Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
in this benefice
Our benefice of Mears Ashby and Hardwick and Sywell with Overstone is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults from harm. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Benefice Safeguarding Officer (BSO). Our Diocese of Peterborough's safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor who advises our BSO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm, please contact our BSO Libby (see below) or our vicar Revd Katrina (see below) or the Diocesan Safeguarding team (see below). If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority's children or adult social care services.
For the Diocese of Peterborough's safeguarding pages, please click HERE.
For guidance on "What to do if", please follow this FLOWCHART.
For the Church of England's safeguarding guidance and policies, please click HERE.
Our Contacts
Please note: To prevent automated spams and phishing attempts, we have added a space either side of the @ in email addresses. To send an email to one or more of the following, please remove these spaces before sending your message.
Benefice Contacts
Our Benefice Safeguarding Officer is Ms Libby Thomson who can be contacted via e-mail on thomsonlibby65 @ gmail.com or on 07909 891050.
You can also contact our vicar, Revd Katrina Hutchins, who can be contacted on katrinahutchins94 @ yahoo.co.uk or on 07710 464675 / 01604 812907.
Diocesan Contacts
The Peterborough Safeguarding Office can be contacted on 01733 887040 or 01733 887039.
Office hours: Monday - Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.
You can also email the team at safeguarding @ peterborough-diocese.org.uk.
Victoria Kellett - Diocesan Safeguarding Officer - (leaves in November 2026)
Pia Cammarata - Deputy Diocesan Safeguarding Officer
Lee Fowler - Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Officer
Lisa Winterburn - Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Officer
Eve Copeland - Diocesan Safeguarding Training Officer
Louisa McCabe - Safeguarding Support Officer
Local Contacts
The Northamptonshire Children's Trust can be contacted on 0300 126 7000.
Sources of support and help:
Safe Spaces:
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales.
Safe Spaces Helpline - 0300 303 1056.
Mondays to Fridays: 09:00 to 21:00
Saturdays: 09:00 to 13:00
Sundays: 13:00 to 17:00
To visit their website - click HERE.
Domestic Abuse:
If you - or someone you know - are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you - or someone you know - are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, call 999 and then press 55. This will transfer the call to the relevant police force who will assist without the caller having to speak. Help is also available from the National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 2000 247 (calls are free and lines are open 24/7). Other helplines are:
Men's Advice Line: 0808 801 0327 - Confidential helpline for men experiencing domestic violence. To visit their website - click HERE.
The Mankind Initiative: 0870 794 412 - Confidential support and information for male victims of domestic abuse. To visit their website - click HERE.
Galop - National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0300 999 5428 or 0800 999 5428. To visit their website - click HERE.
Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 0808 808 8141 (freephone Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Sexual Abuse:
Stop It Now: 0808 1000 900 - Preventing child sexual abuse.
NAPAC - National Association for People Abused in Childhood: 0808 801 0331. Support for adults abused as children.
Mental Health:
MIND has guidance for helping family and friends, carers and others to offer support and take care of themselves. To visit their website - click HERE.
You can also contact the Samaritans Helpline: 08457 90 90 90 (open 24 hours).
Sexual Assault Referral Centre:
The centre for our area is Serenity on 01604 601713. It offers a sensitive and confidential 24/7 service to anyone in Northamptonshire who has been the victim of a rape or serious sexual assault. To visit their website - click HERE.