Core Expectations
Cathedrals must have child-friendly and age-appropriate materials and resources available that are easily accessible to choristers should they have concerns and/or worries relating to safeguarding, wellbeing and safety.
These resources must be displayed in all shared and private chorister areas, including toilet cubicles, and should include:
- Details of key people choristers can speak to in the cathedral and school(s).
- Links to emergency, local and national services.
Good practice
Cathedrals should develop and produce child-friendly resources in collaboration with choristers. This helps to ensure that resources are relevant and accessible to the target audience, and that children and young people take ownership of them. This also offers an opportunity to deliver safeguarding messages during the development and production process.
Cathedrals should be mindful of the positioning of any child friendly resources that are aimed at choristers and other children accessing the cathedral and should involve children in suggesting where and how to display these.
Cathedrals should work with the school(s) attended by choristers to produce child-friendly and age/stage appropriate resources across a range of issues including, for example, domestic abuse and mental well-being. Consistent and easily identifiable resources across both settings, but tailored for the setting, will support children and young people in recognising these and subsequently accessing support when needed.
Cathedrals could install a “suggestion box” to gather feedback and ideas from choristers on child-friendly materials and other aspects of chorister life.
Resources
Speak Out, Stay Safe free resources | Chester Diocese – resources created by Chester Diocese and Chester Cathedral in collaboration with children and young people.
Childline – a wide range of support and resources for children and young people.