Safeguarding Officer(s)

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Job description

Religious Life Safeguarding Services (RLSS)

Safeguarding Officer(s): Purpose and Role.

Background Information

The Catholic Church is fundamentally reviewing and reforming its safeguarding arrangements to ensure openness and transparency. A unified standard based approach to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults at risk has been adopted. It has already commissioned the establishment, The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA), under an independent board of directors, who will support and audit the safeguarding arrangements for 22 dioceses and 300 Religious communities in their compliance with these standards.

The Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS) is currently being set up to support the Religious Congregations in England and Wales Religious in providing a supportive response to abuse victims and survivors and to develop and sustain an environment which is safe for all. The RLSS is now commencing its work and is seeking committed and experienced Chair and Directors to support and lead the newly established board.

Aims:

1. To create and foster a culture of openness and transparency within RLSS ensuring empathy and a willingness to listen and learn from all victims and survivors.
2. Show understanding and support to those in Religious Life who are seeking to ensure that the mistakes and omissions of the past are dealt with and not denied or repeated.
3. Help to build a Board who will establish standards and put in place systems and reporting arrangements that are clear and open to scrutiny.
4. Help the Service Manager to build a team of dedicated staff who will work with survivors and Religious, demonstrating fairness, understanding and a non-judgemental approach.

Safeguarding Officers

RLSS are seeking two or three Safeguarding officers to work alongside the Head of Safeguarding. The successful candidates will have a wealth of experience in safeguarding and will be commitment to developing an atmosphere of openness and transparency within the Church in relation to safeguarding concerns and sharing of information. They will be able to demonstrate integrity, honesty and transparency as well as a full understanding of the impact of abuse on victims and survivors.

Values

• Integrity, honesty and transparency.
• Commitment to high performance.
• Empathy for victim/survivors.
• Commitment to social justice.
• Personal support for the value of diversity and inclusion
• Commitment to Continuous Improvement.
• Respect and value for a diversity of opinions and contributions

This is an opportunity for an experienced Safeguarding Officer to join an organisation which strives to put victims and survivors of abuse at the forefront of its work seeking to build bridges and develop understanding of the need for change and to do things differently.

Please enquire in the first instance by contacting via the button below where a detailed job description and application form will be provided. Candidates who wish to have an informal conversation about the roles should indicate they wish to be contacted via email and a call will be arranged.