Spotlight on a member of Global Safeguarding Alliance

Associate Professor
Dr Marcus Pound

What is your name?

Dr Marcus Pound

What is your role and how long have you been doing this?

I am an Associate Professor in Theology at Durham University. I have been teaching psychology and theology variously for the past 25 years at institutions across England.

What are you most proud of?

My role as a stepfather. Having been raised by a man who is not my natural father it has been a privilege to pay forward his kindness and generosity in my role as a carer and nurturer to my wife's children.

What's the best thing about being a part of the Global Safeguarding Alliance?

The Global Safeguarding Alliance has opened and made accessible precisely that: a global perspective on the safeguarding issues confronting the Church, while remaining nonetheless deeply contextual. For example, the ability to consider the nature of clericalism from multiple global perspective at once makes for highly informed debates.

Highlight a specific accomplishment since being a part of the Global Safeguarding Alliance.

I was particularly pleased to help facilitate and work on the paper by Douglas Russell, The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: A global perspective. It's unlikely I would have published something like this on my own strength and capability and so it underlines the need for collective and collaborative responses in rendering our Churches and Religious centres safe, welcoming, and nurturing spaces.

Who do you most admire?

Unwavering compassion.

What inspired you to focus on research or practice related to safeguarding children?

In the first instance, I was able to recognise and respond with compassion to the trauma of others. Second, I wanted to undertake work which had a real connection to people's lives. Third, it is unlikely I would have remained part of the Catholic Church without facing head on the scandal of abuse within the Church. Fourth, as a member of the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University, it was inconceivable that the Centre was not exploring the biggest scandal to hit the Church in modern times. As teachers, we have responsibilities to our students, and as academics, we must learn to be fearless.

What is the toughest challenge you've had at work?

Safeguarding can be psychologically demanding and the institutions we work for need to recognise the importance of self-care for all those involved. When my research coincided with my role responding to student anxieties things got a little overwhelming. My needs were not recognised and I required some time to regain my composure.

What advice would you give someone just starting their career in safeguarding?

The work is incredibly meaningful; one is touched by every single conversation one has with survivors, but it is also a risk: you will be impacted on many levels, not least how you understand the priorities of your own life and wellbeing.