Our Mission Statement
The Catholic Church of England and Wales, the Bishops and Congregational Leaders are committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church. We affirm the One Church approach to safeguarding children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable through the promotion of a sustained and sustainable culture of constant vigilance.
The Church recognises the personal dignity and rights of all vulnerable people towards whom it has a special responsibility. The Church and individual members of it undertake to take all the appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all and to practice fully and positively Christ’s Ministry towards children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable, and to respond sensitively and compassionately to their needs in order to help keep them safe from harm.
The Church authorities will liaise closely with statutory agencies to ensure that any allegations of abuse are promptly and properly investigated and where appropriate, survivors supported and perpetrators held to account. The Church wishes to ensure that its parishes and Religious Congregations have the confidence to enable children, young people and vulnerable adults to have peace of mind, knowing they will be cared for and loved by their Christian community.
Hallam Diocesan Safeguarding Office
Safeguarding Co-ordinator - Marie O’Donnolly Safeguarding Assistant - Jo Pearson
Office: 0114 2566454 Mobile: 07909 117964 Office: 0114 2566453
Email: modonnolly@hallam-diocese.com Email: jpearson@hallam-diocese.com
The Safeguarding Office is not a statutory service and the team are not available 24 hours.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk, who you believe to be in immediate
danger do not delay in contacting the police, using 999.
National Changes to Safeguarding Structures across the Church
In September 2018 the Bishop’s of England and Wales committed to an ‘entirely independent and comprehensive review’ of the safeguarding structures and arrangements that currently operate within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The review was led by Ian Elliott, an independent Chair with over 40 years experience in the field of safeguarding children. He is supported by a small panel drawn from within the Church, each having expert knowledge and relevant experience to the task.
The review involved an extensive consultation process with key stakeholders that allowed them to share their views on the current structure and safeguarding practices, and encourage them to share their thoughts on how these may be improved upon and look at the experiences elsewhere across the Catholic world.
The timeline set was to provide a preliminary report by April 2020 with a final report issuing later the same year. The preliminary report made four recommendations which were presented to Bishop’s Conference and have been agreed to. More information about the review can be found via the following link:
As a result of the thorough and very comprehensive review, work is ongoing to implement changes at local level, in line with the national standards set (of which compliance will be audited).
Parish Safeguarding Representatives
Many of our parishes have a safeguarding representative who are appointed following a formal interview and recruitment process.
The reps will have a good level of safeguarding knowledge and expertise obtained through a professional role and will have completed an induction and training before commencing their role in the parish.
Parish Safeguarding Reps are the link between parish and the diocesan safeguarding office. They have specific responsibility for promoting good and safe practices in all activities involving children, young people and vulnerable adults within the parish or congregation. This includes facilitating the DBS disclosure procedure and ensuring that everyone who is required to go through the process does so.
Parish Safeguarding Reps have a sound knowledge of the national policies and procedures and who to contact in the event of a safeguarding issue or concern. They also promote Diocesan training and events by displaying information on parish noticeboards, newsletters and parish websites.
Parish Safeguarding Reps are a valuable source of support for all our volunteers. The contact details for your rep will be displayed in the parish. If your parish does not have a safeguarding rep then the office can signpost you to a neighbouring rep who can help.
If you are interested in becoming a safeguarding rep for your parish then please contact the safeguarding office (0114 2566453) for information on the recruitment process.
Safe Recruitment of volunteers in ministry with children and/or vulnerable adults
Our parishes rely entirely on people who volunteer their time, energy, skills and talents at the service of the Church. Volunteering enables the laity to recognise and use their gifts for the benefit of their parish community, to develop and nurture a sense of welcome to all and to foster a spirit of trust and openness that reflect the values of our ministry.
However, a critical responsibility of the Church is to ensure that anyone who is applying to work or minister, (whether paid or otherwise), in a role which gives them direct access to children and/or vulnerable adults, is selected with the utmost care.
The Church is legally required to operate safe recruitment procedures and as such, for some roles, undertake DBS checks to fulfil its obligations. This may include a barred list check depending on the nature of the role and whether it involves working unsupervised with a vulnerable group/workforce.
For more information on roles that require a DBS check please consult your safeguarding rep or the safeguarding office on 0114 2566453. Should you wish to read further information on the safe recruitment process of volunteers then please visit our website:
Partner Agency Organisations and Contacts
The Diocese have links with statutory services such as Police and Social Care (Child and Adult). We also work with other support agencies and offer a full counselling service through Hallam Caring Services (Caritas). For more information on the range of support services available please contact the safeguarding office on 0114 2566453 or visit our website:
https://hallam-diocese.com/safeguarding/parish-safeguarding-resources/partner-agency-info-useful-contacts/
Please take a copy for reference
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