An independent safeguarding audit of the Diocese of London has been published by the INEQE Safeguarding Group, as part of the Church of England’s national audit programme. Commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council in partnership with the National Safeguarding Team, the programme is auditing all dioceses by 2028.
Overview of main findings
The London audit identifies progress in safeguarding arrangements across the Diocese.
It notes that an “overwhelming majority” of respondents from the London Diocesan Fund workforce, parishes and wider worshipping community reported improvements, and said that the importance of safeguarding is now better recognised.
INEQE found that a safeguarding culture is becoming “embedded” across the Diocese, with respondents describing a growing sense of confidence in reporting concerns.
The audit also identifies clear areas where further work is needed. It notes that some victims and survivors do not experience safeguarding as sufficiently person-centred or trauma-informed, and emphasises the importance of ensuring that learning from training is consistently applied in practice.
The audit concludes that, while the Diocese is well-led and progress has been made, further investment will be required to ensure safeguarding arrangements are robust and sustainable across the Diocese.
The London College of Bishops have issued a joint statement responding to the recommendations of the report.
The Rt Revd Dr Emma Ineson, Acting Bishop of London and Bishop of Kensington, said:
We are grateful for this independent audit of our safeguarding practices by INEQE. The report reflects the sustained work at all levels of the Diocese to strengthen our safeguarding culture and practice.
Serving London through over 500 worshipping communities brings significant safeguarding responsibility, and I want to thank all of the safeguarding staff and parish officers for the dedication, professionalism and care they show in upholding high standards every day.
As the report recommends, we must ensure we learn and listen to a wider range of victim and survivor voices. This should involve scaling up our training programme to ensure safeguarding is increasingly person-centred and trauma informed.
“We must also increase investment so that safeguarding is properly resourced and consistent across the Diocese.”
Responding to the audit’s findings on St Paul’s Cathedral, The Very Revd Andrew Tremlett, Dean of St Paul’s, said:
We receive the findings of the audit with gratitude and a deep awareness of what still needs to be done. We are pleased that INEQE has recognised the progress made at St Paul’s, and I want to thank cathedral staff and volunteers for their dedication in ensuring this is a safe place to worship, work and visit.
“We are acutely aware that safeguarding is never ‘finished.’ We owe it to victims and survivors, and to everyone who comes through our doors, to listen carefully, to be honest about what still needs to change, and to respond constructively to the recommendations made.”
Sarah McKimm, Independent Chair of the Audit’s Quality Assurance Group and Independent Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel, said:
We welcome the external scrutiny INEQE has brought to the safeguarding arrangements in the Diocese of London. The DSAP’s regular programme of scrutiny has observed significant improvements in recent years.
The distributed leadership model, the effective risk management through safety plans, the mandatory induction training for new Parish Safeguarding Officers, the wide-ranging training on complex issues – these are examples of developments now reported and validated by the audit.
The INEQE audit offers an opportunity to reflect on how far safeguarding has come within the Diocese and to thank all those who are part of that.
But it also highlights important areas for action. Risks noted include an over-stretched workforce, structural complexity and inconsistency.
As such, the audit presents a timely challenge to strengthen the arrangements and go yet further.
“Parishes across the diocese play a central in role in communities and are trusted to be safe, compassionate places. The INEQE findings will be a touchstone for our future scrutiny programme which will be key to ensuring churches are supported in their vital work”.
Background
In August 2023, the INEQE Safeguarding Group was appointed by the Archbishops’ Council to carry out the next round of independent external audits of Church of England dioceses and cathedrals.
The purpose of these audits is to ensure that dioceses, cathedrals and palaces are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.
The independent audit programme will run for five years, from 2023 to 2028, with audits commencing in January 2024.
Audits are now conducted in dioceses and cathedrals at the same time, having previously been carried out separately.
As part of the Diocese of London audit, INEQE:
* collated and analysed 330 documents
* held nine focus groups and 70 engagement sessions involving 154 people, including church officers (staff and volunteers), external partners, victims and survivors
* received 2,390 anonymous survey responses from victims and survivors, children and young people, worshippers and church workers
Further information about safeguarding at the Diocese of London, including how to raise a concern or access support, is available on the Diocese’s safeguarding page