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Baroness Cumberlege

The aim of the Cumberlege Commission was to review the way the Catholic Church in England and Wales responded to Lord Nolan's report: 'A programme for Action' (2001). We looked specifically at how the Church, five years on, implemented the 83 recommendations made to improve the arrangements for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

The Commission comprised a number of key figures who brought together a range of expertise in the areas of law, social work, child support and life in the Church.

Please feel welcome to use this site to find out more about the Commission and its work and to read its final report ‘Safeguarding with Confidence’ published on 16th July 2007

Cumberlege Commission
 
Diocese of Menevia Child Protection Commission, Curial Office, 27, Convent Street, Greenhill, Swansea. SA1 2BX Telephone 01792 468672. Child Protection Coordinator. Michael Doyle. B.A. M.A.; Child Protection Officer, Rachael McMullen, LLB. The Holyrood and St. Teilo Parish Child Protection Representative is Mrs. Caroline Millward, Telephone 01834 814211.
 

The Cumberlege Commission Report, Safeguarding with Confidence, is now available from the Catholic Truth Society, 40-45 Harleyford Rd., London SE11 5AY, Tel: 020 7640 0042 http://www.cts-online.org.uk/  email orders@CTS-online.org.uk

 
Cumberlege has reviewed the Nolan Report, which made recommendations for good child protection practice within the Catholic Church. Cumberlege has recommended Four Priorities for moving child protection forward: one, embedding a One Church approach to safeguarding in religious congregations and dioceses; two, extending and adapting the Church's policies and practices for protecting children to vulnerable adults; three, implementing procedures for investigating and managing allegations of abuse that are effective, fair and transparent; procedures that must continue to be based on the principle that the welfare of the child is paramount; four, disseminating safeguarding policies that are readily understandable, and ensuring that these are followed throughout the Church.
Cumberlege added that to achieve this we urge the Bishops and Congregational Leaders. acting in concert, to take firm leadership and to ensure these activities are adequately resourced at both national and local level.
 
Cumberlege also made five Key Recommendations: One: setting up a new National Safeguarding Commission at the very heart of the organisation, spanning the Bishops' Conference and Conference of Religious. With transparent processes and an independent Chairman, authority will be strengthened to set the strategic direction to provide a proper forum for debate and to take responsibility for ensuring national policies are followed. Two: re-balancing of the role of the Church's central safeguarding unit, to be renamed the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service. This will have a greater emphasis on raising awareness and on identifying and sharing good practice. We are recommending changes in this unit's management and accountability to make it genuinely a part of the Church's mainstream 'thinking and doing'. Three: much more focus on safeguarding vulnerable adults, but not at the expense of safeguarding children. Four: proposals with the aim of reforming and strengthening the Church's procedures for investigating and managing allegations of abuse, including introducing the opportunity for review. Our goal has been to ensure a process that fits  with the Church's universal laws and the concept of natural justice; a process that makes the procedures  quicker. more efficient, and more transparent; a process that serves the victims of abuse and those accused of perpetrating such abuse; Five, arrangements to ensure these recommendations are kept under review. Hope this will excite some to respond to Baroness Cumberlege's request for people to write to the Commission on any child protection issue within the her Report.