Local Safeguarding Audit (Indicators Contained in Table 1 of the Child Safeguarding Policy)

Thank you for completing this audit, and for the work that you have done and continue to do to ensure the highest standards in best practice in child safeguarding.

Please feel free to call on any of the child safeguarding personnel if you have any questions or require assistance with the audit (contact numbers are at the back of this document).

The audit should be completed by the local safeguarding representatives, alongside the local parish priest/superior/community leader.

In areas where there are large numbers of Church-affliated groups involving children, it may be necessary to ask group leaders to complete relevant parts of the audit, and for the local safeguarding representatives to then collate the responses into this audit.

Local details

Standard 1: Creating and Maintaining Safe Environments

General
Is there a register (an up-to-date listing) of all groups and organisations associated with the Church body in your locality? (circle as appropriate)
Is there an up-to-date register with the name of the person in charge of all groups and organisations associated with the Church body in your locality?
List the people responsible for compiling and maintaining the groups and personnel listings:
For each group/organisation working directly or indirectly with children and young people (ignore if not applicable):
Have parents/guardians and children signed a joint consent form?
If applicable, have parents/guardians and children signed a media permission form?
Have parents/guardians and children been made aware of and received copies of:
a. The complaints procedure
b. The code of conduct for children and adults
c. The reporting procedures for allegations, suspicions/concerns
Is each group aware and maintaining adequate supervision ratios?
Does each group have access to the procedure for dealing with accidents?
Is there an attendance register completed for the group?
Does the group have an appropriate hazard assessment process in place?
For non-Church groups working with children and young people and using Church property (ignore if not applicable):
Is there a register of all non-Church groups that use Church property?
Does each group have its own insurance?
Does each group have its own safeguarding policy?
Recruitment

In recruiting applicable personnel working with children, have you ensured that:


Clear job descriptions are provided?
Application forms are completed?
References are sought and checked?
Vetting is complete (if appropriate)?
Declaration forms are complete?
A safeguarding policy has been provided?
A whistle-blowing policy has been provided?
Clerics/religious who are members of the Church body, but who are ministering with children in an external organisation/Church body:
Is there a list of all clerics and religious who are ministering with children in an external organisation/Church body?
For each external organisation/Church body where a cleric/religious is ministering with children, is a written agreement in place that the cleric or religious agrees to follow effective safeguarding practice?

Standard 5: Training and Support for Keeping Children Safe

Induction
Have all Church personnel been shown the child safeguarding policy and procedures as part of an induction process?
Have all Church personnel signed an agreement form (Guidance 5.1A Template 1)?
Basic safeguarding awareness training

Please list below the names of all priests/religious on active ministry in the Church area, and the date they attended the full-day safeguarding programme.

Name Role Attended Full-Day Programme (Yes/No) Date of Attendance

Please list below the names of those who have a specifc role in child safeguarding, and the date they attended the full-day safeguarding programme.

Name Role Attended Full-Day Programme (Yes/No) Date of Attendance

Please list below the names of those who have a leadership role with a group of children within the local Church area, and the date they attended the full-day safeguarding programme or information session. At least one leader in every group working with children must attend a full-day programme. Other leaders only need to attend an information session.

Name Role Attended Full-Day Programme (Yes/No) Attended Information Session if Applicable (Yes/No) Date of Attendance at Either Full-Day or Information Session

Please list below the names of all other Church personnel who have taken the opportunity to attend an information session, as well as their role and the date they attended.

Name Role Attended Information Session (Yes/No) Date of Attendance
Role-specific training

Please use the box below to highlight any child safeguarding training need that you feel is unfulflled and would like the safeguarding committee to consider.

Do you have any Role Specific Training requirements?
Safeguarding awareness with parents/guardians

Use the table below to demonstrate (if applicable) any safeguarding awareness initiatives you have carried out with children and young people and/or their parents/guardians.

Name of Group Training Delivered Date of Delivery
Support
Is a system of formal or informal support in place to provide support to all Church personnel involved in child safeguarding?
Standard 6: Communicating the Church's Safeguarding Message
Are the contact details for the Church designated liaison person, social services and Gardaí/PSNI displayed in all appropriate places? (circle as appropriate)
Do you have information about how the Church safeguards children both available and displayed prominently?
If you have groups in your local area whose frst language is not English, do you have copies of the safeguarding message in accessible formats?
Recording

Are the following records stored safely and securely?

Type of Record Where to Store Template/Guidance Number/Page Number
Application forms of those successful Parish/local congregation 1.1A Template 2
Application forms of those unsuccessful Parish/local congregation 1.1A Template 2
Attendance lists/sign-in and sign-out records for each activity involving children Parish/local congregation 1.4A Template 1 and 2
Parental and children's consent forms Parish/local congregation 1.4A Template 3
Accident/incident forms Parish/local congregation 1.4B Template 1
Hazard assessments for activities carried out by each group involving young people associated with the Church body Parish/local congregation Guidance 1.8A
Records of checks completed on external groups using Church property Diocese/province Parish/local congregation Guidance 1.5A and 1.5B
Media permission forms Parish/local congregation 1.9A Template 1
Copies of signed agreement forms for all Church personnel Parish/local congregation 5.1A Template 1
A record of dates and times for supervision and support meetings with key Church personnel Diocesan/provincial level Parish/local level Guidance 5.6A
Written agreements from external organisations/Church bodies, where clerics and religious who are members of the Church body are ministering with children Diocese/province Guidance 1.10A