A spokesperson from the Diocese of Guildford said:
“We were encouraged by the wide-ranging, thoughtful and vital debate on safeguarding independence within the Church of England, that took place at General Synod. Whatever the accountability and governance structures, our senior clergy and staff will always take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously.
“As ever, we must continue to listen to the victims of abuse and put them at the heart of good safeguarding practice. We understand that for victims and survivors of abuse, this debate may have been difficult or triggering. If you have any concerns, there is support available from trained safeguarding professionals and a wide range of expert charities and local services. You will be listened to.
“The General Synod has decided to endorse model 3 in the short-term, which will result in much enhanced independent scrutiny of safeguarding practice, while still allowing dioceses to employ safeguarding professionals at a local level. There was however overwhelming support in the Synod for further exploration of the legal and practical requirements necessary to implement model 4, which would transfer all safeguarding teams in dioceses and cathedrals to an external employer.
“We will continue to embed a positive safeguarding culture within the Diocese of Guildford, and our parishes can always rely on support, advice, and training from our diocesan safeguarding team.
“We also want to commend the ongoing commitment of the parish safeguarding officers who work so hard to keep our churches safe, and keep the most vulnerable people protected.”
- The full debate can be found on the Church of England YouTube.
- If you have any safeguarding concerns, you can report them to our team and/or seek advice from support services.