New Chair for National Catholic Safeguarding Commission

Danny Sullivan (c) Mazur/www.catholicnews.org.uk

A former Director of Education for the Anglican Diocese of Oxford and senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice has been appointed as the new Chair of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (NCSC). Danny Sullivan replaces Baroness Patricia Scotland who resigned from the role in December because of increasing pressures in other areas of her work.

About the appointment Mr Sullivan said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role of Chair of the NCSC. I value the independence the Church affords to the role of the Commission and recognise how vital that is. The Church continues to make progress in safeguarding, but there is no room for complacency as we move forward to create a safe environment within the Church for all children, young people and vulnerable adults.

“The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI makes clear that safeguarding and particularly the on-going dialogue and work with and for survivors should be at the core of our mission as Church and I am passionately committed to ensuring that this will continue to be championed by the Commission.”

The NCSC is the independent body responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Church’s safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable adults. It was formed in July 2008 following acceptance, by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and the Conference of Religious of England and Wales, of the recommendations in the Cumberlege Report ‘Safeguarding with Confidence’ (July 2007). In addition to setting the strategic direction of the Church’s safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable adults, the NCSC is also responsible for monitoring compliance with these policies and for ensuring that the Church does all it can to respond to the safeguarding needs of the community, including those who have been victims of abuse.

Vice Chairs of the Commission, Bishop Declan Lang and Sr Jane Bertelsen FMDM, welcomed the appointment of Danny Sullivan as the new independent chair of the NCSC. They said: “We, as Vice Chairs of the NCSC, warmly welcome the appointment of Danny Sullivan as the new Chair. We look forward to working with him in addressing the safeguarding challenges which the Church faces today.”

Danny Sullivan’s background is in the field of education and justice. He served as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Justice from 2003 to 2008, working closely with judges and magistrates in London' s courts, reporting directly to ministers. Previous to that appointment, he was the Director of Education for the Anglican Diocese of Oxford with oversight of 280 schools in 9 local authorities.

He retired in 2008 but has continued to work as a consultant. He is currently on a two year contract, working one day a week for the Ministry of Justice and Foreign Office, coordinating a programme of judicial cooperation between Britain and Algeria. He is also a Hampshire magistrate sitting in the family and criminal courts.

Mr Sullivan, a Catholic, has published in the field of children's spirituality and was co-founder of The International Journal of Children's Spirituality. He is also a member of The Thomas Merton Society of Great Britain and Ireland and former chair of the society. He edited its journal for seven years.

He is married to Cathy who trains nurses at Southampton University. He has three adult children, all working in the NHS or health related fields.

For more information see: www.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk/