Organisational responsibilities

Wells Cathedral

Who/How

Wells Cathedral School

Who/How

1. a clear line of accountability for the commissioning and/or provision of services designed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

Wells Cathedral Chapter’s statement on safeguarding can be found here: https://www.wellscathedral.org.uk/aboutus/safeguarding/

The Cathedral Safeguarding Manager, currently Mrs Glenys Armstrong and the Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser, currently Mr Andy Duncan are employed by the Diocese of Bath & Wells and they are available under the auspices of a service level agreement to provide expert advice, encourage best practice and to ensure that the policy and supporting procedures are implemented. Responsibility for the day to day implementation and operation of the safeguarding policies and procedures, commissioning of safeguarding training and liaison with the Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser rests with the Chapter Clerk, currently Mrs Jackie Croft.

Wells Cathedral School’s safeguarding policy dated  September 2022, is due to be reviewed in September and can be found in the General Information and Policies section of the Wells Cathedral School website: https://wells.cathedral.school/our-school/

The lead professional for all matters (DSL) pertaining to Safeguarding is Mr Martin Ashton, Deputy Head (Pastoral).

He is supported by several deputies.

2. a senior board level lead to take leadership responsibility for the organisation’s safeguarding arrangements;

Currently, The Revd Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle, Precentor and a member of the Cathedral Chapter  

Elizabeth Shelton is the Safeguarding Governor.  

3. a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and the development of services;

(Listening to and involving children and young people).

On a day to day basis the choristers are listened to by the Choir Chaperone, currently Mrs Diana Armstrong. Although employed by Wells Cathedral School she acts in this capacity for both the Cathedral and the School.

The Cathedral will ensure it listens to those who advocate for children, such as parents and career/guardians and, as part of this, will ensure they have access to information available on what constitutes a safeguarding concern and who to refer it to.

Two responsible adults will attend all practices to ensure chorister welfare at rehearsals. It will be an objective in 2020 for the Director of Music (formerly known as  Organist and Master of the Choristers) to design and implement a training programme for these responsible adults to ensure they fulfil their duties in accordance with Cathedral expectations.

The Precentor holds a weekly team meeting with the music department. The agenda for this meeting includes chorister welfare and he will alert the Chapter Clerk and the Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser to any safeguarding concerns.

Two “Chorister Parent Tea” meetings are held in each academic year to discuss the choir diary, practical arrangements and any other matters of concern to all. The meetings are attended by the Precentor, the Organist and Master of the Choristers, the DSL and the Choir Chaperone.

Three times per year there is a Chorister Sub Committee meeting attended by Cathedral and School representatives and Safeguarding matters specific to choristers are discussed at this meeting, in addition to other concerns.

Issues between any meetings are dealt with by the Director of Music (formerly known as the Organist and the Master of the Choristers) and the Chorister Coordinator. Escalation to the Chapter Clerk and the Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser will take place if there is a risk of harm to a child or an allegation against a member of staff, volunteer or any other church officer, including clergy.  

There is a parents evening and individual consultation with chorister parents based on chorister reports in which general concerns can be aired. These meetings are staffed by the Director of Music (formerly known as the Organist and Master of the Choristers). Any areas of concern will be flagged to the DSL (Deputy Head (Pastoral)).

Termly Cathedral/School Safeguarding Lead meetings have been set up since mid-2018 to ensure good communications, coordination of best practice and establishment and strengthening of good working relationships.

During the course of 2020 the Cathedral will work with the School to produce and issue a questionnaire, one to parents and one to choristers at least once per annum at the end of the school academic year. Results to be shared at the Chorister Care Sub-Committee meeting.

On a day to day basis the choristers are listened to by the Choir Chaperone, currently Mrs Diana Armstrong. Although employed by Wells Cathedral School she acts in this capacity for both the Cathedral and the School

The Precentor holds a weekly team meeting with the music department. The agenda for this meeting includes chorister welfare.  The meeting is attended by the Choir Chaperone, who will alert the School to any safeguarding concerns in accordance with its procedures.

Choristers are listened to by their tutor, currently Mr Harvey Brink, in the senior school and by their form teacher in the junior school.

Boarders and senior school choristers are also monitored and listened to by their house parent (and by a house parent if a junior chorister and a boarder).

Concerns are fed through to the School Welfare team; serious concerns are escalated to the School Safeguarding team.

Termly pastoral meetings take a strategic overview of pastoral care in both the senior and junior schools.

Termly safeguarding meetings take a strategic overview of safeguarding in both the senior and junior schools. This meeting is attended by the Safeguarding Governor.

Termly Cathedral/School Safeguarding Lead meetings have been set up since mid-2018 to ensure good communications, coordination of best practice and establishment and strengthening of good working relationships.

Wells Cathedral School issues and analyses many questionnaires to listen to children. There is an annual questionnaire on boarding and other ad-hoc questionnaires issued on safeguarding related matters such as bullying, well-being etc.

4. arrangements which set out clearly the processes for sharing information, with other professionals and making referrals to statutory agencies; and where required voluntary or third sector organisations.

Where a child is judged to be at risk of significant harm and/or in need of additional support it is necessary to share all relevant information with the statutory agencies. These arrangements are detailed in the guidance documents issued by the Church of England.

All staff are aware that any safeguarding concerns should be raised with the Chapter Clerk. The Chapter Clerk will liaise with the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager/ Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser who will provide guidance on individual cases to determine if an investigation and/or a referral is necessary. The Cathedral’s Safeguarding Adviser will be accountable for the referral.

The Chapter Clerk will make the DSL at the School aware of any concerns.

Wells Cathedral School will follow its policy and procedures in relation to reporting to the statutory agencies.

Wells Cathedral School Child Protection (Safeguarding) Policy is written in line with Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) guidelines. It is reviewed by the regular cycle of Independent Schools Inspections. This states that where it is believed that a child or young person is suffering from, or is at risk of, significant harm, a referral should be made to children’s social care and/or the police immediately. Staff members follow the procedures set out in the South West Child Protection Procedures (www.swcpp.org.uk) and the Somerset Board (SSCB) documents which can be found at http:/sscb.safeguardingsomerset.org.uk/

Any staff member can make a direct referral to children’s social care or other external services such as early help services. However, if anyone other than the DSL makes a referral, they should inform the DSL that a referral has been made as soon as possible. Staff must share information with children’s social care and/or the police where there are concerns that a child may be at risk of harm or neglect. If staff members are unsure whether a referral should be made, they should speak to the DSL.

The School DSL or one of the other deputies, will inform the Chapter Clerk on any chorister safeguarding issues.

5. A designated professional lead for safeguarding. Their role is to support other professionals in their agencies to recognise the needs of children, including rescue from possible abuse or neglect. Designated professional roles should always be explicitly defined in job descriptions. Professionals should be given sufficient time, funding, supervision and support to fulfil their child welfare and safeguarding responsibilities effectively;

Glenys Armstrong is the Cathedral’s Safeguarding Manager and she is the designated lead professional. She is supported by the Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser, currently Mr Andrew Duncan. Glenys Armstrong shares this responsibility with the Chapter Clerk, Mrs Jackie Croft and with the Chapter member with oversight for Safeguarding, The Revd Canon Nicholas Jepson-Biddle.

Their safeguarding responsibilities are explicitly defined and are available upon request.

The designated professional lead for safeguarding (DSL) is Mr Martin Ashton, Deputy Head (Pastoral). Mr Ashton is a member of the senior leadership team at Wells Cathedral School. Details of his role are defined explicitly in his role description, available upon request.

6. Safe recruitment practices for individuals, (staff and volunteers) whom the organisation will permit to work regularly with children, including policies on when to obtain a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check;

All staff and volunteers are recruited in line with the House of Bishops' guidance on Safer Recruitment.

Safeguarding awareness training is provided via the set modules rolled out by the Church of England National Safeguarding Team, and local training is provided by a trainer working within the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager’s team to all staff, volunteers and clergy.

Wells Cathedral School’s Recruitment and Selection Policy follows the Safer Recruitment guidelines.

Detailed guidance is available in the HR Dept policies.

All staff responsible for recruitment do on-line safer recruitment training.

7. Appropriate supervision and support for staff, including undertaking safeguarding training:

• employers are responsible for ensuring that their staff are competent to carry out their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and creating an environment where staff feel able to raise concerns and feel supported in their safeguarding role;
• staff should be given a mandatory induction, which includes familiarisation with safeguarding responsibilities and procedures to be followed if anyone has any concerns about a child’s safety or welfare; and

• all professionals should have regular reviews of their own practice to ensure they improve over time.

Employed adult choir members (Vicars Choral and Choral Scholars) and those who support the choir receive safeguarding training prior to commencing employment and regularly thereafter.

A code of conduct is being developed and there will be an annual sign-off process whereby the Vicars Choral and other adults who work regularly and closely with the choristers will be reminded of their safeguarding responsibilities in relation to the code of conduct and within that, staff and chorister relationships plus terms and conditions of employment re. housing.

Cathedral Education guides, Clergy, Sunday School leaders are on a three-year cycle of training.

Records of the training provided are held by HR in the management and safeguarding database.  

Developing more robust induction processes is part of the Chapter Clerk’s objectives for 2020.  

The performance development review (PDR) process being introduced is the review mechanism for safeguarding performance

Wells Cathedral staff involved in teaching choristers are mentored for their first six months in post by the Deputy Head (Pastoral) or by a nominated person.

Wells Cathedral School follows LSCB guidelines and School policies in inducting, training and updating all staff.

Records of the training provided are held by HR in the management and safeguarding database.  

8. Clear policies in line with those from the LSCB for dealing with allegations against people who work with children. An allegation may relate to a person who works with children who has:

• behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child;
•  possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child; or
• behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children.

 All allegations of this kind, whether it be against staff, volunteer or clergy, must be reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager or Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser.

She/he is accountable for referring to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) which is a statutory requirement and to the Police if necessary.

Allegations that fall short of these criteria may nevertheless amount to inappropriate conduct, in which case the Cathedral Chapter Clerk will liaise with the Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser and they will consider whether to handle this by way of advice, supervision and training, to use disciplinary processes, or a combination of these.  The Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser is accountable for reporting it to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

The Diocesan and Cathedral policy on dealing with safeguarding complaints will be displayed on the public notice board in the cathedral as soon as it has been reviewed and agreed.

All staff are aware (and are repeatedly reminded) that they should raise any safeguarding concerns about the behaviour of a member of staff within the School with the Head Master. Concerns about adults who are not employed by the School but who are working with school pupils can be raised either with the Head Master or the DSL or a Deputy DSL.  Safeguarding concerns about staff will be reported to the LADO as appropriate, in line with the School’s Safeguarding Policy, and follow up actions taken as advised.

For further detail refer to Wells Cathedral School Safeguarding Policy and to Wells Cathedral School Suspected Malpractice (Whistleblowing) Policy.

The School DSL, or one of their Deputies, will inform the Chapter C

9. Reporting procedure of each organisation

The Cathedral flow-chart articulates the reporting procedure and gives contact details.

If the Cathedral makes a LADO referral pertaining to the Choir the Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser will advise of the need for a core group and ask the Chapter Clerk to convene the meeting. The lead professional for Wells Cathedral School will be informed and invited to the core group by the Chapter Clerk.

Where the Cathedral is making a child protection or child in need referral in relation to a child linked to Wells Cathedral School it is the Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser’s responsibility to ensure that the Wells Cathedral School DSL is aware.

If the Cathedral calls a safeguarding meeting (Core Group) in relation to a member of the Cathedral Choir, Wells Cathedral School DSL will be invited to attend by the Chapter Clerk.  

Wells Cathedral School will follow its own internal procedures and will ensure that where it is making an external referral in relation to a Safeguarding matter that impacts the Cathedral Choir it will inform the Cathedral Chapter Clerk or, in her absence, the Diocesan  Safeguarding Manager or Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser. Other relevant Cathedral staff will also be informed.

Where Wells Cathedral School is making a child protection or child in need referral in relation to a child linked to the Cathedral Choir it is the Wells Cathedral School’s professional Safeguarding Lead’s responsibility to inform the Chapter Clerk and the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager/ Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser.

If Wells Cathedral School calls a safeguarding meeting in relation to a member of the Cathedral Choir the Chapter Clerk and the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager/ Cathedral Safeguarding Adviser will be invited to attend.

10.  The Cathedral and Wells Cathedral School are both responsible in their separate entities for ensuring they hold up to date, relevant information on each child as well as the necessary consents and parental agreements to cover all reasonably foreseen eventualities.

Chorister Contact details alongside other specific consents (photography and video for example) will be completed at time of joining the choir and will be updated annually.

All relevant information for each child is held in the Wells Cathedral School management and safeguarding database.