1. We have reason to believe that someone in our church has sexually abused one of the children but the parents don’t want us to go to the authorities; they would sooner we dealt with it internally to avoid more traumas. What do you think?
Although it is a difficult decision to have to make, your safeguarding policy should state clearly that any allegations of sexual abuse must be reported to Children’s Social Services/Police to be properly investigated. The authorities have a duty to consider the ‘best interests of the child’, taking into account all the circumstances surrounding the allegation. A prosecution will not necessarily follow. Churches must be very careful to avoid appearing to ‘cover-up’ what may be a serious criminal offence. Many adults in contact with CCPAS who were abused as children, feel that they were denied justice by a church cover-up and in so doing colluded with the abuser. For some it has also undermined their faith and their trust in the church. In not taking action, this child and others could continue to be abused. Legal proceedings by the young person who has alleged the abuse might also ensue on the grounds that the church has been negligent.
2. We have received information that would suggest a girl in the youth group who is just under 16 is having a sexual relationship with another of the young people of about the same age. What should we do?
It is not always appropriate to take action in relation to safeguarding procedures, especially if the girl has not made any allegation that she is not a willing party. You might broach the subject with the young people involved, but remember this should be done sensitively and not in an accusatory way otherwise you run the risk of alienating them and other members of the group. You could consider what you can do generally in regard to your teaching programme on appropriate relationships. See CCPAS articles ‘Getting Real’ and ‘A Personal Response to Getting Real'.
3. I'm sometimes sent unsolicited emails offering access to porn and indecent images of children. I block the sender but what else can I do?
You can copy the message in full to abuse@isp . Once this has been done delete the message. You could also consider contacting the Internet Watch Foundation helpline on 0845 600 8844 or at www.iwf.org.uk.
4. You say that false allegations of abuse are rare. Teachers feel that children are very street-wise and make allegations to avoid being in trouble. Are such allegations really more common now?
Child abuse in the context we are talking about relates to the treatment of a child that could cause ‘significant harm’. An allegation from a child about a teacher often results from a teacher from tapping a child on the shoulder to get their attention to appropriately restraining them. This type of complaint should be investigated by the school. The teacher may be found to have acted reasonably but if not, disciplinary action may follow. These are not matters that would necessarily be reported to the child protection agencies. However, if a child were to make a specific allegation of serious abuse (physical, sexual or otherwise), then this is an entirely different matter and would need to be investigated properly by the statutory authorities. The purpose of any investigation is to establish the truth. It is unlikely a child/young person would make a false allegation of this nature knowing they would have to endure a rigorous investigation process.
5. Do I need to report an allegation of abuse to anyone other than Children’s Services or the police?
If your place of worship or organisation is a registered charity you are, in certain circumstances, required to report a ‘serious incident’ to the Charity Commission. Serious incidents include suspicions, allegations and incidents of abuse or mistreatment of beneficiaries (i.e. children and vulnerable adults) whilst under the care of the charity or by someone connected with the charity, such as a trustee, member of staff or volunteer.
There is also a ‘duty to share information’ under the Vetting and Barring Scheme administered by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). Places of worship and other voluntary organisations have a duty to notify the ISA of relevant information so that individuals who pose a threat to vulnerable groups can be identified and barred from working with these groups.
If the allegation is made against someone in a position of trust within the place of worship or organisation (e.g. children’s worker), it should be reported to the Local Authority Dedicated Officer (LADO). The LADO, often based in Social Services departments, is responsible for liaising between the agencies involved and ensuring efficient management of the investigation process. The LADO may ultimately make a referral to the ISA.
In these or other circumstances do contact CCPAS at an early stage. For further information see Winter Caring 2009 – ‘New Requirements for Reporting Abuse’ www.ccpas.co.uk (articles and booklets to download)
6. I have reason to believe a known offender has joined my church. Can the police disclose information to me about them so I can put appropriate boundaries in place?
Under the government’s MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements) guidance the police have powers to disclose information to a variety of people providing services to children, including places of worship. They can, and indeed should do this if they consider the offender represents a serious risk to children or other vulnerable people. In this situation the police are likely to seek your assurance that the matters they disclose are kept to two or three named church leaders. It would be quite reasonable for them to require you to sign a confidentiality clause to this effect. The responsibility of the leadership will then be to consider whether your church can appropriately provide for them. You will need to take advice from the police (and probation if involved) so you can undertake a risk assessment. Bear in mind there may be other churches that can more adequately provide for this person’s needs should he pose too great a risk or perhaps their needs will be best met away from public Services (e.g. midweek adults only meetings).
If after careful assessment you feel that you can safely supervise him within certain boundaries, CCPAS has a model contract that can be adapted to fit particular circumstances. Clearly the reasons for having the contract will need to be confidential but it would be reasonable for your children’s leaders to be aware that they are not allowed into the room where activities are taking place or into the building on certain days.
For further advice contact CCPAS on our helpline. We also have a range of resources you may find useful: ‘SOS – Supporting Offenders Safely’ (DVD), ‘Help, a sex offender has joined my church’, ‘Help, someone I care about may be a sex offender’ and the CCPAS safeguarding manual, ‘Safe and Secure’available in the Members area.
7. I am a senior pastor and some of my trustees have raised whether they should be informed about an individual involved in the youth ministry who has had allegations of abuse made against them.
If the person is a church worker, paid or a volunteer, then the answer is yes, it is reasonable for the trustees to know what is going on. The amount of information you tell them depends on the nature of the concern, but it is important to remember that trustees have a responsibility to report ‘serious incidents’ to the Charity Commission and the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (See ‘Do I need to report an allegation of abuse to anyone other than Children’s Services or the police?’). Whilst the matter is under investigation, apart from divulging the name of the individual, the details will need to be kept confidential. Once completed you can tell the trustees if there have been any charges and any action you are taking.
Frequently Asked Questions - Abuse Issues