Interim Church Safety Plan
An Interim Church Safety Plan is focused on the short-term management of risk – i.e. whilst safeguarding and other processes are ongoing. An Interim Church Safety Plan is not based on a formal or complete risk assessment, but a dynamic consideration of risk by the Safeguarding Officer, as relevant information is being gathered. Interim Church Safety Plans follow the same requirements as regular Church Safety Plans (Outcomes, closure and the long-term management of risk).
Interim Church Safety Plans need to be agreed and signed by the respondent. Any refusal to sign the Plan should be considered by the SCMG. In such cases, alternative ways to manage risk need to be identified.
Suspension and revocation of licence, authorisation or commission
A volunteer will normally fulfil a role in a Church Body at the invitation of either the bishop, the parish priest or another governance body, such as the PCC. Volunteers may be licenced or authorised/commissioned by a bishop, may be part of diocesan scheme or may have local arrangements with a priest or a governance body to fulfil their role.
Normally volunteers will not have the same protections under the law as employees. Therefore, with certain exceptions arising under ecclesiastical law (explained below), a volunteer may be asked at any point to temporarily or permanently end their volunteering responsibilities. However, it is important that decision makers treat volunteers fairly and provide them with clear reasons why their contributions are no longer needed.
When an allegation is raised against a volunteer and the SCMG considers that immediate action needs to be undertaken to mitigate safeguarding risks whilst more information is gathered and a fuller risk assessment is carried out, the SCMG may recommend to the person or body to either suspend or temporarily end a respondent’s volunteering responsibilities. Depending on the exact arrangements that are in place, this may mean that:
- a licenced volunteer may be suspended or have their licence temporarily revoked by the relevant bishop;
- an authorised or commissioned volunteer may have their authorisation temporarily withdrawn by the relevant bishop;
- a locally recognised volunteer may be asked by the incumbent or governance body to temporarily pause any volunteering responsibilities within the Church.
Suspension is a neutral act, in that a determination of fact has yet to be made, which aims to ensure that cases can be assessed in a dispassionate manner and to protect all parties involved, for instance, by ensuring no further accusations are made against the respondent and complainants are protected. This should be explained and emphasised to respondents, and the support of a Link Person should be offered to respondents during this time to maintain contact with the Church and provide emotional support. A decision to suspend someone must be reasonable, evidenced and followed up in writing.
Voluntarily step down from duties
In certain circumstances, a respondent may voluntarily choose to temporarily step down from their duties. It is unlikely that this will ever be an appropriate course of action to take where there is a safeguarding risk. There may be exceptions, for example where there is a procedural breach under Pathway 4F in extenuating circumstances, but not when there has been an allegation of direct abuse, and an appropriate determination of risk made.