St. Francis Anglican Church Safeguarding Policy


The protection of children and adults who may be vulnerable from harm is of paramount importance to us.

We will not tolerate abuse in any form. As a church within the Diocese of Europe, we comply fully with the requirements of the Diocese’s Safeguarding Policy*. We will not tolerate the abuse of children or adults in any form. Specifically, within our Church we are committed to:

  • The care, nurture, and respectful pastoral ministry of all children, young persons and adults 
  • The safeguarding and protection of all children, young persons and adults who may be vulnerable
  • The establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where there is a culture of ‘informed vigilance’ as to the dangers of abuse. 
  • The careful selection and training of all those with any safeguarding responsibility within the Church, including the use of available criminal records disclosures and relevant vetting and barring schemes. 
  • Preventing abuse or the likelihood of abuse by encouraging and adopting a pro-active stance to safeguarding; responding to the slightest concern whether by rumour, speculation or from an anonymous source – every safeguarding concern will be taken seriously. 
  • Ensuring that any concern about safeguarding must be passed onto someone in the Diocesan Safeguarding Team as there are no legal barriers to sharing such concerns. 
  • Responding without delay to every complaint made which suggests that a child, young person or adult may have been harmed - co-operating with the local police, relevant local agencies and any other relevant body (eg other faith groups) in any investigation. 
  • Seeking to work with anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them an appropriate ministry of informed pastoral care. 
  • Seeking to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust.
  • Seeking to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision and referral to the proper authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult. You will find details on how we action our policy and useful contact information on the following pages. If you have any queries please speak to the Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officer Jill Pargeter (details below)

*For information, you can find the detailed diocesan policy, and how it is implemented across all chaplaincies in the diocese, on Diocesan website www.europe.anglican.org/ 

How do we Action Our Policy? 

The information given below will help you to understand what we do – and how you can help in reporting any suspected abuse. You can find more details on these matters in our full policy statement (which includes the detailed way in which this is implemented) available from the Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officer

What do we mean by ‘Abuse’? 

The groups of concern include children and young people under the age of 18 who are vulnerable because of their age and life experience and also adults who may be vulnerable for a variety of reasons including a disability, an illness or their advanced years. The nature of the abuse can include playing on people’s emotions, neglecting their needs, physical or sexual assault.

People with special responsibilities

St. Francis Church has appointed a Safeguarding Officer who is responsible for the overall coordination of safeguarding in our churches. If you have any questions or concerns about our safeguarding policy or any worries about someone being abused please speak to them in absolute confidence. •

The present Safeguarding Officer is : Jill Pargeter • Her contact details are Tel: : 0034 711036474 email: safeguarding@anglicanchurchtenerife.com

People who work with children and adults who may be vulnerable may be required to be checked to ensure that they have no history which may make them unsuitable for that role. St. Francis Church complies with the Diocesan requirements for such checks. The Safeguarding Officer can provide more information. 

Reporting suspected Abuse

Everyone has a responsibility to be vigilant to spotting incidents of abuse. If you become aware of abuse in any form (no matter how seemingly trivial) please tell the Safeguarding Officer (or the the Priest, a Warden, the Area Dean or Archdeacon) as soon as you can. If you would prefer, you can call the diocesan confidential telephone line +44 (0)207 898 1163 and leave a message as to your concerns. The Diocesan Safeguarding Team will get back to you as soon as possible. The diocese will then ensure that the concerns are properly investigated. In addition it is of course your right and duty as a citizen to inform the local law enforcement agencies where you believe a criminal offence has been committed. 

Chaplaincy Domestic Abuse Statement

Chaplaincy Name St. Francis, South Tenerife. Adopted 11th November 2019.

Safeguarding Policy Statement

All forms of domestic abuse are wrong and must stop. We are committed to promoting and supporting environments which:

ensure that all people feel welcomed, respected and safe from abuse.

protect those vulnerable to domestic abuse from actual or potential harm.

recognise equality amongst people and within relationships.

enable and encourage concerns to be raised and responded to appropriately and consistently.

We recognise that:

  • all forms of domestic abuse cause damage to the victim/survivor and express an imbalance of power in the relationship.
  • all victims/survivors (regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity) have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
  • domestic abuse can occur in all communities.
  • domestic abuse may be a single incident, but is usually a systematic, repeated pattern which escalates in severity and frequency.
  • domestic abuse, if witnessed or overheard by a child, is a form of abuse by the perpetrator of the abusive behaviour.
  • working in partnership with children, adults and other agencies is essential in promoting the welfare of any child or adult suffering abuse.

We will endeavour to respond to domestic abuse:

In all our activities –

  • valuing, listening to and respecting both victims/survivors and alleged or known perpetrators of domestic abuse.
  • by raising awareness about other agencies, support services and expertise in the local area.

When concerns are raised –

  • ensuring that those who have experienced abuse can find safety and informed help.
  • working with the appropriate authorities and agencies during an investigation into domestic abuse, including when allegations are made against a member of the church community.

In our care – 

  • ensuring that informed and appropriate pastoral care is offered to any child, young person or adult who has suffered abuse.
  • by identifying appropriate pastoral care support for both victims/survivors and alleged or known perpetrators of domestic abuse.

If you have any concerns or need to talk to any one please contact:

Chaplaincy Safeguarding Officer – Jill Pargeter

Tel: : 0034 711 03 6474 or email: safeguarding@anglicanchurchtenerife.com

PLEASE READ OUR PRIVACY POLICY BY CLICKING HERE