The personal safety of clergy, paid church staff and volunteers – as well as that of members of the congregation and of other building users – should be an important consideration for any church community as part of our care for each other’s wellbeing. It is advisable for every place of worship to contemplate the threat of violence (including verbal abuse or threats as well as physical attacks) to church workers and volunteers and consider measures that could be taken to reduce the risk of harm. It’s important to carry out a personal safety risk assessment to identify hazards and potential action that could be taken to reduce the risk, in a place of worship/church hall, out in the community, and at home.
Some useful sources of information include:
- https://www.ecclesiastical.com/documents/personal-safety-plan.pdf: a helpful document setting out issues to consider relating to personal safety.
- https://www.met.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/personal-safety-how-to-stay-safe/ which includes tips and advice from the Metropolitan Police which is just as relevant for those living outside London
- https://www.suzylamplugh.org provides helpful information about staying safe in a variety of settings, as well as information about stalking and harassment.
- The Blue Book: A Guide to Personal Security | ProtectUK also offers some helpful advice produced by the Government.
Any suspicious incidents or persons should be reported to the police, your archdeacon and any others that might need to know. It is particularly helpful for the archdeacons to know about any nuisance calls and incidents of harassment so that they can identify whether these are isolated actions, or part of wider campaign by an individual/group.