"A Safe and Welcoming Church"
Copyright © 2024 National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland
Page 4 | Foreword
Page 5 | Safeguarding Children Policy Statement
Page 6 | Vision and Mission
Page 7 | Principles
Page 8 | Implementation and Scope of the Safeguarding Children Policy
Page 9 | Application of the Safeguarding Children Policy Standards
Page 10 | The Safeguarding Children Policy Standards (see Art 10 LSP-I)
Page 11 | Standard: Leadership, Governance and Accountability (see Art 11 LSP-I)
Page 13 | Standard: Nurturing a Culture of Safeguarding (see Art 12 LSP-I)
Page 15 | Standard: Responding Pastorally and Reporting According to Civil and Canon Law (see Art 13 LSP-I)
Page 18 | Commitment by the Church Authority (see Art 14 LSP-I)
Page 19 to 21 | Appendix A: Glossary of Terms
Page 22 to 27 | Appendix B: Definitions of Abuse in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Page 28 | Appendix C: Legislation, International Treaties, the Irish Constitution, and Regulation underpinning the Safeguarding Children Policy
Page 29-37 | Appendix D: Application Matrix for Safeguarding Children Policy Standards
S | Page 1 | Table of Contents
S1.A | Page 4 | Guidance on Safe Recruitment Procedures
S1.A | Page 7 | Template 1: Recruitment and Selection Checklist
S1.A | Page 9 | Template 2: Application Form
S1.A | Page 12 | Template 3: Confidential Declaration Form
S1.A | Page 14 | Template 4: Character and Personal Reference Request
S1.A | Page 15 | Template 5: Confidentiality Declaration
S1.B | Page 16 | Guidance on Vetting
S1.B | Page 21 | Template 1A: Service Level Agreement to Share Vetting Information (for use only in the Republic of Ireland)
S1.B | Page 22 | Template 1B: Consent to Share Vetting Information (for use only in the Republic of Ireland)
S2.A | Page 23 | Guidance on an Induction Process for All Involved in the Church
S2.A | Page 24 | Template 1: Induction Agreement Form for All Church Personnel
S2.B | Page 25 | Guidance on the Delivery of Basic Safeguarding Awareness
S2.C | Page 29 | Guidance on Raising Awareness of Child Safeguarding with Children and their Parents / Guardians in the Church
S3.A | Page 31 | Guidance on Codes of Behaviour for Adults
S3.A | Page 32 | Template 1: Sample Code of Behaviour for Adults
S3.B | Page 33 | Guidance on Creating a Code of Behaviour with Children
S3.B | Page 34 | Template 1: Example Workshop on Creating a Code of Behaviour with Children
S3.C | Page 35 | Guidance on Dealing with Breaches of Codes of Behaviour for Children and Adults
S3.D | Page 36 | Guidance on Anti-Bullying
S3.E | Page 38 | Guidance on Boundary Violations
S4.A | Page 41 | Guidance on Support and Supervision
S5.A | Page 44 | Guidance on Risk Assessment of Activities with Children
S5.A | Page 46 | Template 1: Example Risk Assessment Form
S5.A | Page 48 | Template 2: Attendance Register for Large Groups
S5.A | Page 49 | Template 3: Attendance Register for Sacristy
S5.A | Page 50 | Template 4: Child and Guardian Joint Consent
S5.B | Page 52 to 58 | Guidance on Child Safeguarding Statement (ROI Only)
S5.C | Page 59 | Guidance on Maintaining Adequate Supervision Ratios
S5.D | Page 60 | Guidance on One-to-One Contact with Children and Young People
S5.E | Page 61 | Guidance on Dealing with Accidents
S5.E | Page 62 | Template 1: Form for Dealing with Accidents/ Incidents
S5.F | Page 63 | Guidance on Trips Away with Young People
S5.G | Page 65 | Guidance on Situations Where Known Respondents Wish to Worship
S6.A | Page 67 | Guidance on External Groups who Use Church Property
S6.A | Page 69 | Template 1: Form for Use of Church Property by External Groups
S6.B | Page 71 | Guidance on Requests by Individuals for Use of Church Property for One Off Private Functions
S6.C | Page 72 | Guidance on Safeguarding Support for Associations of the Faithful
S6.C | Page 78 | Template 1: Form for Use with Associations of the Faithful
S6.D | Page 80 | Guidance on Facilitating Community Service Orders on Church Property (ROI Only)
S6.D | Page 82 | Template 1: Form for Use of Church Property as a Community Service Site
S6.E | Page 84 | Guidance on Cross-Referencing Safeguarding Policies
S6.F | Page 88 | Template 1: Form for Clerics/Religious who have Ministry With Children in an External Organisation/Church Body
S6.G | Page 89 | Guidance on Visiting Clergy, Religious, Lay Ecclesial Ministers, Seminarians and Visits to Shrines
S6.G | Page 94 | Template 1: Acknowledgement Letter for Request for Ministry
S6.G | Page 95 | Template 2: Declaration Form of Good Standing
S6.G | Page 96 | Template 3: Confirmation of Good Standing
S6.G | Page 97 | Template 4: Approval for Ministry
S6.G | Page 98 | Template 5: Confirmation of Good Standing for Non-Ordained Religious
S6.G | Page 100 | Template 6: Form to be completed by the Leader/Church authority of a visiting lay minister
S7.A | Page 102 | Guidance on Use of Technology
S7.A | Page 104 | Template 1: Media Permission Form
S7.B | Page 105 to 108 | Guidance on Conducting Ministry with Children Using Digital Media
S7.B | Page 109 | Template 1: Sample Online Procedure
S7.B | Page 110 | Template 2: Checklist for Online Ministry
S7.C | Page 111 | Guidance on Use of Texting and Email
S7.D | Page 113 | Guidance on Use of Photography
S7.E | Page 115 | Guidance on Use of CCTV and Webcams
S8.A | Page 117 | Guidance on the Participation of Children with Specific Needs
S9.A | Page 119 | Guidance on Whistle-Blowing
S9.A | Page 125 | Template 1: Whistle-Blowing Record
S9.B | Page 126 | Guidance on Complaints Procedure for Safeguarding Concerns that are not Allegations of Abuse
S9.B | Page 128 | Template 1: Complaints Form
S10 | Page 129 to 138 | Template: Example International Child Safeguarding Policy.
R | Page 2 | Table of Contents
R1.A | Page 5 | Guidance on Reporting Suspicions, Concerns, Knowledge or Allegations of Abuse
R1.A | Page 10 | Template 1: Child Protection Referral Form
R1.A | Page 11 | Template 2 : | Template Letter to DDF for Referring Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Clerics who are Alive
R1.B | Page 12 | Guidance on Responding to Allegations, Suspicions, Concerns of Knowledge of Child Abuse in Specific Situations
R1.C | Page 23 | Guidance on Protection for Persons Submitting a Report
R1.D | Page 24 | Guidance on Reporting Allegations Against Deceased Clerics and Religious
R2.A | Page 25 | Guidance on Appropriate Personnel - Support Person
R3.A | Page 27 | Guidance on Case Management Records
R3.A | Page 29 | Template 1: File Index
R3.A | Page 30 | Template 2: Case Summary Information Sheet
R3.A | Page 31 | Template 3: Case Record Narrative
R3.A | Page 32 | Template 4: Chronology of when Allegations were Made, and Responses Given
R3.B | Page 33 | Guidance on Information Sharing
R3.C | Page 39 | Guidance on the Funerals of Clerics or Religious against whom there is a Case to Answer
R3.C | Page 40 | Template 1: Example Notification Letter to Complainant on Death of a Respondent
R3.D | Page 41 | Guidance on Hospitalisation of Clerics or Religious against whom there is a Case to Answer
R4.A | Page 42 | Guidance on a Pastoral Response to Complainants
R4.A | Page 46 | Template 1: Example Information for Complainants
R4.C | Page 56 | Guidance on Responding to a Complainant who is Dissatisfied with how their Allegation has been Handled by the Church Authority
R5.A | Page 60 | Guidance for Complainants on Access to Records Held by a Church Body
R5.B | Page 61 | Guidance on Regular and Accessible Communication and Participation Involving the Views of the Complainant in Consideration of their Needs
R6.A | Page 62 | Guidance on Reparation for the Harm Caused to the Complainant
R7.A | Page 63 | Guidance on Appropriate Personnel - Advisor
R7.B | Page 65 | Guidance on Support to the Family Members of Respondents
R8.A | Page 66 | Guidance on Informing the Respondent (Cleric and Religious) that an Allegation has been Received and Consideration of an Interim Management Plan
R8.B | Page 69 | Guidance on the Risk Assessment for Cleric and Religious to Produce an Interim Management Plan
R8.B | Page 70 | Template 1: Example Risk Assessment Framework
R8.B | Page 71 | Template 2: Example Risk Management Update Tool
R8.B | Page 72 | Template 3: Example Interim Management Plan
R8.B | Page 74 | Template 4: Example Notification to Follow Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures
R8.C | Page 75 | Guidance on Regular Liaison with Statutory Authorities
R8.D | Page 77 | Guidance on Leave from Sacred Ministry
R8.E | Page 80 | Guidance for Respondents on Access to Records Held by a Church Body
R9.A | Page 81 | Guidance on the Process for Clerics Following the Conclusion of Any Investigation by the Statutory Authorities
R9.A | Page 84 | Template 1: Example Decree Initiating Preliminary Investigation (Clerics)
R9.B | Page 85 | Guidance on penal processes as outlined in the Vademecum on Certain Points of Procedure in Treating Cases of Sexual Abuse of Minors Committed by Clerics
R9.B | Page 90 | Template 1: Tabular Summary for Cases of Delicta Reservata
R9.C | Page 92 | Guidance on the Process for Non-Ordained Religious, Following the Conclusion of Any Investigation by the Statutory Authorities
R9.C | Page 95 | Template 1: Example Decree Initiating Collecting of Proofs (Non Ordained Religious)
R9.C | Page 96 | Template 2: Example Closing Decree When Collection of Proofs Finds there is No Case to Answer (Non Ordained Religious)
R9.C | Page 97 | Template 3: Example Closing Decree When Collection of Proofs Finds there is a Case to Answer (Non Ordained Religious)
R10.A | Page 98 | Guidance When Preliminary Investigation Finds there is no Case to Answer or that the Allegation is Manifestly False or Frivolous (Return to Ministry)
R10.A | Page 99 | Template 1: Example Closing Decree When Preliminary Investigation Finds there is No Case to Answer (Clerics)
R11.A | Page 100 | Guidance When Preliminary Investigation Finds there is a Case to Answer and that the Allegation is Not Manifestly False or Frivolous Against a Cleric
R11.A | Page 102 | Template 1: DDF Form
R11.A | Page 106 | Template 2: Example Closing Decree When Preliminary Investigation Finds there is a Case to Answer (Clerics)
R11.B | Page 107 | Guidance on Monitoring of Clerics and Non-Ordained Religious Following the Conclusion of the Canonical Investigation
R11.B | Page 108 | Template 1: Example Canonical Precept for Monitoring of Clerics Following the Conclusion of the Canonical Investigation
R11.B | Page 109 | Template 2: Example Canonical Precept for Monitoring of Non Ordained Religious Following the Conclusion of the Canonical Investigation
R11.C | Page 110 | Guidance on Clinical Risk Assessments
R11.D | Page 111 | Guidance on Monitoring Clerics and Non-Ordained Religious at the Request of Another Church Authority
L | Page 2 | Table of Contents
L1.A | Page 4 | Guidance on Developing a Communications Plan
L1.A | Page 7 | Template 1 Example of a Communications Plan for One Target Group
L1.B | Page 8 | Guidance on Creating User-Friendly Versions of the Child Safeguarding Policy
L1.C | Page 9 | Guidance on Creating a Child Safeguarding Newsletter
L1.D | Page 10 | Guidance on Ensuring that Information Regarding the Church’s Child Safeguarding Message is Accessible
L1.D | Page 11 | Template 1: Example Public Poster for Adults
L1.D | Page 12 | Template 2: Example Safeguarding Poster for Children
L1.D | Page 13 | Template 3: Example Public Poster for Adults in Irish
L1.D | Page 14 | Template 4: Example Public Poster for Adults in Irish/English
L1.D | Page 16 | Template 5: Example Public Poster for Adults in Polish
L1.D | Page 17 | Template 6: Public Poster for Adults in Ukrainian
L1.E | Page 18 | Guidance on Supports to Parishes and Others Affected When a Priest has Taken Leave from Sacred Ministry
L2.A | Page 21 | Guidance on Ensuring Compliance with the Safeguarding Standards at Local Level
L2.B | Page 22 | Guidance on Compliance Visits by the Church Authority
L2.C | Page 23 | Guidance on Annual Self Audit
L2.D | Page 24 | Guidance on the Annual Report Made by DLP to the Church Authority (If managing cases)
L2.D | Page 25 | Template 1: Guide on Completing a Review of Allegations and Case Files for the Annual Report to the Church Authority (For those Managing Cases)
L2.E | Page 27 | Guidance on Developing a Three-Year Child Safeguarding Plan
L2.E | Page 28 | Template 1: Example of a Three-Year Child Safeguarding Plan
L2.F | Page 30 | Guidance on Mandated Persons (only applies in the Republic of Ireland)
L3.A | Page 31 | Guidance on Managing Child Protection Allegations, Suspicions, Concerns or Knowledge about Bishops or their Equivalents
L3.D | Page 50 | Guidance on Crisis Management
L3.E | Page 54 | Guidance on Serious Incident Reviews
L4.A | Page 57 | Guidance on Carrying out a Training Needs Analysis
L4.A | Page 59 | Template 1: Training Plan
L5.A | Page 61 | Guidance on the Church Authority Demonstrating Commitment to Training, Taking Appropriate Advice and Personal Development
L5.B | Page 62 | Guidance on Safeguarding Handover and Induction of a New Church Authority or DLP
