Religious Life Safeguarding Service

Religious Life Safeguarding Service’s Commitment/Pledge to all Victims and Survivors

• We will always work for and with each individual victim and survivor.

• We will value and respect each victim and survivor as an individual as they share their unique lived experiences.

• We will actively listen and learn from each individual victim and survivor’s unique lived experience.

• We will always engage with each individual victim and survivor with empathy, warmth and trust.

• We will always engage with each individual victim and survivor with transparency and honesty.

What Victims and Survivors Can Expect from Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS)

1. Our Safeguarding Team will explain what services we can offer to assist you in your engagement with us. You may want some time to consider our explanation before you decide to continue to engage and we will respect this.

2. If you would like to go ahead after hearing about our services, you will be offered a conversation either in person, by telephone or by video-call at a time to suit you. We understand that first meetings can be difficult therefore you are welcome to have a support person accompany you if you wish.

3. Before we begin, we will explain in detail our responsibility in safeguarding, including when we will refer to the statutory authorities such as the police, children or adult social care/social services. We will advise you of ways in which you can remain in control, such as remaining anonymous.

4. We will advise you of what information we will share and with whom during the safeguarding process. We will explain our legal obligations under Data Protection relating to other individuals involved in the safeguarding process. As well as sharing information with statutory agencies, we may have to share information with other relevant stakeholders, such as our insurers, legal advisers and the Charity Commission.

5. We will agree with you the scope of our engagement with you (how/when/where) and discuss the exit phase of our engagement. If appropriate before we end our engagement, we will ask for your wishes and preferences on any further contact you have with us.

6. We will invite you to provide your views of your engagement with RLSS. With your approval we will use your thoughts and views to improve the quality of our engagement with all victims and survivors and anonymise these in our Reflection and Development policy.

7. In our ongoing development of the Service and in order to ensure that we are victim and survivor informed and responsive, we intend to include anonymised details of the support offered to individual victims and survivors and any feedback, to help us to identify any emerging themes or improvements required. We will only ever do so with your permission.

8. We will inform you of how you can access our Complaints Procedure. If you raise any concerns about national policies, we can refer this to the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) or with your consent any other relevant organisation. Your views on your engagement with us are important to our work and will form part of the annual safeguarding report to the CSSA Board.

Confidentiality

We strongly acknowledge that confidentiality is central to our work and we adhere to this commitment. However, we want you to be aware that there may be occasions where we cannot maintain confidentiality. We will always let you know when we must break the confidential agreement, such as in the following circumstances –

• If you tell us you are at serious risk of harm or abuse from self or others

• If you are tell us about a child or vulnerable adult at risk of harm or abuse from someone else • If you tell us there is a serious risk of harm or abuse to someone else from yourself

• If you share an allegation of previous harm or abuse (this includes harm or abuse which may be physical, psychological, verbal, sexual, emotional, spiritual, domestic, modern slavery, discriminatory, organisational, neglect, self-neglect, financial or material)

If you do tell us about a risk of harm or abuse, we will make you aware of who we will need to tell and update and support you as much as we can, so you know who holds this information and what the next steps might be.

For more information, please contact the safeguarding team on 0151 5562311 or via e mail safeguarding@religioussafeguarding.org.

Importantly, if you are concerned about the safety and 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 imminent danger.

SUPPORT SERVICES FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS

National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) is a national charity offering support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect.
NAPAC helpline: 0808 801 0331

Rape Crisis England and Wales is a national charity and the umbrella body for all Rape Crisis Centres. You can find your nearest Rape Crisis Centre and how to get help if you’ve experienced rape, child abuse and/or any other kind of sexual violence from the email address below. You can also find information on advocacy and Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) services, counselling and therapeutic services as well as helplines and emotional support.
National Rape and Sexual Abuse Helpline number 0808 802 9999 (lines are open 12 noon – 2.30pm and 7pm – 9.30pm every day of the year).

Mind is a national mental health charity providing advice and support to anyone with a mental health problem. Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).

Survivors UK provides support to adult males who have experienced any form of sexual violence. They provide a web chat and text chat support service and counselling from their London premises.
Call 0203 598 3898
Email: info@survivorsuk.org

Samaritans is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call any time on: 116 123
Email: jo@samaritans.org

The Survivors Trust is a national umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse support organisations for women, men, young people and children.
Support line offering advice, information and support: 08088 010818

NHS Choices provides information about local health services, along with health and lifestyle advice.

Citizens Advice gives free, confidential information and advice to assist people with money, legal, consumer and other problems.

1 in 6 is an organisation that supports male victims and survivors.

ChildLine – Where children and young people can get help and advice about a wide range of issues, call on 0800 1111, talk to a counsellor online, send Childline an email or post on the message boards.

SupportLine provides a confidential telephone helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issue. The Helpline is primarily a preventative service and aims to support people before they reach the point of crisis. It is particularly aimed at those who are socially isolated, vulnerable, at risk groups and victims of any form of abuse. SupportLine is a member of the Helplines Association. SupportLine also provides support by email and post.

Ann Craft Trust: 0115 951 5400
www.anncrafttrust.org
National information and advice service on all aspects of sexual abuse and exploitation of adults and children with learning difficulties.

Association of Christian Counsellors: www.acc-uk.org

Aurora Foundation for People Abused in Childhood:
020 8541 1951
www.aurorafoundation.org.uk
A charity offering counselling, workshops and support to adult men and women survivors of childhood trauma or abuse. Most of the practitioners are survivors themselves, or partners of survivors. Fees do apply for these services but can be negotiated. Covers Greater London and Home Counties.

Boarding Concern: www.boardingconcern.org.uk
National organization for adult survivors of boarding schools.

Boarding School Survivors: www.boardingschoolsurvivors.co.uk
Workshops for men and women who wish to re-examine their own experience of boarding school, its effects on their lives and to look for healing.

Bristol Crisis Service for Women: www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk
National helpline for women in distress, especially those who self injure and run and support self help groups.

Criminal Law Advice Line: www.rightsofwomen.org.uk
Advice on sexual offences including rape and sexual assault, reporting offences to the police and the criminal justice system, criminal injuries compensation

First Person Plural:
01902 810082
www.Firstpersonplural.org.uk
UK wide survivor led association for survivors of trauma and abuse who experience dissociative distress. Offer support and information to survivors friends, families and professionals through a newsletter (Subs £7/£10). Optional contact list and meetings for survivor members only.

Fresh Start Foundation 0300 999 2017

Mind (National Association for Mental Health): 0300 123 3393 www.mind.org.uk
Publish a booklet ‘Understanding Dissociative Disorders’.

Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS)
0808 801 0340
www.macsas.org.uk
support group for women and men from Christian background who have been sexually abused by ministers or clergy as children or as adults.

Moira Anderson Foundation:
01236 602890
www.moiraanderson.org
(area served Scotland) Helpline offering advice, support and counselling for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

MOSAC:
0800 980 1958 (National helpline)
www.mosac.org.uk
Counselling and art therapy by appointment. Groups for parents of children who have been sexually abused. Greenwich S.London based.

NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood): Supporting adults who suffered any type of abuse in childhood.
Confidential free support line 0808 801 0331
support@napac.org.uk
https://napac.org.uk

NSPCC Helpline for Footballers who have experienced sexual abuse 0800 023 2642 https://www.nspcc.org.uk/fighting-for-childhood/news-opinion/new-helpline-football-sexual-abuse/

PICT Therapists Directory: www.ppfoundation.org
Directory of qualified Parks Inner Child Therapists, fast, thorough and gentle therapy model created by the author of ‘Rescuing the Inner Child’.

RANS/Izzy’s Promise
01382 224737
www.rans.org.uk
Website for Ritual Abuse Network Scotland(RANS) and Izzy’s Promise. RANS provides information and a safe place to talk for survivors of ritual abuse.Izzy’s Promise provides information, resources, and training for agencies that support ritual abuse survivors.

Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre:
Helpline 0808 802 9999
www.rasasc.org.uk
Helpline support and information for all survivors of rape or childhood sexual abuse.

RESPOND:
020 7383 0700
email admin@respond.org.uk www.respond.org.uk
Helpline, counselling and psychotherapy for children, adults and elders with learning difficulties who are either victims or perpetrators of sexual abuse and other trauma.

SafeLine:
www.safeline.org.uk
Helpline for women Please contact Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 (Safeline unable to support any new female callers at this time) Helpline for Men 0808 800 5005 Help for female and male survivors of rape and sexual abuse.

STOP IT NOW!:
0808 1000 900
www.stopitnow.org.uk
Child Sexual Abuse campaign that aims to provide adults with the information they need to protect children effectively. The campaign also urges adults worried about their own thoughts or behaviour towards children to seek help.

Victim Support: (24/7 support) Victim Support operates a 24/7 Supportline and live chat service, every day of the year, offering specialist emotional and practical support to anyone who has been a victim or a witness. You don’t have to report a crime to get help from Victim Support. Access interactive self-support guides visit

My Support Space
Telephone: 0808 16 89 111
Live chat: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help/support-near-you/live-chat My Support Space: mysupportspace.org.uk/MoJ Website: victimsupport.org.uk

All these services are free, confidential and available 24/7 Useful websites for all survivors of abuse Some sites also have information and support specifically for male survivors

www.boardingrecovery.com – Support service for adult boarding school survivors. Group of accredited psychotherapists and trained counsellors who specialise in working with boarding school survivors

www.bsafe1stalways.com – a site from the perspective of a child abuse survivor offering hope, support and information to all survivors of childhood abuse. Raising awareness of child abuse and the consequences in later life as well as campaigning on these important issues.

www.courtroomadvice.co.uk – Step by step advice for going to court

www.havoca.org – support and information for survivors of childhood sexual abuse including section for male survivors and also for partners of survivors.

www.helpforvictims.co.uk
Whether you have been affected by crime – or you know someone who has – this website could help. It provides information about how victims and witnesses should be treated within the Criminal Justice System and offers advice for those affected by crime. Information and answers are provided by experienced professionals in the victim support field and this website is completely anonymous.

www.intothelight.org.uk – Information, support and resources for survivors of abuse and those who care for them

www.islingtonsurvivors.co.uk Survivors and whistleblowers seeking justice and healing for Islington victims of organised and institutional abuse.

isurvive.org Homepage

isurvive is an online abuse survivor support group. They are a volunteer driven organisation with a team composed of people from the United States, Australia, Europe and the UK. they offer resources and forums where adult survivors of child abuse and their loved ones can seek support.

www.no2abuse.com – A survivor’s site includes forum, chat room and information

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/non-recent-abuse/# Information and advice on reporting for survivors of childhood abuse RASCAT – Recovering Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Trauma

https://www.facebook.com/groups/adult.abuse.and.trauma/ https://www.recovery-from-child-sexual-abuse.org.uk/ A source of information and hope for all

www.sharonwallace.co.uk – Adult survivor who has written the first of a trilogy of books “A House Full of Whispers” detailing her struggle to survive horrendous child abuse

https://www.shirleyoakssurvivorsassociation.co.uk/ Support for victims of abuse suffered in Lambeth children’s homes www.thehavens.org.uk – Rape and sexual assault centres providing range of services for victims of rape and sexual assault

Agencies which provide support and information specifically for male survivors

1in6.UK 0808 800 5005
https://www.1in6.uk/
A website for men affected by unwanted sexual experiences. Provides self-help resources, information and encouragement to self-refer into local services. Produced by a collaboration of support services and delivered by Mankind

NSPCC Helpline for Footballers who have experienced sexual abuse 0800 023 2642

Male Survivors Trust:
www.malesurvivorstrust.org.uk
Support and information to adult male survivors of child sexual abuse and adult rape, includes male survivors forum.

SafeLine: Helpline for male survivors of rape and sexual abuse
0808 800 5005
www.safeline.org.uk

Survivors UK
0203 598 3898
www.survivorsuk.org
Webchat Helps male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual assault/rape. Helpline is now delivered online, by text or by email only. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10.30am to 9pm and weekends 10am to 6pm.

Trauma Counselling Line Scotland: 08088 020406 – confidential telephone counselling service for male survivors of childhood abuse.