The leader of a new safeguarding agency has begun a recruitment drive to ensure its "rigour, independence and expertise".
Lady Rita Rae was recently announced as the Board Chair of the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (SCSSA) and is currently recruiting staff and no executive directors
She said: "As a Catholic, I have been pained by the failings of the past and I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the culture of safety and integrity which the Church now fosters.
Independent
"I intend to ensure that the SCSSA will operate entirely independently of the Catholic Church, with its own staff and non-executive directors who will maintain regular contact with dioceses and religious communities.
"I earnestly wish to rebuild confidence and trust, especially among those who have experienced abuse. I look forward to recruiting fellow Board members who will bring rigour, independence and expertise to the work of the agency."
Safety and Integrity
She added: "I believe that we must provide a forum in which people who have experienced abuse in the Churchcan bring their own perspectives to inform the development of the Church’s safeguarding policy and practice. I am determined that we will listen to and learn from them.”
As well as a recruitment drive, Lady Rae will embark on meetings with relevant groups and individuals to learn from their experience and to listen to their views.
What will be the SCSSA' main functions?
- To take account of the perspectives of survivors of abuse in the development of safeguarding policy and practice
- To promote national safeguarding standards
- To monitor, review and report on compliance with safeguarding standards
- To lead safeguarding learning
- To develop processes to deal with whistle-blowing and with complaints about responses to safeguarding allegations
- To manage communications on national safeguarding policy and practice
This article is a shortened version which appears in the latest issue of the Safeguarding Matters newsletter. Read it here. Find out more about safeguarding in our Archdiocese here