To report or seek advice about abuse please go to Reporting Abuse

For information about the Archdiocese’s response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, please go to Royal Commission Response.

Safeguarding practices have become the norm in society for organizations which deal with children and vulnerable adults. Safeguarding is about keeping everyone safe from harm, trauma and abuse, whether it be emotional, physical, or sexual.

We are all responsible for developing safe practices at all levels within the Church.  Safeguarding applies to volunteers as well as to employees, priests, religious, lay pastoral leaders and anyone in ministry which involves children or vulnerable adults.

National Office for Professional Standards

The National Office for Professional Standards is a partnership between the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and the Congregation Leaders Conference of Aotearoa New Zealand. It develops and audits safeguarding policy and practice and responds to complaints of abuse in the Church. It has developed a set of documents which are being adopted by all the dioceses and religious orders, to ensure consistency of approach across the country.

These documents include:

• Safeguarding Policy
• Concerns and Complaints Policy
• Safe Recruitment and Training Policy
• Safeguarding Standards
• Safeguarding Guidelines

The Archdiocese of Wellington has formally adopted these policies and is developing the processes necessary to implement them. The Policies, Standards and Code of Conduct apply to everyone: clergy, religious, employees and volunteers.

Other documents can be found on the National Office for Professional Standards website.

Workshops in the Archdiocese

Workshops on safeguarding were provided in all parishes of the Archdiocese during 2019. These were open to everyone, but pastoral team members, Pastoral Council members and key volunteers were required to attend. This training provided guidance and tools to support the implementation of the safeguarding policies in parishes. 

In 2020 there was another round of workshops for those in parishes in leadership positions and those whose role and responsibilities require more extensive knowledge.

Safeguarding Adviser

Sister Catherine Jones SMSM is the Archdiocesan Safeguarding Adviser. She can be contacted on 04 496 1768, c.jones@wn.catholic.org.nz