We are all made in the “image and likeness of God.” Given this clear truth of faith, all abuse, always and everywhere, is wrong. It is a serious crime. We will do all that we can to eradicate it and to support anyone who is, or has been, a survivor of abuse, whether as a child or vulnerable adult.
We do this inspired by the love and compassion of Jesus Christ and following the Safeguarding principles and policies of the Diocese of Brentwood. These are based on statutory guidelines and policies, which inform national guidance within the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk or believe that a child or vulnerable adult is in danger of being abused, or is subject to abuse, then do not delay in contacting the police telephoning 999.
It is the policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to report all allegations of abuse to statutory authorities, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or in the past, or whether the accused person is living or deceased.
If you are in any role within the Catholic Church in England and Wales, you must refer allegations directly to the safeguarding office for your Diocese or Religious congregation, or directly to the Police.
If you want to talk about an allegation of abuse, or if you are a survivor of historic abuse and want to talk about it with someone who will listen with sensitivity and care, then please contact our Diocesan Safeguarding Coordinator, Simon Moules who will help in any possible way and he can be contacted on:
01277 265234 or simonmoules@brcdt.org
You can also phone the national “safe space” helpline on 0300 303 1056. This is a dedicated helpline for anyone who has been a survivor of abuse in a Catholic or Church of England faith setting (church, school, or anywhere else run by the church). You will find more information at https://www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk/
We recommend that everyone should complete the free online safeguarding training available, particularly those working in parishes with children and/or vulnerable adults. You will find a link to safeguarding training materials and how to access them in the section on Safeguarding training.
As Catholics we believe that human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative act of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with Him. Accordingly, we recognise that each human being, irrespective of age or circumstance, should be accorded the dignity and respect due to a child of God.
The Church as a community has a duty to follow the command to love by valuing and protecting the vulnerable. Children are the most vulnerable and have the greatest entitlement to protection.
In order to assist this, Bishop Alan Williams has appointed Mr Simon Moules as his Safeguarding Co-Ordinator and Father David Clemens as the Clergy Adviser for Safeguarding to act on his behalf in these matters. They in turn are assisted by a group of qualified people with experience in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
The Diocese confirms that in matters of the alleged abuse of children the ‘Paramount Principle’ will be maintained, that is the welfare of the child is the paramount consideration in all matters concerning the protection of children. Legally, someone is defined as a child up to his/her 18th birthday.
National Safeguarding Standards
The leadership of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has adopted a common set of national safeguarding standards for the safeguarding and protection of children, and adults who may be vulnerable or at risk. One of the ways in which church leaders will demonstrate accountability for safeguarding is through the CSSA audit process, which will test compliance with the standards.
Adoption of these national standards represents the commitment of Catholic Church bodies in England and Wales to the ‘One Church’ approach to safeguarding, and to achieving cultural change and improved safeguarding practice throughout the Church.
The standards operate as a coherent whole, which together form an overarching framework within which all church bodies [1] are expected to operate. They represent the expected level of practice that is to be applied by church bodies for the purpose of safeguarding the children and adults with whom the Church has contact.
There are 8 standards which require church bodies to:
Embed safeguarding in the Church body’s leadership, governance, ministry and culture
Communicate the Church’s safeguarding message
Engage with and care for those who report having been harmed
Effectively manage allegations and concerns
Manage and support subjects of allegations and concerns (respondents)
Implement robust human resource management
Provide and access training and support for safeguarding
Quality assure compliance to continuously improve practice
Underpinning each standard are criteria which set out the critical elements that contribute to fulfilment of the individual standard. There are also examples of the evidence that could be used to demonstrate compliance. The suggested evidence is deliberately limited so as not to limit church bodies in the range and type of evidence that could be put forward to demonstrate how the standard is met.
The standards will be subject to ongoing review and refinement as a result of ongoing learning from their implementation.
[1] The term “Church body” is used to refer to a diocese, or a member of Religious Life Safeguarding Services (RLSS)
Diocesan Resources and CSSA Policy on Creating a Safer Environment within Parishes https://saintanneline.com/safeguarding/diocesan-resources-and-cssa-policy-on-creating-a-safer-environment-within-parishes/