Immediate Concerns: If you are concerned about the welfare of a child or adult at risk, do not delay in contacting the police, using 999 if a child or adult is believed to be in immediate danger.

 



Reporting Concerns: 

If you are in any role within the Catholic Church in England and Wales, you must refer allegations directly to the safeguarding office for your diocese or religious congregation, or directly to the Police.

If you are a member of the public, please refer allegations directly to the police and also to the safeguarding office in your diocese; the relevant diocesan safeguarding office can be located using the interactive map on the links page of this website.  Contact details for the diocese will be shown when you click on the relevant area of the map.

If the allegations relate to Ampleforth Abbey please inform the AAT Safeguarding Office safeguarding@ampleforthabbey.org.uk   Tel 01439 766096

You can also contact the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) by telephoning 0207 901 1920 or via email at admin@catholicsafeguarding.org.uk. Any referrals made directly to the CSSA will be immediately passed to the local safeguarding office for further action as appropriate.  Where appropriate, the CSSA will refer matters directly to the statutory authorities.

For Ampleforth Abbey the safeguarding contact is Jim Hopkinson 01439 766096 or via email jho@ampleforthabbey.org.uk.

 

Responding to your concerns: 

The Ampleforth Abbey Trust Safeguarding Team is available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm and can be contacted via:  

Email: Direct any concerns via email to the main inbox: safeguarding@ampleforthabbey.org.uk 

Phone:  You can also report your concerns via phone to one of our two safeguarding officers:

Anyone who brings concerns or allegations to the notice of the Church will be responded to sensitively, respectfully and seriously. All concerns and allegations will be addressed using the Church’s national procedures and in a timely manner. 

 

Referring to Statutory Agencies: 

It is the policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to report all allegations of abuse to statutory authorities, regardless of whether the abuse occurred recently or in the past, or whether the accused person is living or deceased. 

If you are a survivor and do not wish for your details to be shared with the statutory authorities, then the referral can be made anonymously giving the details of the accused person only.  

Survivors: 

If you are a survivor of abuse please take a look at our Support for Survivors page for further information about support available from the Ampleforth Abbey Trust Safeguarding Team.  

 

Finding Help and Support Out of Hours:

Ampleforth Abbey Trust Safeguarding Team is committed to responding to safeguarding concerns, providing support and advice. However, we are unable to offer an emergency or 24-hour service. Therefore, if you have a concern or wish to speak to somebody outside of office hours, please contact one of the agencies below who are either available on a 24-hour basis or through specialist helplines and services: 

 

Police  
  • If you have an immediate concern that a child or adult is in danger contact the police on 999. You can also contact them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via their non-emergency number 111.
Local Authority 
  • You can also report your concerns to your local children and adult services. Most local authorities run an out-of-hours helpline, details of which can be found on their website.   
  • To find out who is your Local Authority, please use the following link https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council  
  • North Yorkshire Children’s Services out of hours number is 01609 780780 
  • North Yorkshire Adult Services out of hours number is 01609 780780 
Others 
  • NSPCC:  0808 800 5000, free helpline. Call if you are worried about a child. Monday to Friday 8am – 10pm and at weekends 9am – 6pm.
  • NSPCC Childline: 0800 1111, the line is free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything - no problem is too big or too small.
  • National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247, free phone 24-hours. Call if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
  • Samaritans: 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
  • Hourglass (Action on Elder Abuse): 0808 808 8141, free phone Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Free text 078 6005 2906. Support to an older person or anyone concerned about an older person who is at risk.
  • The Survivors Trust: 0808 801 0818, free phone Monday to Thursday: 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-5.30pm & 6pm-8pm; Friday: 10am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-5.30pm; Saturday: 10am-1pm; Sunday: 5pm-8pm. Support and empower survivors of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse.
  • NAPAC: 0808 801 0331, free phone Monday to Thursday: 10am – 9pm; Friday: 10am – 6pm; Saturday and Sunday – Closed. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood offers support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional abuse or neglect. 

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