Safeguarding

Geraldine is Holy Trinity’s Safeguarding Officer, a volunteer with a vital role. She has been involved with the children’s ministry at Holy Trinity. She works full-time, is an advocate for gender equality, and is a keen supporter of her daughter’s football team. Geraldine helps to ensure that staff and volunteers involved in activities at church - whether with children or with adults - have received the appropriate training and follow the correct procedures.

What is safeguarding? Safeguarding is about developing a culture that looks out for abuse. This involves safe recruiting, training employees and key volunteers to observe the signs of abuse, and asking attentive questions about appropriateness, for instance, “Is it appropriate for us to conduct this ministry in this way?”

Anyone who wishes to work with children, young people or vulnerable adults, or who holds any position of responsibility in our church, must have a background check and must complete safeguarding training. Our safeguarding policy is on display in the church and a copy of the document can be found here.

Holy Trinity follows the Safeguarding Policy guidelines of the Church of England, including the policies of the Diocese in Europe to which this Chaplaincy belongs. Our Safeguarding Officer is Geraldine Barry. Please contact Geraldine at safeguarding@holytrinity.be with any concerns or bring matters of concern directly to the police.

Message from Geraldine: “If you have a safeguarding concern, however small, please speak to me, a chaplain, a lay assistant, or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team as soon as possible. If anyone discloses a concern to you, please listen attentively, write everything down as you heard it as soon as possible afterwards, and share the disclosure with me, a chaplain and / or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team immediately.”

Basic Awareness course: Access the course by following this link.

It’s easy to engage in the basic awareness safeguarding training course provided by the Church of England. You will be prompted to create an account with the Church of England National Safeguarding Team’s online learning portal.

A Theology of Safeguarding

“Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.” — Proverbs 31:8 (CEB)

A very brief theological survey shows safeguarding to be at the very heart of Scripture. God’s special concern rests with “widows, orphans and strangers”, which are direct and indirect references to helping vulnerable people. There are over 2,000 references to matters of justice and injustice in the Bible, more than there are of other topics that we consider important (such as Holy Communion and baptism). From these clear scriptural themes we draw the principles of safeguarding. Care for those in distress is included in the Mosaic law in the Old Testament (Exodus 22:21-22), and in the New Testament becomes the definition of authentic religion (James 1.27). Genuine fasting involves sharing food with the hungry and acceptable worship has to include providing shelter for the wanderer (Isaiah 58). Even more starkly, in Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats, hospitality towards the vulnerable is the signifier of salvation (Matthew 25:31-46).

The Bible gives us a clear mandate, motivation and mission to ensure that those who are or may be vulnerable are heard, defended, and treated appropriately, effectively, fairly and compassionately. In our ministries, education, leadership, families and communities and in the attitudes and actions that underpin our systems and structures, we must speak up for them. These theological commitments are worked out in best safeguarding practice for all.