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Policies

Safeguarding

Spirit of Life Reformed Baptist Church is committed to providing an environment in which children, young people, adults at risk, members, visitors, employees and volunteers are treated with dignity and protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect and improper use of authority.

“Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy.”

Psalm 82:3–4

Safeguarding is not merely our response after serious harm has occurred. It includes the ordinary habits, boundaries, recruitment decisions, supervision and accountability by which we seek to reduce opportunities for harm before it occurs. The reputation of the church or of any leader, fear of scandal, concern about litigation, institutional loyalty, or a wish to resolve a matter privately will never take precedence over the protection of a child or adult at risk.

Raising a concern

You do not need proof before raising a concern, and you do not need anyone’s permission to contact the police or a statutory safeguarding agency. No church officer can veto a lawful external referral.

  1. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 first — nothing else has to happen before that.
  2. Tell the Designated Safeguarding Lead or the Deputy Safeguarding Lead as soon as you can.
  3. Write down what you were told, in the person’s own words, as soon as possible afterwards.
  4. Do not investigate the matter yourself, and never promise to keep it secret.
  5. If the concern involves the lead, an elder or the person you would normally report to, take it to one of the other routes below instead.

Who to speak to in the church

  • Designated Safeguarding Lead

    Receives and records safeguarding concerns, and coordinates any referral.

    Name and contact details: to be confirmed — the church will publish its named officers here once they are appointed.

  • Deputy Safeguarding Lead

    Handles a concern that involves the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

    Name and contact details: to be confirmed — the church will publish its named officers here once they are appointed.

  • Safeguarding Trustee

    Carries the trustees’ responsibility for safeguarding, and handles concerns involving senior leaders.

    Name and contact details: to be confirmed — the church will publish its named officers here once they are appointed.

Statutory contacts

If a concern involves a church leader, or you would rather not raise it within the church, you may go directly to any of these.

  • If someone is in immediate danger

    999

    Call 999 before anything else.

  • Children — Bristol First Response

    0117 903 6444

    The professional route for a child safeguarding concern.

  • Emergency Duty Team

    01454 615 165

    An urgent concern outside office hours that cannot wait.

  • Bristol LADO

    0117 903 7795

    Allegations about an adult who works with children.

    LADO@bristol.gov.uk

  • Adults — Bristol Care Direct

    0117 922 2700

    Adult safeguarding referrals for Bristol.

  • Police non-emergency

    101

    To report a crime or a concern that is not an emergency.

The full safeguarding policy

The complete Safeguarding and Protection Policy sets out our biblical foundation, safer recruitment, the code of conduct, working with children and adults at risk, digital safeguarding, responding to a disclosure, reporting routes, DBS referrals, and the recording forms and appendices that go with it.

Working Draft — Version 1.0. The document opens in your browser, where it can be read, printed or saved as a PDF. The church reviews it at least annually.

Read or print the full policy

A paper copy is available on request, as are the church’s other policies — see Policies.