Safeguarding at St Matthew's

St Matthew's Church is committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of children, young people and adults at risk.

We want St Matthew's to be a church where everyone is safe, welcomed, and treated with dignity and respect. We take safeguarding seriously and will respond promptly and carefully to concerns, disclosures, and allegations.

If someone is in immediate danger

If a child or adult is in immediate danger, or needs urgent medical attention, call 999.

If the situation is serious but not an emergency, contact the police on 101 or contact the relevant local authority children's or adult social care team.

How to raise a safeguarding concern

If you are worried about a child, young person, or adult at risk, or if you need to talk through a concern, please contact us.

Parish Safeguarding Officer
Ben Drouet
Email : Contact Ben Drouet via our online contact form.
Messages are monitored daily.

If your concern is about someone in church leadership, or if you would prefer not to speak to someone at parish level first, you may contact the diocesan safeguarding team directly.

Diocese of Peterborough Safeguarding Team

Email : safeguarding@peterborough-diocese.org.uk
Direct lines : 01733 887040 or 01733 887039
Office hours : Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm

Out of hours

The Diocese of Peterborough Safeguarding Team office hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.

At any time, if a child or adult is in immediate and/or serious danger, contact the police on 999 or 101.

National safeguarding information

Further national safeguarding information is available via the Church of England Safeguarding page.

Independent support for victims and survivors

We recognise that contacting the parish or diocese may not feel safe for everyone.

If you would prefer to speak to someone independently, Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales, or the Church in Wales.

Helpline : 0300 303 1056
Email : safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk

Other helpful contacts

	NSPCC - 0808 800 5000
	Childline - 0800 1111
	Stop It Now - 0808 1000 900
	NAPAC - 0808 801 0331
	Samaritans - 116 123
	Family Lives - 0808 800 2222
	National Domestic Violence Helpline - 0808 2000 247
	Action on Elder Abuse - 0808 808 8141

Our safeguarding commitments

At St Matthew's, we are committed to:

	promoting a safer environment and culture
	safely recruiting and supporting those who work with children, young people, and adults at risk
	responding promptly to every safeguarding concern or allegation
	caring pastorally for victims and survivors of abuse and other affected persons
	caring pastorally for those who are the subject of concerns or allegations
	responding appropriately to those who may present a risk to others

Safeguarding in our parish

Our parish works to follow the safeguarding policy and practice guidance of the House of Bishops and the Diocese of Peterborough.

This includes safer recruitment, appropriate DBS checking where required, safeguarding training, responding well to concerns, and maintaining a culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Policies and further information

	Diocese of Peterborough Safeguarding
	Church of England Safeguarding
	Parish Safeguarding Policy

A safer church

Safeguarding is not only about policies and procedures. It is about the culture of the Church: listening well, acting promptly, taking concerns seriously, and ensuring that children, young people, and adults at risk are protected and supported.

If you are worried about someone, please speak up.

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Last updated: April 2026