1. Introductions: In attendance virtually were Fr David Smolira SJ, Mr James Reilly (Chair), Mr Jim Gallagher, Mrs Julie Ashby-Ellis, Mrs Nadra Gadeed, Fr Peter Gallagher SJ (Provincial). Fr Paul O’Reilly SJ. Mrs Fiona Robb supported taking the minutes. Apologies were received from Mrs Fiona Bateman. Approval was given to minutes of November 29th 2023, and the action log reviewed with future actions recorded.
2. Work with Victim/Survivors and Safety Management Plans: The committee was updated on continuing work with three victim survivors, one of whom approached the team having previously engaged over ten years ago. In two instances they report historical abuse relating to Jesuits now deceased. There is one Jesuit subject of safety management plan. His trial is set to be heard in February. The committee noted concerns raised in regard to two individuals. Julie Ashby Ellis will review and report to the next Trustee Safeguarding Committee.
3. Spiritual Abuse: The committee review the current working draft from the Working Group. It agreed some suggested amendments and reframing for the Working Group to consider in completing the final draft at its next meeting. Once completed the paper will be submitted it to Father Provincial who will determine its dissemination.
4. Options for Future Outreach. Trustees requested that this committee develop some options for proactive outreach to victim survivors drawing on the lessons learned from the Bridge to Support project in Scotland now closed. Julie Ashby-Ellis outlined the small number of services that deal specifically with victim/survivors in Church or religious settings. Some, such as Safe Spaces are points of contact and advice which make onward referrals rather than organising direct support. She reported on Loud Fence an organisation which presented at a recent RLSS safeguarding coordinators meeting. They provide interventions seeking to provide healing and reconciliation. The action agreed upon by the Committee was for Julie to raise this with RLSS for a collaborative endeavour suggesting that a working group be formed and/or a researcher commissioned to provide stronger evidence-based models for consideration.
5. Coordinator’s update: Julie Ashby-Ellis briefed the committee on the following: key points from the Safeguarding Co-ordinators’ conference in Liverpool. Items discussed there included safeguarding protocols for pilgrimages with particular attention paid to Lourdes. Lisa Oakley’s presentation on Spiritual Abuse; review of practice in safety management plans; session on risk management. The CSSA presented on the latest iteration of their work on revised standards and audits. They have acknowledged that this is predominantly focused on Diocese and have agreed to produce versions more relevant to religious orders and institutes later in the year. The are working collaboratively with RLSS on these. Given this, it remains unlikely that the Province’s safeguarding arrangements will be audited within this year. Julie has participated in European Jesuit working group reviewing the safeguarding arrangements in Jesuit schools in Europe. School safeguarding coordinators will be engaged in future stages of this work. The committee noted recent communication from the National Canonical Tribunal on its establishment. Clarification is required regarding the relevance to religious orders and institutes. The committee will keep this under review in future meetings. Also noted was the receipt from the Jesut Fr General on the implementation of an international formation programme relating to safeguarding. Many of its aspects are already well established in the JiB safeguarding arrangements.
6. Training: Following correspondence with Fr Nick Autin SJ seeking clarification on the scope and capacity of training across the province and all its associated works, it was agreed that an updated status of training and future requirements in associated works would be brought to the committee for review. It was noted that all relevant personnel and volunteers in parishes and schools receive training via Diocesan and School authorities and are not in scope for training provided by the Province. This substantively reduces the number in scope for such training.
