Parish Safeguarding Representatives (PSRs) are volunteers who provide assistance and support to their parish in Safeguarding matters.
The Parish Safeguarding Representative (PSR) helps keep the parish safe by promoting a safe environment where everyone can flourish. Working with the Parish Priest, parish leaders, volunteers, and the diocesan safeguarding team, the PSR ensures all parish activities are safe and accessible, especially for children, young people, and adults at risk.
The 4 main areas of a PSR’s work involve:
- Reporting and Responding to all Safeguarding concerns
- Safe Recruitment of volunteers (including DBS applications)
- Sustaining a safe environment in your parish
- Promote a Culture of Safeguarding in parishes
PSR Recruitment Process
If you are interested in applying please contact your parish priest. The parish priest will meet to discuss the role within the parish and then email safeguardingsupport@rcdow.org.uk to start the recruitment process.
The recruitment process has four main steps:
- Completion of a telephone interview
- Clear Diocese of Westminster DBS check
- Completion online safeguarding course
- Completion of a full day of PSR induction training
Please find below a flowchart showing the steps to becoming a PSR and the PSR role description with the role requirements:
Parishes can have more than 1 PSR in place. The time needed can vary based on the size of your parish, activities schedule and other circumstances. Commonly this will be a couple of hours a week however the role can get busier at certain times of the year.
We know that life circumstances can change at any time and appreciate the commitment of all our volunteers. During safer recruitment process we discuss the minimum commitment.
Once a PSR plans to step down from the role, we ask that they inform their parish priest and us as soon as possible so that we can search for a suitable replacement or put in place interim arrangements.
PSRs receive regular training, email updates and are supported in their role by the Safeguarding Service, who are available Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm. In addition we encourage PSRs to network with PSRs in their Deanery or neighbouring parish for peer support.
A quick guide to the contact details for each PSR area:
- Responding to Safeguarding concerns: safeguarding@rcdow.org.uk
- Safe Recruitment of volunteers (including DBS applications):
- Applications: dbssubmissions@safeguardrcdow.org.uk
- Queries: dbsadmin@rcdow.org.uk
- PSR support and safe environment queries: safeguardingsupport@rcdow.org.uk
- Training and general queries: safeguardingsupport@rcdow.org.uk
Parish Safeguarding Posters and Parish Information
A safeguarding poster with the PSRs’ RCDOW email address must be placed on the parish notice board, church hall noticeboard or church porch where it is visible to parishioners.
The Diocese of Westminster provides an editable poster that can be adapted for use in your parish with your name and safeguarding email:
The poster needs to be replaced when there is a change of PSR in your parish.
An editable poster to display the contact information for your local authority child and adult social services is available here:
A national services poster of organisations providing safeguarding support is available here:
Safe Spaces England and Wales offers free, independent, confidential support
for adults affected by church-related abuse.
The Department for Education has produced guidance for safeguarding and posters to support delivery of children’s activities, including those within religious settings.
For further help with parish safeguarding visit the Creating a Safe Environment webpage.
PSR Training
The Safeguarding Service provides PSRs (Parish Safeguarding Representatives) Training and events to equip with appropriate safeguarding knowledge needed to carry out the important PSR role within their parish.
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Thank you to all our valued PSRs for working together with the Safeguarding Service to ensure safe spaces for everyone.
Disclaimer
Throughout our section, you will find links to external websites. Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly and ensure these links are accurate, up to date, and relevant. However, the Safeguarding Service does not take responsibility for pages maintained by external providers.
If you come across any external links that do not work, we would be grateful if you could report them to the web content team or email: safeguardingadmin@rcdow.org.uk
