Pluscarden Abbey Child Protection Policy

If you have a query please get in touch.

POLICY STATEMENT & GUIDELINES REGARDING SAFEGUARDING AT PLUSCARDEN ABBEY

            1. The Abbot and monks of Pluscarden Abbey are committed to the physical, moral and spiritual well-being of all who visit or stay as guests in the monastery. This commitment relates especially to those under 18 years of age and to vulnerable adults, in the spirit of the teaching of our holy Father Saint Benedict regarding the treatment of children and the elderly: ‘Although human nature itself is inclined to be compassionate toward the old and the young, the authority of the rule should also provide for them.’ (RB 37) We conform our Safeguarding practices to the standards of the Instruction In God’s Image issued by the Scottish Catholic Bishops[1]. The following paragraphs give guidelines for the application of these standards to Pluscarden Abbey.

2. The Abbot as Major Superior is ultimately responsible for the Safeguarding arrangements in the monastery and for ensuring that the activities of the monastery, its members, and all who represent it, promote the safety of children and vulnerable adults. The Abbot appoints a monk to the post of Safeguarding Link Co-ordinator. The Safeguarding Link Co-ordinator advises and assists the Abbot and the monks in all aspects of Safeguarding and liaises with the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Service and the statutory authorities. 

3. Hospitality is an essential element of the monastic life at Pluscarden Abbey. All members of the community co-operate in this by their contribution to the benefits that we offer to our guests: the celebration of the Liturgy and the preservation of an atmosphere of silence and recollection. Direct personal interaction with guests and visitors is reserved to monks who are assigned to this by the Abbot. Before receiving an assignment that requires interaction with guests or visitors a monk must obtain a PVG certificate[2]. The same applies to the priests of the community and to candidates for the priesthood.

4. Groups with under-18s or vulnerable adults intending to stay in the monastic guest-houses or to visit the Abbey on a regular basis must provide the Safeguarding Link Co-ordinator with written evidence that the group observes an appropriate Safeguarding policy. The policy must include proper recruitment procedures for leaders and helpers, confirming that references and PVG certificates have been obtained. Before the group is permitted to use our premises a written agreement must be drawn up detailing that they have Safeguarding measures in place and indicating their agreement to adhere to these measures. If a group does not have its own Safeguarding procedures, they must be required to follow the Safeguarding procedures of the Diocese. They must be given a copy of the leaflet Our Church’s Safeguarding Policy[3] and be asked to provide written agreement that they will fully comply with the Church’s Safeguarding policy.

5. When a group with under-18s or vulnerable adults intends to visit the Abbey on a single occasion that will not include the use of the monastic guest-houses they must provide a written agreement that those responsible for the young or vulnerable persons will supervise them during their stay and ensure that everyone is kept safe.

6. When a group referred to in paragraphs 4 and 5 is staying on the premises overnight, for every five under-18s or vulnerable adults there must be at least one adult with a PVG certificate who will assume responsibility for the young or vulnerable persons during their stay. If the group is visiting without staying overnight, there must be at least one responsible adult per 10 young or vulnerable persons.

7. We require the use of contracts with Registered Sex Offenders who attend religious services at the Abbey or make any other use of our premises. The directives of In God’s Image 1.6.1-9 regarding persons attending religious services in Catholic Churches are to be followed, and are applied to any presence of a Registered Sex Offender on the premises of the Abbey.

8. The Safeguarding Link Co-ordinator assesses whether the groups mentioned in paragraphs 4 and 5 and the persons mentioned in paragraph 6 can safely be admitted to the Abbey. When a group or person presents factors which are in some way novel, he should liaise with the Abbot, the cellarer and an adviser outside the community, to formulate guidelines that cover the new situation. He keeps a written record of the groups of under-18s and vulnerable adults that are allowed to visit the Abbey, including dates and the names of the persons responsible for the groups.

9. All individual under-18s or vulnerable adults staying in our guest houses must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult who will assume responsibility for the safety of the young or vulnerable person during his or her stay at the Abbey. All guests are advised that our guest houses are in the nature of public places, and that while we endeavour to make our premises safe, they should exercise the same vigilance that they would in any public place.

10. A visiting priest may concelebrate at the community’s Mass if he presents a letter of recommendation issued by his Ordinary or Superior within the previous year, or if the Superior knows or can prudently judge that he is not prevented from celebrating (Can. 903). However, any public liturgical or devotional celebration in the Abbey apart from the community’s own celebrations requires the express permission of the Superior. A visiting priest who hears confessions at the Abbey must follow what is said in the following paragraph.

11. Confessions of under-18s and vulnerable adults are heard in the confessional or, when circumstances require, another public place or places deemed safe by the Superior, never in the parlours.

12. Apart from confession, no monk is to be alone with an under-18 without the explicit permission of the Superior. This permission is not to be presumed.

13. The filming or photographing of religious services at the Abbey, and of meals in the monastic refectory when guests are present, is not permitted unless it is arranged beforehand with the Superior. Care must be taken that guests and visitors are not included in films or photographs without their consent or, in the case of children, the consent of their parents.

            14. If any member of the community receives an allegation of abuse by any cleric, religious, or a Church employee or volunteer, the person who receives the allegation must use the standard Allegation Record Form[4] to record the details of the allegation, including the names of the accused, the victim and the complainant, with their contact information. He must transmit this information immediately to the Bishop or Major Superior of the accused through the relevant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, who will refer it to the statutory authorities. However, in an emergency situation in which a child or vulnerable adult appears to be at risk of harm, the monk should contact the statutory authorities directly without delay. He must make clear to the complainant that the relevant statutory authorities will be informed of the allegation. Then, if the allegation is against a member of our community or concerns something that happened at the Abbey, he must refer the matter to the Abbot, or in his absence the Prior who will inform the Abbot as soon as possible. The Abbot or Prior will inform the Safeguarding Link Co-ordinator and the Deans. The instructions of In God’s Image regarding co-operation with the statutory authorities, care of the alleged victim and the alleged perpetrator, and application of the norms of Canon Law, are to be followed.

15. If an allegation of abuse is made against the Abbot, the Abbot will immediately inform the Visitor and the Abbot President and he will follow the directives of the Abbot President regarding his place of residence.

            This statement and these guidelines should be appended to the Customary and made known to each member of the community. They should be reviewed regularly.

Initially approved by the Council of Deans 17th August 2018; confirmed after consultation with external safeguarding officials 2019.

[1] In God’s Image was published “ad experimentum” for three years from March 2018. The text may be found at www.bcos.org.uk/Safeguarding/ .

[2] A certificate of membership in the PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) scheme, www.mygov.scot/pvg-scheme/ .

[3] The leaflet may be downloaded from www.bcos.org.uk/Safeguarding/ .

[4] Download from www.scottishcatholicsafeguarding.org.uk/ingodsimage/ .