We have a duty of care to all beneficiaries of the ministry, whether adults or children. We will maintain confidentiality at all times, except in circumstances where to do so would place the individual or another individual at risk of harm. 

Our ministry will appoint two Safeguarding Officers for safeguarding children and adults.  Their responsibilities will be to:

• Act as the first point of contact for staff, volunteers, parents and young people where concerns about welfare, poor practice or abuse are identified.
• Work with others in Obedience to ensure a positive and safe environment for all.
• Promote best-practice guidance and/or code of conduct and anti-discriminatory practice within Obedience.
• Assist Obedience with developing strategies in fulfiling its responsibilities to safeguard its members.
• Assist Obedience with implementing its safeguarding plans, reporting and recording procedures.
• Ensure safeguarding training and information is provided to members of Obedience where required.
  
• Ensure appropriate confidentiality is maintained in keeping with UK law.

Obedience has a policy in place of discouraging leaders, volunteers or anyone else in a position of responsibility from offering counselling in a private setting to the opposite sex whether in person or virtually, except if it is absolutely necessary. Our preferred approach to counselling and helping members through their personal problems is based on a preference for a same-gender approach to counselling.

Where counselling is offered to the opposite sex on an ongoing basis, disclosure will be made to the Executive Leadership Team for the purposes of transparency.

For each event that requires an overnight stay, appropriate consent forms will be used for children under 18 and appropriate records will be kept.

Activities will also be organised in accordance with Obedience good practice guidelines so as to promote a safe environment and healthy relationships, whilst minimising opportunities for harm, misunderstanding or false accusation. 

If a child, young person or adult makes a disclosure that they are being abused and/or an allegation of abuse against someone, it is important that the person being told: 

• Stays calm and listens carefully.
• Reassures them that they have done the right thing in talking about it.
• Treats the allegation with the utmost care and direction
• Makes a written record of the allegation, disclosure or incident and signs and dates this record.

All this information should then be stored securely.

If there is an immediate threat of harm, the Police should be contacted without delay. 

Where it is judged that there is no immediate threat of harm, the following will occur:

• The concern should be discussed with the Safeguarding Officer and a decision made as to whether the concern warrants a referral to the statutory authorities.
• A confidential record will be made of the conversation and the circumstances.
• This record will be kept securely and a copy passed to statutory authorities if a referral is made. 

We will inform the Safeguarding Officer(s) so that they can offer advice and support, and we will contact the relevant statutory authority if needed.