The safety, wellbeing and protection of every child is our highest priority.

At Project Touchline, we are committed to delivering our programmes in a way that places safeguarding, child protection and the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do.

Project Touchline is commissioned to deliver sport and values-based ministry programmes in both school and church settings. We recognise that schools and churches have their own safeguarding policies, procedures, checks and reporting requirements. Before any programme is delivered, we work within the framework of the commissioning organisation. We also comply fully with the relevant policies, procedures and requirements of each school or church.

Chris Andrew, Director of Project Touchline, is a Licensed Lay Minister/Reader within the Church of England. As a result, he operates within the Church of England’s established safeguarding framework and requirements. Furthermore, he follows the safeguarding policies and procedures of the schools and churches with which Project Touchline works. Consequently, safeguarding remains an integral part of his leadership and delivery of Project Touchline programme.

Checks and training are maintained in accordance with the relevant organisational and Church of England requirements.

National Safeguarding Leadership Training

Chris Andrew undertakes training through the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team, with this training renewed on a three-year cycle.

The Church of England Leadership Safeguarding Certificate demonstrates completion of specialist training in safeguarding leadership, with a focus on protecting children and vulnerable adults. The training is designed to develop understanding of the responsibilities leaders have for protecting children and vulnerable adults, recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns, promoting safer practices, and creating a culture in which safeguarding is taken seriously. As a result, leaders are better equipped to recognise, respond to and manage safeguarding concerns effectively.

Safeguarding is not simply a requirement for Project Touchline; rather, it is a fundamental part of how we operate.

Furthermore, we believe that every child should be able to participate in sport, faith and values-based activities in an environment where they are safe, respected, listened to and protected. 

For this reason, we work closely with every commissioning organisation to ensure that our programmes align with their safeguarding policies, procedures and expectations. In addition, we recognise that each school and church has its own safeguarding requirements; therefore, we ensure that these are understood and followed throughout our delivery. Consequently,whenever a safeguarding concern arises, we follow the appropriate procedures and reporting channels of the commissioning organisation.

In this way, concerns can be raised, communicated and addressed appropriately. Moreover, we continually seek to maintain high standards of safeguarding through appropriate training, checks and professional practice. Ultimately, our aim is to provide safe and supportive environments in which every child can participate with confidence. Above all, the safety, wellbeing and protection of every child will always remain our first priority.

Our Promise

Safeguarding is more than simply a policy; rather, it is an ongoing responsibility we take seriously whenever we work with children and young people. Therefore, we maintain appropriate training, robust procedures and professional standards. Furthermore, we follow the safeguarding policies of every school and church we serve. Consequently, any concerns are reported through the appropriate safeguarding channels. Above all, the safety, wellbeing and protection of every child remains our highest priority.

At Project Touchline, we are committed to creating environments where every child is safe, valued, respected and able to participate without fear of harm or inappropriate behaviour.

Our approach is built around:

• Robust procedures — we work within the safeguarding policies and procedures of every school and church we serve.
• Appropriate checks and training — those leading our programmes maintain the relevant DBS checks and training required for their roles.
• Clear accountability — safeguarding concerns are taken seriously and reported through the appropriate designated safeguarding channels.
• A child-centred approach — the welfare and best interests of children remain at the centre of our decisions and delivery.
• Ongoing responsibility — safeguarding is not a one-off requirement. We continually maintain our awareness, training and responsibilities.
• Partnership with schools and churches — we work alongside the leads and established procedures of each organisation to ensure a consistent and safe approach.

We believe every child deserves to feel safe, heard, respected and protected. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and at Project Touchline, we are committed to playing our part.

Working in Partnership

Church of England Safeguarding