Safe Recruitment

Policy statement

Bible Society/Open the Book (OtB) believes that all human beings are of equal worth in the sight of God and aims to follow biblical principles in all that we do.

Safe recruitment

Bible Society requires churches to recruit Storytellers as church volunteers before attending any school in that role. Storytellers are eligible to have an Enhanced DBS (without a check of the barred list) done as part of their church’s ‘safe recruitment’ process.

Church Responsibility

New teams must receive core training through approved trainers or via our online training. We recommend that Storytellers attend their denomination’s or network’s safeguarding training and a session with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), or Designated Senior Person (DSP). New Team Leaders should contact Open the Book for support and advice. Storytellers should, where possible, attend a local training event annually which will include a safeguarding update, and remain up to date with their church’s safeguarding policy.

Team Leaders should ensure that all safeguarding matters, relevant policies and procedures and the Safeguarding Code of Conduct are discussed with their teams once a year. This will ensure everyone is up to date and aware of how to deal with any safeguarding concerns with respect to children or volunteers.

All Storytellers should conduct themselves in accordance with the reasonable expectations of someone who represents the church. Volunteer Storytellers delivering Open the Book assemblies/acts of collective worship should not be left with children on their own. School staff should always be present at each assembly/act of collective worship.

All Storytellers receive a free Safeguarding Guide after training. It is an easy go-to resource with sections to note your own DBS info, your Church/Denominational Safeguarding Officer’s name and an easy flowchart of who to talk to and when. This will help you know what to do without fear of taking the wrong action.

*(DSL) Designated Safeguarding Lead in England or (DSP) Designated Senior Person in Wales.