The parish of Smallwood, St John the Baptist is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops' guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officers. The Diocese of Chester’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services. At St John the Baptist church, Smallwood we work hard to maintain a safe environment for all.

We are committed to implementing the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies and good practice guidance.

If you have any concerns or enquiries regarding safeguarding, please contact our safeguarding officer.

Parish Safeguarding Officer: Alan Burke
Email: [email protected]

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team can be contacted at [email protected] or on 01928 643442

Out of Hours Support

The Diocese of Chester partners with thirtyone:eight and you can access their Safeguarding Helpline if the Diocesan Safeguarding Team is unavailable. Thirtyone:eight can be contacted on 0303 003 1111.

This also includes any safeguarding queries outside of office hours on weekdays and weekends. An Information Sharing Agreement between the two organisations will allow the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser to receive a copy of the advice thirtyone:eight may offer the caller.

In the case of an emergency:
If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Service.

Helplines:
• Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours).
• Parent Line: 0808 800 2222
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours).
• Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours).
• Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 (freephone Monday to Friday 9-5pm)