The Strategic Council for Catholic Safeguarding (SCCS)

Role: The SCCS is the independent national strategic safeguarding leadership body for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Position: It operates independently while working in support of Catholic leadership and sits outside diocesan and Religious Life Group operational structures; it does not govern the CSSA or RLSS.

Function: It provides national oversight of safeguarding strategy, systemic risk, assurance, consistency, culture, learning, and future readiness, and may request information and report findings and recommendations through agreed governance arrangements.

The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA)

Role: CSSA is the independent professional standards and quality assurance body that inspects safeguarding within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It sets the Eight National Safeguarding Standards and assesses safeguarding practice through planned inspections, audits and unscheduled reviews of dioceses and aligned Religious Life Groups, sharing and publishing what it finds.

Position: CSSA is an independent inspectorate and is not governed by the SCCS; it provides inspection evidence and reports through its own governance arrangements.

Function: It provides an independent national safeguarding inspectorate, inspecting dioceses and Religious Life Groups against the national standards, identifying improvement areas, and reporting inspection outcomes.

Religious Life Groups Supported by Religious Life Safeguarding Service (RLSS)

Role: RLSS is a specialist safeguarding provider for Religious Life Groups (e.g., Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life). It delivers training, case management, and advisory services tailored to the unique needs of Religious communities.

Position: RLSS is operationally separate from the SCCS and is not directed by it; it provides safeguarding support services for Religious Life Groups.

Function: It delivers operational safeguarding support for Religious Life Groups, including advice, training, and practical assistance tailored to their context.

How the Organisations Interconnect

• Strategic Council for Catholic Safeguarding → provides national strategic leadership and oversight of safeguarding.

• Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency → acts as the independent inspectorate and provides inspection evidence and outcomes.

• Religious Life Safeguarding Service → provides operational safeguarding support for Religious Life Groups and is separate from the SCCS.

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