First Parish Bedford UU

The Safe Congregations Task Force is committed to the safety and well-being of the First Parish of Bedford community and its visitors to First Parish worship and programming.  It includes representatives from the following areas: Communications, Interiors, Personnel, Physical Plant, Religious Education, Lay Pastoral Care, and a member of the board. 

We recognize that preventing sexual misconduct, physical abuse and harassment in our church community and in society is complex, and that providing a safe space and building is a congregational effort.  Prevention, education, training, careful hiring, and safety procedures are concrete steps toward creating a safer environment for all concerned.  The task force is currently working on a comprehensive policy.

From the charter of the Safe Congregations Task Force:

For the safety and well-being of the First Parish of Bedford community and its visitors to First Parish worship and programming, the First Parish of Bedford Safe Congregations Task Force commits to:

1. Hold the first two Unitarian Universalist Principles as our guiding sense in this essential and meaningful goal to create a comprehensive Safe Congregations policy.  They are:  a) The inherent worth and dignity of every person, and b) Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
2. Recognize that no policy, no matter how well constructed can provide absolute confidence to protect the First Parish of Bedford community and its visitors; but to execute to the best of our ability a Safety Policy that sets standards for how we conduct ourselves within our congregational community and how we deal with behavior that risks harm or does harm to self or another.
3. To educate ourselves regarding "Best Practices" for Safe Congregations policy, to educate the congregation about Safe Congregations issues, and to be transparent and communicative about our process.
4. To develop policies that include a myriad of issues, outlined but not limited to:

• Processes for all First Parish employees, and those volunteers who work with children and youth to include CORI (Criminal Record Check)
• Guidelines for Religious Education classes at FP and providing child care for FP events
• Guidelines for field trips that include children and youth
• Pandemic flu planning and communication procedures informing parishioner of outbreaks
• Responding to disruptive and threatening behaviors
• A building emergency evacuation plan
• A complaint process
• A locked record-keeping procedure
• The assigning of a Board-appointed ongoing Safety Group that will be available to address issues and complaints as they arise, and to assure the congregation does not become complacent about issues of safety