Thomas Simm – Safeguarding Officer

I am the District Safeguarding Officer for the Methodist Church, Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District.

The District Safeguarding Officer takes a lead on issues relating to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults.

Within this role I have oversight over all the churches that fall within the confines of the district. This includes the oversight of compliance with Methodist Church Safeguarding procedures, working with Circuit and Church Safeguarding Officers, and Ministers. Through a mixture of advice and guidance to these groups and, where necessary direct contact with individual cases I work with both those who have the potential to cause harm and those who have experienced harm previously to help make our churches safer places for everyone to worship. I co-ordinate the provision of the training resources for safeguarding in our district. In the most complex cases I take responsibility for the risk assessment and ultimately the design of safeguarding and behavioural contracts which provide boundaries and support for the small number of people in our churches that require these to attend worship safely.

The role is challenging but rewarding.

My background and training include educational and youth work in Prisons and Youth Offending Institutions, Lay Chaplaincy in Ex-Offender Housing and work within the Probation Service both as a Probation Officer and within Quality, Practice Improvement and Training Delivery.

Outside of work I am an avid musician having led worship for several years across various Christian denominations.