Most of the time at church we are like a big happy family.  However even in very happy families people can have a bad day and even people we know and trust can upset us.  We want to help everyone have good days all of the time.  We try to make sure people who have jobs in the church always behave well and in a way that is helpful to you.  We never want anyone or anything in church to frighten you, confuse you or worry you.  It is important that you tell us if something is upsetting you or if you are feeling worried about something that’s happening or something somebody is doing.  We have specially trained people who you can talk to and who you can ask for help.  These people are good at safeguarding.  This means they look after everyone’s safety.  Caring for people is a very important part of our Christian life.

If you have any concerns you can contact the safeguarding co-ordinator Carole Marland (07505 476917 / administator@withamsideparish.org.uk) or if you wish to speak to someone outside the church you can contact the diocesan safeguarding team – their contact details are available on Safeguarding – Lincoln Diocese .   There is information on this website about other places from where you can get help or advice.

The Withamside United Parish takes safeguarding very seriously and has adopted the Statement of Safeguarding Principles as advised by Lincoln Diocese.

Statement of Safeguarding Principles

The Church of England works in partnership with other Christian Churches and other agencies in delivering safeguarding. In partnership with the Methodist Church, the following statement of principles appears at the head of each safeguarding policy:

We are committed to:

• • The care, nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with, all children, young people and all adults;
  • The safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and all adults

The establishing of safe, caring communities which provide a loving environment where best practice that contributes to the prevention of abuse and victims of abuse can report or disclose abuse and where they can find support.

To this end

• • We will carefully select, support and train all those with any responsibility within the Church, in line with Safer Recruitment principles, including the use of criminal records disclosures and registration/membership of the relevant vetting and barring schemes
  • We will respond without delay to every complaint made, that any adult, child or young person may have been harmed, cooperating with the police and local authority in any investigation
  • We will seek to offer informed pastoral care and support to anyone who has suffered abuse, developing with them an appropriate ministry that recognises the importance of understanding the needs of those who have been abused, including their feelings of alienation and/or isolation
  • We will seek to protect survivors of sexual abuse from the possibility of further harm and abuse
  • We will seek to challenge any abuse of power, especially by anyone in a position of trust
  • We will seek to offer pastoral care and support, including supervision, and referral to the appropriate authorities, to any member of our church community known to have offended against a child, young person or vulnerable adult.  In all these principles we will follow legislation, guidance and recognised good practice.

Approved by this Parochial Church Council. To be reviewed in three years time in April 2028.

Name of Parochial Church Council: Withamside

Signed: LD Brabin-Smith (Rural Dean)

Date: 24th April 2025

The Parish Safeguarding Officer is Carole Marland

If you feel you, or someone you know, might need further help and advice the following telephone numbers may be useful:

Childline: 0800 1111
EdanLincs (Domestic Abuse): 01522 510041
Men’s Advice Line: 0808 8010327
Elder Abuse Hotline: 0800 0699 784
Safe Spaces: 0300 303 1056

Data Protection Policy

Policy summary

Withamside Parish use personal information to carry out their many functions supporting the mission and ministry of the Church of England. Withamside Parish therefore collect a wide range of personal data required for or incidental to the discharge of its functions, involving clergy, pensions, housing, public consultations, recruitment and appointment, parliamentary functions etc.  Withamside Parish will endeavour to ensure that they use personal information in line with the expectations and interests of those with whom they come into contact, including their office holders and customers, for the benefit of the Church and wider society and in compliance with data protection legislation.

This policy provides guidance on the processing of personal data (collection, use, storage, sharing and disposal) in accordance with data protection legislation. It applies to data that relates to identifiable living individuals stored and used either electronically or on paper. Compliant processing will support effective business operations and minimise the risk of harm to individuals.

Adherence to this policy is mandatory for all Withamside Parish contractors, agency workers, consultants and volunteers who use personal data held by Withamside Parish.

Introduction

Introduction

1. The protection of personal data is enshrined in UK law, but it is also a moral responsibility that Withamside Parish take seriously. Embedding data protection within the organisation benefits Withamside Parish, the Church and all individuals who interact with us, by enabling uniform and consistent decision making, building a culture of awareness and responsibility, making personal data management and infrastructure more resilient; and, through transparency and accountability, instilling trust and confidence in individuals when they provide us with their data, and ensuring their rights and freedoms are upheld.
2. Withamside Parish will comply with applicable legislation, including:
   1. Data Protection Act 2018
   2. General Data Protection Regulation 2016
   3. Human Rights Act 1998, Article 8
   4. The Common Law Duty of Confidence
   5. Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003
   6. Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011

           and other regulatory requirements and applicable guidance

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set out the relevant legislation and to describe the steps that Withamside Parish are taking to comply.  It is our policy to ensure that our compliance with the relevant legislation is clear and demonstrable at all times.

This policy is also intended to provide Withamside Parish with measures for ensuring that risks to individuals through misuse of personal data are minimised, such as:

• personal data being used by unauthorised individuals through poor security or inappropriate disclosure;
• individuals being harmed by decisions made using inaccurate or insufficient data;
• individuals being uninformed by lack of transparency leading to unlawful practice;
• the invasion of privacy due to over-collection or over-retention of data.

Personal data is processed according to the following principles:

1. Data is processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent mannerin relation to the data subject through the provision of clear and transparent privacy notices and responses to individual rights requests.
2. Data is collected for specified, explicit and legitimate reasonsand not further processed for different reasons incompatible with these purposes.  Withamside Parish will maintain a Register of Processing Activities that will be regularly and consistently reviewed and updated. Data that can be stored and used for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research or statistical purposes will be managed by the Church of England’s Records Management Guide.
3. Data is adequate, relevant and not more than is necessaryto complete the task for which it was collected and will be subject to ongoing review and analysis of business purposes, data collection processes and data needs.
4. Data is accurate and up-to-dateand reasonable steps will be taken to ensure this through regular and consistent data quality checks.
5. Data is not kept for longer than is necessaryto complete the task for which it was collected, by the implementation of a retention schedule and a regular data cleansing programme.
6. Data is kept secure, with appropriate technical and organisational measuresto protect against unauthorised or illegal processing, or accidental loss by implementing robust policies and procedures that define the security processes of the organisation.
7. Data that is transferred outside the European Union will only take place with appropriate safeguards to protect the rights of individuals.

8. Accountability

Withamside Parish is responsible for, and will demonstrate, compliance with the principles by:

• Implementing a privacy management framework to embed accountability measures and create a culture of privacy across the organisation;
• Adopting and implementing data protection policies;
• Maintaining a Register of Processing Activities (ROPA);
• Implementing regular reviews and reports to the Parochial Church Council,where necessary, to update the measures we have put in place.

Scope

Withamside Parish require all those processing personal data on behalf of the Withamside Parish including their suppliers, partners, contractors and agents, to act in accordance with this policy.

This policy is applicable to and must be followed by all agency workers, consultants, contractors and volunteers.  

Definitions

• Personal Data– Any information that relates to an identifiable living individual.
• Data processing– Any activity relating to the collection, recording, organising, structuring, use, amendment, storage, access, retrieval, transfer, analysis, disclosure, dissemination, combination, restriction, erasure or disposal of personal data.
• Register of Processing Activities (ROPA)– A register of all processing activities where personal data is used.
• Data Subject– The individual to whom the data being processed relates.
• Data Controller– A body or organisation that makes decisions on how personal data is being processed.

1. Collecting personal data

Data protection legislation requires that the collection and use of personal data is fair and transparent. If you acquire any personal data related to an individual (including officer holders, volunteers, suppliers, supporters or other external contacts), either directly from the data subject or from a third party, you must do so in line with the above principles.

2. Processing Activities

All processing of personal data, purposes for processing and lawful reasons must be recorded on the Register of Processing Activities (ROPA).  

Privacy Notice

Individuals have the right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data and Withamside Parish will be open and transparent about their use of personal data in line with the Withamside Parish Privacy Notice (see website for details).

3. Lawful bases

Personal data must not be used unless you are sure that you have identified an appropriate lawful reason to use that data.

4. Individual rights

Data protection legislation gives individuals specific rights regarding their personal data:

1. The right to be informed
2. The right to access
3. The right to rectification
4. The right to erasure
5. The right to restrict processing
6. The right to data portability
7. The right to object

Withamside Parish will facilitate individual rights requests and ensure that action is taken within the legislated timescales.

5. Information Sharing

Information sharing across the Church and between other organisations can play a crucial role in providing better, more efficient services to members of the Church and suppliers, provided it is done in the right way and for the right reasons. To achieve these aims it is important that we share information across Withamside Parish and with other organisations effectively and ethically.  

Personal information may also be disclosed to, for instance, the Police, HMRC, the Department of Work and Pensions to prevent and detect crime, prosecute offenders and assess taxes.

When sharing or disclosing personal data you should ensure that:

• You consider the benefits and risks, either to individuals or the Church, of sharing the data, along with the potential results of not sharing the data;
• You are clear about with whom you can share the data.
• You do not disclose personal data about an individual to an external organisation without first validating you have a legitimate reason to do so.
• If you must transfer or share data, you do so using appropriate security measures;

6. Storing and disposing of data

You should ensure that you use the most appropriate and most secure methods available for both storage and disposal.

You should ensure that:

• In so far as you are able, all personal data in your possession is kept secure from unauthorised access;
• You lock physical files containing personal data in a secure cabinet;
• You are vigilant of your surroundings, in particular if you are undertaking work off-site, and ensure that you do not place any personal data in a position where it can be stolen or lost;
• All devices used to handle personal data are password protected and never share your password with anyone;
• Keep your desk clear of personal data when you are absent.

7. Misuse of Personal Information

It is an offence for a person, knowingly or recklessly, without the consent of Withamside Parish to:

• obtain or disclose personal data or the information contained in personal data, or
• procure the disclosure to another person of the information contained in personal data, or
• after obtaining the data, to retain it without the consent of the data controller who collected it.

Unless the disclosure was:

• necessary for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime;
• required by the order of a court or tribunal or authorised by law;
• justified as being in the public interest;
• based on the belief that you had a legal right to obtain, disclose or retain the data;
• based on the belief that the data controller would have consented if they had known.

8. Fact versus Opinion

When using personal data, you must ensure that you do not write comments about any individual that are unfair, untrue or offensive and that you would not be able to defend if challenged. You must assume that the individual will see anything and everything that you write.  This includes emails.  Although a certain amount of informality attaches to email writing, it should not be forgotten that these can provide a written record of your comments and they are potentially disclosable to a data subject if they contain personal data.

9. Data Breaches

A personal data breach means the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data. This includes breaches that are the result of both accidental and deliberate causes.

There will be a personal data breach whenever any personal data is lost, destroyed, corrupted or disclosed; if someone accesses the data or passes it on without proper authorisation; or if the data is made unavailable, for example, when it has been encrypted by ransomware, or accidentally lost or destroyed

Where a breach is known to have occurred which is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, Withamside Parish will report this to the ICO within 72 hours and will co-operate with any subsequent investigation.  

Responsibilities 

The PCC is responsible for the approval and implementation of this policy.

 

Appedix  1

WITHAMSIDE UNITED PARISH

DATA PROTECTION

The Appendix relates to specific groups operating within the structure of the Withamside United Parish.

The Withamside Parochial Church Council is the legally constituted Committee for the Parish. It is responsible for all activities that occur on church premises within the Withamside Parish. Responsibility, therefore, for the implementation and monitoring of the Data Protection Policy and Procedures for Waste Not Want Not lies with this Committee.

Data Protection Policy: Waste Not Want Not

1) Definitions.

1. Personal data is information about a person which is identifiable as being about them. It can be stored electronically or on paper and includes images and audio recordings as well as written information.
2. Data protection is about how we, as a voluntary  organisation, ensure we protect the rights and privacy of individuals, and comply with the law, when collecting, storing, using, amending, sharing, destroying or deleting personal data.

2) Responsibility

1. Overall and final responsibility for data protection lies with the Withamside Parochial Council who are responsible for overseeing activities within church premises and ensuring this policy is upheld.
2. All volunteers are responsible for observing this policy, and related procedures, in all areas of their work for the group.

3) Overall policy statement

1. Waste Not Want Not  needs to keep personal data about its committee, members, volunteers and people who use the service in order to carry out group activities.
2. We will collect, store, use, amend, share, destroy or delete personal data only in ways which protect people’s privacy and comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant legislation.
3. We will only collect, store and use the minimum amount of data that we need to carry out the legitimate business of Waste Not Want Not and will not collect, store or use data we do not need.
4. We will provide individuals with details of the data we have about them when requested by the relevant individual.
5. We will delete data if requested by the relevant individual, unless we need to keep it for legal reasons.
6. We will endeavour to keep personal data up-to-date and accurate.
7. We will store personal data securely in accordance with the Withamside PCC Data Protection Policy
8. We will keep clear records of the purposes of collecting and holding specific data, to ensure it is only used for these purposes.
9. We will not share personal data with third parties without the explicit consent of the relevant individual, unless legally required to do so.
10. We will endeavour not to have data breaches. In the event of a data breach, we will endeavour to rectify the breach by getting any lost or shared data back.
11. To uphold this policy, we will work within the Data Protection Procedures as set out by the Withamside PCC.

4) Review

This policy will be reviewed annually as part of the Withamside Parochial Church Council’s operational procedures.

Date………………………………………..

Signature (Chair)…………………………………………………………….

Signature (Secretary)…………………………………………………………

Our data protection procedures

1) Introduction

1. Waste Not Want Not has a data protection policy which is reviewed regularly. In order to help us uphold the policy, we have created the following procedures which outline ways in which we collect, store, use, amend, share, destroy and delete personal data.
2. These procedures cover the main, regular ways we collect and use personal data. We may from time to time collect and use data in ways not covered here. In these cases we will ensure our Data Protection Policy is upheld.

2) General procedures

1. Data will be stored securely. When it is stored electronically, it will be kept in password protected files. When it is stored on paper it will be filed carefully and stored in a locked room.
2. When we no longer need data, or when someone has asked for their data to be deleted, it will be deleted securely. We will ensure that data is permanently deleted from computers, and that paper data is shredded.
3. We will only keep records where the data is necessary for the effective operation of the service.

3) Supporting individuals

1. We ask for some basic information from anyone using Waste Not Want Not in the form of names, addresses and contact details.. It is also helpful for brief details of their circumstances to help us to provide an appropriate service to meet their needs ,for example family numbers, allergies etc.
2. We will not keep information relating to an individual’s personal situation for any longer than is necessary for the purpose of providing them with the support they have requested.
3. Personal data will be stored securely and not shared among the rest of the other volunteers unless necessary for the purpose of providing the support requested.
4. Details relating to individual’s circumstances will be treated as strictly confidential.

4) Contacting volunteers

1. Local people volunteer for Waste Not Want Not  in a number of ways, from monitoring stock levels, agreeing purchases required with our supplier, arranging rotas, setting up and clearing away each month, meeting and supporting the public during their visits and as a first point of contact.
2. We will maintain a list of contact details of our volunteers. We will share volunteering opportunities and requests for help with the people on this list.
3. People will be removed from the list if they have not volunteered for the group for 12 months or if requested.
4. The usual form of contact between the group is through use of email or a What’s App group. When contacting people on this list, we will provide a privacy notice which explains why we have their information, what we are using it for, how long we will keep it, and that they can ask to have it deleted or amended at any time by contacting us.
5. To allow volunteers to work together to organise for the group, it is sometimes necessary to share volunteer contact details with other volunteers. We will only do this with explicit consent.

6) Review

These procedures will be reviewed annually as part of the Withamside Parochial Church Council’s operational procedures.

 

Date………………………………………..

Signature (Chair)…………………………………………………………….

Signature (Secretary)…………………………………………………………