Committee members are selected for their knowledge, expertise and experience of the Church Body, in implementing policy and procedures, practical knowledge of working with children and young people and safeguarding, auditing and working with and supporting volunteers. The role of the Franciscan Safeguarding Committee is primarily focused on creating, maintaining and monitoring a safe environment for all aspects of life and activity in Franciscan friaries and centres and for advising all communities in implementing best safeguarding practice. Its role is also to be supportive and developmental and to promote child safeguarding as follows:

• Developing a three-year child safeguarding plan which includes a training and communication strategy, and the establishment of local child safeguarding policy and procedures.
• Coordinating activities related to child safeguarding, e.g., training, safe recruitment of staff and volunteers within the Franciscan Province of Ireland.
• Ensuring the completion of the annual audit, including the correlation of records for training related activities.
• Ensuring, with the Provincial, that the appropriate child safeguarding personnel are in place.
• Ensuring the completion of training needs assessments across the various child safeguarding roles.