There is a large group of people working for the Charity who often remain unsung and unacknowledged for their contribution to the mission of the Diocese of Westminster, the people who work centrally in administration: departments like Property, Finance, and the Agency for Evangelisation, Data Protection and Safeguarding.
Property
Being the point of contact for any issues or projects involving the physical plant of the diocese is an enormous task. There are over 200 parishes and over 200 schools, many of which have ancillary properties that are let out, in addition to the functional properties they occupy in carrying out their mission. The parish churches and other parish properties in particular were built in a range of styles at various times, from the medieval to the twentieth century. Managing buildings of such disparate vintage, some of which are listed, with various architectural specifications is a mammoth task that requires expertise in different areas. Overseeing major repairs and refurbishments requires technical and financial proficiency to ensure that the charity is able to undertake these works to the highest standard for the best possible value. It also requires sensitivity to the needs of parishioners, pupils, tenants and other users of these properties. In 2023, some of the major works in parishes included:
- Refurbishment to the Fr Michael Hollings Centre in St Mary of the Angels Parish, Bayswater, to install new and upgrade existing facilities, to enable the nursery occupying the floor above to expand into the rooms below.
- A new boiler installation for Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Chelsea, a listed building. The complex operation required for the installation included inspection of the chimney, installation of a new flue, air pump, and a large mains gas pipe. Installation of a new copper roof to replace the damaged roof to the church tower at St Aidan of Lindisfarne Church in Acton East.
- Refurbishment to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, New Southgate, including repairs to the sanctuary wall, redecorating the interior, re-ordering liturgical placements, new lighting and flooring upgrade, in time for the parish’s centenary celebrations (see p9).
- A single-storey extension to St Paul’s Church, Harefield, to provide additional seating and more light in the church. The works were undertaken around Mass times, enabling the church to operate normally.
- Refurbishment of the nursery space in the parish hall of St Jude, Clapton Park, with work undertaken during weekends and evenings to keep children and staff safe and enable the nursery to remain open.
During 2023 Property Services continued to review the Charity’s estate to identify parish and school buildings where Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was used in their construction. Remedial works for schools where RAAC was found are discussed on p14. In parishes where RAAC was identified, remedial works are being planned. A further update will be provided in 2024.
The Property department supports parishes and schools in other ways, including finding new ways to serve local needs at the same time as generating much-needed income for parishes and schools. In Northolt, following land negotiations, the local authority is developing part of the school site of St Raphael School to create more affordable housing. In other areas, there continues to be a strong demand for accommodation for nurseries. Property Services works with parishes and schools with surplus space to address this need.
To ensure the safety of all who use churches and other parish properties, a health and safety programme has been in place across the diocese for over a decade. With the continual revisions and changes in legislation, it has become essential that the Charity is able to exercise oversight of processes and practices in health and safety. Accordingly, in 2023, the service was brought in-house, with the Property department now working directly with parishes to deliver the service. The department can now ensure all mandatory inspections are carried out in line with legislative requirements, and required works completed. In addition to enabling the Charity to save on costs, providing the service directly enables the Property department to review the procedures of all contractors who work on diocesan properties to ensure that best practice in health and safety is followed.
Agency for Evangelisation
The Diocese of Westminster Agency for Evangelisation (AfE) provides support, training and formation for parish based
volunteer catechists and catechetical coordinators. As part of its remit, it is often called upon by priests and parishioners to offer advice on how to train adults and children alike in the tenets of the faith. To support the work of evangelisation in parishes, it produces two seasonal faith-sharing resources during the year around specific themes, which can be used by small groups of parishioners to reflect on and grow in their faith.
The Agency helps to coordinate large diocesan liturgies at Westminster Cathedral for occasions such as the Rite of Election and the Mass for Matrimony. These are much anticipated, joyous events that see Catholics flock to the cathedral from all parts of the diocese to mark important milestones. (See p9 for details about the 2023 events.)
The Agency continues to support parishioners studying towards certificates in faith formation. Working in partnership with the Westminster Education Service, they continue to promote the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS), developing modules that are interesting and relevant for both RE teachers and individual Catholics. In 2023, there was a marked uptake in the
CCRS, with 28 participants, including seven catechists, completing the course through Maryvale Institute, and a further 80, including seven parish catechists, at various stages of working through the modules. The impact of a parish having a well-formed, knowledgeable catechist is immense. It lifts the quality of catechesis and adult faith formation in that parish, and with it the spiritual lives of the parishioners who are better able to understand and practise their faith as a result.
Data Protection
In its interactions with parishioners, beneficiaries, clergy and staff, the Charity gathers, processes and maintains data, including personal information which is held on various systems and diverse parish registers. The Charity takes its responsibilities seriously, as it works to maintain the security and confidentiality of this data. At the forefront of this effort is the Data Protection Department, which strives to provide guidance and ensure all the Charity’s activities are compliant with the law and good practice. They do this by:
- Ensuring compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the Charity’s collection and processing of personal data
- Responding to data requests from individuals in compliance with the rights outlined in GDPR
- Investigating and notifying as appropriate any data breaches the organisation detects
- Providing ongoing training to staff, clergy and volunteers of the Charity
- Undertaking a programme of regular assessments to ensure the data across the Charity is processed in compliance with laws and regulations
The Diocese of Westminster demonstrates its commitment to processing data in a fair and transparent manner and being compliant with data protection laws, first and foremost, by being registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The Charity is dedicated to ensuring that, in processing this data, it complies with the ICO’s seven key principles, in particular the need to be fair and transparent in its collection of data and to ensure that individuals understand how their data is used, so that they have greater control.
The GDPR outlines eight rights for individuals, the most frequently exercised of which is the access to personal data that the Charity holds. Such requests can take a substantial amount of time to process, as they involve collating data from various parishes, agencies, departments or individuals, checking to see if these can be disclosed, and redacting third party material, all within 30 days following enquiries.
Another key requirement under the GDPR is that data breaches are investigated immediately and, if they are reportable to the ICO, the report is made within 72 hours of the breach being identified. These investigations form an integral part of the department’s work. Each breach is assessed and assigned a severity level. The most common type of breach arises from the use of email: commonly, emails or attachments that have been sent to an unintended recipient. These data breaches are also logged internally to identify patterns of incidents and to put measures in place to reduce the risk of future breaches.
The Charity continues to raise awareness of data protection among its curial staff, as well as clergy, staff and volunteers at parishes, to instil a culture of collecting and processing data in a compliant manner. In 2023 online data protection training for staff, clergy and volunteers in Central Services was launched to raise awareness as part of ongoing staff development. In 2024, the training will be rolled out to include clergy, staff and volunteers in parishes.
As part of the ongoing assessments, in 2023:
- There was substantial engagement with the parishes to offer training and advice concerning data protection. All parishes have now completed their records of processing activities, a document that helps them understand the data that they hold and process. This includes data that is common to all parishes, such as sacraments, parishioners,
safeguarding, rotas and accident book records.
There must be an identified purpose to collecting data, as well as a record of how it is stored, who has access to it, who it may be shared with and how long it is stored for. The most common collection of personal data includes names, addresses, email addresses and contact numbers. Some departments, such as Human Resources, Safeguarding and the Chancery additionally collect sensitive data, such as passport details, health data and religion.
- Data Protection continues to work with other departments, agencies and parishes to conduct data protection impact assessments (DPIA) of processes where there is a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals and when new software is implemented. These assessments are intended to ensure that the collection and processing of data is carried out in a compliant manner.
- The department also undertakes assessments of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in parishes. This begins with evaluating the needs of the parish using the CCTV system, considering the physical environment where the cameras will be placed, and identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities. This is a complex assessment that involves additional considerations, such as ensuring that the installation is used within the parish boundaries, there is appropriate signage, the quality of picture and timestamps are fit for purpose, and, importantly, the parish is able to disclose images to the relevant authorities safely and within the confines of the law, if required.
During the pandemic many parishes turned to livestreaming Mass to their parishioners. This, too, has presented challenges with data protection. The team continues to work with parishes to help them understand and mitigate the risks involved.
The Data Protection team welcomed an additional member of staff at the end of 2023, and the further support is already proving beneficial. This has resulted in faster responses to inquiries and has contributed to handling rights requests, addressing data breaches, and facilitating data protection training.
It is important to note that the progress to regulatory compliance is a journey, which is ever changing as new means of collecting and processing data are developed, and regulations are updated to reflect the new data landscape.
Full details of how the Charity processes data can be found at: https://rcdow.org.uk/privacy/
Safeguarding
In order for the Charity to carry out its mission effectively, it is necessary that all who come into contact with the diocese in its parishes, schools, chaplaincies, Caritas agencies, outreach projects and on pilgrimages can do so safely. Safeguarding policies and processes have been developed to provide for all these areas of ministry. Central to this is creating and promoting a culture and practice of safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and of responding to those who come forward to report having suffered harm.
Whilst it’s the responsibility of everyone who ministers, works and volunteers to promote this culture, given the complexity and extent of the work of the diocese, the Safeguarding Service leads this effort. In 2023, it received some £500,000 to provide professional, effective safeguarding systems and processes. Parishes, where most people encounter the Charity, whether through regular Sunday worship, formation in the sacraments, outreach programmes, or social interaction, are at the heart of the mission of the diocese. Parish Priests and Parish Safeguarding Representatives (PSRs) ensure, as best they can, a safe environment within which everyone can grow in faith together. Details of how to report allegations, information or concerns about abuse is displayed in every parish church, so that they are readily accessible to all. Every matter reported is taken forward following national and diocesan safeguarding procedures.
Working with priests, the PSRs are volunteers, carefully selected and trained, who assist other volunteers who may wish to work with children and vulnerable adults, to understand their safeguarding duties. PSRs are also involved in the safer recruitment process which requires checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure that nobody who presents a risk to others is allowed to be involved in volunteering or employment in the parish. PSRs are supported in all they do by the Safeguarding Service’s PSR Support Team.
The Safeguarding Service provides an advice service to the parishes, agencies and others. The number of people contacting the Service seeking help, advice and support on a huge range of safeguarding matters and concerns generally has grown very rapidly over the past years, testament to the outreach and development work undertaken by the Safeguarding Service in recent years. A total of 126 such consultations ranging from requests for information about whether altar servers are required to go through the DBS process, a request by a registered sex offender to worship in a church on release from prison, concerns that a volunteer was using drugs on parish premises, or a child who had reported that his father smacked him at home, were opened and dealt with during 2023. Some 18 consultations remained open at the end of the year.
Whether on pilgrimage, during sacramental preparation, in our seminaries, during special events or just every day the diocese operates robust systems to create a safe environment for all. This involves a lot of training for a huge range of people. Everyone who ministers, works or volunteers in these regulated areas, and every employee of the diocese must complete basic safeguarding training when they start, and refresher training every two years. Some of the training is online, but much of it is delivered by the Safeguarding Service face to face to ensure that our safeguarding practice remains up to date and effective and supports everyone.
Visiting clergy from other dioceses and overseas who come to minister in the diocese are subject to the same processes and checks as clergy, employees and volunteers of the diocese. No one is allowed to undertake ministry without completing training and all necessary checks.
Allegations of abuse, many of them historical continue to be received. Abuse may be physical, sexual, psychological or emotional, and can happen in person or online through telephone, electronic or mobile devices. Each allegation is reported to the police, even where the alleged perpetrator is dead, and to other appropriate statutory authorities. Statutory investigations occur first and have absolute priority. In all cases where someone reports abuse, great care is taken to support and assist the person through the process which follows the making of the report: the management and any necessary investigation. The care
of those who have suffered abuse by anyone in the Church is of the utmost importance. The case workers are trained to deliver trauma informed services through person-centred processes. The diocese seeks always to learn from those who have suffered abuse.
During 2023, a priest of the diocese was convicted of the abuse of a child some 30 years ago, and sentenced to a 12-month community order, with additional requirements. He withdrew from ministry when the investigation began, and does not and will not have a role in public ministry. It is a matter of enormous sorrow that he caused hurt to his victim.
Some 10 cases were opened during 2023, of which four remain open at the end of the year: three relating to laity and one to a priest. Six cases were opened and closed during the year. One was an historic case involving a priest who died several decades ago; one related to a religious order priest and was referred to the newly established Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS); one was not a safeguarding matter, and three related to members of the laity.
The care of those alleged to have perpetrated abuse is also important. Any period of police investigation can be very long, and there can be very significant delays in the criminal justice system. It is acknowledged that this period is a time of very significant stress and pressure, and the diocese is working to enhance its support mechanisms for all those who are accused. Where the allegation is not substantiated, the person who was accused will be offered help and supported in returning to ministry or work. The diocese will also seek to learn from the experience of those in such situations to enhance its processes as best possible.
The diocese established a Trustee’s Safeguarding Committee to support, assist and advise the Diocesan Trustee in discharging all its safeguarding duties, so that it is compliant within the standards, policies and procedures of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency. The work of the Committee is the subject of a separate annual report.
Together all these activities of the Charity through parishes, schools, chaplaincies, Caritas and central services are the signposts on the journey. Whether serving the spiritual, pastoral or practical needs of those who come in contact with the Charity, they are signs of the Universal Church accompanying all on the journey through life, a journey that is marked with joy and sorrow, hardship and acts of generous giving. What may at times seem daunting is made more bearable, even joyful, when shared with others. As Jesus reminds us, his ‘yoke is easy and burden light’ (Matt 11:29-30). When the faithful follow his example of journeying with and caring for others in their parishes, schools and local communities, they too help carry the load, making the burden lighter and the journey more rewarding.
