Data protection
POTTERS BAR BAPTIST CHURCH – General
Under Data Protection legislation the church Charity Trustees of Potters Bar Baptist Church are the Data Controller.
We keep specific information about church members (including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and baptismal information) to enable the church to keep in touch with you and provide pastoral support as appropriate.
Data Protection legislation allows us to process this information as we regard it as being in the church's legitimate interest.
If you are not a church member but have provided personal information to us so that we can keep in contact with you and/or include you in our church directory we will only use you information in the way you have given us permission to. In these circumstances you may ask for your details to be deleted at any time.
Your name and contact details will be entered into our database which is held on the Minister's and Church Secretary's computers which are password protected and accessed only by the Minister and Church Secretary. Your contact details will be removed from the database once you are no longer a part of the church family – unless you ask to remain on it.
To enable us to provide adequate pastoral support to you and your family, the Minister may record information that may be regarded as sensitive. This information will be stored (in password protected documents) on the Minister's computer but the password will only be known by the Minister. This information will NOT be disclosed to anyone else without your consent.
You have the right to ask to see any information we hold about you (including the pastoral support information) by submitting a "Subject Access Request" to the Church Secretary. You also have the right to ask for information which you believe to be incorrect to be rectified.
If you are concerned about the way your information is being handled please speak to our Data Protection Trustee. If you are still unhappy you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office
Privacy Notice
You may be aware that Data Protection laws are changing. This means that companies, charities and organisations have to make changes to the way they collect and manage information about people. This is true for churches too.
So what follows is a legal privacy notice from Potters Bar Baptist Church about the way in which we collect and store personal information. If you are part of our envelope giving scheme or have signed up to gift aid here there will be a separate notice issued.
In the coming days we will be asking everyone who is part of our church family, or connected to us, to fill in a new contact form, just to make sure we are both up to date and legally compliant. But for now please read on to see how we will use and store and information we have about you.
Safeguarding Policy
SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT FOR POTTERS BAR BAPTIST CHURCH
Our vision
The vision statement of church is to make fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ, creating with Him, His community in the heart of our neighbourhood.
In fulfilling this vision, we:
- Welcome children and adults at risk into the life of our community.
- Run activities for children and adults at risk.
- Make our premises available to organisation’s working with children and adults at risk.
Our safeguarding responsibilities
The church recognises its responsibility in safeguarding all children, young people (under the age of 18), and adults at risk, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or ability.
As members of this church, we commit ourselves to the nurturing, protection, and safekeeping of all associated with the church and will pray for them regularly.
In pursuit of this, we commit ourselves to this policy and to the development of sound procedures to ensure we implement our policy well.
Prevention and reporting of abuse
It is the duty of each church member to help prevent the abuse of children and adults at risk, and the duty of each church member to respond to concerns about the well-being of children and adults at risk. Any abuse disclosed, discovered, or suspected will be reported in accordance with our procedures. The church will fully co-operate with any statutory investigation into any suspected abuse linked with the church.
Safer recruitment, support, and supervision of workers
The church will exercise proper care in the selection and appointment of those working with children and adults at risk, whether paid or voluntary. All workers will be provided with appropriate training, support, and supervision to promote the safekeeping of children and adults at risk.
Respecting children and adults at risk
The church will adopt a code of behaviour for all who are appointed to work with children and adults at risk so that all children and adults are shown the respect that is due to them.
Safer working practices
The church is committed to providing a safe environment for activities with children and adults at risk and will adopt ways of working with them that promote their safety and well-being.
A safer community
The church is committed to the prevention of bullying. The church will seek to ensure that the behaviour of any individual who may pose a risk to children, young people, and adults at risk in the community of the church is managed appropriately.
Safeguarding contact points within our church
The church has appointed the following individuals to form part of the church safeguarding team:
Pamela Llewellyn, Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS)
She will advise the church on any matters related to the safeguarding of children and adults at risk and take the appropriate action when abuse is disclosed, discovered or suspected.
Email: safeguarding@pbbc.org.uk
Pam Murphy, Safeguarding Trustee
She will raise the profile of safeguarding within the church and oversee and monitor the implementation of the safeguarding policy and procedures on behalf of the church trustees.
Email: safeguarding@pbbc.org.uk
Our church minister is also an important part of the Church Safeguarding Team. Where possible, the Church Safeguarding Team will work together if and when issues arise. However, each person has a responsibility to report allegations of abuse as soon as they are raised.
(Further definitions of these roles can be found in Appendix 4 – Safeguarding Roles and Responsibilities)
Putting our policy into practice
- A copy of the safeguarding policy statement will be displayed permanently on the church noticeboard in the corridor.
- Each worker with children and/or adults at risk will be given a full copy of the safeguarding policy and procedures and will be asked to sign to confirm that they will follow them.
- A full copy of the policy and procedures will be made available on request to any member of, or other person associated with, the church.
- The policy and procedures will be monitored and reviewed annually, and any necessary revisions adopted into the policy and implemented through our procedures.
- The policy statement will be read annually at our September (OCM) ordinary church members meeting, together with a report on the outcome of the annual safeguarding review.
