Safeguarding: hiring or loaning your building to a 3rd party

Things to consider before hiring or loaning your building

If your church property is used by a third party, it is good practice to have a written agreement with the third party. To protect your building, it fixtures and fittings, church leaders/trustees have the right to ask for written assurance that they:

✔︎ Have their own safeguarding policy, although you don’t need to see it but you do need to ask the question. If they don’t have a policy, and they are involved in regulated activity then this is a concern.

✔︎ Will carry out risk assessments for each activity.

✔︎ If all their staff and volunteers are DBS checked.

✔︎ They will have a First-Aider on site at all times.

✔︎ You have a written agreement around the storage of equipment and who exactly owns the equipment.

✔︎ You have a written agreement around any financial transactions a 3rd party organisation may contribute around any repairs or contributions to repairs or equipment.

❗️If you provide Wifi to visitors in your building, you are responsible as the internet provider, for any material they download to their device. You may need to consider how you manage this if you are renting out to youth groups.

❌ It is illegal to ask for a copy of a DBS certificate if you are not the organisation who requested it in the first place.

We recommend you use Edward Connor Solicitors , they have a wealth of knowledge in this area and helpful resources you can purchase to assist you drawing up a hire agreement contract.