Safeguarding

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is committed to ensuring it provides a safe, caring, and supportive environment for all.

We want all of our visitors to feel that their value and dignity is respected. We recognise that our work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults is the responsibility of the whole Cathedral community. We take seriously our responsibility to protect and safeguard the welfare of all those entrusted to the Cathedral’s care.

We carefully select, supervise, and train all those with any responsibility within the Cathedral. Our staff and volunteers, who work with children and vulnerable adults, are provided with regular safeguarding training and support. We act in an open, transparent, and accountable way.

We use policies which follow current legislation, guidance, and recognised good practice. Our policies and procedures are specifically tailored to those who participate in the events, services, or activities which we provide here.

Child Safeguarding Policies & Procedures

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral’s Safeguarding Policy is made up of eight individual policy and procedure documents within the Safeguarding series. Each of those eight documents has been approved and adopted by the Board of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and each became policy from the date shown at the beginning of each document.

There is a Summary Document, which provides the salient information from the Safeguarding series, so that all workers can identify quickly the most commonly required information relating to safeguarding matters and so that the workers be signposted towards the relevant policy documents where more information can be found.

Summary Document
I: Child Safeguarding Statement: with detailed risk assessment
II: Code of Behaviour: for working with children and young people
III: Procedure for Recognising, Recording, and Reporting Child Safeguarding Concerns
IV: Procedure for Responding to Child Safeguarding Concerns in Respect of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Workers
V: Mandated Persons Policy and Procedures
VI: Procedure for the Appointment of Relevant Person
VII: Child Safeguarding Information and Training Strategy
VIII: Procedure for Implementation, Monitoring, and Review of Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
Safeguarding Panel Notice September 2024

Designated Liaison Persons

If you have a general enquiry or any concern relating to the welfare of any member of our community at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, please contact the Safeguarding Designated Liaison Person.

If you recognise an urgent safeguarding concern, in which a child or vulnerable adult is in danger, Tusla Child and Family Agency can be contacted on +353 (0)1 856 6856. In an emergency or threat to life, contact An Garda Síochána on 999.

Ms Kelley Bermingham

Community Officer & Safeguarding DLP

Ms Kelley Bermingham

Community Officer & Safeguarding DLP

Kelley has been a lifelong community worker in both voluntary roles (Irish Red Cross, YMCA Dublin, Spirit Radio, Christmas FM etc) and paid roles she has held throughout her life (HSE Mental Health Services, HMS Tours DMC, and The Alice Leahy Trust). Most recently Kelley has worked as a Pioneer Evangelist with Kildare Centre of Mission based at Saint Brigid’s Cathedral in the Dioceses of Meath and Kildare, and The Iveagh Trust as Community Officer. Kelley has undertaken training with Church Army Ireland and UK.

Kelley is an alumni of All Hallows College, Dublin and values life-long learning as a core part of personal and professional development. Kelley has worked with Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in the past as Community Officer and Safeguarding DLP (Designated Liaison Person), with a broad approach to addressing community needs in a creative and pro-active way. Part of the remit involves the annual distribution of funds donated to support people in need. Kelley is a representative on the Community Pillar of the Dublin City PPN (Public Participation Network), the Secretariat of the PPN and the LCDC (Local Community Development Committee). Kelley liaises with local forums such as the Child and Family Support Network and Community Safety Forums. Partnering with national and local representative bodies is a fundamental part of our work and we link with agencies such as The Wheel, Charities Institute Ireland and Volunteer Ireland.

Kelley serves as the Safeguarding Officer, tasked with ensuring that the Cathedral implements best practice across its activities to protect the welfare of children in its care, as well as adult safeguarding, in accordance with the Church of Ireland’s Safeguarding Trust.

In addition, Kelley’s role as the Safeguarding Officer makes her the Designated Liaison Person (DLP). Kelley assists the Cathedrals’ Volunteer Coordinator, Kryzel Benefacio and is also the driver of the Cathedral Minibus.

Email 1: community@stpatrickscathedral.ie

Email 2: safeguarding@stpatrickscathedral.ie (for any child protection or adult safeguarding matters)

Phone: +353 1 453 9472 (ext. 209)

Mobile: +353 86 103 0931 (Emergency Safeguarding Mobile) or +353 86 606 1080 (General Community)

Ms Laura Coyle

Deputy Designated Liaison Person

Safeguarding

In this sectionsss

Child Safeguarding Policies & Procedures

Designated Liaison Persons

Ms Kelley Bermingham

Community Officer & Safeguarding DLP

Ms Laura Coyle

Deputy Designated Liaison Person

The Very Revd Dr William Morton

Dean