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Safeguarding Expectations for Hirers

St Peter’s, Colchester

Approved by the Vicar on behalf of the PCC
Review date: July 2027
Document owner: The Parochial Church Council

1. Purpose

St Peter’s is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and caring environment for everyone who uses our church and hall, especially children, young people and vulnerable adults.

This document explains the safeguarding expectations for organisations, groups and individuals hiring or using St Peter’s premises.

It is intended to be practical rather than comprehensive. It does not replace St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy, and it does not replace a hirer’s own safeguarding policy or legal responsibilities.

2. Who this applies to

This applies to all external hirers and users of St Peter’s premises, including one-off bookings, regular bookings, community groups, charities, private events and organisations using the church or hall.

Where the hirer is an organisation, these expectations apply to the organisation, its leaders, workers, volunteers, helpers, contractors and participants.

3. Hirers’ safeguarding responsibilities

Hirers are responsible for the safeguarding arrangements for their own activity.

Where an activity involves children, young people or vulnerable adults, the hirer must ensure that they have appropriate safeguarding arrangements in place. This may include:

  • a safeguarding policy and procedures;
  • safer recruitment arrangements for staff and volunteers;
  • DBS checks where required;
  • appropriate supervision and staffing;
  • suitable risk assessments;
  • clear reporting routes for safeguarding concerns;
  • appropriate insurance;
  • compliance with relevant law, guidance and regulatory requirements.

St Peter’s may ask hirers to confirm that these arrangements are in place.

Where an external organisation uses St Peter’s premises, St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy expects that organisation to confirm that it has safeguarding policy and procedures and that activity risk assessments have been completed. 

4. Small groups and private hirers

Some small groups or private hirers may not have a formal safeguarding policy. Even so, they must still take reasonable steps to ensure that their activity is safe.

At minimum, they should:

  • consider whether children, young people or vulnerable adults will be present;
  • ensure children remain appropriately supervised;
  • avoid situations where a child, young person or vulnerable adult is placed at unnecessary risk;
  • ensure leaders/helpers behave appropriately;
  • know what to do if a safeguarding concern arises;
  • report relevant concerns promptly.

St Peter’s may decline or place conditions on a booking if safeguarding arrangements are not considered adequate.

5. If a safeguarding concern arises during a booking

If someone is in immediate danger, or urgent medical or police assistance is needed, call 999 immediately.

If a safeguarding concern arises during a booking, the hirer should follow their own safeguarding procedure where they have one.

In addition, the hirer must inform St Peter’s where the concern:

  • happened on St Peter’s premises;
  • involved someone attending an activity on St Peter’s premises;
  • involved the hirer’s staff, volunteers or leaders while using St Peter’s premises;
  • may affect the safety of others using St Peter’s premises;
  • may create a safeguarding, legal, insurance or reputational risk for St Peter’s.

St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy specifically requires external organisations to notify the Parish Safeguarding Officer of safeguarding incidents that could carry reputational risk for St Peter’s, whether or not the incident took place in a St Peter’s building. 

6. How to report a concern to St Peter’s

Safeguarding concerns relating to use of St Peter’s premises can be reported via this online form, or directly to:

Parish Safeguarding Officer
Email Clare Reid

Or:

Church Office / Safeguarding Administrator
Email Lizzie Wallace
07947 136048

For urgent danger, call 999 first.

St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy also lists diocesan and statutory safeguarding contacts, including Chelmsford Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers and Essex County Council reporting routes. 

7. What hirers should not do

Hirers must not:

  • ignore safeguarding concerns;
  • investigate allegations themselves where statutory or specialist safeguarding advice is needed;
  • promise secrecy to someone disclosing abuse;
  • contact a person who may be implicated in a safeguarding allegation before appropriate advice has been taken;
  • share confidential safeguarding information unnecessarily;
  • assume that St Peter’s safeguarding team is responsible for managing the hirer’s own activity.

St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy is clear that concerns must be recorded and reported, that abuse concerns should not be investigated by the person receiving them, and that information must be treated confidentially except where it needs to be shared for safeguarding purposes. 

8. St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy

St Peter’s full Safeguarding Policy is available on request and/or on the St Peter’s website.

Hirers are not expected to read the whole policy as a condition of every booking. However, hirers are expected to understand and follow the safeguarding expectations in this document and to co-operate with St Peter’s if a safeguarding concern arises.

9. Review

This document will be reviewed annually, or sooner if required by changes in St Peter’s Safeguarding Policy, statutory guidance, Church of England guidance, diocesan guidance, booking arrangements or safeguarding risk.