On the opening day of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) General Assembly, members approved a new suite of denominational policies relating to the safeguarding of children and adults in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, describing this critical work and understanding of the issues ‘as being ‘at the heart of good faith-based safeguarding.’
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Safeguarding: ‘Part of our mission and purpose as a denomination’
The enhanced measures were included in the Report of the Council for Social Witness (CSW), PCI’s social care arm, which cares for, and supports, over 300 people, north and south. You can read the relevant sections of the report here on pages 126-127 and in various appendices on pages 135-152.
The Council has responsibility for all aspects of Safeguarding from policy development to training across PCI’s 500-plus congregations, and in its residential, nursing, supported housing, respite and day care services, which it manages for PCI on a day-to-day basis. This also includes a number of community-based programmes, whose work was also reflected in the Council’s Report to the General Assembly.
Its report, which was the day’s first item of substantive business, said that ‘Promoting an understanding of safeguarding as a positive and integral part of PCI is at the heart of good faith-based safeguarding. Safeguarding is understood as part of our mission and purpose as a denomination, as something we are called to embrace while we seek to follow and reflect Jesus. Safeguarding policy and procedural development this year has been a critical piece of work.’
The Report also stated that the Council ‘will support the denomination to develop the recognition that safeguarding is a central component to our mission; when we do it well, we are proclaiming the excellencies of our Lord Jesus. The Bible is our reference point, where we find guidance in how to safeguard others as part of, not only our legal and ethical duty, but of who we are as a denomination at heart.’
In his speech to the General Assembly, Dermot Parsons, the Secretary to the Council for Social Witness, said that the culture of an organisation is crucial to safeguarding. “Abuse thrives in silence and secrecy, so we must not let it flourish in our church communities. Safeguarding should be a gentle underpinning for the church’s work with children and adults, while a strongly protective response to concerns is consistently present when needed. Effective safeguarding policies reduce risk and create a nurturing environment for worship and for people to grow in faith while reducing the likelihood of abuse and harm.”
Mr Parsons emphasised that, “Real safeguarding does not get in the way of mission or ministries – it enhances it. In revising our safeguarding approach, we have an opportunity to talk about abuse and carefully increase awareness. We can use the changes in policy and procedure to educate PCI staff, leaders, and volunteers about abuse, the dynamics of power, and the responsibilities we hold. Within the church we hold a unique set of positions of trust: it falls to us to ensure those positions are not undermined or misused, whether knowingly or simply because of anxiety, or even just a lack of knowledge in these matters.”
The General Assembly also welcomed the commitment of the Council ‘…to ensure services that distinctively reflect the Christian ethos of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland are available to people with complex needs.’
He also spoke of how many churches proclaim “‘everyone is welcome’ Precisely - but this means that we must make this universal invitation safe for all in the church even through a simple step like ensuring that our processes for criminal vetting are sufficiently robust…” Alongside the other draft safeguarding policies approved today, the General Assembly also approved a further policy that covers Criminal Records Checks in both jurisdictions.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland aims to create and promote a safe environment for all. The Church believes that next to proclaiming God's Word and the love of Christ, nothing could be more important than keeping our children and young people safe.
For all safeguarding information and resources for working with children, young people and adults in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
see the safeguarding section here.