Last updated 3rd July 2025

INEQE Safeguarding Audit

The INEQE Audit

The INEQE Safeguarding Group audit into the Diocese of Blackburn and Blackburn Cathedral Cathedral is now complete. 

The Diocese of Blackburn as a whole has a ‘strong commitment to safeguarding’ according to the findings of the independent audit.  

Meanwhile, Blackburn Cathedral’s approach to safeguarding requires ‘urgent improvement’.

The audit was carried out by the INEQE Safeguarding Group as part of a rolling programme across The Church of England to be completed by 2028 and involving all dioceses.

It was commissioned by The Archbishop’s Council in conjunction with the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST).

• You can read the full audit report here on the Church of England website or here on the INEQE website.

The Diocesan news release is here. 

The Cathedral response is here. 

Background

Independent safeguarding audits were first commissioned by the Church of England in 2015 with a pilot scheme which was then rolled out across the national Church.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA, commended these audits and one of IICSA’s 2020 recommendations (No 8) was that independent external auditing of the Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures, as well as the effectiveness of safeguarding practice in dioceses, cathedrals and other Church organisations, should continue.

Consequently, INEQE Safeguarding Group was appointed by the Archbishops’ Council to carry out a new round of independent external audits of Church of England dioceses and cathedrals, starting in January 2024. Several dioceses have already completed their audits and the process began here in October 2024. 

The full audit of the Diocese and Cathedral was conducted from October 2024 to February 2025 and included a comprehensive review of 470 key documents; seven focus groups; 423 responses to an anonymous online survey and interviews with staff, volunteers and a broad range of stakeholders.

Support is always available from our team

If you need support - now or in the future - you can contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team on 01254 503088 safeguarding@blackburn.anglican.org or you can call Catherine Smith, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser on 07711485170 or Sophie Booth, Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser on 07468971759.

These details are also on the main safeguarding contact page (in the safeguarding section of this website, which always readily accessible via our homepage). 

You will be listened to with compassion and respect.

If you need urgent help, please call emergency services on 999.

Other options for further support

We understand contacting the Church directly may not be easy for you.  You can also contact any of the following organisations and services.

Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused bu someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales. Contact them via 0300 303 1056 or SafeSpaces@firstlight.org.uk; website: https://safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk/

Lancashire Victims Services offers 24/7 support for victims and survivors and can be contacted on 01772 410410

Trust House Lancashire offers a range of services tailored to meet the individual needs of survivors and their families, including specialist, trauma-focused, one-to-one counselling and therapy, group support, and specialist family support. Tel: 01772 825288 support@trusthouselancs.org

Samaritans can be contacted at any time of the day or night. Tel: 116123 jo@samaritans.org

We hold in prayer all who have been harmed and remain committed to listening, learning, and safeguarding with integrity.

Last updated July 3, 2025