Last updated 8th October 2024

Welcome

Safeguarding: Everyone's responsibility

Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults is central to our mission and ministry and is integral in the Diocesan Vision, which asks us to consider how to make our church communities healthier.

It is everyone's responsibility

These safeguarding pages guide all those in the Diocese of Blackburn on the part that they need to play to ensure the church is a safe environment where concerns are responded to and people can flourish.

You can navigate the safeguarding menu on the homepage to explore our other safeguarding pages or click the links below to go straight to particular pages.

Safeguarding Pages

These pages are listed below for quick access ...

• Overview
• Reporting a safeguarding concern
• Diocesan Safeguarding Team Contacts
• Parish Safeguarding Dashboard and Hubs
• Safeguarding Training
• Parish safeguarding guidance
• Diocesan/national policies and guidance
• Safer recruitment: DBS 
• Safeguarding Matters newsletter
• Past Cases Review 2 Updates
• Past Cases Review 2: Resources/information
• Past Cases Review 2: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

By drawing in specialist support where needed and by working together in a transparent way, all those with safeguarding responsibility in parishes and the Diocese can help to create healthy Church communities which have a positive and transformative effect on our society.

All churches and faith communities are required to have in place arrangements which include:

•  Procedures to identify, respond to and report concerns
•  Codes of safer practice
•  Safer recruitment procedures

Our policies will govern the work undertaken with children, young people and vulnerable adults who attend church or take part in activities on church premises (or that are organised by the church) within the parish.

Liability insurance in relation to such issues may be invalidated if such policy is not in place and being implemented.

Safeguarding Sunday - November 17th 2024

Every year, thousands of churches across the country unite to mark Safeguarding Sunday. It’s a chance to listen and to talk together about how we can create places that are safer for everyone. Protecting vulnerable people from harm and speaking up for their rights is an integral part of our scriptural mandate as Christians (Proverbs 31:8). But sadly, the church hasn’t always done this well. In our headlines and newsfeeds, we read many examples of the hurt and harm that has happened and is continuing to happen in our churches and across society. But we have a chance to stop it.

That’s why the theme and focus for this year is – ‘Let’s talk about it. It’s time to have open and honest conversations about what we’ve got wrong and what we’re getting right. It’s an opportunity to talk about how we can work together to prevent abuse and create a world where every child and adult can feel, and be safe.

To get more info on this head over to the Thirty One: Eight Website to download some resource packs and gain ideas of what your church can do for Safeguarding Sunday.

Confidentiality Declaration

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team has a secure electronic system for retaining any safeguarding information we receive.  Access to the information is restricted to those in the team who are working on the concern and complies to our privacy commitment under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). We may, on occasions, share this information with statutory organisations to comply with our obligations under national legislation.   Where it is necessary for the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults, we will share information with others involved in safeguarding within the church, but we will inform you of our intention to do so.  Further information can be obtained from the Safeguarding team upon request.

Claudia Aspey, October 2024