"In Clifton Diocese we are deeply committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all those entrusted to our care, especially the most vulnerable among us. The Church’s mission is to bring the light of Christ to the world, and we must be vigilant in protecting those who are at risk of harm. The sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults is a grave sin that deeply offends our Lord and causes immense harm to victims.
As the shepherd of this diocese, I take this responsibility very seriously and I am determined to do everything in my power to prevent such abuses from occurring and to respond swiftly and compassionately when they do.
To this end, we have implemented robust safeguarding policies and procedures throughout the diocese. It is the responsibility of everyone within the Diocese of Clifton to ensure our parishes and institutions are safe places, especially for those who are vulnerable. We have a zero tolerance to abuse, harm and any behaviour that falls short of appropriate safeguarding practices as expressed in National Policies from the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.
We are also committed to fostering a culture of transparency and accountability within the Church in all our activities. Responding to those who come forward to report having suffered harm is a vital part of our mission and the Diocese is committed to being a welcoming and safe Church that is truly a beacon of light and hope for all.
May the grace of God strengthen us in this vital mission."
Bishop Bosco MacDonald, May 2024
The Diocesan safeguarding team supports the ministry of the Church by providing a professional and robust support around the protection of children, young people and adults at risk, to ensure that worshipping communities are safe places where all have a positive experience of the Church in which they feel loved, accepted and safe.
All issues will be dealt with in a sensitive and caring manner, in the strictest of confidence.
The dedicated safeguarding team work closely with other agencies including the Police, Probation, Social Services and comply with the standards that are set by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA). The CSSA has been set up as a professional standards body with regulatory powers which exist to regulate all Catholic Churches.
The safeguarding office is located at Alexander House, 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol, BS5 0TX
Their website is : www.cliftondiocese.com/depatments/safeguarding and has a great deal of information and contact details.
General enquiries: 0117 954 0993
Email: safeguarding@cliftondiocese.com
Safeguarding Coordinator:
Janice Pearson
07887 990 385
Janice.pearson@cliftondiocese.com
WHO ARE WE?
The local parish rep is Bernadette Thomson (Parish secretary) who administers the safeguarding clearance processes within the parish and promotes good and safe practices in all activities involving children and adults at risk. She can be contacted by email at bristol.staugustine@cliftondiocese.com or at 0117 9833939 if there are any queries.
Our Clifton Diocese Safeguarding Expert team are:
If your concern is urgent:
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk, do not delay in contacting the police, using 999 if a child or adult is believed to be in immediate danger.
You can also contact them via their non-emergency number 101, 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
You can also report your concerns to your local children and adult services. Most local authorities run an out-of-hours helpline:
Bristol/BANES/North Somerset/South Gloucestershire: 01454 615 165
If there is no immediate danger, then please contact the Safeguarding Office directly or speak with your Parish Safeguarding Representative (PSR).
If you are in any role within the Catholic Church in England and Wales, you must refer allegations directly to the safeguarding office or the PSR for your diocese, or directly to the Police. Any referrals made directly to the Police must also be sent to the Diocese safeguarding team who will make the PSR aware.
If you are a member of the public, please refer allegations directly to the police and also to the Diocese safeguarding team.
The Diocese Safeguarding Team is available Monday to Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm and can be contacted via:
safeguarding@cliftondiocese.com or 0117 954 0993
Full contact details can be found on the Diocese safeguarding contact page.
Clifton Diocese Safeguarding Privacy Notice Summary
The Catholic Safeguarding Standard Agency can also be contacted on 0207 901 1920 or via email at admin@catholicsafeguarding.org.uk
Referring to Statutory Agencies:
It is the policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to report all allegations of abuse to statutory authorities, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or in the past, or whether the accused person is living or deceased. If you are a survivor and do not wish for your details to be shared with the statutory authorities, then the referral can be made anonymously giving the details of the accused person only. We do this to protect other children and adults from harm. Even if you were abused a long time ago, your abuser might still be working with children or adults and we want to make sure they are not at risk.
FOR VICTIMS/ SURVIVORS
Finding Help and Support Out of Hours by viewing this page on the Clifton Diocese Website
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team is committed to responding to safeguarding concerns, providing support and advice. However, we are unable to offer an emergency or 24-hour service.
Therefore, if you have a concern or wish to speak to somebody outside of office hours, please contact one of the agencies below who are either available on a 24-hour basis, or through the following specialist helplines and services:
External National helplines:
- NSPCC You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk. Due to an increase in demand across the service, their voice Helpline is currently available 10am–8pm Monday to Friday. You can still email help@NSPCC.org.uk at any time for free, and you don’t have to say who you are.
- Childline (NSPCC): 0800 1111, the line is free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything – no problem is too big or too small.
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247, free phone 24-hours. Call if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
- Samaritans 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
- Hourglass Free helpline 24/7 (Action on Elder Abuse) : 0808 808 8141, free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Free text 078 6005 2906. Support to an older person or anyone concerned about an older person who is at risk.
- The Survivors Trust Monday- Thursday: 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-4pm & 6pm-8pm, Friday: 10am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-4pm, Saturday: 10am-12.30pm, Sunday: 6pm-8pm
- NAPAC 0808 801 0331 – freephone Monday to Thursday: 10am – 9pm; Friday: 10am – 6pm; Saturday and Sunday – Closed. Offers support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect.
Safe Spaces Safe Spaces, the free national support service for victims and survivors of church-related abuse. Safe Spaces offers a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with either the Church of England, The Church in Wales or The Catholic Church in England and Wales, regardless of disability, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
Call 0300 3031056 Mon- Fri 9am – 9pm, Sat 9-1pm and Sun 1-5pm (excluding bank holidays).
Email safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk
LiveChat/Website safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk
Lots more information on https://www.cbcew.org.uk/launch-of-safe-spaces/
Safeguarding Bishop
Bishop Paul Mason, Lead Bishop on Safeguarding, welcomes the launch: “I am very pleased to announce the launch of a new service dedicated to the support and accompaniment of those who have suffered abuse within the Church, which will complement the existing support services within the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“Safe Spaces, a joint Catholic/Anglican initiative, is the fruit of an ongoing collaboration between the churches who wish to reach out to and support those who have experienced such abuse.
“The charity Victim Support (VS) will independently manage the project with the aim of offering help to anyone who may have experienced trauma in the context of church activity. Their experience in offering support to victims of abuse, support which not only puts victims first but which is also informed by their experience, is a great step in helping us to hear and respond in a more concrete way to their needs.”
Independent
Although the churches funded the service, it is run independently by the charity Victim Support, who are one of the leading charities providing specialist support to survivors of abuse in England and Wales. We work towards a world where people affected by crime or traumatic events get the support they need and respect they deserve.
It comprises a team of trained support advocates who have undergone specialist training in supporting survivors of sexual violence and who have received additional specific training in how the churches respond to abuse cases, the way in which faith and church-related settings have been used to carry out abuse, and the particular issues affecting people who have had or still have, a relationship with the church.
The team are based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, but it is a national service providing remote support through our helpline, live chat service and website. Remote support is provided for as long as the survivor needs. This can be advocating for the survivor, giving them support, providing information (including information on church and police procedures), understanding individual needs and jointly working on individual support plans. If face-to-face support is also required, contact and referrals will be made with appropriate local organisations depending on need.
Helplines from the Catholic Mental Health Project
http://www.catholicmentalhealthproject.org.uk/helplines
Mental Health – Catholic Mental Health Project This website has a range of resources to help increase spiritual and pastoral support for those with mental health challenges, their families and carers. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales established a Mental Health Project in response to concerns raised during “Listening 2004: My Family My Church”.The aims of the Bishops’ Mental Health Project are to:
*Offer support and resources to local Catholic communities as they respond to those facing mental health challenges
*Identify and highlight good practice in pastoral care for those with mental health needs, their families and carers
*Develop a network of those within the Catholic community in England and Wales with a special interest in locally based mental health support.
Mental health in winter: If the dark days & cold weather are getting you down, please consider contacting:
•Age UK https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/loneliness/ Advice Line: 0800 678 1602 Lines open 8am-7pm, all year.
•Young Somerset https://www.youngsomerset.org.uk/Pages/Category/covid-19-support
•The Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/signs-you-may-be-struggling-cope/ Call 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or write a letter to “Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS.”
*Papyrus For people under 35. Call 0800 0684141 Mon-Friday 10am-10pm, weekends 2-10pm, bank holidays 2-5pm . Text: 07786 209697
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org UK charity dedicated to prevention of young suicide. You can contact them for help/ guidance for yourself/ someone in your care.
•NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/ Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust 0800 953 1919
Here you will find information about where and how to report domestic abuse and get help.
Phone the Police if you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police.
If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and if possible, respond by coughing or tapping the head set.
If prompted, press 55 to Make Yourself Heard and this will transfer your call to the police. (NB Pressing 55 only works on mobiles and does not allow police to track your location.)
When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about your location should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response.
Please share these numbers and email addresses so someone in need can find them:
WomansAid National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247
The mix Advice for the under 25yrs. 0808 808 4994
Advice for Male Victims of Domestic Violence 0808 8801 0327
Childline Deals with a vast variety of children concerns including Domestic Violence. 0800 1111
https://www.csas.uk.net/wpcontent/uploads/2018/05/Guidance-Supporting-people-who-may-be-experiencing-domestic-violence.pdf
Many other helpline numbers and email addresses
Seek help
Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge 0808 200 0247
www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
Live Fear Free helpline (Wales) 0808 80 10 800
www.livefearfree.gov.wales
Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327
www.mensadviceline.org.uk
Rape Crisis (England and Wales) 0808 802 9999
www.rapecrisis.org.uk
Respect phoneline 0808 802 4040
www.respectphoneline.org.uk
Galop (for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people) 0800 999 5428
www.galop.org.uk
Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline 0800 027 1234
sdafmh.org.uk
Scottish Women’s Aid 0131 226 6606
www.scottishwomensaid.org.uk
Women’s Aid Federation (Northern Ireland) 0800 917 1414
www.womensaidni.org
Karma Nirvana
Karma Nirvana runs a national honour-based abuse helpline. 0800 5999 247
Email: support@karmanirvana.org.uk
Hestia provides a free mobile app, Bright Sky, which provides support and information to anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know.
Chayn provides online help and resources in a number of languages about identifying manipulative situations and how friends can support those being abused.
Imkaan are a women’s organisation addressing violence against black and minority women and girls.
Southall Black Sisters offer advocacy and information to Asian and Afro-Caribbean women suffering abuse.
Stay Safe East provides advocacy and support services to disabled victims and survivors of abuse.
SignHealth provides domestic abuse service support for deaf people in British Sign Language (BSL). 020 3947 2601
Email: da@signhealth.org.uk
Shelter provide free confidential information, support and legal advice on all housing and homelessness issues.
Sexual Assault Referral Centres provide advice and support services to victims and survivors of sexual assault or abuse.
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