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Safeguarding

Safeguarding training, news and documents

Safeguarding training is done annually in Clifton Diocese.

Parish Self-Evaluation & Audit Documents:

If you are completing an evaluation of your Parish or require support for an upcoming Parish audit, you should request a Parish report to track the recruitment of your volunteers.

For a copy of the Parish report for your parish, please email dbs@cliftondiocese.com to receive a copy.

To ensure your parish is following the Eight CSSA Safeguarding Standards, please click here to see the Standards on the CSSA website.

To read the CSSA guidance on preparation for Parish audit, please click here.

To help you with the Safe recruitment of volunteers, paid staff, PSRs, visiting priests and temporary volunteers, please use this Safer recruitment tracker checklists to ensure each stage of the recruitment process has been completed:

To help prepare your Parish for Audit, please also review the CSSA Quality Assurance Framework

Safe Spaces – Posters for parishes:

Please click the links below to print posters and a presentation with information that allow those affected by abuse to access and contact Safe Spaces for support:

How Safe Spaces can provide support to survivors of abuse

Safe Spaces – Tear Off poster

Key Statutory Guidance relating to Children and Adults at Risk:

Children – Working Together 2023

Adults at Risk – Care and Support Statutory Guidance (Care Act 2014 Guidance)

Cumberledge Report – https://www.immdsreview.org.uk/downloads/IMMDSReview_Web.pdf

Church Child Protection Advisory Service – www.ccpas.co.uk

Nolan Report – a programme for action (nolan) report-2001.pdf

DBS – Disclosure and Barring Service – www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service

IICSA – Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse – www.iicsa.org.uk

National Safeguarding Policies and Procedures:

CSSA (Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency) ensure that the Church’s policies on safeguarding are kept up to date with good practice and are accessible to people at all levels in the Church.

Please find all the Catholic safeguarding policies and procedures which apply to all Parishes within Clifton Diocese in the link below. This includes guidance for:

  • How to respond to allegations of abuse
  • Good practice when working with children and adults at risk
  • Safer Recruitment

CSSA Safeguarding Practice Guidance (https://catholicsafeguarding.org.uk/resources/national-safeguarding-policy)

Here are the dates for 2024’s diocesan safeguarding training, the training is for priests (retired included), deacons and parish safeguarding representatives. The days will be 09:30 – 15:00 with lunch provided. To register for a training day, simply reply to  Elaine.Mashayamombe@cliftondiocese.com with your preferred date.

  • Wednesday 20 March – St Peter’s, Carronbridge Road, Swindon, SN57ES.
  • Saturday 01 June – Alexander House 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol BS5 0TX.
  • Wednesday 28 August – St George, Billet St, Taunton TA1 3NG.
  • Wednesday 25 September – The Newman Hall 28 Grange Ct Rd, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4DR.
  • Saturday 9 November – Alexander House 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol BS5 0TX.
  • Wednesday 20 November – Sacred Heart Church, 75 High Street Royal Wootton Bassett, SN4 7AH.

Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency online training for volunteers:

The modules can be found on the CSSA website www.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk (accessible via the Training Tab under Resources in the main menu)

Key things to know:

The training is for:

  1. entry level volunteers (e.g. a flower arranger) without DBS checks – level 1 safeguarding training
  2. intermediate level volunteers requiring a DBS without a barred list check (e.g. a hospital visitor)  – level 2 safeguarding training and
  3. advanced level volunteers requiring both a DBS with a barring check (e.g. a music leader) – level 3 safeguarding training
  • Content ranges from entry level information about ‘what to do if you have concerns’ to more complex scenarios.
  • New volunteers should use this training moving forward and any refresher training (3 yearly) should commence on the new training system.  Educare will be phased out by 30th June 2024.
  • Safeguarding co-ordinators will have a reporting account on the Learning Management System so that they can maintain oversight and be able to evidence in audit that volunteers have been trained.

Other useful documents :