PORTSMOUTH DIOCESAN SAFEGUARDING COMMISSION
Minutes of Meeting held on Wednesday 16th September 2015 at1.30pm
Venue: St Boniface, St Boniface House, 413 Shirley Road, Shirley, Southampton
SO15 3JD
Present: Paul O’Driscoll (PO’D) (Chair), Sister Elizabeth McCormack (Sr EMcC), Canon Dominic Golding (Canon DG), Abbot Cuthbert Brogan (Abbot CB), Father David Sillince (Fr DS), Elizabeth Slinn (ES),Meta Muncaster (MM), Fiona Matthews (FM) and Stephen Morgan (SDM).
In Attendance:
Angela McGrory (AMcG) & Soraya Ciccarone (Minutes)
PO’D welcomedeveryone to the Commission meeting and Fr DSled with a prayer. PO’D further welcomed Liz Slinn to the Commission as a new member and everyone introduced themselves to LS.
Apologies –Kate Burke, Jackie Rowlands, Father John Lee and Paul Neary.
1)Minutes of Meeting held on 2nd July 2015
Factual Accuracy – Nochanges to be noted.
2)Matters Arising (not on Agenda)
None to note. All will be covered under the main agenda.
3)New Appointment – Safeguarding Case Worker
AMcG was happy to report that we have appointed Mark Bramah (MB) to this one day per week post. MB will start on 1st October working one day per week. Heis highly experienced in this field having worked Hampshire Police with management responsibility for a MAPPA team.
4)Safeguarding Strategy – Moving Forward
PO’D had wanted this on the agenda just to recognise that we have a strategy in place and to get into the practice of reviewing this periodically.
Safeguarding Strategy (September 2015)
(Headings from Strategy Paper)
- Diocesan Safeguarding Commission in place with appropriate professional expertise
2. Well qualified and respected Safeguarding Coordinator
3. Good relationship between Safeguarding Coordinator and clergy helps to prevent problems but increases her workload
4. SafeSys and CASE in place providing a secure electronic record of volunteers and their status as well as ongoing safeguarding investigations and management
5. IT Policy defined but not yet implemented – action plan required
6.Well understood procedures and practice
7. Service Level Agreement with other dioceses for professional coverage
8. Good relationship with Bishop Philip and his Council who respect the role of the Commission
9.Trustees understand the role of the Commission and their own responsibilities in this regard
10.PSRs supported both spiritually and practically
11.High turnover of Parish Safeguarding Representatives (PSR) leads to variability of standards because one person only in most parishes
12. Issues with relationship of some parish priests with their PSR
13. Robust training programme mandated for all volunteers
14. Quality of trainers
15. Some uncertainty about supply priests, particularly from abroad, the Ordinariate and Polish Mission
16.Collaborative relationships are forming with religious orders and the Bishopric of the Forces
17. Good working relationship with statutory services
18. Issues with relationship with CSAS
19. Public discussion of Safeguarding is almost always in relation to negative situations
20. Processes in place at the diocesan level, however, uncertainty about compliance at the parish level
PO’D proposed that once a quarter we add, ‘Safeguarding Strategy – Moving Forward’ to the agenda.
5)Succession Planning
AMcG is still to contact ND re: joining the Commission. We are particularly looking for Child/Adult Social Workers. LS added that she may know of someone in her Parish as well and will pass her name over to PO’D and AMcG. AMcG also knows of a Police Rep from ThamesValley who may also be interested.
ACTION AMcG & LS
AMcG will also ask Bishop Philip to send out a letter (which AMcG would write) to ask for new safeguarding Commission members.
ACTION AMcG
AMcG and SC to compile a list of the dates that each Commission member joined the Commission.
ACTION AMcG & SC
PO’D asked if anyone has any other thoughts on bringing new Commission Members on-board? LS will contact the lady she knows as already mentioned.
6)DSC Report
Non-Confidential
6.3Covenants of Care (COC) (And the Reviewing of these)
Presently45 COC. AMcG/PO’D raised the issue that from stats from across the country we do have a high incidence of COC’s in our Diocese.
6.4 Audits - Phase 1
AMcG reported that these are underway and we have received eight audit returns back now and AMcG has made one Audit visit so far. This has already highlighted that reps need more training based around the role of being a rep. By November we will have a clearer idea of what has been returned.
6.5E-Bulk and E-Learning and Updated Resources Area
AMcG said that we have only had 31 registered for E-Learning and that this is rather disappointing.
7)Any Other Business
Commission Meeting Dates & Venues – 2016
All meetings to start at 1.30pm (July Meeting with the Bishops Council – Time & details TBC)
Wednesday 20th January – St Boniface, Southampton
Wednesday 16th March – St Bede’s, Basingstoke
Wednesday 18th May – St Boniface, Southampton
Thursday 7th July – Meeting with the Bishop’s Council (Details TBC)
Wednesday 14th September – St Bede’s, Basingstoke
Wednesday 16th November – St Boniface, Southampton
PO’D thanked everyone for their participation and the meeting ended at 3.30pm with a prayer led by Abbot Cuthbert.
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