Policy and Practice Guidance

All the policy and practice guidance on this page has been approved by the House of Bishops and must, where relevant, be followed by all Church Bodies* and Church Officers**.

Please note under section 5 of the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016*** all authorised clergy, bishops, archdeacons, licensed readers and lay workers, churchwardens and PCCs must have ‘due regard’ to safeguarding guidance issued by the House of Bishops (this will include both policy and practice guidance). A duty to have ‘due regard’ to guidance means that the person under the duty is not free to disregard it but is required to follow it unless there are cogent reasons for not doing so. (‘Cogent’ for this purpose means clear, logical and convincing.) Failure by clergy to comply with the duty imposed by the 2016 Measure may result in disciplinary action.

*Church Bodies includes PCCs, diocesan bodies, cathedrals, religious communities, theological training institutions and the National Church Institutions. This policy will apply to the whole of the provinces of Canterbury and York (including the Diocese in Europe subject to local variations/modifications). There is also an expectation that the policy will apply to the Channel Islands and Sodor and Man unless there is specific local legislation in a jurisdiction that would prevent adoption.

**A “Church Officer” is anyone appointed/elected by or on behalf of the Church to a post or role, whether they are ordained or lay, paid or unpaid.

***The Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016 applies to the whole of the provinces of Canterbury and York (including the Diocese in Europe subject to local variations/modifications), with the exception of the Channel Islands and Sodor and Man. In order to extend the 2016 Measure to the Channel Islands or Sodor and Man legislation will need to be passed by the relevant island jurisdictions in accordance with section 12 of that Measure.

Policy Statements

• Promoting a Safer Church; House of Bishops policy statement (2017)
• Protecting All God’s Children (safeguarding policy for children and young people, 4th edition, 2010)
• Promoting a Safe Church (safeguarding policy for adults, 2006)
• Diocesan Safeguarding Policy Statement

 Practice Guidance

• Guidance: Identifying and Reporting Safeguarding Serious Incidents to the Charity Commission: Guidance for DBFs, PCCs and Religious Communities (August 2019) (Guidance explains how to identify a safeguarding Serious Incident and what to do when one occurs.)
• Practical guidance: How to make a Safeguarding Serious Incident report to the Charity Commission (August 2019) (Practical guidance sits alongside the General guidance and explains how to prepare a safeguarding Serious Incident Report and submit it to the Charity Commission.)
• Q&As for PCCs, DBFs and Religious Communities on Safeguarding Serious Incident Reporting
• Serious Incident Reporting to the Charity Commission FAQs (August 2019)
• Parish Safeguarding Handbook (2018)
• Glossary reference document (2017)
• Key roles and responsibilities of church office holders and bodies practice guidance (2017)
• Responding to Safeguarding Concerns or Allegations that relate to Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults practice guidance (2018)
• Responding to, assessing and managing concerns or allegations against church officers practice guidance (2017)
• Responding well to domestic abuse practice guidance (2017)
• Training and development practice guidance (2017)
• Safer recruitment practice guidance (2016)
• Bespoke Bulk Reporting Template for DBFs (August 2019)

For templates and resources relating to safeguarding policy and practice guidance, please see here.