St Nicholas Church Stevenage, as part of the Diocese of St. Albans in the Church of England, is fully committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church.
St Nicholas Church see safeguarding as the practical outworking of the Christian way of life and in accord with the example of Christ’s ministry towards all.
Safeguarding is the action the Church takes to implement a safe culture. This means we will:
Ensure the welfare of children young people and adults
Work to prevent abuse from occurring
Seek to protect those that are at risk of being abused
Respond effectively to those that have been abused
We will also take care to identify where a person may present a risk to others, and offer support to them whilst taking steps to avoid any risks they pose, this will include accessing support from the Dioceses safeguarding team.
We affirm the ‘Whole Church’ approach to safeguarding. This approach encompasses a commitment to consistent policy and practice across all Church groups and Church Officers; and promoting that everyone associated with the Church who comes into contact with children, young people and adults, has a role to play.
The Church will take appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all, this includes children, young people and adults, and to respond sensitively and compassionately to their needs in order to help keep them safe from harm.
Although safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone at St Nicholas Church, we have a team to lead and support this important work.
More information about Safeguarding in the Diocese of St. Albans can be found here: https://www.stalbansdiocese.org/safeguarding/