1.1 Foreword and Introduction to the Manual |
Contents
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 vulnerable adults 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 appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all and to practice fully and positively Christ's Ministry towards children, young people and vulnerable adults 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 responded to 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 vulnerable people to have peace of mind, knowing they will be cared for and loved by their Christian community.
The manual contains the National Procedures to be followed by all those involved when responding to concerns or allegations of abuse about a child or vulnerable adult within the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
Every human being has a value and dignity which we as Catholics acknowledge as coming directly from God's creation of male and female in his own image and likeness. We believe therefore that all people should be valued,supported and protected from harm.
In the Catholic Church this is demonstrated by the provision of carefully planned activities for children, young people and adults; supporting families under stress; caring for those hurt by abuse in the past; ministering to and managing those who have caused harm.
It is because of these varied ministries that we need to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe environment for all which promotes and supports their wellbeing. This will include carefully selecting and appointing those who work with children, young people or vulnerable adults and responding robustly where concerns arise.Children's Social Care Services, the Police and other statutory agencies who work with children and families have duties and responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
These duties and responsibilities are set out in legislation and Government guidance. This Manual contains a summary of relevant legislation, see Legislative Framework Procedure.
They key government guidance is 'Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010), which was published by the Department for Education and Skills in April, 2006; it provides guidance under The Children Acts 1989 and 2004. You can access these publications from the links below:
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2010
Children Acts 1989 and 2004
Paragraphs 2.189 to 2.193 of Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2010 refer directly to Faith Communities and set out the responsibilities and expectations of all churches and faith communities in safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.
It is recognised that churches provide a wide range of services for children; and that religious leaders, staff and Volunteers have an important role in safeguarding and supporting children and families.
Children may be in need of protection from abuse or maltreatment in their own home or in other environments including the church itself. Wherever a child is at risk or concerns are raised about a child, all adults have a responsibility to act to safeguard that child and promote his or her welfare.
The need to safeguard children is not confined to any particular age groups or groups in the community and all concerns should be responded to equally, always bearing in mind that the welfare of the child is paramount.
In all research and in reviews where a child has died or been seriously injured as a result of abuse, the same messages to all organisations come back time and again - namely, the importance of adults responding promptly to concerns, listening to children with respect and most importantly, communicating effectively with one another within and between organisations and agencies.
All churches and faith communities are expected to have in place arrangements which include:
- Procedures to respond to and report concerns
- Codes of practice
- Safe recruitment procedures
In the same way arrangements must be in place to respond to concerns about any form of abuse or maltreatment of a vulnerable adult based on the legislation; see Legislative Framework Procedure
The principles contained in'No Secrets' (DoH 2000)
'Safeguarding Adults: A National Framework of Standards for Good Practice and Outcomes in Adult Protection Work (ADSS 2005)'
must be followed with the acknowledgement that the Catholic Church in England and Wales must not act alone but in partnership with all other agencies to combat the abuse of vulnerable adults.
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