It is accepted that the Charity Commission exists to ensure that charities, operate in accordance with their statutory obligations. However, in the increasingly complex world in which we as charity/church trustees are required to work these obligations extend beyond mere charity law.
Effective ministry requires many things, vision, prayer, resources, and commitment. Without policies which govern these aspects of ministry, they will not only cease to be effective but are likely to result in the church falling foul of the law.
Churches should have in place policies covering the following.
This list is not exhaustive and there will be other aspects of church life and work that the governing body may feel need to be the subject of an agreed policy.
Have these demands become a distraction from the essential priorities of ministry? On the other hand, might the need for policies and procedures be an essential part of ministry?
Charity law requires church trustees to act in ways that are transparent, prudent, accountable, and efficient. For churches to adhere to the basic legal requirements of the policies identified ensures these principles are foundational to their work. The essential benefits may be summarised as being.
In June 2023 Stewardship produced a thoughtful article “The Role of Policies in church Life”. Additionally in April 2024 an FIEC podcast asked the question “Church Policies: Mere distraction or essential ministry. How can we see policies in their rightful place?”
Do you feel that creation and adherence to policies are stifling the work of your church?
https://fiec.org.uk/resources/church-policies-mere-distraction-or-essential-ministry
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/blogs/role-policies-church-life
How safe is your church? How confident are you that you are meeting your health and safety legal duties? Do you need help working out how safe is safe enough?
The online course is split into 3 sessions, each 2 hours long and is run as a zoom webinar or meeting depending on numbers.
Session 1 provides a grounding in basic concepts in safety and risk, including general legal duties and the risk assessment process.
This course is for all those with responsibility for risk, health and safety in their church context, and is particularly recommended for all trustees, leaders and those in operations or administrative roles.
As health and safety officers or a trustee with responsibility for Health and Safety in your church or simply interested in being involved in keeping your church safe, this course will equip you, whether you are new or experienced, with the core knowledge needed to carry out your role.
By the end of this course (all three sessions), you will have been introduced to, and explored, some of the basic concepts in risk and safety, the legal duties, as well as managing and assessing risk. You will be signposted to helpful resources, and you will have had the opportunity to ask questions relevant to your context and about the areas covered.
The course looks at health and safety in churches, insuring against risk and gives the opportunity to explore how to construct a risk matrix.
The course comprises practical and theoretical information, insights and guidance on many aspects of this area of church life. It is delivered by knowledgeable and experienced trainers, who have firsthand experience in the safety field. They can answer your questions and concerns, enabling you to assess and manage the risks and health and safety in your church with greater confidence.
The course is typically delivered through a live Zoom webinar or meeting format depending on numbers. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with the speakers and get answers to your specific questions. Each delegate will be sent pre course materials in advance of the sessions.
No prior knowledge is required. This course is designed to accommodate individuals with various levels of, or no, knowledge of health and safety and risk in churches.
How safe is your church? How confident are you that you are meeting your health and safety legal duties? Do you need help working out how safe is safe enough?
The online course is split into 3 sessions, each 2 hours long and is run as a zoom webinar or meeting depending on numbers.
Session 2 focuses on specific health and safety topics which commonly come up in churches.
This course is for all those with responsibility for risk, health and safety in their church context, and is particularly recommended for all trustees, leaders and those in operations or administrative roles.
As health and safety officers or a trustee with responsibility for Health and Safety in your church or simply interested in being involved in keeping your church safe, this course will equip you, whether you are new or experienced, with the core knowledge needed to carry out your role.
By the end of this course (all three sessions), you will have been introduced to, and explored, some of the basic concepts in risk and safety, the legal duties, as well as managing and assessing risk. You will be signposted to helpful resources, and you will have had the opportunity to ask questions relevant to your context and about the areas covered.
The course looks at health and safety in churches, insuring against risk and gives the opportunity to explore how to construct a risk matrix.
The course comprises practical and theoretical information, insights and guidance on many aspects of this area of church life. It is delivered by knowledgeable and experienced trainers, who have firsthand experience in the safety field. They can answer your questions and concerns, enabling you to assess and manage the risks and health and safety in your church with greater confidence.
The course is typically delivered through a live Zoom webinar or meeting format depending on numbers. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with the speakers and get answers to your specific questions. Each delegate will be sent pre course materials in advance of the sessions.
No prior knowledge is required. This course is designed to accommodate individuals with various levels of, or no, knowledge of health and safety and risk in churches.
How safe is your church? How confident are you that you are meeting your health and safety legal duties? Do you need help working out how safe is safe enough?
The online course is split into 3 sessions, each 2 hours long and is run as a zoom webinar or meeting depending on numbers.
Session 3 looks at general risk management beyond just safety and considers the role of insurance.
This course is for all those with responsibility for risk, health and safety in their church context, and is particularly recommended for all trustees, leaders and those in operations or administrative roles.
As health and safety officers or a trustee with responsibility for Health and Safety in your church or simply interested in being involved in keeping your church safe, this course will equip you, whether you are new or experienced, with the core knowledge needed to carry out your role.
By the end of this course (all three sessions), you will have been introduced to, and explored, some of the basic concepts in risk and safety, the legal duties, as well as managing and assessing risk. You will be signposted to helpful resources, and you will have had the opportunity to ask questions relevant to your context and about the areas covered.
The course looks at health and safety in churches, insuring against risk and gives the opportunity to explore how to construct a risk matrix.
The course comprises practical and theoretical information, insights and guidance on many aspects of this area of church life. It is delivered by knowledgeable and experienced trainers, who have firsthand experience in the safety field. They can answer your questions and concerns, enabling you to assess and manage the risks and health and safety in your church with greater confidence.
The course is typically delivered through a live Zoom webinar or meeting format depending on numbers. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with the speakers and get answers to your specific questions. Each delegate will be sent pre course materials in advance of the sessions.
No prior knowledge is required. This course is designed to accommodate individuals with various levels of, or no, knowledge of health and safety and risk in churches.
This course is designed to equip churches to meet their legal duties under health and safety law, and to think about risk management in its more general application.
During the day we will look at some of the basic concepts in risk and safety, the legal framework under the Health and Safety at Work Act, the process of managing and assessing risk, a number of common health and safety areas that require managing in a church context, insurance for churches, and the construction of a risk matrix.
This course is aimed at charity trustees, along with any other officers and volunteers who have responsibility for risk, health and safety in their church context, and is highly recommended for people in any role with responsibility for running church activity.
Attending in person, especially if from the local and surrounding area, will give the opportunity to exchange experience with fellow trustees and treasurers and discuss informally throughout the day.
This event can also be booked to join online.
This course is designed to equip churches to meet their legal duties under health and safety law, and to think about risk management in its more general application.
During the day we will look at some of the basic concepts in risk and safety, the legal framework under the Health and Safety at Work Act, the process of managing and assessing risk, a number of common health and safety areas that require managing in a church context, insurance for churches, and the construction of a risk matrix.
This course is aimed at charity trustees, along with any other officers and volunteers who have responsibility for risk, health and safety in their church context, and is highly recommended for people in any role with responsibility for running church activity.
This event can also be booked to attend in person at the Cambridge venue – see in person booking selection.
