Safeguarding is the shared responsibility of everyone to ensure the safety and protection of children, young people and vulnerable adults. It is also about ensuring the professional and safe behaviour of everyone who has a duty of care within our Catholic communities whether ordained or lay and whether in a paid or volunteer position. Safeguarding is not only a way to respond to harm but must be proactive in the prevention of any form of abuse or harm.

The Church in Scotland has a mandatory Reporting Policy. All allegations of a criminal nature are reported to Police Scotland. This applies whether the accused is alive or deceased. Allegations must in the first instance be reported to the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser. If the Adviser is not available please ask to speak to a member of Safeguarding Team.

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team

The Safeguarding policy of the Catholic Church in Scotland is set out in the document entitled "In God’s Image V2 – Instruction on Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Scotland".
The document can be read or downloaded by clicking here. Please be aware that this document runs to 130 pages. A useful four-page leaflet with key points is available by clicking here.

Please also see the poster and leaflets on the parish notice boards.

Church establishes new independent safeguarding agency

The Catholic Church in Scotland has set up a new, independent safeguarding agency to promote "consistency, transparency and accountability."

The Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (SCSSA) operates entirely independently of the Church. It has its own staff and Board of Management who work in close collaboration with dioceses and religious communities to ensure that they are able to meet national safeguarding standards.

It will also develop a process that will provide an independent review of complaints about safeguarding practice and crucially, establish a forum in which those who have experienced abuse can contribute their own perspectives to the development of safeguarding.”

Within the parish, safeguarding is also a shared responsibility. It involves us all: the Parish Priest, the Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator, volunteers and the parish community. Safeguarding is about helping to keep people safe. If properly followed, the safeguarding policy will help the Church protect people, particularly children, young people and vulnerable adults from any harm that may be caused due to their being involved in any church activity. If you as a member of the parish community have any safeguarding concerns you should report those concerns to the Parish Priest or to the parish safeguarding co-ordinator - see posters in church. You should not assume that someone else has reported the matter. If you do not feel able to report any safeguarding concerns to these individuals, you should go direct to one of the Diocesan Safeguarding team members (see above).

Those who work with children, young people or vulnerable adults in church activities within the parish are obliged to undertake a PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) check to ensure that they are not banned from working with these groups and to be checked against police records. They must in addition complete an application form, a self-declaration form and provide two character references. They go through an interview procedure with the Parish Priest and, finally, the Parish Priest and all volunteers are obliged to attend appropriate safeguarding training.

This information is provided to reassure you that all possible steps are taken to ensure that the children, young people and vulnerable adults in our parish are as safe as they can be when they are in our care. To anyone thinking of volunteering their services in this parish community of St. John Ogilvie’s, please let this information be an encouragement and not a deterrent.