SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN & VULNERABLE ADULTS

Beacon of Light Church is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, loving, and protective environment for all children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
Safeguarding is a biblical mandate and a legal requirement under UK law.

20.1 — Biblical Foundation for Safeguarding
God commands His people to protect and care for the vulnerable:

• “Defend the weak and the fatherless.” — Psalm 82:3
• “Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble…” — Matthew 18:6
• “Look after widows and orphans in their distress.” — James 1:27

Safeguarding is part of our obedience to Christ and stewardship of His people.

20.2 — Legal Requirements
Beacon of Light Church will comply fully with:

• UK Safeguarding Laws
• Charity Commission safeguarding guidelines
• Protection of Children Act
• Care Act 2014
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) regulations
• Local Authority Safeguarding Boards

All ministry operations must align with these laws.

20.3 — Safeguarding Policy
The church shall maintain a full written Safeguarding Policy which includes:

• definitions of abuse
• prevention measures
• reporting procedures
• leadership responsibilities
• whistleblowing protection
• response to allegations
• training requirements
• DBS processes

The policy must be reviewed at least annually.

20.4 — Safeguarding Officer (Mandatory Role)
The church will appoint a Safeguarding Officer who must:

• be trained in safeguarding procedures
• be DBS checked
• oversee all safeguarding concerns
• maintain records
• report serious concerns to statutory bodies
• support victims and families
• keep confidentiality

This officer reports directly to the Senior Pastor and Trustees.

20.5 — Recruitment of Workers (Safe Recruitment)
All staff and volunteers working with:

• children
• youth
• vulnerable adults

…must undergo:

1. Enhanced DBS checks
2. Safeguarding training
3. Reference checks
4. Interview and assessment
5. Acceptance of safeguarding policy

No one will work with children without clearance.

20.6 — Code of Conduct for Workers
All church workers must:

• behave in a godly manner
• avoid physical or emotional abuse
• never be alone with children in private rooms
• avoid inappropriate touching
• maintain appropriate boundaries
• respect confidentiality
• report concerns immediately
• avoid communication with minors without parental awareness
This prevents misconduct and protects children and workers.

20.7 — Teaching and Ministry Environment
The church must:

• ensure classrooms and children’s areas are safe
• provide adequate supervision (minimum 2 adults)
• maintain appropriate ratios
• secure check-in and check-out procedures
• prevent unauthorised access to children
• create a welcoming but protected environment

20.8 — Responding to Concerns or Allegations
If abuse is suspected or reported:

• take all concerns seriously
• do NOT promise confidentiality
• report immediately to the Safeguarding Officer
• document the concern
• Safeguarding Officer contacts authorities if needed

The church will NEVER:

• ignore allegations
• investigate abuse internally
• confront alleged abusers without instruction
• allow intimidation or retaliation

20.9 — Support for Victims
The church shall provide pastoral care for victims, including:

• prayer support
• counseling services (internal or external)
• confidentiality
• safety planning
• family support

Healing and restoration are encouraged through biblical love and professional support where needed.

20.10 — Protection Against False Allegations
The church also commits to protect workers from false accusations by ensuring:

• transparency
• proper supervision
• avoidance of one-on-one isolation
• accurate record-keeping
• accountability processes

All investigations will be fair, confidential, and lawful.

20.11 — Safeguarding During Church Activities and Events
Safeguarding applies at all times, including:

• home groups
• church services
• retreats
• online meetings
• media interactions
• outreach events

Guidelines must be followed everywhere church ministry is conducted.

20.12 — Digital & Online Safeguarding
The church shall:

• protect children in online programs
• supervise online youth sessions
• avoid private messaging between leaders and minors
• maintain secure data storage
• follow GDPR and privacy laws

Digital safety is as important as physical safety.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Livewires (3-7 years)
Encounter (7-11 years)
Katalyst (11-15 years)
Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Night Shelter
Foodbank

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)