Updates
Whenever a new policy or guidance is approved by the Diocesan Safeguarding Children Committee, it will be published in this section of the website. The various resources elsewhere on this site should be considered in light of these updates.
The National Board for Safeguarding Children, Maynooth requires every diocese of submit a report each year on their safeguarding activities. The report is divided into four parts - audit of parishes; audit of diocesan policy and procedures; training report for the past year; training plan for 2012. This report was approved by the Safeguarding Committee on 1 December 2011. Click here for the Annual Safeguarding Children Report from the Diocese of Meath 2011.
In response to the revised “Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children” (2011), the Safeguarding Committee published its guidance, addressed to Parish Safeguarding Representatives, clergy, volunteers and parents. Click here for the November 2011 Safeguarding Newsletter.
The Safeguarding Committee discussed the importance of communications at its meeting on 1 September 2011. On that occasion, it approved a new document which sets out the diocesan approach to communicating its safeguarding message. Click here for the Communications Policy, which relates to Resource R in the folder.
Following several queries from parishes and volunteers, the Safeguarding Committee addressed the question of the use of photographs involving children in parish related activities. Click here for the guidance offered by the Committee in July 2011. It indicates that parental permission should be sought when a photograph of a child may be used, for instance, on a parish website or in the local press.