Safeguarding at St. Mary's
We want St. Mary's to be a welcoming and safe place for everyone. In particular we put an incredibly high value on the safety of our children and young people. As such all our volunteers are interviewed and DBS checked before being appointed.
Any ministry among young people is working towards keeping children and young people safe and sound. With this in mind, Leanne Cox is our Parish Safeguarding Coordinator and Disclosure Officer. Her role includes looking out for those at St. Mary's who may need support. She is also available to speak to about any issues or concerns you may have.
Parish Safeguarding Policy Statement
The Parochial Church Council of the Parish of St. Mary-the-Virgin Dover has adopted the safeguarding policies and procedures of the Church of England. In particular we are committed to:
- the safeguarding of all children, young people and vulnerable adults
- carefully selecting and training paid and voluntary staff who might come into contact with children or vulnerable adults, using the Disclosure and Barring Service amongst other tools, to check their suitability
- responding without delay to every complaint made which suggests that an adult, child or young person may have been harmed
- co-operating fully with the police, local authority and any other appropriate statutory body in any investigation
- ministering appropriately to anyone, child or adult, who has experienced abuse
- extending pastoral care to those known to have offended against children or vulnerable adults whilst ensuring that children and vulnerable adults are protected from them
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Leanne Cox is our Parish Safeguarding Coordinator and Disclosure Officer. She can be contacted on 07890781240 or via email at leannelilliput@hotmail.co.uk
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A copy of the signed Parish Safeguarding Policy Statement can be found here.
Safeguarding audits
INEQE Safeguarding Group have been commissioned to conduct Independent Safeguarding Audits of the Church of England to make sure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. As part of the audit process for Canterbury, INEQE hope to engage with parishioners and members of the parish community through an online survey . The survey is both anonymous (we are not seeking to identify you) and confidential (you will not be identified).
We would therefore ask you to be open and honest with your responses. The survey results are received directly by INEQE’s Audit Team and not by the Church of England. The survey is now live and will close at 11.30 pm on Wednesday 2nd of September 2026.
To access the survey relevant to you please click here.
Additional information
Our Parish Safeguarding Coordinator is available to speak with adults or children.
Canterbury Diocese Safeguarding Information is online, and available here.
Any child wishing to talk about a problem can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or online at www.childline.org.uk
Any parent or carer wishing to talk about parenting problems can contact Family Lives on 0808 800 2222 or online at www.familylives.org.uk
Let’s talk PANTS !
NSPCC’s “Talk PANTS” video teaches children important messages, like their body belongs to them and they should tell an adult if they’re upset or worried.