volunteers and Staff (referred to as Team members) is the responsibility of everyone at The Well. We recognise that some adult Guests who are not normally identified as vulnerable, can temporarily become vulnerable as they share details from their past. Everyone who participates in the life of The Well has a role to play in promoting a safe environment for all.

This policy therefore applies to Trustees, staff, volunteers, contractors, and anyone acting on behalf of The Well, and anyone participating in activities organised or provided by The Well.

The scope of safeguarding activity covers:

• Disclosure of harm that has been experienced by a Guest outside of The Well or has been experienced in the past.
• Disclosure by a Guest that may indicate that third parties might be at risk outside The Well.
• Discerned or disclosed risk of harm that a Guest may pose to themselves (e.g. suicide)
• Potential harm that may occur though engaging with The Well’s activities or events for either Guests or Team.

All Team members are expected to follow both this policy and the relevant safeguarding procedures and highlight areas for improvement.

3.   Foundations

In developing and implementing the Safeguarding Policy, The Well is guided by the following:

a)    Christian Gospel

The Well is called to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to demonstrate God’s love through compassion, care and respect for all people. The Gospel speaks of welcome, dignity and justice for every person, with particular concern for those who are vulnerable. 

Faithfulness to this calling compels us to take seriously our responsibility to prevent harm occurring to Guests and Team at The Well and to respond well when Guests or Team disclose a Safeguarding concern.

Safeguarding is therefore not only a legal responsibility but a core expression of Christian love and care.

We believe in the value of prophetic insight during ministry (i.e. insights guided by The Holy Spirit).  These  insights are offered to Guests with permission, sensitivity and humility, and are always consistent with the teaching and principles of The Bible. They are not to be seen as directive, or a substitute for personal discernment, professional advice, or good safeguarding practice.   

b)    Legal and Safeguarding framework

The Well recognises the personal dignity and rights of all our Guests and Team, as described in the Human Rights Act 1998 and the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Safeguarding work is undertaken within a legislative framework supported by statutory guidance including: 

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
• Children Act 1989 and 2004
• Care Act 2014
• Equality act 2010
• Data protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
• Charity Commission Safeguarding guidance

When safeguarding concerns arise, The Well will use procedures informed by that guidance to engage with statutory safeguarding authorities such as The Police, Adult social care, Children’s social care, and to refer Guests or Team to relevant bodies for additional care and support where appropriate.

4.   Governance and Accountability 

The Trustees of the Well hold ultimate responsibility for safeguarding within the organisation ensuring that:

• Appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures are in place
• Safeguarding risks are identified and managed
• Safeguarding concerns, disclosures or allegations are responded to appropriately
• Safeguarding remains embedded in the culture and governance of the organisation.

Operational responsibility for safeguarding is delegated to the Session Leaders, and the designated Safeguarding Officer. These leaders are subject to oversight of the Trustee board.

All team members share responsibility of promoting safeguarding good practice and reporting concerns.

The Well may seek advice and support from external safeguarding specialists such as Thirtyone:eight where appropriate.

5.   Core Principles

The following principles underpin The Well’s approach to safeguarding:

• The safety and welfare of the Guests and Team is paramount
• Safeguarding concerns, disclosures or allegations are taken seriously
• We respond appropriately to the risk of future harm to third parties or to the guests themselves
• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility underpinned by a culture of informed vigilance
• All people are treated with dignity and respect and their data is appropriately protected
• Effective safeguarding requires, transparency, accountability, and collaboration with partners such as statutory authorities, and support organisations such as Thirtyone:eight
• Safeguarding practice is reviewed regularly to enable improvement.

6.   Preventing harm through a Safe Environment and Culture[4]

The Well seeks to create and maintain an environment that is safe, welcoming and protective.

Implementation is achieved through:

• Leadership is committed to the importance of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Guests and Team
• Safeguarding policies and reporting procedures are maintained and communicated to Well Team Members with suitable arrangement of training and oversight.
• Safeguarding responsibilities are clearly understood
• Safe practice and appropriate risk assessment are applied to all our activities and informed by on-going learning and review
• Safer recruitment procedures for staff and volunteers are maintained, covering recruitment checks, safeguarding training, and role descriptions
• Publicly available arrangements for Guests to be able to speak to an independent person from The Well about any concerns they have.
• Good record keeping that balances safeguarding requirements with GDPR.

Detailed operational guidance is provided in The Well’s safeguarding procedures.

Organisations using The Well’s premises are expected to operate in accordance with appropriate safeguarding standards – particularly where activities involve children or vulnerable adults.

7.   Response and support commitments

The Well seeks to respond effectively and with care where harm or a risk of harm is raised and feed learnings back into procedures and policies.

1. Responding to safeguarding concern, disclosures or allegations

Anyone who brings any safeguarding concern, allegation or disclosure of current or historical abuse to The Well will be responded to compassionately, respectfully and promptly in accordance with our reporting procedures.

Team members must not investigate safeguarding concerns themselves but instead report them to their Session Leader, who will then consult the Safeguarding Officer. Where there is immediate danger, emergency services should be contacted.

The Safeguarding officer will assess concerns, disclosure or allegations and determine appropriate action, including referral to statutory authorities where required.

All safeguarding information will be recorded safely to support good decision-making and improvement. Safeguarding case information will be shared only with those who need to know and in accordance with safeguarding requirements and data protection law.

• Supporting Guests and Team who have experienced abuse or harm 

The Well will endeavour to offer appropriate care to those that have suffered abuse, regardless of the type of abuse, or when or where it occurred.

Where appropriate, care will be provided in collaboration with, or handed onto, statutory agencies, professional support services or other specialist charities.

The most common safeguarding concerns are confidential disclosures of historical abuse outside the Well, and The Well will seek to apply the latest ministry best practice to care for them.

• Caring for Team members who may be the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse

The Well in exercising its responsibilities will respect the rights under criminal and civil law of an accused Well Team member. A legal presumption of innocence will be maintained whilst ensuring that safeguarding concerns are addressed appropriately and that appropriate care and support for that member is provided without prejudice.

At the same time, The Well will take steps to protect others when any Well Team member is considered a potential risk to Guests and be mindful of the need to provide support to members of families affected.

• Caring for and managing risks of those who pose a present danger to themselves or others

During ministry it may become evident that a guest may pose a significant risk of harming themselves. A procedure is provided to deal with the immediate risk and refer Guests to further support.

As The Well’s prayer ministry is available to all, we may also pray for those who pose a known safeguarding risk to other guests or Team members, but only when those risks have been assessed and appropriate Safeguarding measures are put in place. 

8.   Supporting Safeguarding documents

This policy is supported by the following safeguarding documents:

• Safeguarding reporting and response procedures
• Suicide prevention guidelines and procedure
• Safer recruitment procedures
• Safeguarding Role descriptions
• Volunteer agreement
• Procedure for managing prayer appointments when only one Prayer Team member is available
• The Well’s values and code of conduct
• Contact details of referral organisations

These documents provide the operational framework for implementing this policy and the team will be given appropriate training in the area they are working in.

[1] Current risk – means poses a current and consequential risk of harm

[2] Anyone under the age of 18 years old

[3] Vulnerable adult – Section 6 Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 defines a ‘vulnerable adult’ as “a person aged 18 or over whose ability to protect himself or herself from violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation is significantly impaired through physical or mental disability or illness, old age, emotional fragility or distress, or otherwise; and for that purpose, the reference to being impaired is to being temporarily or indefinitely impaired”. The full text of the 2016 Measure is found at https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201516/jtselect/jtecc/79.pdf.

[4] Informed by Promoting a Safer Church (Church of England, 2017)