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Contents

1. Key Terms and Definitions
2. Key Roles

1. Key Terms and Definitions

The statutory agencies use a range of terms which are defined in 'Keywords and Contacts', accessible from the button at the left hand side of every screen.

Terminology used within the Church is defined in 'Catholic Keywords', also available from the left hand side of every screen.

These resources provide some of the main definitions to assist you in understanding what is meant by child abuse, child protection and safeguarding as well as vulnerable adults. The words are often used to explain a wide range of situations, issues or acts. It is important to remember that if you are not sure what someone means, for example a police officer or social worker, you must ask for clarification.

Below is a summary of the key terms used in this manual (full lists are available as described above):

Children who have not yet reached their 18th birthday	Throughout the Manual, the term "child" is used to include all children and young people who have not yet reached their 18th birthday.  The fact that a child has reached 16 years of age, is  living independently or is in further education, is a member of the armed forces, in hospital, in prison or in a Young Offender's institution, does not change his or her status or entitlement to services or protection under the Children Act 1989.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children	Protecting children from maltreatment Preventing impairment of children's health and development Ensuring that children are growing up with safe and effective care Enabling children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully
Child Protection	is a part of safeguarding and refers to the activities undertaken to protect specific children who are suffering or are at risk of suffering Significant Harm.
Significant Harm	'harm' means ill-treatment or the impairment of health or development, including for example, impairment suffered from seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another; 'development' means physical. intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; 'health' means physical or mental health; and 'ill-treatment' includes sexual abuse and forms of ill-treatment which are not physical. Where the question of whether harm suffered by a child is significant turns on the child's health and development, the health or development shall be compared with that which could reasonably be expected of a similar child e.g. of similar age,gender,culture etcetera (S 31 (9) (10) of the Children Act 1989 as amended by the Adoption and Children Act 2002)
Child Abuse and Neglect	are forms of maltreatment of a child. Somebody may abuse or neglect a child by inflicting harm, or by failing to act to prevent  harm.  Children may be abused in a family or  in an institutional or community setting, by  those known to them or, more rarely, by a  stranger for example, via the internet. They may be abused by an adult or  adults, or another child or children.
Physical abuse	may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.
Emotional abuse	is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. It may include not giving the child opportunities to express their views, deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. These may include interactions that are beyond the child’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing the child participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyberbullying), causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger, or the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
Sexual abuse	involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing and touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images , watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming a child in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can other children.
Neglect	is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse.  Once a child is born, or at any age, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to: provide adequate food, clothing and shelter ( including exclusion from home or abandonment) protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate carers) or ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs. These definitions are from Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010.
Vulnerable Adult A vulnerable adult is a person aged 18 or over, 'who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.' ('Who decides') Lord Chancellor's Department 1997 and Section 2 'No Secrets', Department of Health and the Home Office (2000). The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 defines a vulnerable adult as follows: 'A person is vulnerable in the context of the setting in which they are situated or the service they receive as follows; those in residential accommodation provided in connection with care or nursing or in receipt of domiciliary care services those receiving health care those in lawful custody or under the supervision of a probation officer those receiving a welfare service of a prescribed description or direct payments from a social services authority those receiving services, or taking part in activities ,aimed at people with disabilities or special needs because of their age or state of health those who need assistance in the conduct of their affairs  A person's level of vulnerability may increase or decrease according to the circumstances they experience at any given time. Vulnerable adults could include people with: learning or physical disabilities a sensory impairment mental health needs who are HIV positive substance misuse needs dementia 'Abuse is a violation of a person's human and civil rights by another person or persons' ('No Secrets', DoH 2000). 'Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts.  It may be physical, verbal or psychological, it may be an act of neglect or an omission to act or it may occur when a vulnerable person is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which he or she has not consented or cannot consent.  Abuse can occur in any relationship and may result in significant harm to or exploitation of the person subjected to it.' ('No Secrets', DoH 2000). A consensus has emerged identifying the following main different forms of abuse, whether deliberate, through negligence or ignorance: Physical abuse: Sexual abuse: Psychological abuse: Financial or material abuse: Neglect and acts of omission: Discriminatory abuse: Applying these definitions to different circumstances may not always be easy.  Many situations may involve combinations of these elements.  If there is difficulty in defining a situation this should be discussed with the Safeguarding Officer/Co coordinator. The Religious Safeguarding Coordinators will link in and consult with their diocesan colleagues as appropriate.

2. Key Roles

This summarises the key roles/terms used in this Manual.

Concerns about a person in a position of trust

Where the concerns or allegation are about another adult in a position of trust within the church, do not inform the person in question as you might prejudice any police investigations, always contact the Local Safeguarding  Representative, Safeguarding Officer or Safeguarding Coordinator immediately. Where the allegation concerns the person you would usually refer to, the next available Safeguarding Officer/Coordinator should be contacted.

Advice can also be sought from CSAS. See Section 4, Assessing Risks and Taking Action, of the People in a Position of Trust Procedure.

Local Safeguarding Representative 

Each parish within the Church must have an identified Local Safeguarding Representative who will be known to the particular setting and be contactable for advice as well as a link to the Safeguarding Officer and the Safeguarding Coordinator. They will advise within the Parish on all matters of child protection and the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in conjunction with the Safeguarding Officer/Coordinator for the Diocese.

Within the Religious this responsibility rests with the Religious Safeguarding Representative acting in conjunction with the Religious Safeguarding Coordinator attached to the relevant regional Safeguarding Commission.

The Local Safeguarding Representative will have received training and have some knowledge of child protection and safeguarding matters.  The forms to be used for recording and contact numbers to local statutory services are available from the Local Safeguarding Representative.

When a referral to the statutory agencies is made (see Section 2.1.2, Referring, of the Children and Young People Procedure, and Section 2.2.2 Referring, of the Vulnerable Adults Procedure) it may be made by the Local Safeguarding Representative in the first instance but he/she must inform the Safeguarding Officer or the Safeguarding Coordinator for the Diocese or Religious Congregation by noon the next working day and pass on all information to them in writing as soon as practicable.

Safeguarding Officer (known as Safeguarding Advisor in some Dioceses)

The Safeguarding Officer will liaise with all the Local Safeguarding Representatives in their specific area and provide advice and guidance where concerns are raised or allegations made. They will have contacts with the statutory agencies in their area and are the point for making referrals to the Police or Children's Social Care Services/ Adult Social Care Services in most circumstances.

They will keep records securely and will have active links with local statutory agencies.

They are accountable to the Bishop and Trustees through the Diocesan Safeguarding Commission and the Congregation Leader. It is part of their role to implement policies and appropriate practice in the Diocese and Congregation and to advise the Safeguarding Commission as well as informing the Bishop and Congregation Leader on all matters of child protection and safeguarding, whether it is about developing and implementing practice and preventative policies or managing individual cases.

The Safeguarding Officer will work closely with the Safeguarding Coordinators.

Safeguarding Coordinators 

The Safeguarding Coordinators are accountable to the Bishop, Congregational Leader or Seminary Rector and the appropriate Trustees for leading and managing child protection and safeguarding policy and practice and the implementation thereof in the Diocese and Congregation.

They will take the lead in creating appropriate practice in the prevention of child and vulnerable adult abuse within the Church and in responding to child protection and vulnerable adult protection matters.

They will inform and advise the Bishop on appropriate practise in managing all matters relating to concerns and allegations of abuse.

The Safeguarding Coordinators will develop regular links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and Adult Social Care Services in their area.

All allegations and referrals must be notified to the Safeguarding Coordinator and all information must be provided to them in a timely manner.

Role of Trustees

Charity trustees are ultimately responsible for ensuring that those benefiting from, or working with, their charity can do so safely. Trustees have a duty to ensure that there is an appropriate safeguarding policy in place, which is updated regularly and implemented properly. Trustees are also responsible for ensuring that incidents are reported to Insurers where necessary, and for reporting the the Charity Commission any serious incident which could adversely affect the charity's financial position, work, beneficiaries or reputation.

Diocesan or Religious Trustees

Each Diocese and Religious Congregation is an individual charitable trust covered by a Public Liability Insurance Policy.

The trustees have a responsibility to ensure that any serious incidents which have a potentially detrimental effect to either the beneficiaries of the trust, the assets of the trust or the reputation of the trust are referred to the Charity Commission.

Similarly they have a responsibility to ensure that the terms of the Public Liability Insurance Policy are complied with. This includes for example ensuring that these National Procedures are fully operational within the Diocese or Religious Congregation.

Insurance Officer

Each Diocese or Religious Congregation should identify an appropriate person to be responsible for management of responses to complaints received by their organisation. This will include specific responsibility for liaison with the Insurance Intermediary and, where appropriate, with the organisation’s Insurers and the Charity Commission. This person is known as the Insurance Officer.

All concerns or allegations received which relate to these National Safeguarding Procedures must be reported by the Safeguarding Officer or Safeguarding Co-ordinator to the Insurance Officer.

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