From Bishop Burrows – October 2006

Dear Friends

As autumn returns so also does the seasonal flurry of parish activities, not least in the priority areas of work with children and young people. We owe a huge debt to so many volunteer workers who as a labour of love give generously of their time and skill to strengthen the church’s ministry in this context.

We live, however in complicated times where older and less formal practices have necessarily been succeeded by a much more codified approach in this area of ministry. You will not need to be reminded by me that all work with children is required to conform to SAFEGUARDING TRUST, the church’s code of good practice for work with children. All who work with children are to be carefully selected and trained and made familiar with the code. The code itself is not a burden – much of it is what I would call sanctified common sense. Its ultimate purpose is to assure that children experience the church’s life in a safe and happy context and that those who work with them are protected from unnecessary error or even accusation by knowing how to handle specific situations.

Even in the last few months the whole area surrounding SAFEGUARDING TRUST has become, again of necessity, somewhat more demanding. The code itself since this year’s General Synod is now part of the church’s Constitution – it is certainly no mere good advice. From the beginning of September vetting of voluntary workers with children by An Garda Siochana has been introduced and we will have to come to terms rapidly with compliance in this area. In the aftermath of the Ferns Report a new crime of reckless endangerment has been introduced into our law and this has major implications for those who might try to turn any sort of blind eye to the less than perfect implementation of a code like SAFEGUARDING TRUST in parishes and communities.

None of this is meant to be intimidating for us, although it does involve an increased measure of paperwork and vigilance particularly for parish panels. The mere mention of the words ‘Ferns Report’ reminds us in stark terms why all of this is so necessary and why the churches must now strive to be in the vanguard of good and safe practice in this area. In doing so we are simply fulfilling a basic responsibility to children in our care as we encourage them to grow happily in the life and worship of the household of faith.

Saying all these things provides an appropriate opportunity to pay tribute to the Reverend Philip Heak whose outstanding ministry as Youth Officer, not least in the area of Safeguarding Trust training, will be so greatly missed – perhaps especially  by those who danced to his music! We wish him every blessing in pastures new not too far away in Naas.

Michael Cashel + Ossory

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