Awareness & Safety in our Catholic Communities

INTER DIOCESAN CONFERENCE

‘Looking Forward – The Challenge Ahead
The Church as a place of safety and welcome for everyone’

held in Heriot Watt University on 30th/31st January 2009

REPORT

The conference, through stimulating discussion explored various aspects of safeguarding practice in the Church in Scotland.  The overall aim of the event was to improve practice by deepening participants understanding of the nature of and implications of practice within the Church now and the challenge for the future.

Our focus was a desire to support, encourage and inspire those individuals with a key responsibility for safeguarding to make sure we get it right for the Church community placing the needs of those who are vulnerable at the centre of all our work.

A range of knowledgeable and well experienced speakers from within the Church examined a number of key questions including:

• how can the Parish Co-ordinator influence positive change in parish safeguarding practice?

• why is the audit process important?  what do we want to achieve?

• how do we respond to disclosures of sexual abuse?

• what does our safe recruitment policy look like now and what will be the implications for the Church with new Vetting and Barring Legislation?

• how do we contribute and support those adults most disadvantaged by their life experiences and circumstances?  and

• how do we introduce a framework to manage parishioners with risk disposed behaviour?

Eighty, in total attended the Friday to Saturday event including Right Rev. Joseph Toal, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles,  Right Rev. John Cunningham, Bishop of Galloway, members of the Conference of Religious in Scotland, Diocesan Advisers, Trainers, members of the Diocesan teams and Parish Co-ordinators from every Diocese in Scotland.  

Conference delegates had the chance to discuss and review safeguarding issues through an interactive programme – the ideal opportunity to learn and share.

The National Co-ordinator wants to acknowledge everyone who had helped and not least, Mary Stein, her Personal Assistant.

Jackie McCaig
National Co-ordinator

26.02.09