Summary of July drop-in session

The meeting this time focussed on three main topics:

• Guidance for visiting musicians – we are currently writing some clearer guidance to use for visiting musicians.   This is will follow in due course but we ask that two written references should be requested and a confidential declaration completed.  There was some discussion about whether this can be requested but our legal advise is that “as long as this is a requirement applied consistently, it is perfectly lawful. We are simply trying to ensure that Church operates safely, and organists, musicians and music teachers are often alone with people, so we are seeking a consistent standard in self-disclosure.”
• Audit – once a parish is working towards Level 3 of the dashboards, they just need to complete the Confidential Data Sheet and the Safeguarding Policy Statement each year.  If you are not yet at Level 3, you will additionally need to return a parish self-audit by 1st October 2023.
• Church Hall Hire – any activity that is communicated as being under the church’s name is a church activity, anything else, whether or not rent is paid, comes under the “hirer’s” safeguarding policy.