Safeguarding in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Long EatonWe are all aware that the Catholic Church has been in the spotlight in the last fifteen years or so, over its handling of child abuse cases world wide. What is perhaps less well known is that in England and Wales in the same period, much time and energy has been spent in striving to create a Church where all are safe from harm and abuse, and where everyone is encouraged to enjoy the fullness of life in Jesus Christ through the protective endeavours of the whole Catholic community. In Nottingham Diocese, every parish has at least one safeguarding representative. Their role is to try to prevent harm and abuse from occurring in the parish. They do this by ensuring that anyone who has a ministry with children, young people or vulnerable adults, goes through a safe recruitment process and works safely in their ministry. So for example there are at least two adult helpers with every ministry involving children or young people, and activities take place in an open environment. Those who have a ministry with vulnerable adults are also encouraged to minister safely, though there is no expectation that Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist work in pairs. The Parish Representatives also promote vigilance and awareness of safeguarding issues in our parish. However, safeguarding is the responsibility of every member of our parish community. We know that in every parish in our Diocese there may be people who have directly experienced abuse or harm. Anyone who has a concern or worry about the wellbeing of a child or vulnerable adult should voice this to one of the Reps. They will pass this on to the Diocesan Safeguarding Coordinator so that the issue can be properly dealt with. In the Diocese we have a Safeguarding Commission to oversee all safeguarding matters, and to provide advice to the Bishop. There is independent representation from Police, Probation, Children and Adult Social Care services on the Commission, to ensure that safeguarding in the Diocese is transparent and open, and that the voices of the vulnerable can be heard. Contact telephone numbers:
Free training for all The
Church has a responsibility to ensure all those who undertake work in
the name of the Church are adequately trained in safeguarding matters.
The Catholic Church is dependent on Clergy, Religious and Lay people
using their skills and talents to nurture and support the Catholic
community. Some will be paid employees, but the majority undertake
their work on a voluntary basis. Whilst some will recognise their role
as a volunteer, many rightly see their caring and support contribution
as part of their Christian responsibility and ministry. But we all have
a role to play in safeguarding the young or adults who may be at risk
and it is for this reason that the Catholic Church in England and Wales
has worked with EduCare to bring you an e-learning package that will
raise awareness throughout the Catholic Community in our countries. The
e-learning package is part of the Church’s commitment to safeguarding,
and is available to all members of the Catholic community free of
charge. Please download the brochure to see the courses available and how to access them. Useful information about privacy settings for online platforms Zoom - https://zoom.us/security Microsoft Teams - https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/security Skype - https://support.skype.com/en/skype/all/privacy-security/privacy-settings/ Website links: |
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