Safeguarding

Everyone should be able to take part in parish life safely and with confidence.

We want St Mary’s, St John Bosco and St Edward’s to be communities where children, young people and adults are welcomed, listened to, treated with dignity and protected from harm.

Good safeguarding is part of ordinary Christian care. It helps us create a parish in which people can worship, learn, volunteer and receive support safely.

Is someone in immediate danger?

If a child or adult is in immediate danger, call 999.

Do not wait for the parish or diocesan safeguarding office to respond.

For a police matter which is not an immediate emergency, call 101.

Reporting a safeguarding concern

Please report any concern about:

  • a child, young person or adult at risk;
  • behaviour which appears unsafe or inappropriate;
  • physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual or financial abuse;
  • neglect, bullying, coercion or controlling behaviour;
  • something which has happened during a parish activity;
  • the conduct of a priest, employee, volunteer or parishioner;
  • abuse which happened recently or many years ago.

You may contact the Parish Safeguarding Representative or the Diocese of Nottingham Safeguarding Office directly.

If your concern involves the parish priest, the Parish Safeguarding Representative or another person in parish leadership, please contact the diocesan safeguarding office or the police directly.

Parish Safeguarding Representative

Hilari Chetwood

Telephone: 07734 690611

You may contact Hilari if you have a concern, need advice or are unsure what to do next.

Diocese of Nottingham Safeguarding Office

Telephone: 0115 953 9849

Email: safeguarding@dioceseofnottingham.uk

The office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Emails and telephone calls are not monitored outside these hours. If someone may be at risk and the matter cannot wait, contact the police.

DIOCESE OF NOTTINGHAM SAFEGUARDING

If someone tells you about abuse

If someone tells you that they have been harmed or abused:

  1. Listen calmly and take them seriously.
  2. Allow them to speak in their own words.
  3. Do not ask leading questions or investigate.
  4. Do not promise to keep the information secret.
  5. Explain that you need to share the concern with someone who can help.
  6. Write down what was said as soon as possible, using the person’s own words where you can.
  7. Report the concern promptly.
  8. Do not confront the person who may have caused the harm.

Your responsibility is to listen, record and report. The safeguarding professionals will decide what happens next.

Confidentiality

Safeguarding concerns are handled with care, sensitivity and respect.

However, complete confidentiality cannot be promised. Information may need to be shared with safeguarding professionals, the police or social care to protect a child or adult at risk.

Only information needed to respond to the concern will be shared.

Support for victims and survivors

If you have experienced abuse connected with the Church, whether recently or many years ago, you deserve to be heard and supported.

Safe Spaces England and Wales provides free, independent and confidential support for adults affected by church-related abuse. It is independent of the Catholic Church.

Telephone: 0300 303 1056

Email: SafeSpaces@FirstLight.org.uk

Opening times:

  • Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm
  • Saturday, 9am to 1pm
  • Sunday, 1pm to 5pm

CONTACT SAFE SPACES

You do not need to have reported the abuse before contacting Safe Spaces, and you do not need to know what you want to do next.

Safeguarding in parish life

Everyone serving in the parish must follow diocesan safeguarding policies and appropriate codes of conduct.

Depending upon their role, volunteers and employees may also be required to:

  • complete safeguarding training;
  • receive a Disclosure and Barring Service check;
  • provide references;
  • follow safer working practices;
  • work within clear roles and boundaries;
  • report concerns promptly.

These requirements protect children, adults at risk, volunteers and the whole parish community.

A concern is never an inconvenience

Please do not remain silent because you are worried about being mistaken or causing trouble.

Reporting a concern does not mean deciding that someone is guilty. It means passing the information to those responsible for assessing it properly and protecting anyone who may be at risk.

If in doubt, please report it.