Our Safeguarding Mission – Creating safe spaces in the Church
Principles of Safeguarding in Verbum Dei
- The Church must be a safe place for all
- Safeguarding is part of the Gospel mandate to take care of one another, and an essential part of the mission of the whole Church
- Safeguarding is everyone’s concern
Organizational policy
The Verbum Dei community in the United Kingdom operates in full accordance with the existing national safeguarding standards. We follow the relevant legal and statutory frameworks for safeguarding. We also operate in full accordance with the canon law of the Catholic Church.
Membership
Verbum Dei is a member of the Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS)
We are also members of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA)
Training
All members are encouraged to undergo regular training and updating in safeguarding through:
- their local Diocesan network
- the RLSS
- the International Union of Superiors General
- other organizations such as Thirtyone:eight
The trainings cover a wide range of safeguarding themes such as prevention and creating healthier cultures, recognizing abuse, safety in the digital world, caring for vulnerable elderly, prevention of abuse of power and authority, and accompaniment of persons.
DBS checks
It is compulsory for all missionaries working with minors and vulnerable persons to have valid and updated DBS checks
Creating safer cultures
In a letter to the people of God, Pope Francis clearly underlined the importance to create healthier and safer cultures, with particular regard for prevention of all types of abuse. “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). These words of Saint Paul forcefully echo in my heart as I acknowledge once more the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons. Crimes that inflict deep wounds of pain and powerlessness, primarily among the victims, but also in their family members and in the larger community of believers and nonbelievers alike.” (Pope Francis, Letter of His Holiness to the People of God, 20 August 2018)
We are committed to the prevention of all forms of abuse – physical, sexual – and also prevention of abuse of power and authority, spiritual abuse and abuse of conscience.
How to report?
If you are aware of a situation, or wish to express a concern, or register a complaint, please contact our Safeguarding Lead:
Name: Devy Pranadjaja
Email: devy.fmvd@gmail.com
Phone: 07403 784463
Resources
Here are some helpful resource documents:
Caring Safely for Others (Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 2020)
The Eight National Safeguarding Standards (CSSA)
Verbum Dei international safeguarding webpage (The page is in Spanish but can be translated online into English)
