Parish Safeguarding Coordinators

Each Parish Priest takes prime responsibility for Safeguarding in the Parish.  It is your role, as Parish Safeguarding Coordinator (PSC), to support him in this essential role.  Your main tasks are:

  • Together with your parish priest, you will be vigilant to any potential risk to children, young people and vulnerable adults.
  • Any concern or allegation brought to you, your parish priest or a parish volunteer must be reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) immediately. He/she will manage the process from there on.  Contact details for the DSA are:  safeguardingadvisor@rcdai.org.uk, or 07938 253133.
  • The Safeguarding Secretary will give you a list of volunteers in your parish. You will liaise with the leaders of the various activities in your parish to keep this list updated.
  • You will support your priest in ensuring that any person working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are safely recruited in accordance with the Instruction in In God’s Image v2.
  • If new volunteers are being recruited, you will liaise with the Safeguarding Secretary as you complete the Safe Recruitment process as speedily as possible. Contact details for the Safeguarding Secretary are: safeguardingsecretary@rcdai.org.uk or 01631 561683.
  • You will meet with your parish priest several times a year to keep up-to-date on all aspects of safeguarding in the parish.
  • You will ensure that the correct Safeguarding Posters  are displayed in the church (and church hall, if relevant)  The Safeguarding Secretary can get you more posters if necessary.
  • You will ensure that group leaders have done Risk Assessments for each of the parish activities that involve children, young people and vulnerable adults. You and the parish priest will ensure that all risks are managed in a robust way.
  • Once a year you and the parish priest will complete the annual Parish Safeguarding Audit and draw up the Parish Safeguarding Action Plan for the following year.

In addition to the above, you might be expected to:

  • Welcome a visiting priest and check his Celebret, if the parish priest is not available. For more information about Visiting Clergy  Guidance on Visiting Clergy
  • Check which other groups are using church premises and implement the Use of  Church Premises procedure
  • Check that there are Information for Survivors leaflets available in the Church porch. Katie will send you some if your parish doesn’t have a colour printer.
  • Get Photo/Video Consent Forms signed as required.

Some useful links for you:

Safeguarding Prayer

IGI v2_Standards of Conduct Employees and Volunteers

Safeguarding in our Parishes

Finally, remember that Liz Chaplin, the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor, (safeguardingadvisor@rcdai.org.uk) or 07938 253133

and

Katie Dunn, the Safeguarding Secretary,

(safeguarding secretary@rcdai.org.uk) or 01631 561683

are there to help and support you.