Heathfield Benefice

The Church of England in Your Community

Simple Quality Protects

A standard for Safeguarding in Churches in the Diocese of Chichester

What is Simple Quality Protects (SQP)?

Simple Quality Protects (SQP) is a tool being introduced across the Diocese of Chichester, to be used by parishes and churches to assess how well we are doing with our safeguarding practice and provision, to improve, and to demonstrate that improvement.  

 

















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































It is probably easiest to think of SQP like a safeguarding 'kitemark' scheme: it provides a set of easily-understood standards, arranged around three levels and four themes. The four themes around which our SQP programme is based are as follows:

 

Safe Activities: Ensuring that our basic day-to-day activities in church are safe. This Theme covers things like first-aid-kits, and risk-assessment for activities. It is the most 'practical' of the themes.

 
































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Safe Practice: This Theme focuses on ensuring that churches operate as safely as possible in their interaction with children and adults. It covers things like codes of behaviour, and how to respond to concerns. 

 

Safe Structures: This Theme looks at the policies adopted by the PCC, and also at how the incumbent and PCC monitor compliance with those policies. This Theme is primarily about the governance of the parish, and how that supports good safeguarding.

 

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Safe People: This theme focuses on safer recruitment - making sure that the people who work or volunteer in our churches with children and adults are suitable people to do so. It covers DBS checks, and also references, induction, training, and the like. 

 

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