Standard 5: Communicating our Safeguarding message
What is the Standard?
There are clear processes in place to disseminate the Church’s child protection policy and procedures to personnel, parishioners and external agencies.
Policies and procedures put in place by Church organisations to protect children are only effective if Church personnel and parishioners, including children, understand them and know how to use them.
Ways of providing evidence
The following documents can be used to provide evidence that the Standard has been met:
- examples of resources and materials that illustrate how the Church is committed to keeping
- children safe including reference to child protection policies, codes of behaviour and so on
- examples of ways the Church organisation’s policy has been promoted, including to
- communities and to children information about where children should go to when they have a worry or a concern including contact details, which are different from the ones dealing with complaints from adults.
Download
Standards and Guidance Document (Full)
Criteria
5.1 The child protection policy is openly displayed and available to everyone.
5.2 Children are made aware of their right to be safe from abuse and who to speak to if they have concerns.
5.3 Everyone in the Church organisation knows who the designated person is and how to contact them.
5.4 Church personnel are provided with contact details of local child protection services, such as Health and Social Care Trusts/ Health Service Executive, PSNI, An Garda Síochána, telephone helplines and the designated person.
5.5 Church organisations establish links with statutory child protection agencies to develop good working relationships in order to keep children safe.
5.6 Church organisations at diocesan and religious order level have an established communications policy which reflects a commitment to transparency and openness.