R C DIOCESE of ABERDEEN
Statement to the Parish on Safeguarding
The Bishops of Scotland have made the following commitment to Safeguarding:
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All components of the Catholic Church in Scotland, especially those in positions of leadership and responsibility, value the lives, wholeness, safety and well-being of each individual person within God’s purpose for everyone.
We seek to uphold the highest safeguarding standards in our relationships with people of all ages who are involved in whatever capacity with the Church and its organisations.
And therefore, as a Church community, we accept that it is the responsibility of all of us – ordained, professed, employed and voluntary members – to work together to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from abuse or harm. IN GOD’S IMAGE, p.3
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In our parish, we have a number of volunteers who:
- prepare the children and young people for the Sacraments
- lead the Children’s Liturgy
- take Holy Communion to the sick and housebound.
As a Parish Community we welcome and fully appreciate the contributions made by all those who volunteer and offer their time, expertise and skills in the parish. All our parish volunteers have completed the elements of the Safe Recruitment process, as required by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
The Church’s requirements for all volunteers are:
- they must apply and be accepted for membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme (known as PVG) – a legal requirement for all those who work with young people and vulnerable adults;
- they must provide names of two Referees;
- they must complete Self-Declaration and Personal Statement forms issued by the Diocese;
- they must attend a Safeguarding Induction Training session;
- they cannot commence volunteering until they have received a letter of authorisation from the Diocesan Safeguarding Office.
Volunteers are issued with a Role Description for whatever task they are about to undertake. This makes sure that they are aware of the requirements of their role and the commitment needed.
This information is presented to reassure you that all possible steps are taken to ensure that all children, young people and vulnerable adults are as safe as they can be when in the care of the Parish.
We hope that anyone considering becoming a parish Volunteer will be encouraged by this information.
The Catholic Church in Scotland has published a comprehensive set of Safeguarding standards and procedures which must be followed in every parish in Scotland. This document – entitled ‘In God’s Image’ – can be consulted by anyone and is available on the website of the Bishops’ Conference.
Today we pray for all those working in Safeguarding in our parish, our diocese and across Scotland and we remember especially the survivors of abuse as we pray for their healing and comfort.