Section 3: Core Safeguarding Pathways

Online Pathway

(Replica of online material available for in-person delivery in exceptional circumstances)

• Connect the core principles and practices of safeguarding to the Christian faith.
• Recognise issues of power and abuse as they present themselves in a range of contexts, including the Church.
• Identify the barriers (emotional, psychological & theological) that can prevent the promotion of heathy Church communities.
• Apply a clear process in the handling of concerns / safeguarding information whilst recognising the boundaries of their own role.

• All Church Officers[1], staff in church bodies, and bellringers
• Anyone going on to complete any other safeguarding learning pathway.

• Anyone wanting or needing a Basic Awareness of safeguarding.

• In-person delivery by exception using the material provided by the NST.
• Optimum group size of 32 with two facilitators.

Online Pathway

(Replica of online material available for in-person delivery in exceptional circumstances)

• Connect an understanding of good safeguarding practice to their own role and responsibilities.
• Recognise commonalities and differences arising from the age or circumstances of those affected, and how this informs appropriate action.
• Identify wider support, accountability, and governance arrangements relevant for safeguarding in their context.
• Analyse and respond appropriately to variety of safeguarding scenarios whilst recognising the boundaries of their own role.

• Anyone holding the bishop’s licence, commission, authorisation, or permission (including clergy, PtO, Readers, LLMs).
• Anyone (volunteers and employees) in a role which involves work with children, young people, or vulnerable adults, including Tower Captains and ringing teachers.
• Churchwardens.
• Pre-ordination or licence students, prior to Stage 1 Panel.
• Vergers.
• PCC Members / Lay Chapter Members / DBF Trustees.
• Members of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel.

• In-person delivery by exception using the material provided by the NST.
• Optimum group size of 32 with two facilitators.

• Understand how safeguarding concerns and abuse can be prevented within their context.
  • Understand how healthy culture, and safe and effective leadership, shape Christian communities that are healthy, safe, and have the capacity to deliver high quality safeguarding practices.
  • Recognise when risk assessment and management processes are required, understanding when, why and how they must be utilised.
  • Understand more of the impact that abuse and trauma have on individuals’ lives, relationships, and interactions in a community setting, leading to better responses to victims and survivors.
  • Evaluate their learning and translate this into an individual plan of action that will improve their safeguarding practice and responses.

This is designed for those people who play a lead role in shaping the culture of the Church body concerned. This will always include:

• All clergy holding the bishop’s licence, commission, authorisation, or permission (including PtO where exemption has not been given) including Honorary/Assistant Bishops and Chaplains.   

• All Readers and Licensed Lay Ministers holding the bishop’s licence (under Canons E6 & E8), together with all others who hold the bishop’s commission, authorisation, or permission to carry out similar ministerial functions (including PtO where exemption has not been given).

  (Ordinands need to have completed the Leadership Pathway before their diaconal ordination and lay ministers in training before they are licenced, authorised or commissioned.)

• Non-executive members of Chapter (unless their role in the diocese requires a higher level).
• Safeguarding Officers / Leads in all Church bodies[1].

It should also, according to the local context, include such other people who significantly influence the culture of that Church body. These may include, for example, lay ministry staff employed by a PCC or BMO, locally appointed leaders of new worshipping communities, focal ministers, and Churchwardens*.

Tower captains at prominent towers (including Cathedrals, towers with frequent visitors or people learning) and the district chair / district safeguarding lead of bell ringing guilds/councils should complete the Leadership Pathway.

The requirements for attendance for people in local leadership roles will be determined by agreement between the Bishop/Dean and their respective safeguarding officer. Where there is a determination that someone must undertake this pathway, that person then becomes a required attendee.

* Whilst in many contexts the level of influence of Churchwardens may well not reach the threshold, it should be noted that this can increase significantly during vacancies.

Virtual Delivery:

• Two 90-minute sessions delivered via Zoom, one - two weeks apart.

• 2 facilitators.

• Optimum number of participants: 16.

• Pre-work completed and submitted before Session One.

• Session One – This is a 90-minute session comprising three exercises focusing on culture, leadership, and capacity and prevention.

• Session Two – This is a 90-minute session focused on recognising, assessing, and managing risk and victims and survivors.

• Evaluation - This needs to be completed six weeks after the course to appropriately evaluate the outcomes of the course, the learning taken from it and how this learning will be put into practice. The evaluation needs to be submitted to the facilitators.

In-person Delivery:

• Pre-work completed and submitted before Session One.

  Session One: 90-minute session, delivered in-person by two facilitators to an optimum number of 32 participants.  

  (Here the ratio of 1: 8 can be maintained as participants and facilitators are physically in the same space. This means that small groups of 8 can be engaged with and monitored by the facilitators as they move between the groups, something which cannot be done effectively when delivery is virtual.)

• Break between session one and two of 60-90 minutes

• Session Two – This is a 90-minute session comprising three exercises focusing on culture, leadership, and capacity and prevention.   

• Session Two – be held one – two weeks after session one – This is a 90-minute session focused on recognising, assessing, and managing risk and victims and survivors.

• Evaluation - This needs to be completed six weeks after the course to appropriately evaluate the outcomes of the course, the learning taken from it and how this learning will be put into practice. The evaluation needs to be submitted to the facilitators.

• Gain confidence in effectively recognising the connection between our leadership role and effective responses to safeguarding
• Recognise our role in responding to and managing risk
• Evaluate how we cascade cultural expectations within our areas of responsibility to ensure healthy safeguarding cultures
• Recognise your accountability and ensure you are confident addressing and responding to safeguarding matters.

Organisational outcomes:

• Feel equipped to challenge conversations in chapter or parish that ensure we have a shared understanding of healthy cultures.
• Recognise and apply reflections regarding theology and safeguarding within the day-to-day vision, practice, and communication.
• Confidently articulate what is meant by a positive culture surrounding safeguarding and what inhibits this
• Understand how our responses to safeguarding are impacted by organisational culture, perceptions of risk and the impact if anxiety.

This pathway is for members of the senior leadership team of a Church body who have, in different ways, responsibility for, and involvement in, safeguarding matters:

• Archbishops
• Diocesan and Suffragan Bishops
• Provincial Episcopal Visitors
• Archdeacons, including Associate Archdeacons
• Deans
• Cathedral Executive Chapter Members / Residentiary Canons (non-executive Chapter members are trained at Leadership level unless their role in the diocese requires a higher level)
• Bishops’ Chaplains
• Diocesan Secretaries / Chief of Staff / Chief Executive / Cathedral Administrators
• Directors of Communications
• Diocesan Directors of Ordinands and Assistant Diocesan Directors of Ordinands
• Wardens of Readers / LLMs
• Directors of Ministry
• Registrars
• Diocesan and Cathedral Safeguarding Officers
• Cathedral Directors of Music / Masters of Choristers
• HR Directors
• Senior Chaplains to the Armed Forces
• Leaders of Religious Communities

In-person Delivery:

• Two in-person learning sessions delivered in-person (Sessions are 5 hours each).

• Each session is spaced five – six months apart.

• Two facilitators.

• Optimum number of participants: 32.

• Pre-work - Connects previous SLSP evaluation and reflection to current culture and practice within the senior leadership team.

• Session One – A groupwork session 10am - 3pm delivered in-person. The session focuses on culture, leadership and capacity and learning supervision and support.

• Between session one and two there will be six months, during which time reflections will be undertaken monthly (approximately 30 minutes each month). These activities will provide space to reflect and consolidate discussions from session one and prepare participants for session 2.

• Session Two – A groupwork session 10am - 3pm delivered in-person. The session focuses on recognising, assessing, and responding to risk and prevention.

• Post course evaluation – What role do I play in enhancing our safeguarding culture? Develop a good practice guide - What would you see within any given context, thinking about the national safeguarding standards - what would good look like within your diocese/ cathedral? What is working well? And what would you like to achieve?