Synod approves safeguarding codes of practice

General Synod has voted to approve new safeguarding codes of practice; both Managing and Reporting Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations were passed overwhelmingly following a full debate and will come into effect in September 2025. Two other Codes of Practice on Religious Communities have been deemed approved as the requisite number of requests for a debate was not reached. These will come into effect on 1 March 2025.

The Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop Joanne Grenfell introduced the debate speaking separately on both the Managing and Reporting Codes.

The new Managing Allegations code of practice sets out the processes for assessing and managing safeguarding concerns and allegations against church officers. It is mainly a technical document, aimed at safeguarding professionals and others who will manage the process. This replaces the current 2017 House of Bishops’ Practice Guidance on Responding to Allegations. The new Code includes:

• Clear pathways with detailed guidance on how to deal with allegations and managing risk with different categories of Church Officer for example, clergy, employees, volunteers, elected members of bodies and those who are deceased.
• List of ‘relevant persons’ – who are required to comply with the requirements of the Code - is set out clearly at the start and each requirement is clearly directed to one of these persons or bodies. It is important to note that the ‘relevant person’ is the one who has responsibility for making the requirement happen, and who has the ultimate accountability if it does not.
• A new process for dealing with allegations about failing to follow safeguarding procedures where there is no direct abusive behaviour or risk has been developed. This focuses on learning and development where that is a more appropriate outcome. A learning culture where mistakes can be promptly admitted and dealt with creates a safer culture. This will not however prevent appropriate action being taken when failures put other at risk of harm.
• More clarity on the role and functions of the Safeguarding Case Management Group (formerly known as ‘core groups’) with improved structures, decision-making processes and escalation where necessary.

The Second Code passed is on Reporting Allegations (officially called Recognising, Responding, Recording and Referring Safeguarding Concerns and Allegations).

This Code imposes requirements on relevant persons to ensure that all safeguarding allegations and concerns are

• recognised,
• responded to,
• reported, and
• recorded.

It is the Church’s version of ‘See it, Say it, Sorted’ and is much shorter and more accessible than the Managing Allegations Code, because it has a much wider intended audience.

In 2021 Synod passed the Safeguarding Code of Practice Measure which replaced the former ‘duty to have due regard’ in existing guidance with a ‘duty to comply’ with the requirements of a Code. This was a recommendation from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA, designed to bring absolute clarity to safeguarding responsibilities.

Codes contain both requirements – which are mandatory - and guidance on how a person is to comply with the requirements. All requirements are clearly marked as such and are in a blue box in the document.

Synod previously has approved Codes in relation to safeguarding practice reviews in July 2023 and the learning and development framework in July 2024.

Read Joanne Grenfell's speeches on managing and reporting safeguarding concerns and allegations.