Who are we?
Christian Safeguarding Services is a provider of specialist training, consultancy and professional support to churches and other Christian Faith Based Organisations. Driven by a passion to help churches and faith based organisations to develop best practice in safeguarding from a biblical perspective and in a cost effective way. We provide a complete safeguarding service, meeting all your safeguarding needs in a flexible and responsive manner.
We approach safeguarding in a manner that biblically centred, yet fully legally compliant. Working from a historically orthodox and broad evangelical theological conviction, we firmly believe that scripture provides that most robust basis for understanding safeguarding and that it’s teachings should drive us to exceed the requirements of the state. We believe that safeguarding is a biblical imperative, not merely a legal duty, and that for too long, we have thought about safeguarding only as a legal matter rather, and as a consequence have not approached the subject from a biblical frame of reference and working to biblical standards.
Christian Safeguarding Services support churches and faith-based organisations with DBS checks. policy development, training & consultancy services. We also run an advice line which is available from 08:00-22:00 seven days a week. We work flexibly to deliver what your church or your organisation needs.
History
First established in 2018 as a project within the founder’s business, CSS grew rapidly from a training provider into a company that provides a complete safeguarding solution for churches and other Christian Faith Based Organisations. From the outset, it was the intention to establish the service and then move it to a charitable status. The charity registration took longer than expected, and moving the activity to CSS has been more complex and time consuming that we expected. The Covid pandemic also delayed progress, however CSS is now registered with Companies House as a Company Limited by Guarantee, and with the Charity Commission of England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). At present, CSS is still trading as part of the original company. The move to trading as the CIO is currently in the planning stages and we anticipate that this will commence later this year (2024) and complete during 2025.
Ethos and values
CSS aim to support and empower churches and other Christian charities to achieve best practice in safeguarding. Our aim is to help churches to develop the skills and competencies that they require and to think through the issues that they need to consider. We do not aim to dictate a specific approach, but rather work flexibly to help the organisations that we work with to develop systems and processes that work for them in their context and in a manner that is consistent with their beliefs and organisational structure.
Biblically centred
We believe that an approach to safeguarding that is built upon a biblical worldview and is shaped by scripture will be the most effective approach that we can develop. This is consistent with best practice which indicates that safeguarding should not be an “add on” to our main activity but rather should be a reflection of our core values and beliefs.
Flexibility
We aim to work in partnership with the churches and charities that we support; providing them with the support they need, in the way that they want to receive it. We seek to aim to shape our services to meet the needs of our customers rather than prescribing an approach to suit ourselves.
Integrity
We promote the view that our approach to safeguarding should be rooted in and shaped by scripture, and we likewise seek to conduct our ministry with integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability. While recognising that none of us is perfect, we seek to operate in a manner that is consistent with the Word of God.
Respectfulness
We seek to operate in a manner that values and respects everyone with whom we come into contact. There are times when we as an organisation have to challenge and deliver difficult messages, but we seek to always do so with humility, courtesy and compassion.
Professionalism
We always to seek to deliver a professional service to the churches and charities that we work with. We aim to operate to the highest professional standards while maintaining a gospel and pastoral heart. By doing so, we seek to glorify God in in our ministry
