What EduCare is
EduCare is the online training provider the Catholic Church in England and Wales has partnered with to give every parish volunteer, clergy member, religious and lay worker access to professional safeguarding training. The whole package is free of charge. The diocese covers the cost as part of its commitment to the National Safeguarding Standards.
Whether you are a Parish Safeguarding Representative, a catechist, a Eucharistic Minister, an altar server coordinator, a parent helping at a children's liturgy, or anyone else who works with children or adults at risk in a Shrewsbury parish, EduCare is for you.
The modules available
The current modules cover the core areas every volunteer should know:
- Child Protection, the foundation module for anyone working with under 18s
- Child Protection Refresher, for those whose original training is due an update
- Child Protection in Education, designed for staff and volunteers in school settings
- Child Exploitation and Online Safety, covering grooming, online risks and current safeguarding pressures
- Safeguarding Adults, the foundation module for anyone working with adults at risk
- Safeguarding Adults Refresher, for those updating their adult safeguarding training
- Mental Capacity, covering the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how it applies in parish work
Each module is self-paced and ends with a short test. On passing, you receive a certificate which the diocese records on your file.
How to access the training
The process is short. Email the Safeguarding Office at safeguarding@dioceseofshrewsbury.org with:
- Your name
- Your email address
- The name of your parish, religious order or congregation
- Your role, for example Priest, Religious, Parish Safeguarding Representative, Youth Worker, Teacher, SVP member, Parent, Grandparent or Guardian
The office will set you up with an account and send you a link to the modules. You can then work through them on a phone, tablet or computer at a time that suits you.
How long it takes
Most modules take between 30 and 90 minutes. You do not need to do them in one sitting. The system saves your progress, so you can stop and come back later. Most volunteers find a single evening is enough to complete a foundation module.
Keeping your training current
Safeguarding training does not expire in the way a passport does, but practice and law move on. The diocese asks volunteers to refresh every three years, sooner if a major update lands. If you have not done a refresher for some time, this is the moment.
Questions or problems
If your access link does not arrive, or if you have trouble logging in, write back to the Safeguarding Office. The team responds within office hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. The address is 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX, and the phone is 0151 652 9855.
