Reporting concerns, complaints or whistleblowing

We believe that each person matters to God and we are committed to reflecting God’s character in maintaining the highest possible Biblical standards of integrity and accountability in the work we do. Everyone serving at Christ Church is obliged to conduct themselves in keeping with these high standards and to treat others with dignity and respect. Whether you are a member of the public, or are a member of the church, we invite you to report any concerns you may have about the behavior of Christ Church staff or volunteers.

Safeguarding

Our church is committed to the care, nurture of, and respectful pastoral ministry with all children and adults and to the safeguarding and protection of all children, young people and adults when they are vulnerable. Any allegation or concern regarding the abuse of a child or a vulnerable adult must be treated seriously and reported as soon as possible. A concern can arise when you observe or suspect abusive behaviour, when an allegation is made or disclosed, or where there are indicators (signs and symptoms) of suspected abuse on the victim.

There are two ways for you to report a safeguarding concern:

·         Directly to the Parish Safeguarding Officer: Darren Coult
Telephone: 07737 022115
Email: darren@cccam.org.uk

·         Or to the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer: Rebecca Boswell
Telephone: 01353 652747
Email: rebecca.boswell@elydiocese.org

All concerns raised will be investigated thoroughly and action taken in line with Christ Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures. Confidentiality will be maintained to the fullest practical extent. The main exceptions are when the law requires disclosure, or when someone is at risk.

Whistleblowing

If you discover information which you believe shows serious malpractice, illegal actions, wrongdoing or unacceptable behaviours or practices by Christ Church employees, volunteers or members, we ask you to report it.

Legislation protects those who raise legitimate concerns. No one who makes a report in good faith will be victimised for doing so. Your concern could be about things that are happening now, have happened in the past, or are likely to happen in the future. It could be about one of the following (or something not included in this list):

  • A criminal offence

  • The breach of a legal obligation

  • A miscarriage of justice

  • A danger to the health and safety of any individual

  • Damage to the environment

  • Deliberate concealment of information related to any of the above.

To report a whistleblowing concern:

Contact our Vicar, David Todd (david@ccam.org.uk), or one of our church wardens (wardens@cccam.org.uk).

Concerns or complaints about a senior leader should be addressed to:
The Archdeacon, Alex Hughes (01353 652719; archdeacon.cambridge@elydiocese.org). Please see the Diocese of Ely’s policy on whistleblowing for more information on raising a concern.

Concerns which an individual considers cannot be raised through these channels can be directed to:

The Bishop of Ely, Rt Rev Stephen Conway (01353 662749; bishop@elydiocese.org) or, for safeguarding issues, to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, Rebecca Boswell (contact information above).

When raising your concern, you can request that your identity is withheld from those in the parish. However, it needs to be understood that the church cannot act on anonymous allegations or take formal action in the absence of reasonably substantiated concerns. Your concerns should be reported as quickly as possible so they can be investigated and any appropriate action taken.
Those who raise issues under this provision must have a reasonable belief that it is well founded. However, appropriate action will be taken if a malicious allegation is made. If an investigation is required, confidentiality will be maintained to the extent that this is appropriate and practical in the circumstances. The main exceptions are when the law requires disclosure, or when someone is at risk.

Issues will be investigated as soon as possible and action taken in line with our whistleblowing and disciplinary policies and procedures. The person raising a complaint or concern will be informed of the outcome subject to the normal rules on confidentiality of personal information.

Complaints

We are mindful that all people make mistakes and that a formal complaint should be a last resort. Our desire is that, whenever concerns are raised about the conduct of those involved in the ministry or activities of Christ Church, those with concerns will do all they can to seek an informal resolution, rather than escalating their concerns into a formal complaint. However, we recognise that in some cases there will be no alternative but to make a formal complaint. This formal procedure should only be instigated when attempts to resolve the issue informally have failed or where, due to the nature of the complaints, it is not considered appropriate to do so. Our complaints policy sets out a procedure whereby anyone may raise a formal complaint against Christ Church Cambridge, its activities or members of staff and it outlines the process that will be followed to achieve a resolution of the problem.

Any other concerns

If you have any other concerns or questions about the work of Christ Church not covered by the safeguarding, whistleblowing or complaints sections above, please let us know by talking to a member of staff, emailing office@cccam.org.uk or calling us on 01223 750450.

We appreciate your help in bringing matters to our attention. Thank you.