Parish safeguarding resources & links

Parish Self-Evaluation & Audit Documents:

1) 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 dbsadmin@rcdow.org.uk to receive a copy.

2) To ensure your parish is following the 8 CSSA Safeguarding Standards, please click here to see the Standards on the CSSA website.

Read the CSSA guidance on preparation for Parish audit here:

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

4) To help prepare your Parish for Audit, please also complete this checklist of tasks:

5) For more information on the Parish Audit process, please see this document:

Safe Spaces – Posters for parishes:

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

Seniors groups – Safeguarding Guidance:

Please see the document below with guidance on running activities for the elderly and seniors groups in your parish:

Warm Spaces – Safeguarding Guidance:

Please see these documents below with guidance on running Warm Spaces in your parish over the winter:

Key Statutory Guidance relating to Children and Adults at Risk:

Children – Working Together 2018

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

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 the Diocese of Westminster 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

Other Useful Documents: