We require bishops, clergy, religious, lay employees and volunteers to participate in ongoing training and to develop the requisite knowledge, attitudes and skills relevant to their respective roles.    (IN GOD'S IMAGE Standard 7)

Mandatory Safeguarding training is required to enable those involved in working with children and vulnerable adults to understand, to manage and reduce risk and to create safe environmnets.  While there is a basic level of expertise that must be acquired (at induction), this must be supplemented by participation in further training within agreed timeframes.

On this page you will find details of Safeguarding training courses being provided at a national level for various groups.  Some national training resources are also provided for use by Diocesan trainers.   To ensure the consistent delivery of Safeguarding messages across various church settings in Scotland, these materials should only be used by those who have been trained to deliver Safeguarding training in Church settings.

To access these materials, you must log in to the Toolkit below.

Bookings are still being taken for this year's National Safeguarding Conference which will take place on Saturday 18th November in the University of Strathclyde's Technology & Innovation Centre, 99 George Street, GLASGOW G1 1RD.

This year's conference is designed as an in-person event in order to encourage networking and facilitate rich discussion among clergy, religious, PSCs and all who have Safeguarding responsibilities in Catholic parishes, religious communities and lay organisations in Scotland.

With the theme 'One chance to change a life', it will provide expert input, practical discussion and take-away resources on trauma-informed responses to disclosures of abuse. 

To make it as accessible as possible,  the subsidised registration fee has been set at only £25.  You should BOOK NOW while places are available.  

NB Bookings will close on 31st October 2023.

CLICK on the image to go to the Registration page.

A National Safeguarding Conference took place on 1^st October 2022 in the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.  Addressing the theme ‘Walking together in Safeguarding: a journey of personal and communal conversion’, the Conference provided an excellent opportunity for some of those responsible for Safeguarding in the Church to gather together and to ‘refresh’ their understanding of, and commitment to, safeguarding.  The timing of the conference also provided a platform for the launch of the new Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency, allowing participants to talk with Lady Rae and the SCSSA Board members and staff about their plans for the agency.  The Conference featured contributions from Fr Hans Zollner SJ, an internationally renowned expert on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and Dani Wardman, CEO of the Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS) for England & Wales.  The Conference programme was managed by SCSSA staff - Paul Donaldson, Helena Rameckers and Mary Stein.  The Conference Planning Group arranged for the event, which took place in Strathclyde University’s Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow, to be a ‘hybrid’ event which enabled over 150 online participants to join those who gathered in person.  RESOURCES from the Conference can be found here on this website.

A recording of the national Safeguarding Webinar "Growing our Culture of Care" that took place on 2nd October 2021 with almost 400 people in attendance. This recording (2 hours) includes the video message from Cardinal Sean O'Malley and the video Introduction to 'In God's Image version 2'. Both videos are also provided in their original quality on this page.

A short video message (6 mins) from Cardinal Sean O'Malley to greet those participating in the 2021 national Safeguarding Webinar to mark the publication of In God's Image version 2.  Cardinal O'Malley, who is the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, commends the efforts of safeguarding personnel in the Church and encourages them to "keep to the rules".

A short training video message for those volunteers recruited to undertake the role of "steward" in a parish during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A TOOLKIT of Safeguarding documents and training resources is being developed to support dioceses, parishes, religious congregations and organisations  Access to this toolkit is restricted to particular groups.

To login, [CLICK HERE]

OR please register to apply for access. [CLICK HERE]

An extended video (18 mins) provided to introduce 'In God's Image version 2' to anyone involved in safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Scotland.