The Parish of St Mary's Walkley is committed to high standards in the safeguarding and care of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Our Safeguarding Officer is Catherine Burchell, who can be contacted by email at safeguarding@stmaryswalkley.co.uk.
St Mary's Safeguarding Policy can be read in full by following this link: Parish Safeguarding Policy.
For information about best practice, guidelines and policy in the safeguarding of children and adults from The Diocese of Sheffield, please visit The Diocese of Sheffield web pages on Safeguarding.
The Diocese of Sheffield Safeguarding team can be contacted as follows:
Siân Checkley, Safeguarding Adviser – m. 07741 013775, sian.checkley@sheffield.anglican.org (Monday – Thursday)
Elina Penttila, Assistant Safeguarding Adviser – m. 07871 796682, Elina.penttila@sheffield.anglican.org (Monday – Friday)
Rachel Tankard, Assistant Safeguarding Adviser – m. 07874 859062, rachel.tankard@sheffield.anglican.org (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 9am – 3pm)
The safeguarding policy statement is based on five foundations and offers six overarching policy commitments:
• Promoting a safer environment and culture
• Safely recruiting and supporting all those with any responsibility related to children, young people and vulnerable adults within the Church.
• Responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation.
• Caring pastorally for victims/survivors of abuse and other affected persons.
• Caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations of abuse and other affected persons.
• Responding to those that may pose a present risk to others.
Our policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders may be found here: Safeguarding policy on recruitment of ex-offenders
Michael Copeland
It was recently reported in the press that Mr Michael Copeland (aka Cope) has been sentenced to 16 years for sexual offences committed in Sheffield during the 1980s and 90s. He was known to attend churches within this Mission Area. We would urge anyone who is affected by this news to either contact their Parish Safeguarding Officer or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. Mr Copeland left Sheffield around 2016.