Can we register our policy with you?
We require copies of all documents produced from our material to be registered with us for copyright reasons. We are also happy to hold any policy whether or not it is based on our model. All policies should be living documents kept under constant review, so do not forget to keep us up to date, too, by filing revised documents as and when they are produced. We will keep the latest version of the policy for two years. We work on the assumption that if we have not received a revision within that period of time, then it will be out of date anyway.

Can you check over our policy and provide detailed comments?
We have produced a list of what a child protection policy should contain, which will help you check that your own policy covers all the relevant areas. If it's based on our current model it should, anyway. If you are unsure about any point then you can always ring our helpline.

If you would like us to provide a more detailed assessment of the policy we will happily undertake this for you. However, we do have to be realistic as this is a time-consuming service. We therefore suggest a donation of £40 if the policy is based on our model, or £50 in other situations, unless your church or group is financially supporting CCPAS anyway, in which case we would not want to make a charge. In accordance with our general policy, if the church or group is unable to afford this then whatever you can pay. If you would like to take this option, then please complete and return the slip below with payment.

How can we keep our policy up to date?
We live in a constantly changing world. Legal expectations and suggested good practice for working with children is no exception. It will be important for you to keep up to date and to revise your policy as and when appropriate (as above). However, we can help you do this. If you subscribe to our updating service (details attached) you will receive information throughout the year and an annual electronic copy of our Guidance to Churches manual containing all the updates in the appropriate places. So in other words, the model policy will help you insert the new material into your own documents quite easily by cutting and pasting. You may well find you come across issues which we have not covered in our policy. We will happily advise and so often an issue raised by an individual church becomes recommended practice for all in the next Update, so we value feedback.

Can another church or organisation use our policy to help them prepare their own?
This is not something to which we can agree. We have allowed you to use copyright material and we are concerned about unauthorised copying, and such practice has resulted in serious complaints to our organisation in the past. For example, where a church or group have copied another policy but made subtle changes which conflict with good child protection practice. Such a policy, apparently based on our model, can bring this organisation into disrepute. Also, as already described, practice is changing all the time and it is essential that churches and groups are working off our latest recommendations, and so always suggest that contact is made directly with us and that we can supply the manual, disk etc.

Finally, every church or organisation is unique. A policy which has been prepared specifically for your organisation may not be completely relevant in its detail for another. You may not have adapted certain things because you do not need to, but these could be highly relevant issues so far as another group is concerned. Basically, one size does not fit all in child protection!

Should we make a copyright statement?
All policies produced with the help of our model either directly or indirectly should contain the following statement.

This document is based on a Model Child Protection Policy supplied by the Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service. A copy of the policy and all amendments will be filed with CCPAS. This Policy must not be copied by other churches/organisations without the written agreement of CCPAS.

Can we place the policy on our website?
For the reasons already given in regard to the last question, we are unable to agree to requests of this nature. It would be important for your church or organisation to make general statements to the effect that you take child protection seriously and have a detailed policy in place following recommended good practice etc and a copy is available for inspection in the church office. You could state that the policy is based on CCPAS model policy and even provide a link to our website. You will notice that for the same reasons we do not provide a model policy on our site, but the link will enable interested organisations to contact us directly.

Send your child protection policies to:

Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service

PO Box 133,Swanley, Kent, BR8 7UQ.

 

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