We welcome the publication of the Independent Safeguarding Audit conducted by INEQE, which examines safeguarding arrangements across the Diocese of London and at St Paul’s Cathedral. It is the result of the collation and analysis of 330 documents, 9 focus groups and 70 engagement sessions with 154 people, interviews across Church officers, external partners, victims and survivors, and 2,390 anonymous survey responses from victims and survivors, children and young people, worshippers, and workers.
The audit is clear that safeguarding in London has undergone significant improvement and that this is a Diocese in which confidence in the safety of church environments is high. We are grateful for the tireless work done day in day out by everyone, from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and Parish Safeguarding Officers to clergy, and the other staff and volunteers, all of whom have a crucial role to play in ensuring the safety of our worshipping communities.
We acknowledge there are a number of areas of improvement recommended by INEQE.
We are humbled reading about the experiences of victims and survivors in our Diocese. While some have received thoughtful, compassionate support, others have experienced delay, inconsistency or distress. Rebuilding trust, strengthening trauma-informed practice, and ensuring consistent follow up, are priorities we must continue to address with honesty and compassion. Work is already underway to strengthen survivor support and engagement, including reviewing how survivors are signposted, supported and followed up.
The report is positive about safeguarding as a strategic priority, but also suggests that the size and structure of London risks exacerbating inconsistencies in provision. While the audit recognises that capacity in the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (DST) has increased, there is more to do. We are committed to increasing investment in safeguarding, and will prioritise taking this forward.
A Task and Finish Group, chaired by the Bishop of Edmonton, is now reviewing the recommendations and next steps in detail. That work will be considered through our safeguarding governance structures, before being brought to London Diocesan Fund Trustees for discernment and decision-making.
The Diocesan and Cathedral Safeguarding Teams, as well as the independently-chaired Diocesan and Cathedral Safeguarding Advisory Panels, will be scrutinising the detail of INEQE’s findings to inform where additional improvements are required. We will also be continuing work to improve consistency of practice, data quality and oversight across Episcopal Areas, and to clarify governance and escalation arrangements so that safeguarding scrutiny is strong, focused and effective.
Safeguarding is never a finished task. It is an ongoing commitment to listening, learning, accountability and care for the most vulnerable. We therefore welcome this audit as a call to go further. We are determined to build on what has been achieved, to address what must now change, and to do so in a way that is transparent and centred on the people we are called to serve, especially victims and survivors.
We ask for your prayers as we continue this work together, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that the Church in London is a place of safety, dignity and hope for all.