Catholic non-compliance framework
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and the Conference of Religious should publish a clear framework for dealing with cases of non-compliance with safeguarding policies and procedures. That framework should identify who is responsible for dealing with issues of non-compliance at all levels of the Church, and include the measures or sanctions for non-compliance.
- In May 2023, the government noted that this recommendation was being progressed (Government Response to IICSA Final Report, HM Government, May 2023).
- No published assessment of whether a clear sanctions framework for non-compliance is in place across all Catholic dioceses and religious orders has been identified to March 2026.
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedOn 30 September 2021, the Catholic Council for the Inquiry stated that the trustee bodies of all Catholic dioceses and religious orders were invited to subscribe to the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency. The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency was established as a professional standards agency for the Catholic Church, and includes a dedicated audit function with necessary powers of sanction, which would provide a framework for dealing with cases of non-compliance with the national safeguarding standards and the related national safeguarding policies and procedures.