Links to Documents and “stuff” referred to in the article Parish Dashboards: https://www.parishdashboards.org.uk/ Church of England Safer Recruiting and People Management Guidance / E-manual Model Record Keeping Template (only to be opened if you are calm!) Safer Recruitment and People Management FAQs Safer Recruitment and People Management Assessment Tool As part of my safeguarding commitment as Chaplain I sit on the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel and the DSAP subcommittee so that I get the latest news and information and, more importantly, so that Readers and Parish safeguarding officers have a voice in matters to do with training, policy and edicts from on high. The latest deadline for things safeguarding is of course the safer recruiting strategy. The self assessment tool (called the Safer Recruitment Survey) and the adoption of the policy for Safer recruiting should be complete by January 4th which I can imagine could be a real struggle for many parishes. The new Safeguarding Dashboard tool which is available for every church is really helpful although it does have one or two flaws and things that need some work but there is no such thing as a perfect tool or a one size fits all solution which is why the dialogue is important. I came unstuck with the dashboard question on safer recruiting which asks, “Which sections of the new Guidance are being followed for ALL relevant roles?” The simple solution here in the dashboard would be to put in a footnote explaining that the relevant roles this refers to are those that meet the threshold for hours worked with vulnerable adults in certain situations or children. However, it doesn't. (yet) So I opened the Safer Recruitment self assessment tool and clicked on the E-Manual link. making sure that I clicked on the blue print in the right box otherwise as I discovered the other day you end up somewhere else! You do need to be connected to the Internet and to know how to use the CTRL key when you click the link. You can download chapters or sections but for the life of me I have no idea of the difference.... I was losing the will to live slowly. At this point I read the explanations several times and then went to have a cup of tea and play ball with the dog. Maybe the frequently asked questions document would help. So now I had the safer recruiting assessment tool open on my computer along with the Redruth Parish dashboard, the e-manual page and the frequently asked questions document. There was so much stuff and so many words written in convoluted legalese that I felt like a claustrophobic desperately seeking the way out of a maze of hedges that were narrowing as I walked! I went to help my wife do some stuff for the craft market, or more honestly, I watched her do stuff and chatted.... then I tried again. With a face full of grim determination I clicked a few things on the dashboard and clicked…