Safeguarding in the parish of St Boniface Okehampton.
It is vitally important that anyone who volunteers or works with vulnerable parishioners and youths in our parish have been thoroughly checked by the “Disclosure and Barring service”. The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) is registered with the Disclosure & Barring Service for processing criminal record checks on any individual working in the Catholic Church. At present, Ann Radnor, is the safeguarding representative for both St Boniface and Holy Family churches. Ann has held this position since 2006. Her role entails being eyes and ears for the parish priest, and working closely with him, making sure that any parishioner who volunteers for a role within the parish have been suitably checked.
It may be necessary to carry out a full DBS check on a volunteer depending on the role within the church. For some roles “Safe recruitment” check which doesn’t need a full DBS is sufficient. The Parish Priest must also undergo the same DBS check as a volunteer. The DBS certificate lasts for three years if the holder is still in role after three years a DBS recheck will be carried out. It is very important that volunteers are stringently checked ensuring that everyone feels safe in our Church community.
It may seem an onerous task for the parishioner volunteering, sourcing references to show suitability for the position applied for, completing the forms, searching for ID documents which prove who you are, but it allows the church to comply with safer recruitment policies.
A message from our Diocesan Safeguarding Office Survivor Support dated 04.09.2025.
The CSSA would now like to invite anyone involved in the Diocese of Plymouth, be that clergy, curia, parishioner, volunteer or any other connection to complete a similar survey, collating feedback around perceptions and understanding of survivor support in the Diocese.
While the primary focus is the period from July 2024 onwards, the CSSA do not wish to limit what people choose to share.
The direct link to the survey is here: Public call for information – Clergy, Religious, Employees, Volunteers, Parishioners or it will soon be in news section of the Diocese of Plymouth website.
If you haven’t previously engaged with the Diocese of Plymouth safeguarding team but feel that it would be helpful to do so, please don’t hesitate to contact the safeguarding office on 01364 645 430, or by emailing safeguarding@prcdtr.org.uk
We remain eternally grateful for those who are able and willing to share their experiences, and reassure you that all feedback received helps improve safeguarding and survivor support in the future.