Safety

These pages signpost resources for PCCs, as well as other Church charities and individuals with responsibility for keeping people safe.

PCCs and Church charities are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protecting people from harm in a church setting. This page signposts you to find mandatory and best practice information.

In some instances, like safeguarding, you will need to follow national Church policy. We have indicated where this applies. For everything else, your church will need its own policy or procedure. 

In all instances, the information we point to is from the Church of England or other official bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, ACAS, and the Charity Commission. Each item is marked as either 'mandatory' or 'advised'.

Safeguarding

Female worker wearing glasses looking at a computer screen which is blurred in the background

Parish Safeguarding Resources

Conduct and behaviour

A photograph of two people standing inside a church. They are holding trays of cupcakes and smiling at the camera.

PCC Code of Conduct

Strongly advised. National guidance to follow.  

Conflicts of interest

Conflict of Interest

Strongly advised. Guidance from Parish Resources.  
A yellow ring binder laid flat on a desk with a large 'Policies' label showing on the spine

Complaints Procedure

Strongly advised. Guidance from Parish Resources. 
Black microphone with man in background

Whistleblowing

Strongly advised. Guidance from Acas. 

Human Resources for Staff and Volunteers

A man in a brown jacket is stood outside a small stone church.

General Advice

When a PCC employs staff, this is subject to national employment law. Acas is the official government funded source for advice on employment.  
Hands

Disciplinary and Grievance

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from Acas.  
adhesive bandage on young man's arm following covid vaccine jab

Sickness and Absence

Mandatory if employing staff, and compliance required. Guidance from Acas. 
Equality in Diversity sign

Discrimination and Bullying

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from Acas. 
Man writing on paper

Safer Recruitment Code of Practice

It is mandatory to follow the Safer Recruitment Code of Practice.  
Man standing in front of fence

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

According to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Code of Practice, organisations, especially those conducting regulated activity, are required to have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders.  

Close up of a hand holding a smart phone with social media icons showing on the screen

Social Media Use

Advised. Guidance from the Church of England. 
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Statutory Maternity Pay and Leave: Employer Guide

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from GOV.UK 
A dad holding a baby

Statutory Paternity Pay and Leave: Employer Guide

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from GOV.UK 
A salesperson working in an office on a virtual call

Flexible Working

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from Acas. 
Two people looking at data on a laptop

Reviews and Appraisals -Performance Management

Strongly advised if employing staff. Guidance from Acas. 
man sat at table with children smiling

Performance Management

Mandatory. Guidance from Acas.  
A lady working alone in a modest, busy office

Working Alone in Churches

Advised. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
Adult with bug hotel in churchyard

Lone Working

Advised. Guidance from HSE. 

Governance and Finance

Church Representation Rules 2025 Book image

Church Representation Rules

Mandatory and compliance required. Rule Part 7 and Part 9 M5(3) are specifically around safety. 
Charity Commission logo

Charity Commission Registration

Mandatory if income is over £100k. Guidance from Parish Resources. 
Most of the image is taken up with a honey coloured stone church, which has a square tower at one end and a smaller one in the middle.

Charity Trustee: what’s involved

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Charity Commission. 
Person holding change with a sign

Managing Faith Charities as Trustees

Mandatory and compliance required. Further guidance from the Charity Commission specifically for faith charities which compliments the charity trustee guidance (CC3a) 
Close up of hands checking through piles of receipts and cash on a desk and adding up on a smart phone calculator

Internal Financial Controls

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Charity Commission. 
Piggy bank

Investing Charity Monies

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Charity Commission. 
St Levan Church, near Lands' End in Cornwall - 2025

Code of Fundraising Practice

Advised if seeking funds from donors. Church of England guidance. 
Plant growing in a glass full of coins

Reserves Policy

Strongly advised. Guidance from Parish Resources. 

Insurance

Interior of church

Charities and Insurance

Advised in some cases. Guidance from the Charity Commission. 

Health and Safety

Stay Safe

Health and Safety at Work

Health and safety legislation applies to church buildings, as it does to any other public building; and PCC members are responsible for compliance with this. Guidance from Ecclesiastical.  
Christmas service at Christ Church, Chineham

Disability and Accessibility

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Church of England on Accessibility and understanding the Equality Act.
Close up of a fire blanket on a church wall

Fire Safety Risk Assessment

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
Soup kitchen at St Anne, Hoxton

Food Safety

Mandatory and compliance required so far as applicable. Guidance from Ecclesiastical.
First aid sign on brick wall

Accident and First Aid

Mandatory if employing staff, or strongly advised if not employing staff. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
Hazardous waste signs on brown door

Hazardous Substances

Mandatory if employing staff, or strongly advised if not employing staff. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
Protective hats and jackets

Asbestos Management

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
A man stands on scaffolding around the roof of a church which is having solar panels installed on it.

Working at Heights

Mandatory if employing staff, or strongly advised if not employing staff. Guidance from Ecclesiastical. 
Three people walk away from a garden shed with gardening forks and a wheel barrow.

Manual Handling at Work

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from HSE. 
Two plugs are in the same power outlet and both have little buttons on the right side of the plugs which are red.

Electricity at Work Regulations

Mandatory if employing staff. Guidance from HSE. 
The focus of the image is on the right side of it, with a pressure gauge on a pipe in focus.

Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations

Mandatory. Guidance from HSE. 
Mural paintings

Safe Working with Lead Paint

Advised. Guidance from The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. 

Buildings

Interior of a church with rows of pews facing the altar and a high ceiling

Safety and Security in Church Buildings (Martyn’s Law)

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Church of England. 
A man in standing in a plant room looking at some pipes which have dials on them.

Quinquennial Inspection

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Church of England. 
Stained glass window

Building Maintenance and Repair

Advised. Guidance from the Church of England. 
Security camera on post

Security and Crime Prevention

Advised. Guidance from the Church of England. 
Bell tower

Bell Ringing and Tower Safety

Strongly advised. Guidance from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. 
Blossoms at St James, Stretham

Tree Management

Advised. Guidance from the Church of England. 
Churchyard

Churchyard Regulations

Mandatory.  
Churchyard Regulations are provided for each diocese by its Diocesan Chancellor, and will be on your diocesan website. 
The inside of a Victorian church hall with a high, vaulted ceiling. There is an interior wall made of panes of glass with a blue door in it and a bookcase of books in shot.

Letting Buildings

Strongly advised. Guidance from Ecclesiastical.  

Data Management

Person holding smartphone with locked screen

Data protection for small organisations

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the ICO.
Risk cube on keyboard

Data Protection Impact Assessment

Mandatory in certain cases and compliance required, advised otherwise. Guidance from the ICO. 
Combination lock resting on keyboard

Data Breach

Mandatory if breach occurs and compliance required. Guidance from the ICO. 
Close up of a female worker's hands, checking her phone, computer screen and making notes

Records and Information Management (including Data Retention)

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Church of England. 
How to set up to film a video on your phone

Filming and Photography in Church

Strongly advised. Guidance from the Church of England.  
surveillance camera

CCTV

Strongly advised. Guidance from the Church of England. 

Risk

Candles at Ely Cathedral

Risk Management

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from Parish Resources. 
Two people sitting at laptops

Reporting serious incidents to the Charity Commission (General)

Mandatory and compliance required. Guidance from the Charity Commission. 
Person using laptop

Reporting serious incidents to the Charity Commission (Safeguarding)

Mandatory and compliance required. 
Guidance specifically on reporting safeguarding serious incidents from the Church of England.