What is safeguarding?
Safeguarding is about keeping people safe from harm. This includes protecting your right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. The Diocese has details here: https://rcdow.org.uk/safeguarding/
ST Barts has a Parish Safeguarding Representative(PSR) who is:
CHRIS BLANDFORD
phone: 01727863979 / 07990566917
email: stalbanssouthsg1@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
You can find more Diocese contacts and read more about Safeguarding by clicking on this link to the Diocese article here
Role of your Parish Safeguarding Representative(PSR)
Is to assist in the:
- Safer recruitment of volunteers to Parish roles.
- Initiation of DBS (former CRB) procedures where it may be a legal requirement to working with children and adults at risk.
- Initial handling of any concerns/allegations anyone feels to disclose.
- Promoting of a “Culture of Safeguarding” in the parish community including advertising for the EduCare online safeguarding courses that are still available free to any member of the catholic community and designed to enhance safeguarding knowledge for everyone – see below for details.
Free safeguarding training available to all members of the Catholic Community
Educare provides an online, interactive E-Learning safeguarding course which is now available to all in the Catholic Church. If you have a role (voluntary or paid) working with children/adults at risk or have an interest in safeguarding, the online training is a great opportunity to learn how to better protect children / adults at risk in your care and community. Some of the modules available include: Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding. To register please email: safeguardingadmin@rcdow.org.uk with the following details: full name, parish/order/congregation, and your role e.g. parent, catechist leader.
Safeguarding basics
What do I do if I think I am being abused or neglected?
If you think you are being abused or neglected, there are some things you can do:
- Tell someone you trust, such as a friend, family member or a professional who will understand the situation and help you to take action.
- Talk about your concerns with a professional, such as a teacher, support worker, doctor, social worker or nurse. You could also contact your local council’s Safeguarding Team or your Parish Safeguarding Representative – details above.
- Talk to the police or ask someone you trust to help you to speak to the police.
What do I do if I am concerned about someone?
You should start by talking to the person about your concerns.
- Let them know that you’ve noticed a change and that you’re concerned about them.
- Listen to them and remain calm, even if what you hear upsets you.
- Be patient – they may not want to talk at all or may be scared.
- Do not promise that you won’t tell anyone what you’ve heard, even if they ask you to. If the person is being harmed or neglected, it is important to seek help from others as soon as possible.
- Make it clear that they have a right to feel safe, and that what’s happening to them is wrong.
- You should then report your concerns and what you’ve been told to someone with responsibility for safeguarding. See the list above.
The Elliott Report – 2021
The “Elliott Report” an independent review of the Catholic Church’s Safeguarding Structures and Arrangements https://www.cbcew.org.uk/independent-safeguarding-review-published/ has advised about the establishment of the “Independent Catholic Project”, a group of professionals who are working for the implementation of structural changes required to enhance the safeguarding services across the catholic church in England and Wales.
Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse
The National Board of Catholic Women (Consultative Body to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales) has produced a report on the serious subject of Domestic Abuse which can be downloaded from their website www.nbcw.co.uk. Click here to open it. Within the report are contact details for sources of help for a wide range of incidences of domestic abuse.