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Safeguarding governance provides the framework for oversight, accountability, and learning across the diocese.
This page outlines how safeguarding is governed, including decision-making structures, scrutiny arrangements, and how learning from practice and review informs improvement. These arrangements help ensure safeguarding responsibilities are clearly held and that safeguarding practice is regularly reviewed and strengthened.
Safeguarding within the Church of England is underpinned by the National Safeguarding Standards. These set out the expectations for safeguarding practice, culture, leadership, and governance across dioceses, cathedrals, and church bodies.
Our safeguarding arrangements are informed by these standards and are kept under review through governance structures, audit, and ongoing learning.
The Church of England Birmingham has formulated a Safeguarding Strategy and a Safeguarding Action Plan. These are two in-depth documents setting out exactly what the diocese needs to do to ensure all activities connected with the church are safe for both children and adults.
The Safeguarding Strategy explains the strategic objectives underpinned by the National Safeguarding Standards. It is reviewed and refreshed and presented to Diocesan Synod on a yearly basis.
The Safeguarding Action Plan details every element of safeguarding delivery and serves as the blueprint for all future activity and is updated regularly. It also provides an effective means by which to record the diocese progress. A copy of the Safeguarding Strategy is available upon request.
DSAP has oversight of, and scrutinises, safeguarding strategy and arrangements in The Church of England – Birmingham. This group’s membership consists of key personnel from within the Diocese and Cathedral; and both lay and clergy parish representatives (including Parish Safeguarding Officers) alongside wider representation from all the key Statutory Partnership Agencies and other relevant charities. The working group meets 3 times a year and is led by an Independent Chair who has a background in safeguarding at a senior level. The working group’s role is to oversee all workstreams detailed within the Diocesan Safeguarding Strategy and Action Plan alongside the internal Operational Safeguarding Group.
A complaint is a way to raise concerns where you feel standards have not been met or you have been adversely affected by an action or decision.
We are committed to creating a culture of openness, accountability, and learning. If you have a concern about behaviour, practice, decision-making, or the way something has been handled, we want to hear from you.
Information about how to raise a complaint, including who to contact and what will happen next, can be found below.
Domestic abuse policy statement –. Last reviewed by DSAP 2024
Promoting a safer church safeguarding policy statement – Last reviewed by DSAP 2024
Recruitment of ex-offenders policy statement – Last reviewed by DSAP 2024
Safeguarding complaints procedure
Resolution to Delegate the Reporting of Safeguarding Serious Incidents to the Charities Commission – Last reviewed by Bishop’s Council 2021
The Church of England’s Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) was a national, independent review of safeguarding case files across all dioceses, commissioned to ensure past concerns were properly identified and responded to. The Diocese supports the findings of the review and continues to embed its learning through strengthened safeguarding practice, governance, and survivor-focused approaches. These findings can be found here.