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The Missionaries of Charity Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity Review of Child Safeguarding Practice in the religious congregation of The Missionaries of Charity undertaken by The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) Date November 2015 Page 1 of 11 Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity CONTENTS Page Background 3 Introduction 4 Role Profile 4 Profile of Members 4 Policy and Procedures Document 4 Structures 4 Management of Allegations 5 Conclusion 5 Terms of Reference 6 Page 2 of 11 Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity Background The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) was asked by the Sponsoring Bodies, namely the Irish Episcopal Conference, the Conference of Religious of Ireland and the Irish Missionary Union, to undertake a comprehensive review of safeguarding practice within and across all the Church authorities on the island of Ireland. The NBSCCCI is aware that some religious congregations have ministries that involve direct contact with children while others do not. In religious congregations that have direct involvement with children, reviews of child safeguarding have been undertaken by measuring their practice compliance against all seven Church standards. Where a religious congregation no longer has, or never had ministry involving children and has not received any allegation of sexual abuse, the NBSCCCI reviews are conducted using a shorter procedure. The size, age and activity profiles of religious congregations can vary significantly and the NBSCCCI accepts that it is rational that the form of review be tailored to the profile of each Church authority, where the ministry with children is limited or non-existent. The procedure for assessment of safeguarding practice with such congregations is set out in the contents page of this report. The NBSCCCI welcomes that in order to have full openness, transparency and accountability, religious congregations that do not have ministry with children have made requests to have their safeguarding practice examined and commented upon. The purpose of this review remains the same and it is to confirm that current safeguarding practice complies with the standards set down within the guidance issued by the Sponsoring Bodies in February 2009 Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance Document for the Catholic Church in Ireland and that all known allegations and concerns had been appropriately dealt with. To achieve this task, safeguarding practice in each of these Church Authorities is reviewed through an examination of policy and procedures, and through interviews with key personnel involved both within and external to the religious congregation. This report contains the findings of the Review of Child Safeguarding Practice in the religious congregation of the Missionaries of Charity undertaken by the NBSCCCI in line with the request made to it by the Sponsoring Bodies. The findings of the review have been shared with a reference group before being submitted to the Sister Anna along with any recommendations arising from the findings. The review is not based on a review of case material as during the relevant time period there were no allegations made against members of the congregation that were within the Terms of Reference. There also were no allegations in respect of other forms of abuse within the time period, in respect of deceased and living members of the congregation. The review therefore is primarily based on policies and procedures made available plus interviews with key personnel involved in the safeguarding process within the congregation, particularly in the services run by the congregation. Page 3 of 11 Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity Introduction The Missionaries of Charity is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa. It consists of over 4,501 religious sisters and is active in 133 countries. Members of the order designate their affiliation using the order's initials, "M.C." A member of the Congregation must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor." Today, the order consists of both Contemplative and Active Branches of Brothers and Sisters over several different countries. The Missionaries of Charity first came to Dublin in June 1982. This was followed by the opening of a small convent in Blarney, County Cork in 1994, another one in Armagh in 1996 and one in Sligo. In all these houses, except in Sligo the Sisters have ministry with children. The Community in Sligo is a Contemplative Congregation. The Regional Headquarters is in England where the Regional Superior of the Province lives. Role Profile (past and present role with children): The ministry of the Missionaries of Charity is to work with the Poor. In Ireland they do this through visiting people in prison, running soup kitchens, running hostels for homeless men, and rehabilitation centres. They also visit families and provide services in the summer for children through running play schemes. The Sisters provide the summer camps within the same environment as their work with homeless people. They advise that the children and the homeless people are not present in the building at the same time. The Sisters also provide catechism to children. Profile of Members: At present there are 21 Sisters ministering in Ireland. They range in age between late twenties and 60. All of the Sisters are engaged in all the ministries. Their Superior Sr Anna lives in England and carries out visitation to all houses in Ireland, Scotland and England. She recently conducted a visit to Ireland. Policy and Procedures Document: The Sisters do not have a child safeguarding policy. They are vetted through their respective dioceses. The Sisters have engaged with their local dioceses for training and for support around the management of allegations; however given the profile of their work with disadvantaged families and children they should seek to develop a better understanding as a Congregation of all aspects of child safeguarding, including how to create safe environments and how to respond to allegations. Recommendation 1: The Regional Superior must ensure the development of a child safeguarding policy for the Congregation in Ireland. Structures: The Sisters in Ireland do not have a centralized child safeguarding structure. The Sisters in each of the Community Houses do liaise with the local diocese and receive training and support from the relevant personnel within the diocese. Some Sisters have also attended events on child safeguarding organized by the relevant diocese. Page 4 of 11 Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity The reviewer believes that it is necessary for them to consider how they can develop a better understanding of child safeguarding, with particular emphasis on how they will ensure the safety of children with whom they are working. Discussions have taken place with the Regional Superior around the development of a safeguarding committee to assist them in developing a policy and improving practice around creating safe environments. Recommendation 2: The Regional Superior should seek the assistance of NBSCCCI in developing a safeguarding committee to co-ordinate all relevant safeguarding systems and procedures to ensure the creation of safe environments for children. Management of Allegations and liaison with the statutory authorities: There have not been any allegations against any Sister living or ministering in Ireland. The Sisters have not had any contact with the civil authority agencies over child safeguarding matters. Conclusion: The small Congregation of Missionaries of Charity work with the poor and homeless in Ireland. While they have ministry with children, this work appears not to be a significant part of their ministry. To ensure that they are fully aware of how to create safe environments as well as responding to allegations, suspicions and concerns, the reviewer has discussed with the Superior, Sr Anna the development of a policy, procedures structures and training. Appropriate recommendation in relation to these issues have been made. Page 5 of 11 Review of Child Safeguarding Practice – The Missionaries of Charity Review of Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Ireland Terms of Reference (which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying Notes) Small Religious Congregations Introduction In order for the National Board to be able to state that all Church Authorities on the island of Ireland have been evaluated in respect of their child safeguarding policies and practices, both historical and current, then some form of appropriate assessment has to be conducted of every one of these. It is rational however that the form of assessment is tailored to the profile of each Church Authority, and that needless expenditure of resources and unnecessary interference in the life of religious orders and communities that have no children-specific ministry would be avoided. This Review seeks to examine the current arrangements for safeguarding children across small Religious Congregations /Orders, and Missionary Societies in Ireland who have limited or no direct contact with children as part of the Congregations ministry. It would also scrutinize practice within all known cases to ensure that they have been responded to appropriately. The review’s
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