PCC Policies

This Code outlines the expectations of the Parish of St Wilfrid, Chichester, for all those who work or volunteer with children. It reflects our desire to follow Jesus in all we do, reflecting his love to those we minister to. It follows from our determination to ensure that our church is a place where children can not only be safe, but feel safe. And, it reflects our unwavering commitment to the highest possible standards of safeguarding practice.

Following this code will help to protect children from abuse and inappropriate behaviour from adults. It will help them learn how safe adults behave around them – thus equipping them to better recognise if an adult is behaving unsafely around them, and to know that this behaviour is wrong. It will also help staff and volunteers maintain the standards of behaviour expected of them, and will reduce the possibility of unfounded allegations of abuse being made against them.

Upholding the Code

All members of staff and volunteers are expected to report and breaches of this code to Anna Hamilton, under the parish whistle-blowing procedure, or, if necessary, under the parish safeguarding policy. Staff and volunteers who breach this code of behaviour may be subject to disciplinary procedures or asked to leave their role. Serious breaches may also result in a referral being made to a statutory agency such as the police of the local authority children's social care department.

Responsibility of Staff and Volunteers

When working with children and young people for the Parish of St Wilfrid, Chichester, all staff and volunteers are acting in a position of trust. It is important that all staff and volunteers are aware that they may be seen as role models by children and young people, and by their parents. They therefore must act in an appropriate manner at all times.

When working with children and young people, it is important to:

• Treat all children and young people with respect and dignity.
• Ensure that your own language, tone of voice and body language is respectful.
• Value the contribution of children and young people, and take their views seriously, actively involving them in planning activities wherever possible.
• Respect a young person's right to personal privacy.
• Always aim to work within sight of another adult.
• Ensure another adult is informed if a child needs to be taken to the toilet; toilet breaks should be organised for young children.
• Ensure that children and young people know who they can talk to if they need to speak to someone about a personal concern.
• Respond warmly to a child who needs comforting, but make sure there are other adults around.
• If any activity requires physical contact, ensure that the child and parents are aware of this and it's nature beforehand.
• Administer any necessary First Aid with others around.
• Obtain consent for any photographs/videos to be taken, shown or displayed.
• Record any concerning incidents and give the information to your group leader. Sign and date the record.
• Always share concerns about a child or the behaviour of another worker within your group leader and/or the parish safeguarding coordinator.

When working with children and young people, you should not:

• Initiate physical contact. Any necessary contact (e.g. For comfort, see above) should be initiated by the child.
• Play rough physical games with children, or allow games with a potentially physical element (such as 'British Bulldog') to be played between children without careful thought, planning, and prior notification to parents and children.
• Act, speak, or conduct yourself in a sexually provocative or suggestive way, either directly towards children, or with other adults when you are with children, or engage in any sexual behaviour at all with children or young people. It is your responsibility to do everything you can do to avoid any hint of sexually inappropriate behaviour, language, or styles of relating with children or young people.
• Encourage children to behave in sexually provocative or suggestive ways with each other.
• Touch a child inappropriately or obtrusively.
• Invade a child's privacy while washing or going to the toilet.
• Act in a way that can be perceived as threatening or intrusive.
• Use any form of physical punishment.
• Scapegoat, ridicule or reject a child, group or adult.
• Permit abuse peer activities, e.g. Initiation ceremonies, ridiculing or bullying.
• Show favouritism to any one child or group.
• Allow a child or young person to involve you in excessive attention seeking, including that which is overtly physical or sexual in nature. It is always your responsibility to maintain appropriate boundaries in your work with children and young people.
• Give lifts to children or young people on their own or on your own.
• Smoke tobacco in the presence of children.
• Drink alcohol when responsible for young children, or offer to give or buy them alcohol.
• Share sleeping accommodation with children.
• Invite a child to your home alone.
• Arrange social occasions with children (other than family members or close family friends) outside organised group occasions.
• Allow unknown adults access to children. Visitors should always be accompanied by a known person.
• Allow strangers to give children lifts.

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• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that in all matters that involve allegations that someone has, or may have, caused harm to another person, whether child or adult, the welfare of the alleged victim is paramount and is our primary concern. No other consideration, however legitimate or important, can outweigh this primary responsibility.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that all allegations that someone may have harmed a child or adult must be taken seriously. In all but the most exceptional circumstances, this will mean letting a safeguarding specialist know about the allegation.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that it is not our responsibility to investigate allegations, nor would it be appropriate for us to do so. Our responsibility is to pass allegations on to the person/people who can respond appropriately.
• In the first instance, this will normally involve informing the incumbent and the parish safeguarding officer (unless the allegation is about them, in which case please contact Mr Colin Perkins, the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor: telephone 01273 425030 / 07500 771210; Email: [email protected]).
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester will inform the Diocesan Safeguarding Team upon becoming aware of any allegation that someone in our church community has harmed, or may have harmed, a child or adult (this will normally be done by the incumbent and/or the parish safeguarding officer)
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that any allegation that a person in a position of responsibility for children (paid or voluntary) has behaved in such a way that indicates they may present a risk to children, will be referred by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). If the alleged behaviour is of a criminal nature, the police will always be involved.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that any allegation that a person in a position of responsibility for adults (paid or voluntary) has behaved in such a way that indicates they may present a risk to adults, will be referred by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team with the local Adults Services team manager. If the alleged behaviour is of a criminal nature, the police will always be involved. (The issue of consent are more complex with harm to adults: this will be discussed with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team in individual cases).
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that human behaviour is complex and many-layered, and that any individual may have motives or intentions that are not apparent, even to those who believe they know them well. Practically speaking, this means that we will commit to ensuring that any allegation that a person has harmed, or may have harmed, a child or adult will be taken seriously as per the above points, even when that person is a highly respected individual whose integrity appears to be without question.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that the best way to identify any false or malicious allegation is to treat all allegations the same. A transparent, fair and accountable process that is consistently applied is best for all involved, including those against whom allegations are made.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that all involved in situations where allegations are made require pastoral support. In particular, the person making the allegation and their family, and the person against whom the allegation is made and their family, will require skilled and careful pastoral support. Providing that support may be complex, and we recognise and commit to working with the wider Diocese should this situation arise.
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises commitment to implementing the advice received or any outcome arising from the above process.

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This policy should be read alongside the Parish of St Wilfrid's policies on Safeguarding, Whistleblowing, Anti-Bullying, and Reporting Concerns about a Child.

This policy applies to all staff, including clergy, PCC members, paid staff, volunteers including children's and youth workers, those involving in leading or coordinating music and worship, and anyone else involved in working or volunteering on behalf of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester.

Purpose of Policy

• To protect children and young people who are ministered to by St Wilfrid’s and who make use of information technology (such as mobile phones/devices, games consoles and the Internet) as part of their involvement with the parish.
• To provide our staff. volunteers, and parents with the overarching principles that guide our approach to e-safety.
• To ensure that, as a Christian community, we minister in line with our values, and also within the law, in terms of how we use information technology and behave online.
• To guide us as we seek to equip the children and young people with whom we minister to be safe, discerning and wise users of information and communication technology.

We recognise that:

• The welfare of the children and young people to whom we minister and with whom we come into contact is paramount, and should govern our approach to the use and management of electronic communications technologies and online behaviour;
• All children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse;
• Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, careers and other agencies is essential in promoting young people's welfare, and in helping young people to be responsible in their approach to e-safety;
• The use of information technology is an essential part of all our lives; it is involved in how we as a church gather and store information, as well as how we communicate with each other. It is an intrinsic part of the experience of children and young people, and is greatly beneficial to all. However, it can present challenges in terms of how we use it responsibly, and, if misused either by an adult or a young person, can be actually or potentially harmful.

We will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

• Treating any child protection concern arising from the online world in the same way, taking it just as seriously, as concerns arising from the offline world.
• Ensuring that our parish safeguarding officer has access to up-to-date information and training regarding online safety, assisting them as appropriate to access this training.
• Ensuring that all staff and volunteers at St Wilfrid’s avoid using private forms of electronic communication (text message, email, direct messaging including on social media) to communicate with the children and young people they are responsible for.
• Taking the use of such private communication between staff or volunteers and young people as seriously as one-on-one contact between adults and children without another responsible adult present. It is always the responsibility of the adult staff member or volunteer to put appropriate boundaries in place in their relationships with the young people with whom they minister, in both the offline and online worlds.
• Using open online forums to communicate with children, such as Facebook youth group pages to notify young people of events etc.
• Avoiding any form of inappropriate content in what we, our staff and our volunteers post online, including (but not limited to) sexual content, racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted content, or content promoting illegal activity.
• Maintaining electronic versions of sensitive personal data securely, according to the principles of the Data Protection Act.
• Providing age-appropriate awareness material, including training, to children and young people with regards to online safety. In particular, we will make them aware of the Thinkuknow website, and about Childline.

Providing awareness material to parents with regards to online safety. In particular, we will make them aware of the Thinkuknow, Parents Protect, and UK Safer Internet Cen

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Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: given this, encouraging people to express concerns appropriately and in a timely fashion is an important aspect of a strong safeguarding culture. Additionally, ‘whistleblowing’ has been recognised has having an important place in developing a strong safeguarding culture within organisations. At the most simple level, anyone can spot a genuine concern and it is important that everyone who does so feels safe to raise that concern. At a more fundamental level, organisations – including the church – can become hierarchical and opaque, and a strong whistleblowing policy recognises the importance of empowering those who may not hold positions of structural influence within the organisation to feel confident enough to speak out, should they believe poor practice to be present. The aim of this policy and associated guidance is to provide a clear and transparent way for anyone involved in St Wilfrid’s Chichester to raise genuine concerns regarding poor practice that impacts upon the safety or wellbeing of children or adults to whom St Wilfrid’s Chichester ministers. It also aims to ensure that any concerns are dealt with effectively and in a timely fashion.

This policy and guidance provides a simple set of steps to deal with concerns, ensuring that people are not penalised for raising genuine concerns, even if those concerns appear to be unfounded. This policy and guidance applies to everyone involved in St Wilfrid’s Chichester, including all workers who are involved on either a paid or voluntary basis.

Our Commitment:

• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility
• St Wilfrid’s Chichester recognises that no other concern or responsibility, however genuine,

outweighs the need to prioritise the welfare of children and adults at all times

• St Wilfrid’s Chichester welcomes, encourages and urges anyone who is concerned about any aspect

of our safeguarding practice or provision to raise those concerns, as outlined in the Guidance below

• St Wilfrid’s Chichester welcomes, encourages and urges anyone who is concerned about any the

safety and welfare of a child or adult to report those concerns as outlined in the Guidance below, and in accordance with the Guidance found in the section of the Diocesan Safeguarding Website, entitled ‘What Do

I Do If?’

• St Wilfrid’s Chichester undertakes to treat all such concerns seriously, as outlined in the Guidance

below

• St Wilfrid’s Chichester guarantees that no-one who raises any concern in good faith, even if those

concerns are ultimately found to be unfounded, will face any adverse consequences whatsoever.

Guidance:

What to do if you have a concern:

• In the first instance, speak to the leader of the area of church about which you have a concern (for

instance, if your concern is about Sunday School, speak to the Sunday School leader). A good principle is that concerns should be dealt with at the lowest level necessary, and only escalated beyond that if those concerns remain, having been expressed. However, if your concern is about the behaviour of a leader in the church (lay or ordained), you may feel that you need to escalate it to someone in authority over them; you would be perfectly justified in doing this.

• Try to be as specific as possible: what or whom are you concerned about exactly? Can you give

specific dates or examples of what has caused your concern? Vague concerns are difficult to investigate. If you only have an impression, or cannot give specific examples, you may still wish to express concerns but be open about the limited details you have.

• Try and avoid language that is either accusatory or emotive: your aim it to improve an area of church

life, not to put the recipient of your concern on the defensive.

• It is very helpful to quote policy, if you can (although if you cannot, this is not a reason to avoid

expressing your concern). This helps the person receiving your concern to see very quickly that you are simply holding the church to account to its own policies, or to Diocesan policies.

• Face-to-face is usually best, but follow up the conversation in writing. “Last Sunday after church I

expressed a concern about X, you replied by saying Y, and you said you would get back to me by Z. Please could you reply by confirming my understanding of our conversation is correct”: a simple written communication such as this can assist greatly in providing clarification to all concerned about what was said (although see below guidance for the person receiving the concern along similar lines).

• If you are satisfied that your concern has been resolved, you can leave the matter there. If you are

not, it is important that you escalate it. We suggest that a suitable ‘order of escalation’ would be:

• Lay Leader in Church (e.g. Children’s Work Leader)
• Incumbent (and/or churchwarden in a vacancy)

Diocesan Safeguarding Team

Bishop

National Safeguarding Team

• In escalating your concern, you are acting in an entirely appropriate way. Safeguarding is everyone’s

responsibility; there may be the rare occasion where you just have to raise your concern outside of your local parish context, in order to ensure that the children and adults your church ministers to are safe.

• If you feel that the concern has great urgency and cannot be escalated in this manner (for instance if

you are concerned about the safety or welfare of a child or adult), then you must raise those concerns without delay with the appropriate statutory authority. Please follow the guidance on the Diocesan Safeguarding Website, under the section entitled ‘What Do I Do If?’. Use the appropriate sub-heading to find out how best to report these concerns.

What to do if you receive a concern

• If someone tells you that they have a concern, you should arrange to meet him/her as soon as

possible.

• Approach the situation sensitively, recognising the discomfort that the person may feel. Offer to

meet him/her away from the church if they wish, and allow them to being a friend if that would help.

• Do not promise confidentiality: you do not know what they are going to share, but if they share an

immediate safeguarding concern you will have no choice other than to break that promise.

• However, be prepared to discuss the possibility of anonymity for the person sharing the concern.

People may have reasons to want to stay anonymous, even if they know they have to say something, and closing this option off may mean that the concern never gets aired.

• Reassure the person that there will be no negative repercussions for any concern shared in good

faith – even if it turns out to be unfounded or mistaken. ‘Concerns’ shared out of malice or divisiveness are a different matter but at this stage, assume the person to be acting in good faith.

• You may wish to suggest sources of support for the person – especially if they are on their own

without the support of a friend or family member. Sharing concerns in an institutional context can be very intimidating – even in church – and the concern may have been a source of great anxiety for a long time. The person may be sharing the concern with you because this anxiety has reached the point where they feel compelled to act, and in coming to you they are expressing a great measure of faith that they will be well- received, and not have their intentions misinterpreted. They may wish to speak to someone outside of the

immediate context to receive some pastoral support (for instance from a neighbouring parish), or they may wish to speak to someone in the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.

• Recognise that not everyone expressed genuine concerns appropriately. Someone can say something

in the wrong manner, at the wrong time and with the wrong language – but still be right. Don’t be too quick to dismiss what someone says because of how they say it.

• Make notes of the conversation, ideally at the time or immediately afterwards.
• Follow-up your conversation in writing, as soon as you can. “On date X, you expressed your concerns

about Y. I replied by saying I would look into what you said, and would get back to you by date Z’. This helps provide clarity for all involved.

• Make sure you are clear about what you will do with the concern, by when you will do it, and when

you will let the person know. Give the person a clear indication of when they can expect to hear back from you, and keep to this promise if you have made no progress – hearing from you with no news is better than not hearing from you.

• Unless the concern is easily resolved, we suggest that you seek advice from the Diocesan

Safeguarding Team. If the concern is about the behaviour of an adult in the church, you must follow the policy ‘Managing Allegations in the Church’. If the concern is about the safety and welfare of a child or adult, you must follow the guidance provided in the ‘What Do I Do If?’ section of the Diocesan Safeguarding Website.

• The crucial principle for any adequate Whistleblowing policy is that anyone raising any concern in

good faith – whether or not that concern is ultimately justified – should suffer no adverse consequences whatsoever. Further guidance regarding this can be found in the web links in this section of SQP.

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Induction Process

New inductees should have copies

of the parish safeguarding policy, responding to allegations, the Provide person with whistleblowing policy and guidance, parish policy pack and the e-safety policy

This should be done by the Parish

Safeguarding Officer; it is an

Provide person with Provide the inductee with a written

opportunity for inductees to meet this behaviour code copy of the code of behaviour, person. Inductees should sign to say making clear your parish's they have a received, and will comply expectations of how volunteers and with, these policies workers will conduct themselves

Arrange for person to receive

appropriate training

Initial training should be the 'C0' e-learning

module if not already completed. Inductee should be booked on a 'C1' Foundation module within 4 months of starting in role

Initial Review at 3-month

stage

This should be done by the team

leader

Ongoing yearly review

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Volunteers are vital to the effective functioning of your local parish church. We don’t receive any government funding for all we do, so every step towards our mission relies on every pound raised. Volunteers are our link to our community. They are integrated into the structure and operations of the church as a charity, and contribute strongly towards its aims and objectives.

Who is this Policy For?

The governing council, the Parochial Church Council (or PCC), is composed mainly of unpaid volunteers and relies on those people giving their time and effort to make it an effective decision-making and governing body. Other volunteers support the PCC by giving their time to carry out roles which have been initiated by, or agreed with, the PCC. The volunteering relationship is based on trust and does not involve the obligations associated with employment. No payment, other than the reimbursement of agreed expenses, is made by the PCC to people who give their time as volunteers.

This policy is intended for volunteers who have accepted an agreed role with the church as a charity. It outlines the principles on which the relationship between volunteers and the charity is based and provides basic information about volunteering with us.

Recruitment

The PCC welcomes and respects the breadth of experience, skills, dedication and goodwill that volunteers bring. Informal interviews are carried out to ensure that applicants are suitable for the role in question. We will base our selection on the ability of each applicant to fulfil the role concerned, taking into account any effect the volunteer may have on the safety of all parties, our Church and reputation. Every potential PCC member or other church volunteer will be asked to complete a short application form and agree to Disclosure and Barring Service checking where the PCC considers it appropriate, in the light of the volunteer’s work.

Age

In most cases you will need to be over 16 years of age to volunteer independently and under 18s will be asked for parental consent. Younger people may get involved in some aspects of volunteering with us if they are accompanied by a responsible adult. We do not have an upper age limit for volunteers but there may be situations that require us to ask someone to stop volunteering – for example when health issues are considered a risk to the person concerned or others around them.

Getting Started

Welcome to the team! We want to make sure you have everything you need to get started so we’ll provide you with either an induction or access to useful materials and information. Your staff contact will usually be the PCC member who is responsible for the area of work in which you volunteer.

Equal Opportunities and Diversity

You will be volunteering in an organisation that is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. This commitment is reflected throughout the PCC’s policies and practices.

Responsibilities and Expectations

We want you to enjoy volunteering with us and we take our responsibilities towards you very seriously. As a volunteer, you will also be a representative of the charity and, as such, we ask that you act appropriately.

The PCC’s responsibilities to its volunteers:

• To offer equal opportunities to everyone who wants to volunteer
• To match your skills and experiences with the right role for you wherever possible, listening to our motivations and aspirations
• To offer appropriate training and support for your role
• To celebrate success and recognise loyalty and dedication
• To respect all our volunteers and listen to what you have to say, consistently encouraging two-way communication
• To provide information about the church’s work, policies and procedures
• To reimburse agreed out-of-pocket expenses
• To make necessary arrangements to ensure your health, safety and welfare as a volunteer
• To encourage a positive and friendly atmosphere
• To provide access to trained members, to support, guide and advise you

Our expectations of you as a volunteer:

• To aim for high standards of efficiency, reliability and quality in your volunteering
• To work in partnership with other volunteers, staff and the general public
• To support, respect and adhere to our organisational policies, guidelines and management decisions – including all aspects of equal opportunities, health and safety, data protection and use of our name
• To always consider and protect the Church’s good reputation in your actions and conduct
• To act responsibly and within the law
• To let your staff contact know first if you have any problems so that we can find a solution together
• To let your staff contact know if there are changes in your personal circumstances that may affect your volunteering
• To have the best possible experience by getting involved and enjoying your volunteering.

Health and Safety

We are committed to ensuring your wellbeing and safety whilst you are volunteering and, in turn, we expect our volunteers to contribute to maintaining a safe working environment.

All church volunteers must:

• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and other persons who may be affected by your actions or omissions
• Co-operate with staff by assisting them to fulfil their statutory duties
• Follow our health and safety policy and measures put in place by the PCC or any organisation whose premises you may be working on
• Report accidents/incidents or dangerous circumstances to a Churchwarden, whether or not any person has been injured
• Be aware of actions to take when an emergency situation arises and who, from the PCC, to contact for support.

Copyright, Intellectual Property and Photography

The rights to any original works that you may produce in the course of volunteering will belong to the PCC, unless otherwise agreed in writing and approved by the whole PCC.

Examples include photography, artwork, graphic design and written work, including the results of research. We may use photographs of volunteers carrying out their roles for promotional purposes, such as in a leaflet or online. You may, of course, request that an image is withdrawn.

Media Relations

No comments or stories should be given directly to the media, unless your volunteer role specifically includes talking to the press or other local media. Generally, our media relations are handled by trained specialists at the Diocese and so any requests from the press, etc. should be referred to your staff contact on the PCC.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

We take great care to protect your information as part of our data protection responsibilities. As a volunteer, we expect you to protect any personal or confidential information to which you may have access.

Expenses

Volunteers may request reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, such as travel costs and, if devoting a full day to the charity, a sandwich lunch or equivalent. Payment of reasonable expenses must be authorised by your staff contact in advance and receipts or tickets will be required.

Insurance

The PCC has appropriate types of insurance in place to cover its volunteers. These include employers’ liability insurance and public liability insurance in the event of a volunteer being harmed due to the negligence of the charity, or a third party being injured as a result of the actions of a volunteer whilst performing church duties. However, our insurance does not cover your personal belongings.

Using Your Own Vehicle

The PCC does not provide motor insurance for you as a volunteer. Driving in connection with charitable volunteering is normally classified by insurers as “social, domestic and pleasure” which is part of your standard cover. We recommend that you check with your insurer but there should not be any additional cost. If we have agreed to reimburse your expenses for travelling in your own vehicle, we use the government standard mileage rate, which includes an allowance for insurance as well as fuel, maintenance, tax, etc.

Substance Abuse

Volunteering whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be accepted. We regard this as a disciplinary issue and you will be subject to instant dismissal.

Training and Development

You will have access to training or information to help you successfully carry out your volunteering role. You will be offered an appropriate induction including information about the volunteering environment and any equipment you may be using in your role. If you choose to take on an additional or alternative role or activity as a volunteer, your staff contact will be happy to help you widen or develop your skills and knowledge accordingly.

Resolving Concerns

If you have any problems or complaints about your volunteering, please talk to your PCC contact immediately. The charity takes the concerns of its volunteers very seriously and will make every reasonable effort to resolve any difficulties.

Audit and Whistle-blowing

The PCC is accountable to the Charity Commission and to the public who support us so generously. We have a responsibility to check and audit our activities to maintain our reputation as a trustworthy charity that manages donations honestly and efficiently. This includes money raised by local fundraising groups and other events. If you would like to know more, your PCC contact will be able to inform you how we do this in practice. If you find that any member of staff or volunteer is behaving in a way that is likely to bring the charity into disrepute or cause financial loss, you should let your staff contact know immediately. If, for any reason, you would rather not talk to your PCC contact, you are entitled to contact the Charity Commission.

Complaints Handling Policy

As part of your induction you should receive a copy of our complaints handling policy, in which we detail how we deal with complaints. Our policy is to try to resolve all complaints informally, although a formal procedure is available where appropriate.

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Our Church recognises that our church members and all those who visit our church or any of our church activities have the right to expect high quality services. However, we recognise that from time to time there may be occasions when users of our services feel that the quality or level of service provided falls short of what they could reasonably expect.

Your continued goodwill is greatly valued by us and we would expect to resolve any day to day difficulties or complaints informally and as quickly as possible. In the first instance we would expect you to raise any complaint directly with the church member concerned.

If all that we do does not meet expected standards, then you have the right to complain. A complaint is a written or verbal expression of dissatisfaction or disquiet about an action, or lack of action by a person acting on behalf of the church, or about the policies and procedures of the church. However, this policy does not apply to a complaint which includes an allegation that a child or adult who may be vulnerable has been harmed or is at risk of harm, or that an adult or another child may have caused harm to a child or adult who may be vulnerable; such a complaint must be dealt with in accordance with the Diocesan and Charity Commission procedures for handling allegations of abuse.

We will consider any complaint using the procedures set out below.

It is important that we give all persons the ability and information with which to complain. They should determine the seriousness of the complaint, which could be about:

• conduct of our clergy and/or some or all members of our church,
• the standard or sort of service we provide,
• discrimination,
• provision of inaccurate information, or
• poor administration including delays in responding to enquiries.

What is the purpose of the policy?

• To protect the interests of all church users and visitors
• To improve the quality of services we provide by responding to the views and needs of people affected
• To enable church users and visitors to propose improvements to our ways of working
• To protect our minister and church members
• To provide a means of monitoring our performance.

The clergy and all church members should be familiar with the process.

Complaints against clergy should be passed to the archdeacon or the area bishop.

How is a complaint dealt with?

The aim always, when responding to complaints and grievances, is to enable them to be resolved informally, speedily and fairly by discussion, problem solving, mediation and negotiation.

• The person making the complaint should in the first instance speak to the person(s) deemed responsible for the area of dissatisfaction or disquiet, and will hopefully be resolved in this way.
• If they receive no satisfactory response, they should speak to a churchwarden.
• The churchwarden, if he or she cannot deal with the complaint at once to the complainant’s satisfaction, shall ask the complainant to put the complaint in writing and reply within 5 working days of receipt.
• A complainant who remains dissatisfied may appeal in writing to the chair of the PCC.
• If the chair cannot resolve the complaint to the complainant’ satisfaction, he shall arrange for the appeal to be heard by himself and the churchwardens at a mutually convenient time and place.
• If the Chair or either of the churchwardens is the subject of the complaint, such other member of the PCC as the remaining members may appoint to replace him.
• The Chair shall inform the complainant in writing of the outcome of the appeal within 10 days of the hearing.
• If the appeal is found to be justified, the appeal panel will agree any necessary further action with the complainant.

Subject to any complaint to the Charity Commissioners (see below), the decision of the appeal panel is final and no further appeal is possible.

It is important that we give the complainant any help they need including

• Assistance in writing the formal complaint
• The opportunity to be accompanied by a friend, adviser or advocate
• Ease of access to any meeting. In some circumstances it may be possible to meet at the complainant’s home (lack of transport, disability, mobility, etc)

The PCC shall nominate a complaints handler responsible for recording all written complaints and replies and any steps taken to remedy the cause of a complaint.

The churchwardens shall keep the PCC informed of the number and nature of written complaints and the outcomes. S/he will report to the PCC on this at least annually.

A record will be kept of complaints and, unless either the complainant does not wish the complaint to be made public or the priest and churchwardens or the PCC decide otherwise, for example, because the complaint appears libellous, shall be available for inspection by any member of the congregation.

Initial Contact

If you have a complaint, contact the senior churchwarden at:

St Wilfrid’s Church

Sherborne Road

Parklands

Chichester

PO19 3AT

Please also let us know if you are happy with services at St Wilfrid’s.

When your complaint cannot be resolved

Where we have exhausted all avenues and the complainant is still dissatisfied, contact the Charity Commission as follows:

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester

Complaints Record Form

Name of complainant:

Address:

Telephone number:

Nature of complaint:

Date received:

Action taken:

Outcome:

Is it resolved?

Follow-up needed?

Date followed up

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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”).

• Who are we?

The PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester is the data controller (contact details below). This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

• How do we process your personal data?

The PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester 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: –

• To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public in a particular geographical area as specified in our constitution;
• To administer membership records;
• To fundraise and promote the interests of the charity;
• To manage our employees and volunteers;
• To maintain our own accounts and records (including the processing of gift aid applications);
• To inform you of news, events, activities and services running at St Wilfrid’s;
• What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?
• 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.
• Processing is necessary for carrying out obligations under employment, social security or social protection law, or a collective agreement;
• Processing is carried out by a not-for-profit body with a political, philosophical, religious or trade union aim provided: –
• the processing relates only to members or former members (or those who have regular contact with it in connection with those purposes); and
• there is no disclosure to a third party without consent.

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.

• 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 endnote for link].

Specifically, we retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently

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: –

• The right to request a copy of your personal data which the PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester holds about you;
• The right to request that the PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date;
• The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for the PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester to retain such data;
• The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time
• 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;
• The right to object to the processing of personal data, (where applicable) [Only applies where processing is based on legitimate interests (or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority); direct marketing and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics]
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.

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.

Contact Details

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance contact the PCC Secretary at 9 Barlow Road, Chichester, email [email protected] .

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.

Details about retention periods can currently be found in the Record Management Guides located on the Church of

England website at: – https://www.churchofengland.org/about-

us/structure/churchcommissioners/administration/librariesandarchives/recordsmanagementguides.aspx

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We use the personal data you provide on the electoral roll application form to enable us to manage, maintain and publish the electoral roll in accordance with Church Representation Rules (CRR) to:

• determine eligibility for attendance and participation at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and for election to the Parochial Church Council, deanery, diocesan and general synods where applicable;
• calculate the number of representatives who may be elected to each of these synods in the following year;
• undertake a review and revision of the electoral roll as necessary; and
• publish your name and address, by exhibiting the roll in the parish church or the church website.

What is the lawful basis for processing your personal data?

• Processing for the purpose of determining eligibility, creating the electoral roll and use of the roll to calculate numbers for election to synod is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation. The processing is a statutory requirement imposed by the Church Representation Rules, which means that you must give us this information if you want to be included on the electoral roll.
• Processing for the purpose of determining eligibility and creating or revising the electoral roll is carried out in the course of our legitimate activities, as this relates solely to members the Church of England in connection with its purposes.
• Processing for the purpose of publishing the electoral roll relates to personal data which are manifestly made public by the data subject. When you apply to have your name added to the church electoral roll, the automatic legal consequence as stated in the CRR, (Part I Formation of the Roll 1(8) and Revision of Roll and Preparation of New Roll 2(1), 2(3) and 2(7)) is that your name and address will be published, and by submitting your application form you are making that data public.

Sharing your personal data

Your personal data will be shared within the institutional Church of England and with the general public.

How long do we keep your personal data?

We keep your personal data for 6 years after a complete review of the electoral roll.

Your rights and your personal data

Unless subject to an exemption you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• The right to request a copy of your personal data which we hold about you;
• The right to request that we correct any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date;
• The right to request your personal data be erased where it is no longer necessary for us to retain such data;
• The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request that a restriction is placed on further processing;
• The right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing and to have that processing stopped;
• The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.

CoE Electoral Roll PN v1.0 2019 1

Contact Details

Mrs J Horne, PCC Secretary, 9 Barlow Road, Chichester, PO19 3LD.

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.

CoE Electoral Roll PN v1.0 2019 2

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All staff, volunteers, and standing committee members the PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester, will strive to avoid any conflict of interest between the interests of the church on the one hand, and personal, professional, and business interests on the other. This includes avoiding actual conflicts of interest as well as the perception of conflicts of interest.

The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of the PCC's decision-making process, to enable our beneficiaries and other users to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of volunteers, staff and PCC members.

This policy is in addition to good judgment rather than to replace it; and staff, volunteers and standing committee or other sub-committee members should respect its spirit as well as its wording.

Examples

Examples of conflicts of interest (though this list is not exhaustive) include:

• A PCC member who is also a user who must decide whether fees from users should be increased.
• A PCC member who is related to a member of staff and there is decision to be taken on staff pay and/or conditions.
• A PCC member who is also on the committee of another organisation that is competing for the same funding or use of the church hall.
• A PCC member who has shares in a business that may be awarded a contract to do work or provide services for the organisation.

Voluntary disclosure

Upon appointment each PCC member will make a full, written disclosure of interests, such as relationships, and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file and will be updated as appropriate.

In the course of meetings or activities, PCC members will disclose any interests in a transaction or decision where there may be a conflict between the PCC’s best interests and the PCC members’ personal best interests or a conflict between the best interests of two organisations that the committee members are involved with. A member who has disclosed a conflict of interest may be asked to leave the room for the discussion and may not be able to take part in the decision, depending on the judgement of the other committee members present at the time.

Minutes of the PCC

Any such disclosure and the subsequent actions taken will be noted in the minutes.

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• The organisation meets its legal and other statutory obligations, such as Charities Acts, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs and common law.
• The PCC has proper financial control of the organisation.
• The organisation meets the contractual obligations and requirements of funders.
• The books of accounts must include:
• A record analysing all the transactions appearing on the bank accounts
• A petty cash record if cash payments are being made.
• Inland Revenue deductions record (if registered for PAYE)
• Accounts must be drawn up at the end of each financial year within 3 months of the financial year end

and presented to the next Annual Parochial Church Meeting.

• At the first PCC meeting of each year, the PCC will approve a budgeted income and expenditure account

for the year.

• A report comparing actual income and expenditure with the budget should be presented to the PCC

every three months or whenever meetings take place.

• The APCM will appoint an appropriately qualified independent examiner to examine the accounts before

presentation to the next APCM.

Banking

• The PCC will bank with Barclays Bank plc and accounts will be held in the name of the PCC of St Wilfrid Chichester The following accounts will be maintained:
• Church Deposit Account (Barclays)
• Church Deposit Account (Nationwide)
• Church Current Account No 1
• Church Current Account No 2
• The bank mandate (list of people who can sign cheques on the PCC’s behalf) will always be approved and minuted by the PCC Members annually; as will any changes to it.
• The PCC will require the bank to provide statements every month and these will be reconciled with the accounting records at least every three months and the Independent Examiner will be required to spot check that this reconciliation has been done at least twice a year.
• The PCC will not use any other bank or financial institution or use overdraft facilities or loan without of the agreement of the PCC Members.

Income

• All monies received will be recorded promptly in the cash analysis record and banked without delay, including sundry receipts such as payment for telephone calls, photocopying etc. The PCC will maintain files of documentation to back this up.

St Wilfrid, Chichester

Payments (expenditure)

• The aim is to ensure that all expenditure is properly the PCC's activities and is properly authorised and that this can be demonstrated. The latest approved budget provides the cheque signatories with authority to spend up to the budgeted expenditure, not beyond it.
• The Treasurer will be responsible for holding the cheque books (including unused and partly used cheque books) which should be kept under lock and key.
• No-one is authorised to sign blank cheques.
• The relevant payee's name will always be inserted on the cheque before signature and the cheque stub will always be properly completed.
• No cheques should be signed without original documentation (see below).

Payment documentation

• Every payment out of the PCC's bank accounts will be evidenced by an original invoice (never against a supplier's statement or final demand). That original invoice will be retained by the PCC and filed. The cheque signatory should ensure that it is referenced with:
• Cheque number
• Date cheque drawn
• Amount of cheque
• The only exceptions to cheques not being supported by an original invoice are Items such as advanced booking fees for a future course, deposit for a venue, VAT, etc. Here a cheque requisition form will be used, and a photocopy of the cheque kept.
• Wages and Salaries. There will be a clear trail to show the authority and reason for EVERY such payment; e.g. a cheque requisition form asking for payment to an employee, HMRC etc. All employees will be paid within the PAYE and National Insurance regulations.
• All staff appointments/departures will be authorised by the PCC, minuting the dates and salary level. Similarly, all changes in hours and variable payments such as overtime, etc, will be authorised by the PCC.
• The PCC will, if presented with a properly evidenced expense claim, reimburse expenditure paid for personally without prior approval of the whole PCC, providing:
• No-one acting alone will commit the PCC to pay for any expenditure exceeding £150
• The Standing Committee is authorised to commit the PCC to expenditure not exceeding £1,500
• Each Churchwarden may commit the PCC to expenditure not exceeding £1,500
• Each sub-committee may commit the PCC to expenditure not exceeding £1,500 with a Churchwarden’s approval
• The Treasurer is not authorised to commit the PCC to expenditure without prior approval of the Standing Committee.
• Fares are evidenced by tickets.
• Other expenditure is evidenced by original receipts.
• Car mileage is based on official scales.
• No cheque signatory signs for the payment of expenses to themselves.

St Wilfrid, Chichester

Cheque Signatures

• Each cheque will be signed by at least two people.
• A cheque must not be signed by the person to whom it is payable

Online banking

The PCC will maintain a proper charity bank account using approved software that requires a minimum of two online signatories to authorise every transaction. The use of personal banking software requiring only one authoriser is NOT permitted.

Other rules

• The PCC does not accept liability for any financial commitment unless properly authorised. Any orders placed, or undertakings given, which are likely to cost the PCC in excess of the sums in paragraph 6 must be authorised and minuted by the PCC.
• In exceptional circumstances such undertakings can be made with the Standing Committee’s approval who will then provide full details to the next meeting of the PCC. (This covers such items as the new service contracts, office equipment, purchase and hire).
• All fundraising and grant applications undertaken on behalf of the PCC will be done in the name of the PCC and, with the prior approval of the Members or, in urgent situations the approval of the Standing Committee who will provide full details to the next PCC meeting.
• The PCC will adhere to good practice in relation to its finances at all times, e.g. when relevant it will set up and maintain a fixed asset register stating the date of purchase, cost, serial numbers and normal location of assets. Additionally, the PCC will maintain a property record of items of significant value, with an appropriate record of their use.

Approved by the PCC on 10th December 2020

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The PCC of St Wilfrid’s, Chichester, is an incorporated charity, whose purpose is the promotion of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the doctrines and practices of the Church of England. The PCC has the responsibility of co-operating with the incumbent in promoting in the ecclesiastical parish the whole mission of the Church pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical.

The PCC's reserve policy is to hold six months of planned expenditure as reserves to ensure continued financial security and to provide for contingencies.

Investment objectives

The PCC seeks to produce the best financial return within an acceptable level of risk.

The investment objective for any long term reserves is to generate a return in excess of inflation over the long term whilst generating an income to support the on-going activities of the church.

The investment objective for short term reserves is to preserve the capital value with a minimum level of risk. Assets should be readily available to meet unanticipated cash flow requirements.

Our attitude to risk

The PCC is reliant on fund raising and donations for its activities.

The key risk to the long term reserves is inflation, and the assets should be invested to mitigate this risk over the long term. The trustees understand that this is likely to mean that investment will be concentrated in real assets and that the capital value will fluctuate.

The short term reserves are held to provide financial security, and may be required at short notice. As such capital volatility cannot be tolerated and investment of these assets should be focused on minimising this.

Assets

The finance committee are charged with agreeing a suitable asset allocation strategy for the reserves with the investment committee.

Currency

Short term reserves should be held in Sterling. Within any long-term reserves, investment may be made in non-Sterling assets, but should not exceed 50% of the total investment portfolio value.

Credit

The PCC's cash balances should be deposited with institutions with a minimum rating of A- or invested in a diversified money market fund.

Deposits should be spread by counterparty, subject to a maximum exposure of £85,000.00 per institution in accordance with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme limits.

Liquidity Requirements

Income from any long term reserves will be used to fund the PCC's activities. A target income will be agreed with the investment manager on an annual basis, to enable effective budgeting.

Management, Reporting and Monitoring

The PCC has nominated a list of authorised signatories, two of which are required to sign instructions.

The treasurer reports to every meeting of the PCC.

Approval and Review

This Investment Policy Statement will be reviewed on annual basis.

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Our policy, so far as is reasonably practicable, is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions, equipment and systems of work for all our employees, casual labour and voluntary helpers, and to provide such information, training and supervision as they need for this purpose.

We will also endeavour to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all members of the congregation, contractors, visitors and others who may visit the church, churchyard and any associated buildings.

The allocation of duties for safety matters and the particular arrangements that we will make to implement the policy are set out in the Health & Safety Policy Document, kept in a green folder in the vestry and managed by the churchwardens.

The policy will be kept up to date, particularly in the light of any changes to our buildings or activities. To ensure this, the policy and the way in which it has operated will be reviewed regularly and the appropriate changes made. In order to ensure that Health & Safety matters are kept constantly under review, an item on Health & Safety will be on the agenda for all meetings of the Parochial Church Council, and sub committees where they exist and employees and voluntary workers will be consulted on a regular basis in order to seek their views on Health & Safety matters.

Health and Safety is Everybody’s Business!

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A summary of the hazards identified across the church building, the community hall and the grounds, who might be harmed, the controls already in place and the further actions agreed by the PCC.

The full assessment is a table of hazards, controls and actions – please download the PDF to read it.

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Covers setting up and running fairs and fundraising events: stalls and tables, food preparation and hygiene, electrical equipment, cash handling, crowd movement, children at events and clearing away afterwards.

The full assessment is a table of hazards, controls and actions – please download the PDF to read it.

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Sets out fire hazards in the church and hall, people at risk, fire detection and extinguishers, escape routes and signage, and the checks carried out by the PCC and hall management.

The full assessment is a table of hazards, controls and actions – please download the PDF to read it.

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Covers the condition and storage of the church step ladders and their use by the flower team and cleaning volunteers. Work above two metres is carried out by contractors with appropriate equipment.

The full assessment is a table of hazards, controls and actions – please download the PDF to read it.

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Covers the personal safety of clergy, officers and volunteers – including lone working, opening and locking the buildings, handling money and dealing with challenging behaviour.

The full assessment is a table of hazards, controls and actions – please download the PDF to read it.

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