Growing as a Healthy and Safe Church
At Salford Elim Church, we are committed to the wellbeing, growth and safety of our congregation.
“Elim is committed to creating healthy churches and safe spaces for all. We recognise the ways in which children and adults can be at risk of harm or abuse, so endeavour to create a culture to minimise opportunities for abuse to occur.
Children rely on adults to keep them safe, therefore all our churches working with children, either directly or indirectly, are committed to safeguarding children in their care. We seek to do this by providing a safe, stable, and nurturing environment where children can reach their full potential.
Similarly, within our churches there are adults in need of protection, care and support due to vulnerability, whether that is a permanent or temporary state. We are aware too that within our churches there are relationships of trust, which flourish best within healthy churches and environments, where there is openness, transparency and accountability.
We firmly believe that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and all involved in the life of our churches and activities have a role to play in keeping children, young people and adults safe.“
Mark Pugh – General Superintendent of Elim
Safeguarding
As a church, we have made these commitments:
- We recognise the need to provide a safe and caring environment for children, young people and adults.
- We recognise the importance of our ministry with children, young people and adults and our responsibility to protect everyone entrusted to our care.
- We believe every child should be valued, safe and happy. We want to make sure that children we have contact with know this and are empowered to tell us if they are suffering harm.
- All children and young people have the right to be treated with respect, to be listened to and to be protected from all forms of abuse.
- Adults in our church should be enabled to live fulfilling, autonomous lives, and should have access to every aspect of church life.
- The care and protection of children, young people and adults involved in church is the responsibility of the whole church.
- We will endeavour to make our church a safe environment for all.
The safety and wellbeing of our children and adults is our priority. If you do have any concerns about a member of our church, you can get in touch with a member of our safeguarding team. Our adult safeguarding officer is Judith Thompson, and our children and young people’s safeguarding officer is Pearl King.
Email address for all officers: safeguarding@salfordelimchurch.org
The church’s full safeguarding policy is here.
Elim also have a national online reporting form, which you can access here.
If you have concerns
For any concerns about a serious and imminent risk to life for any person, please call the emergency services.
If you have pressing concerns about a child or an adult who is connected to the church, or about the actions of a member of staff or volunteer working with the church, you can contact any of these external agencies:
All reports or enquiries concerning the welfare or safety of a child must go straight to the Bridge Partnership Tel: 0161 603 4500 or Email: worriedaboutachild@salford.gov.uk
The Bridge Partnership is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am – 4:30pm. If you need to speak to someone outside of these times, please contact the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) on 0161 794 8888. The Safeguarding Adults Board can be contacted on 0161 631 4777; email: worriedaboutanadult@salford.gov.uk
