Independent audits and COVID-19

Last month we reached the decision to postpone the cathedral audits due to take place between March and August 2020 because of the Coronavirus pandemic. In light of further government announcements, and the measures that cathedrals have had to take, we have now decided to defer all the remaining cathedral audits that were due to take place in 2020 and conduct them during 2021. Only Lambeth Palace and Bishopthorpe audits will proceed in 2020.

We recognise that the lock-down is likely to go on longer than originally expected and that, when it does end, there will be many other matters that cathedrals will need to attend to. Our hope is that the audits will then be able to take place in a time and space that allows for the constructive, collective reflection on the quality of safeguarding that the audits are intended to achieve.
 
We will sort out the actual dates for the audits in 2021 as soon as possible. We will endeavour to retain the audit dates for all cathedrals already booked for 2021. However, there may be occasions where we need to ask you to accommodate changes and thank you in advance for your understanding.

Dean of Gloucester, Stephen Lake, member of NSSG and lead safeguarding dean