The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary are committed to safeguarding all children and adults.
This commitment directly relates to the fact that we are all made in the image of God and the
Church’s common belief in the preciousness, dignity and uniqueness of every human life.
Our commitment to justice entails a duty to protect the dignity and the rights of all God’s people.
The creation of a safe environment which protects and respects the dignity of each person is, therefore,
a responsibility which we take seriously.
Those entrusted to our care in our schools, care services and overseas missions
are among the most vulnerable of all people.
We embrace the measures taken to protect them from all forms of harm and mistreatment.
Furthermore, we commit ourselves to promoting and achieving
standards of excellence in this key area of safeguarding,
as well as in all other aspects of the education and care we provide.
Our Designated Liaison Person is Sister Angelo Roncalli Corbett, email address:
angelo.leadership@sacredheartsjm.org
Our Congregational Safeguarding Handbook for our communities and ministries in the UK, El Salvador, The Philippines, Uganda and Zambia is available to read here:-
CONGREGATIONAL SAFEGUARDING POLICY AND HANDBOOK »
The overall authority for Safeguarding in England and Wales is held by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA).
The website for the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency for England and Wales can be accessed here: www.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk
The Religious Life Safeguarding Standards (RLSS) body was set up for the use of Religious Congregations.
The website for The Religious Safeguarding Standards (RLSS) can be accessed here: www.religioussafeguarding.org
Safe Spaces is an independent service delivered by First Light.
It provides a confidential service for anyone who has experienced any kind of abuse within, or as a result of, their relationship with the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
You can phone the National "Safe Spaces" helpline on
0300 303 1056
This is a dedicated helpline for anyone who has been a survivor of abuse in a Catholic or Church of England faith setting (church, school, or anywhere else run by the church). Click the link to find out more information
Safe Spaces Website and Live Chat »
Safeguarding Policy Statement for Scotland
Website: scsafeguarding.org.uk
Tel. No.: 0141 332 7177
'In God's Image' has been published by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland as an "Instruction on Safeguarding for implementation in all Catholic canonical jurisdictions in Scotland and by all other groups and organisations in Scotland subject to a legitimate canonical authority of the Catholic Church". It is intended to explain and to direct the approach to Safeguarding that is to be practised at every level of the Catholic Church in Scotland.
The Safeguarding Policy for Scotland, In God's Image, is available to read here:-
Our Child Safeguarding Policy Statement for Ireland
As a constituent member of the Catholic Church in Ireland in May 2016 the Trustees of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary signed a Memorandum of Understanding with National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland . By signing this memorandum, we as a Congregation agreed to adopt for our Irish Communities the Child Safeguarding Policy of the Irish National Board to underline a "one Church" approach to Safeguarding.
Our Child Safeguarding Policy Statement for Ireland is available to read here:-
We have also adopted the Church's/Boards updated 2024 Policy entitled, "A Safe and Welcoming Church" with its 3 core Standards:
- Leadership, Governance, and Accountability
- Nurturing a Culture of Safeguarding
- Responding Pastorally and Reporting According to Civil and Canon Law
The Policy can be accessed here: "A Safe and Welcoming Church"
The Website for The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland can be accessed here: www.safeguarding.ie