Commissioner funds safeguarding course for mosques

The course took place at a mosque in Kettering

Safeguarding training funded by a police, fire and crime commissioner (PFCC) has been delivered to leaders at 13 mosques.

The course was organised for Muslim places of worship in Northamptonshire and took place at a mosque in Kettering.

The county's Council of Mosques received £1,200 to pay for the training.

The office of Danielle Stone, the PFCC for Northamptonshire, said it would ensure that faith leaders could handle safeguarding issues in an appropriate way.

The safeguarding course was delivered by a senior Northamptonshire police officer and the force's community engagement officer.

It was attended by the designated safeguarding leads (DSL) for the mosques who are responsible for making sure safeguarding policies are followed and deal with any concerns about the welfare of individuals.

The PFCC's office said the course "gave them a better understanding of good safeguarding and protection practices for children and adults and ensuring they embed them within their organisations".

A total of 13 mosques in Northamptonshire were represented on the course

Alaa Abouzanad, the chairman of Northamptonshire Council of Mosques, said: "It was really important for all our designated safeguarding leads across the county to have this training.

"Our imams, head teachers and trustees found the sessions to be brilliant and informative."

Sophia Parveen, the force's community engagement officer, said: "The newly-trained DSLs will now be in a better position to spot any concerns and effectively deal with them.

"This will also help them better manage referrals, share information with partners and support their staff in understanding the views of those who may have concerns."

The funding came from the PFCC's Small Grants Scheme, which offers up to £3,000 to voluntary organisations planning to carry out initiatives to prevent crime and support victims.

The PFCC, Danielle Stone, attended the training session

The PFCC, Labour's Danielle Stone, said: "It was fantastic to see first-hand how this training will improve safeguarding practices and help to keep people safe.

"It's important to make sure those processes are in place to help protect young people especially.

"I encourage all local groups to consider applying for grants that help us achieve our vision of making Northamptonshire safe and sound."