The Board has made considerable progress in its remit, but recognises that its task is both ongoing and developing. Therefore, looking to the year ahead, the Board has a number of specific objectives:
- To develop a National Office team of experienced, skilled and highly motivated staff to create a central advisory and support resource for safeguarding practice in the Catholic Church in Ireland
- To circulate the Standards and Guidance document, following a comprehensive consultation process, which will provide the key architecture for child safeguarding policies and procedures for the Catholic Church in Ireland. Subsequently to introduce a suite of documents, agreed with the key statutory agencies, that will provide clear guidance for constituent groups within the church, so that the safeguarding of children is promoted and strengthened. The first of such documents, on the creation and maintenance of records relating to allegations of child abuse, will be written specifically for Designated Persons, Bishops and Congregational Leaders.
- To advise and assist Dioceses and Congregations in the introduction of the structures proposed by the Standards and Guidance document.
- To maintain a database on new allegations of child abuse through obtaining statistical data from Dioceses and Congregations, every two months.
- To develop a website for the Board, which will facilitate access to all documents developed by the Board and its National Office.
- To enhance communication on issues of child safeguarding policy and practice within the Catholic Church through regular contact with the Liaison Committee of the Sponsoring Bodies.
- To enhance the relationship between the Board and Dioceses and Congregations through regular meetings between the Board and its National Office and child safeguarding personnel.
- To continue the development of relationships with key statutory agencies, both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This will involve meetings with key officers in the statutory agencies.
- To publish the next Annual Report by April 2010.
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