Safeguarding Resources

Safeguarding Resources

National Safeguarding Standards 

Since 2020, the Church of England have been developing a set of National Safeguarding Standards. The Standards are vital in helping the Church assess both the quality and, most importantly, the impact of its safeguarding work. They also offer a straightforward framework that brings together the many complex aspects of safeguarding across the Church. Every safeguarding activity, at every level, aligns with at least one Standard. In this way, the Standards help connect and unify practices that might otherwise appear fragmented, while also enabling the Church to clearly express its commitment to safeguarding. There are five key Standards: 

  1. Culture, Leadership and Capacity: Church bodies have safe and healthy cultures, effective leadership, resourcing and scrutiny arrangements necessary to deliver high-quality safeguarding practices and outcomes. 
  1. Prevention: Church bodies have in place a planned range of measures which together are effective in preventing abuse in their context. 
  1. Recognising, Assessing and Managing Risk: Risk assessments, safety plans and associated processes are of a high quality and result in positive outcomes. The assessment and management of risk is underpinned by effective partnership working. 
  1. Victims and Survivors: Victims and survivors experience the timeliness and quality of Church bodies’ responses to disclosures, and their subsequent support, as positively meeting their needs, including their search for justice and helping their healing process. 
  1. Learning, Supervision and Support: All those engaged in safeguarding-related activity in Church bodies receive the type and level of learning, professional development, support and supervision necessary to respond to safeguarding situations, victims and survivors, and respondents, effectively. 

You can find more information about the National Safeguarding Standards via the Church of England’s website here. 

Church of England National Resources 

Local and Other Resources 

Guidelines and Fact Sheets 

Displays and Posters 

If you have safeguarding concerns about the welfare of a child, young person or an adult, please email the Diocesan Safeguarding Team for advice and support.

If you need to raise a concern, please complete this referral form and send it to the above email.

We are committed to ensuring that all church officers are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and have the core skills and knowledge to protect children and/or adults from harm. Find out more about training here, and contact our Safeguarding Training Team here.