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Helping Hands

If you have any safeguarding concerns, please contact our safeguarding officers:

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Brenda McCutcheon, Parish Safeguarding Officer

brendamccutcheon@yahoo.co.uk, 07940278772

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Kathy Germaine, Assistant Safeguarding Officer for the Venerable Bede.

kathleen342434@hotmail.com, 0191 2451903

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Michael Keller, Assistant Safeguarding Officer for St James' Benwell, 0191 2722195.

If in doubt, please contact the Diocese of Newcastle Safeguarding Advisers:

Carol Butler: 07825 167 016, c.butler@newcastle.anglican.org

If there is an immediate danger please call 999

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A safe church for children and adults

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility

 

If you spot something that doesn't feel right or you have been told something, then you need to report it.

  • Recognise the signs that abuse may be happening.

  • Respond sensitively and listen - don't question or investigate.

  • Record factually and accurately what you have been told in the language they used.

  • Report immediately to the Church Safeguarding Officer, or the Diocesan safeguarding officer.

  • If there is immediate danger, please call 999

Helplines

Helplines:

  • 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 (freephone Monday to Friday 9-5pm).

 

For further information

 

And read this leaflet for help and information on how to report abuse within the Church: You Will Be Listened To >

Further info
Parish Safeguarding policy

Our Parish Safeguarding Policy:

 

This statement was adopted by Benwell & Scotswood Team Parish, Newcastle upon Tyne at a meeting of the Parish Church Council on 11th May, 2023.

In accordance with the Church of England Safeguarding Policy our church is committed to:

  • Promoting a safer environment and culture.

  • Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the church.

  • Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.

  • Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.

  • Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.

  • Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.

 

The Parish will: 

  • Create a safe and caring place for all.

  • Have a named Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) to work with the incumbent and the PCC to implement policy and procedures.

  • Safely recruit, train and support all those with any responsibility for children, young people and adults to have the confidence and skills to recognise and respond to abuse.

  • Ensure that there is appropriate insurance cover for all activities involving children and adults undertaken in the name of the parish.

  • Display in church premises and on the Parish website the details of who to contact if there are safeguarding concerns or support needs.

  • Listen to and take seriously all those who disclose abuse.

  • Take steps to protect children and adults when a safeguarding concern of any kind arises, following House of Bishops guidance, including notifying the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and statutory agencies immediately.

  • Offer support to victims/survivors of abuse regardless of the type of abuse, when or where it occurred.

  • Care for and monitor any member of the church community who may pose a risk to children and adults whilst maintaining appropriate confidentiality and the safety of all parties.

  • Ensure that health and safety policy, procedures and risk assessments are in place and that these are reviewed annually.

  • Review the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practices at least annually.

 

Each person who works within this church community will agree to abide by this policy and the guidelines established by this church.

 

This church appoints:

Brenda McCutcheon

as Parish Safeguarding Officer

With the support of assistant officers Kathleen Germain and Michael Keller.

GDPR - Our data policy
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GDPR - Our Data Policy

DATA PRIVACY NOTICE

 

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish

 

1. Your personal data – what is it?

Personal data relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data.  Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession. The processing of personal data is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”).

 

2. Who are we?

The PCC of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish is the data controller (contact details below).  This means it decides how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

 

3. How do we process your personal data?

The PCC of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish complies with its obligations under the “GDPR” by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

 

We use your personal data for the following purposes: -

  • To enable us to provide a voluntary service for the benefit of the public in a particular geographical area as specified in our constitution;

  • To administer membership records;

  • To fundraise and promote the interests of the charity;

  • To manage our employees and volunteers;

  • To maintain our own accounts and records (including the processing of gift aid applications);

  • To inform you of news, events, activities and services running in Benwell and Scotswood Team Parish;

  • To share your contact details with the Diocesan office so they can keep you informed about news in the diocese and events, activities and services that will be occurring in the diocese and in which you may be interested.

 

4. What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

  • Explicit consent of the data subject so that we can keep you informed about news, events, activities and services and keep you informed about diocesan events.

  • Processing is necessary for carrying out legal obligations in relation to Gift Aid or under employment, social security or social protection law, or a collective agreement;

  • Processing is carried out by a not-for-profit body with a political, philosophical, religious or trade union aim provided: -

    • the processing relates only to members or former members (or those who have regular contact with it in connection with those purposes); and

    • there is no disclosure to a third party without consent.

 

5. Sharing your personal data
Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other members of the church in order to carry out a service to other church members or for purposes connected with the church. We will only share your data with third parties outside of the parish with your consent.

 

6. How long do we keep your personal data?
We keep data in accordance with the guidance set out in the guide 'Keep or Bin: Care of Your Parish Records' which is available from the Church of England website.

 

Specifically, we retain electoral roll data while it is still current; gift aid declarations and associated paperwork for up to 6 years after the calendar year to which they relate; and parish registers (baptisms, marriages, funerals) permanently.
 

7. Your rights and your personal data 

Unless subject to an exemption under the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: -

  • The right to request a copy of your personal data which the PCC of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish holds about you;

  • The right to request that the PCC of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date; 

  • The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for the PCC of Benwell/Scotswood Team Parish to retain such data;

  • The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time

  • The right to request that the data controller provide the data subject with his/her personal data and where possible, to transmit that data directly to another data controller, (known as the right to data portability), (where applicable) [Only applies where the processing is based on consent or is necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject and in either case the data controller processes the data by automated means].

  • The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing;

  • The right to object to the processing of personal data, (where applicable) [Only applies where processing is based on legitimate interests (or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority); direct marketing and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics]

  • The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.

 

8. Further processing

If we wish to use your personal data for a new purpose, not covered by this Data Protection Notice, then we will provide you with a new notice explaining this new use prior to commencing the processing and setting out the relevant purposes and processing conditions. Where and whenever necessary, we will seek your prior consent to the new processing.

 

9. Contact Details

 

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance contact the David Kirkwood (Team Rector) Telephone: 0191 2735356

Or contact us here

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