Spend five minutes thinking about where you think you are most likely to come across an ‘Adult at Risk’ or a child or young person in your everyday activities where you might have to consider safeguarding actions.

During our ‘live’ training sessions the attendees have created extensive situations and lists of the people they need to safeguard on a day to day basis:

• Young people taking catechism lessons
• Home visits to housebound members of the Parish
• At Mass
• Youth groups
• Schools
• When offering Spiritual Accompaniment
• Hospital or prison chaplaincy
• Each other and members of their Religious Communities

This list is by no means exhaustive and you will have your own unique situations where you need to be mindful of safeguarding actions you might need to take.

Safeguarding is the way in which we set out to measure and protect the health, wellbeing and human rights of individuals.

Safeguarding is widely used in various settings but in particular we think of it as relating in particular to children, young people and vulnerable adults.  This is does not mean that at various points in their lives, anyone might need to be safeguarded to ensure they are living free from abuse, harm and neglect. 

Everybody has the right to live their lives free from harm.  Safeguarding is everybody’s business…