Scrutiny session
The National Safeguarding Panel met for its October meeting in Birmingham. The focus of the scrutiny session was the current state of safeguarding training, highlighting both progress and challenges. The session heard from survivors who shared that their expertise has been undervalued in national training initiatives. They often felt sidelined or excluded despite their professional qualifications, leading to perceptions of tokenism rather than genuine collaboration. However, it was noted that at the local level, survivor-led training was well received and the “Responding Well” Support Person training was praised as a strong example of co-production, creating space for open dialogue and dismantling stereotypes. Uptake has been limited, with sessions cancelled due to low participation. Church volunteers often face logistical challenges in attending, and survivor input is inconsistently applied across regions.
Resource disparities between larger institutions and smaller parishes hinder consistency. Trustees were identified as a group needing tailored safeguarding training to understand their legal and pastoral responsibilities. Culturally sensitive training was also noted as important, for example when training volunteers from refugee communities.
Despite such challenges, there is evidence of growing awareness and accountability. Safeguarding is increasingly becoming embedded into the organisational culture. While some clergy and volunteers may perceive training as excessive, the Panel emphasised that safeguarding is a core responsibility, not an optional task. Survivor input must be meaningfully integrated, and broader risks—such as violence in places of worship—require proactive measures.
The session concluded with recognition that the Church lags behind other sectors and must adopt more forward-thinking strategies. Safeguarding training should be seen not as a burden, but as central to care, trust, and accountability.
Following the scrutiny session, Panel members reviewed the Church’s safeguarding training framework, which offers pathways from basic awareness to senior leadership, with mandatory refreshers every three years. Role-specific and issue-based modules, such as domestic abuse awareness and safer recruitment, have been developed in response to past case reviews. There have been nearly 750,000 completions with domestic abuse training showing strong uptake. The Panel commended the significant work undertaken to achieve this level of uptake. Leadership training is however underrepresented due to limited use of the national portal.
While satisfaction surveys are routinely conducted, there is currently no systematic assessment of training impact. Plans are underway to measure changes in confidence and understanding, requiring diocesan cooperation and resources. Evidence shows parish-level training increases safeguarding referrals, including a 96% rise in domestic abuse cases.
Requests for bespoke training for wardens, youth ministers, and trustees were noted, alongside calls for a national formula to ensure consistent safeguarding staffing across Dioceses. Online training offers flexibility but can lack interpersonal depth, while in-person sessions remain vital for trauma-informed practice.
Looking ahead, future plans include wider rollout of trauma-informed training, phased risk assessment modules, and integration of lessons from safeguarding reviews. The session closed with recommendations to strengthen survivor involvement, embed evaluation frameworks, and maintain the value of face-to-face learning.
Business
The remainder of the meeting was spent reviewing the Panel’s Terms of Reference, Charter and plans for recruitment of new panel members. A major recruitment drive is taking place for new Panel roles scheduled to be filled by the end of the year. The campaign will be advertised widely across multiple platforms to ensure strong visibility and engagement. A task and finish group will oversee the recruitment process.
Looking ahead, the Panel will hold their first Development Day planned for early 2026, following the completion of recruitment. This will provide space for induction and strategic reflection as well as planning future topics to strengthen the Panel’s effectiveness.
The panel noted the need for more regular communication updates, especially given the website was live. Members agreed to begin publishing a blog series summarising the content of meetings to provide greater transparency about the Panel’s work. It is also planned to recruit a communications officer to provide support to improve communication.
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