The Bishop of London Search About Us Mission and Ministry News What’s On Support Jobs Find a church HOME / SUPPORT / SAFEGUARDING Support: Safeguarding The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults to worship and grow in Christ safely. SHARE THIS PAGE PRINT PDF For a statement on the publication of the IICSA report, please click here. For details of any future events or further information, please refer to our Safeguarding Training events page on this page. Please note that the Safeguarding Team are currently revising the refresher module and are not currently accepting any further bookings for refresher training. Further events will be available to book in the near future. Our leadership training is still available to book via the link. . Please follow the following link to National church training portal for C0 (basic) and C1 (Foundation) on line training: Safeguarding Training Portal (cofeportal.org) Fr Alan Griffin – Independent Review Statement from the London College of Bishops published on 10 August 2021 Submission to Coroner published on 24 August 2021 – a response by the Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace to the Regulation 28 Report (9 July 2021) to the Church of England in relation to the death by suicide of Fr Alan Griffin on 8 November 2020. Terms of reference published 13 September 2021. Chris Robson has been appointed as the independent reviewer. Chris worked for the Metropolitan Police Service for 30 years in a wide range of roles. Since 2017 he has been the independent chair of a number of safeguarding boards and he has undertaken various safeguarding reviews: I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself having been commissioned to conduct a Learning Lessons Review regarding circumstances that preceded the tragic death of Father Alan Griffin. I would like to reach out to individuals who feel they may have information or ideas that may assist the review. If you feel you may be able to contribute I would ask that you read the Terms of Reference for the review, this will give some context to the work I am completing. If you would like to contact me you can use the following email address: independent.reviewer@london.anglican.org Many Thanks Chris Robson (Published 21 October 2021) With regard to the review, the LDF’s privacy notice can be found here PCR2: Please see our guide here for information about PCR2. The 2020 editions of the PCC Safeguarding Audit and Policy Statement are now available. If you have completed the 2019 version the submission is still valid. However, for all parishes yet to complete their Safeguarding Audit and Policy Statement, the 2020 documents should be used. An updated version of the Safeguarding Information Poster is also available for parishes who would like to use it. Please refer also to the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy, Promoting a Safer Diocese (2018) which can be found here. Instructions for submitting the documents to the new online Parish returns system will be released shortly. Please bear with us. The Safeguarding Statement and Audit can also be emailed to the Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@london.anglican.org The Safeguarding Team has created a Parish Safeguarding Checklist to clarify your roles and responsibilities – please find it here. Guidance on the safeguarding information that should be displayed on parish websites can be found here The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults to worship and grow in Christ safely. This is done in a coordinated and supported manner and involves Church Safeguarding Officers (CSOs) and clergy at parish level responding to concerns in a timely manner, informing the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (DST) and seeking support from the Thirtyone:eight helpline, local authorities and the police when necessary. INFORMATION AND TRAINING Safeguarding policy Safeguarding roles and responsibilities Safeguarding toolkit Safeguarding training Safeguarding news and blog articles The DST, in conjunction with the Area Bishops’ offices and Senior Staff, undertakes the overall management of safeguarding across the Diocese, drawing on specialist support as needed. Our Safeguarding Policy is contained in ‘Towards a Safer Diocese’ (2018) and further guidance can be sought from the National Church’s Safeguarding Policies and Practice Guidance. CSOs, clergy and parish staff may wish to refer to the National Church’s Parish Safeguarding Handbook for advice on responding to concerns. As well as responding to concerns, it’s important to be aware of the responsibilities to report serious safeguarding incidents to the Charity Commission. Guidance, and links to the National Church, is available here. All churches and worshipping communities are required to have safeguarding arrangements in place. These include: Procedures for responding to and reporting concerns Codes of safe practice Safer Recruitment procedures Our policies govern the work undertaken with children, young people and vulnerable adults who attend church and take part in activities organised by the church or on church premises. Liability insurance in relation to such issues may be invalidated if the appropriate safeguarding policies are not in place and being implemented. Safeguarding concerns Any concerns raised in parishes should be brought to the attention of the Church Safeguarding Officer, who can seek advice from the DST. Other areas of the Diocese (e.g. chaplaincies) should contact the DST directly. Safeguarding concerns can be raised by phone or by email. Concerns raised via email should be sent to our Safeguarding Inbox in the first instance: safeguarding@london.anglican.org. Alternatively, to speak to a member of the DST, please call our Safeguarding Helpline on 020 7932 1224. If you wish to speak to a specific member of the team, please find their contact details below: Martin Goodwin, Head of Safeguarding – martin.goodwin@london.anglican.org Andrew Munro, Safeguarding Adviser – andrew.munro@london.anglican.org Maggie McMahon, Safeguarding Adviser (Monday, Tuesday, Friday) – margaret.mcmahon@london.anglican.org Claire Meaney, Safeguarding Advisor – Claire.Meaney@london.anglican.org. Lee Elliott, Temporary safeguarding advisor (Mon/Tue). Lee.elliott@london.anglican.org Sara Black, Admin support – DBS Support – sara.black@london.anglican.org Susie Barber, Admin support – Training support – Susie.barber@london.anglican.org Out of hours advice can be sought from the Thirtyone:eight helpline on 0303 003 1111, selecting option 2. Thirtyone:eight is an independent charity which works in close partnership with the DST. The DST receives notification of any advice given by Thirtyone:eight. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications We now process all DBS applications online using the eBulk system, which is managed by Thirtyone:eight. All those working in a paid or voluntary capacity with children, young people or vulnerable adults require a DBS check as part of the safer recruitment process. A new DBS disclosure should be requested every five years. Each parish should have appointed a Lead Recruiter to manage the DBS process and may also choose to appoint additional Evidence Checkers. For any queries around how the DBS process works in the Diocese, please contact the DST. For enquiries about the eBulk system (including login and password queries) or eligibility for DBS checks for specific roles in your parish, please contact Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111, selecting option 1. Resources Safeguarding flow chart Safeguarding key points Survivor leaflet: You Will Be Listened To Evidence Checker Role Description Oct 2018 (pdf) Job application form Church safeguarding officer role description Children's champion role description DBS Evidence Checker Registration Form DBS PCC London Diocese Advice based on National Church Guidance Confidential declaration form Eligibility For DBS Checks Lead Recruiter Role Description Aug 2018 (pdf) London Recruiter Registration Form (pdf) Activities eligible for an enhanced criminal record check Church of England Confidential Declaration Form Church of England roles eligible for a criminal record check Model application form Model interview - discussion Model reference form Model Volunteer Job Role Positive and negative interview indicators ROA Exceptions Order Sample policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders DBS checks carried out remotely during COVID-19 BACK TO TOP Information ABOUT THE DIOCESE SITE MAP PRIVACY & COOKIES SAFEGUARDING FAQS CONTACT US WordPress website by Moove Agency Related sites ALMA BOARD FOR SCHOOLS CHURCH PLANTING AND GROWTH COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITIES LONDON CALLINGS ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL Social spaces Find us on Facebook Find us on Twitter Find us on Instagram Stay connected Subscribe to get our latest articles directly into your inbox: Email address*