One of our core values states that “Prayer Spaces ensure that children and young people feel safe and are effectively protected from harm.” Prayer spaces should be safe places, and therefore you should have suitable recruitment and safeguarding processes in place for all employees and volunteers.

In running a prayer space you are creating an environment where children or young people have the potential to be vulnerable, either because of the thoughts or feelings they may be processing or because of the access that unsuitable team members could have to them.

It is your legal responsibility to ensure that the children or young people in the prayer space you are running are effectively protected from harm. Abuse is generally divided into four different types of harm; physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. The Church also specifically recognises spiritual abuse; control, domination or manipulation by someone or a group who has authority within a spiritual setting. A child may be subject to one type of abuse, or a combination of all of them.

You will also want to ensure that you and your team are protected from allegations of abuse or of inappropriate behaviour.

Download the document on the right for more information about prayer spaces and Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG).

Please note: This document is not a substitute for full safeguarding training for yourself or your team and we recommend that you cover this in greater detail in your team training prior to running the prayer space.