“Safeguarding is among the most sacred responsibilities entrusted to the Church. It flows from the Gospel itself, where Christ gathers the little ones to his heart and commands his disciples to protect them. To guard the vulnerable is to honour the image of God in every person, and to keep the Church faithful to her calling as a place of holiness, compassion, and trust.

 In the Diocese of Clifton, this sacred duty continues to shape and sustain all that we do. As the Jubilee of Hope draws to its close, we carry forward the hope it has kindled, a hope rooted in Christ’s healing grace, and in our shared desire that the Church be ever a safe and nurturing home for all. Guided by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, our diocesan commitment is not only to prevent harm but to foster a culture where every person can grow in the peace and security of God’s care.

 Safeguarding is never a matter of administration alone; it is a ministry of love and protection. There can be no place in the Church for abuse, harm, or neglect. Where sin has wounded, the Lord calls us to repentance and reparation. Where people have suffered, we must listen with compassion, act with integrity, and walk with them on the path of healing.

 I am deeply grateful to all who serve in safeguarding across our parishes, schools, and diocesan ministries. Through your vigilance, patience, and care, you make visible the mercy of Christ himself. I also wish to honour the courage of survivors whose voices summon us to deeper conversion. Through them, Christ speaks again to his Church, calling her to humility, vigilance, and purity of heart.

 May the Lord Jesus, who gathers the lost and lifts the broken, bring healing and peace to all who have been harmed, and make his Church a place where every wound is met with compassion, every story is heard with reverence, and every person finds safety in his redeeming love.”

Rt Rev Bosco MacDonald
Bishop of Clifton

The Diocesan safeguarding team supports the ministry of the Church by providing a professional and robust support around the protection of children, young people and adults at risk, to ensure that worshipping communities are safe places where all have a positive experience of the Church in which they feel loved, accepted and safe.

 All issues will be dealt with in a sensitive and caring manner, in the strictest of confidence.

 The dedicated safeguarding team work closely with other agencies including the Police, Probation, Social Services and comply with the standards that are set by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA).  The CSSA has been set up as a professional standards body with regulatory powers which exist to regulate all Catholic Churches in England and Wales.