A message from Bishop Philip Egan:
“Do justice for the weak and the orphan; give justice to the poor and afflicted. Rescue the weak and the needy; set them free from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82: 3-4)
Here, in the Diocese of Portsmouth, we believe that the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of every person is a sacred responsibility. Safeguarding is central to the Church’s mission, and to our witness, and our service.
As Bishop of the Diocese, I want to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to ensuring that our parishes and church communities are safe places for all those who use them. We seek to ensure that all people, and especially children, young people, and adults at risk, are safe from harm, valued, and protected.
We will continue to uphold the highest safeguarding standards through the eight national safeguarding standards and the policies and procedures for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
In our work we will foster environments that prioritise safety, transparency, and accountability. All clergy, staff, and volunteers will receive appropriate training, follow safer recruitment practices, and work within clear safeguarding policies and codes of conduct.
All allegations or concerns will be responded to promptly, compassionately, and in accordance with statutory guidance and national safeguarding policies.
The wellbeing of victims and survivors will always be paramount, and we will ensure they are listened to, offered appropriate pastoral support and signposted to specialist support services.
We will work in collaboration with safeguarding professionals, statutory agencies, and other organisations to ensure our practice is strong, transparent, and continually improving.
We will continue to review and develop our safeguarding practice and welcome external audit and review from the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency as our inspectorate.
Our aim is to ensure safeguarding is the thread that runs through all ministries, and I am deeply grateful to all those who serve in safeguarding roles across our Diocese so that we may instil a culture or safety, trust and respect.
