st mary's SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION
The Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is central to our faith and a fundamental feature of our Christian life at St Mary’s, Lowgate, Hull.
Our commitment
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Social media ethos |
St Mary’s is committed to…
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At St Mary’s, Lowgate, Hull, we believe that Social Media is important to our opportunities to share, interact and socialise with others. We believe that it is an important tool which can be used to help us in our mission and growth. We are committed to the safe practice of social media and have signed up to the Church of England Digital Charter which demonstrates our commitment to safe practice. We adhere to the Church of England Social Media Guidelines and if you have any concerns about social media usage, please contact our Safeguarding Officer.
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If you have concerns… |
our safeguarding officer |
If you have a concern about an individual’s physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual well-being, please report it to our Safeguarding Officer or to the York Diocese Safeguarding Officer. We will deal with all matters confidentially and we will only inform any relevant external bodies such as the police or social services if required to protect those who are vulnerable from harm.
Our Safeguarding Policy is also displayed within St Mary’s and this sets out in more detail about what our procedure is. |
Reporting abuse and support
If you have information about a safeguarding situation where a child or adult is in immediate danger or requires immediate medical attention call the emergency services on 999. Do not delay.
The National Safeguarding Team (NST) is working to increase the capacity and expertise of parishes, dioceses and other Church of England institutions to respond to safeguarding concerns and support victims and survivors. We are not able to offer either an emergency or 24-hour response but there are Safeguarding Advisors in every diocese and Safeguarding Officers in every parish. Details of the safeguarding team based in your diocese can be found via the relevant diocesan website. Take a look at the map of the dioceses and click on the diocese where you live. This will take you to the relevant website where there will be contact information. If you wish to report any safeguarding concerns directly to the National Safeguarding Team please make contact using the form below. We will ensure that any concerns are referred to the relevant diocese and/or statutory agency, as appropriate. |
Finding support
We understand reporting abuse may be very difficult and distressing to you and it may add to your hurt by our not being able to immediately assist you. Therefore here are the contact details of other agencies that are available to assist either on a 24-hour basis or through specialist helplines and services:
- NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are worried about a child.
- Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything.
- National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
- Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours). Phone if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
- Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 ( free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm).