Being God’s image-bearers; serving Christ the King; doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly; how can Biblical themes such as these help us to frame our thinking around safeguarding? Can our theology inform our safeguarding practice for the better?

Rev John Hoyland explores these – and other – themes, and invites us to reflect on how our theology might inform our safeguarding practice.

John has been a tutor with York School Of Ministry for four years and, following a curacy in York, he now works as Lifelong Learning and Continuing Ministerial Development Advisor for the Diocese of York.

Domestic abuse isn’t just physical.  It includes controlling, coercive, threatening and degrading behaviour, usually by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.

Despite the fact that domestic abuse is common, it is under-reported. Some people may not be aware that what is happening to them is domestic abuse and some people do not tell anyone because they feel ashamed or that in some way it is their fault but this is never the case.

We are delighted to be joined by Melanie Fox and Lauren Grieveson for this session.  Mel and Lauren are part of the IDAS team (IDAS is the largest specialist charity in the North supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence? And will be joining us to talk about DA and how we can respond well and how we can support people within our congregations and communities who may be impacted by DA.

This will be a really valuable session, designed to help us in being well equipped to help people and families we are working with.

The creators of ‘Safeguarding Dashboards’ present ‘Safeguarding Hubs’ for safer recruitment and people management.

Safeguarding Hubs are making parishes safer by helping them to meet the Church of England’s safeguarding requirements. They are fully integrated with Safeguarding Dashboards, which are now being used in almost 6,000 parishes across the country.

We are really pleased to welcome Graeme Pringle from Clearly Simpler (the team behind the Dashboard and Hub system) who will be providing us with a workshop covering the great features available via the Hub, including

Role Creator: The Role Creator clarifies safeguarding requirements and creates Role Descriptions and Person Specifications. It has a range of templates that are easy to customise.

People Manager: The People Manager keeps track of ongoing safeguarding requirements and automatically sends reminders. It monitors DBS checks, safeguarding training and supervision sessions.

Recruitment Tracker: The Recruitment Tracker oversees the safer recruitment of new volunteers and creates Volunteer Agreements. Signed agreements are automatically archived for future reference.

Safeguarding Hubs work equally well on a mobile phone, tablet or computer.  Whether you are new to the system, just started using it or are already enjoying the benefits this will be a great session with the expert and creator of the platform.  Graeme will be available to share important information and answer questions too.

Mo is the Diocesan Adviser in Pastoral Care. As a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist (UKCP accredited) Mo is able to offer or arrange therapy, pastoral support or mediation for clergy, their immediate families and Diocesan employees, Licensed or Authorised Lay Ministers.

As Christian workers with and supporters of others the line between service, which is at times sacrificial, and servitude which is about an enslavement to duty rather than a joyful offering of it, can be hard to distinguish. In a world of high demand in so many areas, how can we hold both ourselves and the other graciously in mind, recognising that in ensuring we keep ourselves safe and well in body, mind and spirit, we come to meet the other better resourced and so more available?  Mona-Karina Theodosius, our Diocesan Adviser in Pastoral Care, will spend time reflecting on this as part of our Safeguarding week programme, thinking into this careful balancing holistically to encompass psychological, emotional, practical and spiritual perspectives. 

Session context:

Contrasting the church’s assimilated Graeco-Roman idealised norm with the radical theology of the risen wounded body of Christ

Revd Canon Timothy Goode has been the Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster since September 2023. Before that he was Rector of St Margaret’s Lee in South East London, a member of General Synod and Archbishops’ Council. Timothy is a member of the National Disability Task Group, which advises the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on disability issues and he led the first debate on disability at the General Synod in July 2022.  

Initially, on leaving school, Tim studied Music at Huddersfield Polytechnic and trained as a secondary school teacher at the Roehampton Institute. He was Director of Music of Homefield School from 1995-2007. He trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon and served his title at Croydon Minster, in the Diocese of Southwark and was ordained priest in 2010.   From September 2012 to May 2018, Tim was Team Vicar of St Luke’s Whyteleafe and St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, part of the Caterham Team ministry. From 2013 to 2021 he was also the Southwark Diocesan Disability Advisor.  Tim was made an Honorary Canon of Southwark Cathedral in September 2020 and has been a trustee of the Churches Conservation Trust since November 2020.  

Tim is married to Bernie, who teaches chemistry at St Peter’s School in York and has a lurcher called Finzi. In his spare time he likes to attend opera and classical concerts as well as theatre and cinema and he is often found on a Friday night at the folk session in the Three Legged Mare in York playing accordion until the early hours!      

• an overview of the helpline and its associated support services
• guidance to support effective referrals
• tools for facilitating informed and sensitive conversations with clients
• exploration of the psychological aspects of offending, including the roles of guilt and shame

The presentation will cover:

• factors contributing to offending behaviour, including the influence of pornography
• understanding and addressing guilt and shame
• managing disclosures
• the current landscape and scale of online sexual offending
• the role and impact of deterrence campaigns
• the purpose of the helpline, including the types of calls we receive and the people we support
• how individuals present during calls, and the nature of the advice and support offered
• follow-on services, including the Stop It Now self-help modules
• the emotional and professional impact of engaging with this work

Gerald is the Diocesan Racial Justice Eduction Adviser. Gerald has produced and delivered training around diversity and inclusion and unconscious bias as well as being involved in the development of the national church’s anti-racist training modules. All the work Gerald is doing is informed by the recommendations of From Lament to Action, the report of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce and is aimed at tacking racism in all its forms within the church.

Session Content

• What is racism?
• Why racism is a safeguarding issue
• Intersectionality
• Micro-aggressions
• The role of implicit bias
• How to respond well to disclosures of racist abuse and harassment

Eamonn Mohans is a Rough Sleeper Coordinator for North Yorkshire Council and has 25 years’ experience of working in the Criminal Justice Service with children, young people, adults and families before taking up his current post in July 2024. Eamonn took up this opportunity because he wanted to make a difference to those most vulnerable individuals and groups in our communities.

The workshop will aim to support a greater understanding of the safeguarding risks and vulnerabilities associated with those rough sleeping and being homeless. The workshop will aim to cover:

• Perceptions
• Identification, (duty to refer)
• Complexities of need and risk
• Assessments (Capacity, MH, local connections, housing
• Referral pathways
• Severe weather provision
• Challenges & Opportunities, (Affordability, supply & demand, partnership approach)
• Good practice: Shelter
• Open for discussion along the way

Sara is the Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser for the Diocese.  

Sara has previously undertaken training as TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) practitioner whilst working for the Police and has a wealth of experience working within education and looked after children settings supporting children and young people, who suffered significant abuse and trauma. 

• What do we mean by trauma 

• How we respond to trauma 

• Understanding the impact of trauma 

• Explore the six key principles of trauma informed practice 

Please note that this session has previously been delivered during a PSO forum in 2024. 

The Session will offer a time of reflection.

Reverend Sam Taylor became Diocesan Director of Ordinands in August this year. Prior to that she was responsible for the parish of Eastfield near Scarborough. She has had a range of different roles including Director of a crisis charity, Area Dean, Chair of Governors and acting Archdeacon.

Jenny Price is the safeguarding trainer in York and enjoys talking to people. Having been a big fan of the late Michael Parkinson, she uses these sessions are an attempt to emulate, in a small way, his ability to put people at ease so we may learn more about them.

A former DDO was once told by a former diocesan safeguarding adviser that their work in discernment ministry was so important that they should complement this by  having a good understanding of safeguarding to support it.

As we welcome Sam into this role, this session invites us to explore the role of the DDO and in particular the links with the safeguarding team which will go on to embed  and develop[ good safeguarding practice across our diocese.