Concerns about the protection and safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults in the Catholic Church have been very prominent in the news and the public consciousness for a number of years. The church has taken these concerns very seriously as can be seen from the strong and uncompromising statement made by the Catholic Bishops in England and Wales in April 2010 which is reproduced on the page below.
However, while such public expressions of contrition may be recent, the church in England and Wales has, since 2001, had in place a system for checking people who, through some form of ministry in the church or Catholic schools, have regular contact with children, young people or vulnerable adults. These procedures seek to ensure that no-one can have such contact until they have been the subject of a satisfactory CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check.
The procedures to be followed are set out at national and diocesan level with organisations in place to ensure they are followed. The links on the ‘Safeguarding Resources’ page below this will take you to the web sites of the various organisations.
At Parish level, we have a Safeguarding Officer who has responsibility for obtaining the necessary checks and, as a Parish, our Safeguarding Policy is published – see below. We take this matter seriously and, following a number of queries raised in the Parish and followed up with the diocese, we have been shown to comply with the procedures set down by the diocese.
However, there is no room for complacency in these matters. Recent criminal cases have shown that carrying out the necessary checks may not protect vulnerable people. We carry out checks and put our trust in those whom we allow to work with our vulnerable people, yet we must remain alert.