An Inspiring Day at the 2025 Safeguarding Conference
Last Saturday (5th July) was a great day at The Minster School in Southwell, as over 100 attendees including clergy, parish officers and volunteers from across the diocese gathered for the 2025 Safeguarding Conference. Centred on the theme ‘Supporting Vulnerable Groups in Our Churches,‘ the day offered reflection, learning and valuable insight.
The conference began with worship and reflection led by Associate Archdeacon, Richard Kellett, who reminded us that safeguarding lies at the very heart of Jesus Christ’s ministry.
Two keynote speakers delivered thought-provoking and highly engaging sessions. Richard Kubon, from Nottinghamshire Police Fraud Connect, led the first session. He offered practical advice and powerful insights into online fraud, exposing common tactics used by fraudsters and sharing strategies to protect those most at risk. The session was also moving, as attendees courageously shared their personal experiences of fraud to help others learn and remain vigilant.
The second keynote, ‘Creating Inclusive Environments in Our Churches for Children Who Are Neurodiverse’, was led by Amy Hollingsworth, a paediatric occupational therapist from Blossom Occupational Therapy. Amy focused on the intersection of safeguarding and neurodiversity, encouraging churches to become more aware of neurodiversity, and creative in making their spaces welcoming and safe for neurodiverse children and their families. As Amy shared:
“Families who are struggling with extremely long waits for help through either education or health pathways can feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is when they are most vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and radicalisation. Feeling supported within their church family can be the change they need to keep them safe. “
One attendee noted, “The keynote speaker on considering inclusion of neurodivergence and safeguarding in the church was really informative. It challenged me to go deeper in my understanding and knowledge of the area and a real desire to become more knowledgeable and communicate this to the wider church.”
There were plenty of opportunities for group discussion, reflection and networking throughout the day.
As the event drew to a close, Julian Hodgson, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, provided an update on the INEQE Safeguarding Audit, highlighting how the Parish Dashboards and the Safeguarding Hub can be used to evidence progress and strengthen safeguarding engagement across the Diocese.
It was a really great day and many attendees shared encouraging feedback:
“Both keynote speakers were excellent and relevant, and it was great to have the opportunity to network with colleagues. There was a good balance of child / vulnerable adults learning.”
“Thanks to all who worked so hard to deliver the conference. It was really well worth attending.”
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team concluded:
“It was wonderful to see so many people from across the Diocese attend this years’ Safeguarding Conference, coming together to focus on Supporting vulnerable groups in our churches. We are particularly grateful to the two keynote speakers who provided such informative, thought-provoking presentations which were well received by those who attended. We are already looking ahead to next years’ conference, details of which will be shared in due course.”
If you weren’t able to attend the conference, the presentations will be made available to access via the Learning Hub over the summer. If you want to find out more about safeguarding in the diocese, use the link below.