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Safeguarding

Here at Steyning Parish Church we take the safety of everyone seriously, especially children, young people and adults at risk of harm.

Whom to Contact

If you have any concerns about the safety of a child, young person or vulnerable adult at our church please contact our Safeguarding Officer, Christine Aubrey. You can email her at safeguarding@steyningparishchurch.org or ‭telephone 01903 879986‬. Our Vicar, Fr Mark may be also be contacted at vicar@steyningparishchurch.org or on ‭01903 879877. Please do not delay. Any such concern must also be referred to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team within 24 hours. 

If the SITUATION IS URGENT, you should follow the steps below

Help from Outside the Parish

If you are a child or young person and you would like to talk about something you are worried or concerned about – or if you are worried about a friend – this link will take you to the Childline website, or you can telephone Childline on 0800 1111.

If you are an adult and you need to access support about something that is happening or has happened to you, or if you have a safeguarding concern for someone else please click on this link to find out how you can do. Scroll down or click on the menu to find links to various support option and people to contact.

Survivor Support Services

Anyone who feels they have experienced any kind of church-related abuse through the Church of England (or the Church in Wales or the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales) may contact SAFE SPACES — a free support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space, run completely independently by Victim Support. Abuse may include (but is not limited to) sexual violence, inappropriate sexual behaviour, physical abuse, financial abuse or exploitation, psychological abuse (including spiritual abuse), domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour. A list of further national resources for victims and survivors is available on the Church of England website, whereas more local contacts are listed on the diocesan safeguarding site here.

Dealing with Urgent Situations

Whenever you think either a child or an adult is in immediate danger, you should inform the police on 999. At other times if you wish to report a safeguarding concern about a person aged 18 or under to the statutory authorities in West Sussex, please click on this link or telephone 01403 229900, during office hours, or 03302 226664 at other times. Alternatively you may email the Integrated Front Door service at West Sussex Children’s Services, email WSChildrenServices@westsussex.gov.uk
address: Floor 1, County Hall North, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XH.

To find out how to report a concern about an adult, please click here

If a concern is church-related please inform the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and/or our Parish Safeguarding Officer after you have contacted the statutory authorities.

To contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, please click on this link.

Whistleblowing

Please  click here for advice if you have concerns about how we observe and operate safeguarding procedures in the Church of England Parish of Steyning.