Safeguarding

The LMS Designated Safeguarding Person is David Forster.  David can be contacted at safeguarding@lms.org.uk.

 

Safeguarding Policy and Procedure

Name of Organization:Latin Mass Society (LMS)
Name of Policy: Safeguarding Policy and Procedure for Children, Young People and Adults at Risk
Ratified by: The Board of Trustees Date: 3rd March 2018
Date for review: June 2019.
Last reviewed June 2021. Date for review June 2022.
At Masses and events organised by the LMS (as opposed to those that are parish/diocesan Masses or events) we uphold the following:

General Principles

Every human being has a value which we acknowledge as coming directly from God's creation of male and female in his own image and likeness. We believe therefore that all people should be valued, supported and protected from harm. We recognise the personal dignity and rights of vulnerable people towards whom the Church has a special responsibility. The LMS and its individual members will undertake appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all, by practising fully and positively Christ's Ministry towards children, young people and adults and responding sensitively and compassionately to their needs in order to help keep them safe from harm. This is demonstrated by the provision of carefully planned activities for children, young people and adults, caring for those hurt by abuse and ministering to and robustly managing those who have caused harm. The LMS is committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church and affirm a ‘One Church’ approach to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk through the promotion of a sustained culture of constant vigilance. The 'best interests' or 'paramount chief principle', which underpins and is enshrined in child and adult protection legislation, shall be the primary consideration in all matters of safeguarding. If the LMS (or its Representative) procures a volunteer to undertake a role on its behalf (including altar serving) whereby it can reasonably be assumed that contact with a person under 18 or a vulnerable adult is likely, a Data Barring Service or DBS disclosure should be obtained before the person identified can undertake the task. To this end, the LMS has an agreement in place with the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service to process such checks.

Children & Young People: Identification, Reporting & Response

The LMS embraces its role in supporting children to achieve their full potential in an environment where they are protected from exploitation, abuse and maltreatment.

Identification

All LMS volunteers will receive adequate safeguarding training to enable them to recognise possible signs of abuse, neglect and maltreatment, and to feel confident to report any concerns, however minor, to the LMS Safeguarding Lead, whose contact details are at the end of this document.

Reporting and Referrals

All adults have a responsibility to act and intervene when it appears that children need to be made safe from harm, whether the risk of harm is neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse or emotional abuse. The LMS will act in an open, transparent and accountable way in working in partnership with Children's Social Care Services, the Police, Health Agencies, Probation Providers and other agencies to safeguard children and assist in bringing to justice anyone acting in their name who has committed an offence against a child. Anyone who brings concerns or allegations to the notice of the LMS will be responded to sensitively, respectfully and seriously. All concerns and allegations will be dealt with within the national procedures and in a timely manner. LMS volunteers will also be instructed that their position is one of trust in relation to all children and young people. As such, they are prohibited from engaging in any form of relationship outside LMS duties with children and young people under the age of 18. This includes social media. Engagement with individuals in sexual relationships after the age of 18 may also be prosecuted, as grooming may have taken place while the individual was a minor (See sexual offences Act 2003) Any emailed or texted correspondence with children will take place in full sight (for example copied in) of other responsible adults, including parents, carers, and legal guardians. The LMS is fully committed to acting within the legislative framework of the Children Act 1989, and guidance as set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2015), What to do if you’re worried a child is being abused (2015), and acknowledges that we must work in partnership with other agencies and not act alone. Pastoral care will be made available to children and their families and to other relevant people where there have been concerns and allegations of some form of harm or maltreatment of a child. Where services and support are provided to an adult, who has acted to harm a child, safeguards should be put in place to manage the risk that the adult may harm another child.

Key Principles Adults at Risk

The LMS is fully committed to work in relation to Adults, who may be at risk of verbal, physical or sexual abuse or maltreatment. We will:

• Work actively and constructively within the framework set out in the Care Act 2014 and Social Services and Well-being Act (Wales) 2014, and with associated statutory and good practice guidance;
• Actively promote the empowerment and well-being of adults;
• Recognise that everyone has the right to live their life free from violence, fear and abuse;
• Recognise that adults have the right to be protected from harm and exploitation;
• Recognise that adults have the right to independence that involves a degree of risk;
• Act in an open, transparent and accountable way in working in partnership with Adult Social Care Services, the Police, Health Agencies, Probation Providers and other agencies to safeguard adults and assist in bringing to justice anyone acting in the name of the Church who has committed an offence against an adult.

This policy applies to the board of Trustees, all employees, volunteers or anyone working or acting on behalf of the LMS. The purpose of this policy is to:

• Protect children and young people who receive LMS’s services. This includes the children of adults who use our services.
• Provide those working on behalf of LMS with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding and child protection
• LMS believes that a child or young person should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.

We are committed to promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively across our entire organization/group. We uphold these principles in our behaviours and practices towards everybody who works for our organisation and those who use or take part in our activities. Everyone involved in or dealing with the LMS is entitled to be treated fairly, honestly, and with compassion. Nobody should be subjected to bullying, harassment or unlawful discrimination. This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely: Children Act 1989 United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991 Data Protection Act 1998 Human Rights Act 1998 Sexual Offences Act 2003 Children Act 2004 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Children and Families Act 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) code of practice for 0 to 25 years: Statutory guidance 2014 Information sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers 2015 Working together to safeguard children: A guide to interagency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children 2015 Keeping Children Safe in Education 2015

Procedures

Procedures to be followed if somebody is concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk or if an allegation of abuse is made. If an employee or volunteer receives an allegation or is concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk they must report this in the first instance to the group leader/safeguarding person/lead for the organization. If this person is not available the concern or allegation should be referred to the Safeguarding Officer for the parish/diocese concerned and, at the earliest opportunity, to the LMS’s Designated Safeguarding Person (contact details below). In cases where an allegation is made against the group leader/safeguarding person/lead, the matter should first be referred to the Chairman of the LMS (contact details below) and to the Safeguarding Officer for the parish/diocese concerned. If a child or adult is considered to be at immediate risk of harm, the matter should be referred directly to the Police. The LMS Safeguarding Person/Lead must be notified at the earliest opportunity. The safeguarding person/lead will usually seek consent from parents/carers to make a referral to the Local Authority Children’s Services Department. However, if the concerns are considered to be a child protection matter, no consent is required as to involve the parents or refusal to make the referral might compromise the safety of the child. Information will be shared with families, unless to do so would compromise a child’s safety as directed by statutory agencies. A record of concerns and actions must be made in writing and provided to the safeguarding person/lead within 24 hours or, in cases of emergency, immediately.

Safer Recruitment Procedures

Safer recruitment practice is an essential part of the Latin Mass Society’s approach to safeguarding. When recruiting staff and volunteers the following procedures will be followed.

Advertising

When seeking to appoint paid staff, vacancies will be advertised in relevant forums/publications, which may include Catholic newspapers or periodicals, the LMS’s website and social media. A full job description and person specification will be agreed and made available. These will include a statement about our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and Adults at Risk and reference to the need for the successful applicant to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate. When seeking to appoint volunteers, advertising may be done via the above channels but also through our network of clergy, members and current volunteers.

Application form

Applicants for paid vacancies, will be required to submit a completed application form, which will include, but not limited to: Identifying details of the applicant Details of any academic and/or vocational qualifications Employment history A statement of the skills and abilities, and competencies/experience that the applicant believes are relevant to the post and how s/he meets the person specification; Details of at least two referees DBS Disclosure and self-declaration of relevant offences for eligible paid and volunteer roles will be requested.

Interviews and selection

For paid vacancies, formal interviews will be conducted by at least three Trustees of the LMS, with or without assistance from others with suitable experience to the vacancy. For the recruitment of volunteers for events and Local and Assistant Representatives, this may be done by formal discussion with the event organiser and/or the General Manager. Appointments will be scrutinised and endorsed by the Trustees. Such appointments are subject to formal annual review by the Trustees.

Contact Details

Latin Mass Society, 9 Mallow Street, London EC1Y 8RQ. Phone: 020 7404 7284 Email: info@lms.org.uk

Designated Safeguarding Person/Lead Name: Mr David Forster Email: safeguarding@lms.org.uk
Mr Forster can also be contact via the LMS office on the number above.

Latin Mass Society Chairman Name: Dr Joseph Shaw Email: oxford@lms.org.uk Phone: 01993 812874 Mobile: 07525 356686

Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency Email: admin@catholicsafeguarding.org.uk Phone: 020 7901 1920 Operational hours: 9am to 5pm, Mondays – Fridays

Police Emergency: 999. Non-emergency: 101

NSPCC 24-hour Helpline 0808 800 5000

Childline 0800 1111