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 organisations which work 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.
Workshops in the Archdiocese
- Friday 3 – Monday 13 November – visit and workshops in north-west South Island: Holy Family, Our Lady of the Bays, and Westport-Reefton Parishes.
Te Kupenga also offers a course on Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand. Click here for more information.
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.
Parish Resources
There are resources available for parishes in managing their volunteers. These include the Code of Conduct, role descriptions, and volunteer application and confirmation letter templates.
The Code of Conduct for the Archdiocese of Wellington can be accessed here.
Volunteer role descriptions available include:
Parish Safeguarding Administrator
Leader Liturgy of the Word with Children
Trainer Altar Servers Role
Extraordinary Minister of Communion to the Sick
Sacramental Programme Leader
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