The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults to worship and grow in Christ safely.
This is done in a coordinated and supported manner and involves Church Safeguarding Officers (CSOs) and clergy at parish level responding to concerns in a timely manner, informing the Diocesan Safeguarding Team (DST) and seeking support from the Thirtyone:eight helpline, local authorities and the police when necessary.
The DST, in conjunction with the Area Bishops’ offices and Senior Staff, undertakes the overall management of safeguarding across the Diocese, drawing on specialist support as needed. Our Safeguarding Policy is contained in ‘Towards a Safer Diocese’ (2018) and further guidance can be sought from the National Church’s
Safeguarding Policies and Practice Guidance. CSOs, clergy and parish staff may wish to refer to the National Church’s
Parish Safeguarding Handbook for advice on responding to concerns.
As well as responding to concerns, it’s important to be aware of the responsibilities to report serious safeguarding incidents to the Charity Commission. Guidance, and links to the National Church,
is available here.
All churches and worshipping communities are required to have safeguarding arrangements in place. These include:
- Procedures for responding to and reporting concerns
- Codes of safe practice
- Safer Recruitment procedures
Our policies govern the work undertaken with children, young people and vulnerable adults who attend church and take part in activities organised by the church or on church premises.
Liability insurance in relation to such issues may be invalidated if the appropriate safeguarding policies are not in place and being implemented.
Safeguarding concerns
Any concerns raised in parishes should be brought to the attention of the Church Safeguarding Officer, who can seek advice from the DST. Other areas of the Diocese (e.g. chaplaincies) should contact the DST directly.
Safeguarding concerns can be raised by phone or by email. Concerns raised via email should be sent to our Safeguarding Inbox in the first instance:
[email protected]. Alternatively, to speak to a member of the DST, please call our Safeguarding Helpline on 020 7932 1224.
If you wish to speak to a specific member of the team, please find their contact details below:
Annette Gordon, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser –
[email protected], 020 7932 1124
Maggie McMahon, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday) –
[email protected], 020 3837 5101
Andrew Munro, Assistant Safeguarding Adviser (two days a week) –
[email protected], 020 3837 5092
Aileen Stamate, Safeguarding Manager –
[email protected], 020 3837 5093
Josephine Carter, Safeguarding Assistant –
[email protected], 020 3837 5098
Out of hours advice can be sought from the Thirtyone:eight helpline on 0303 003 1111, selecting option 2. Thirtyone:eight is an independent charity which works in close partnership with the DST. The DST receives notification of any advice given by Thirtyone:eight.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) applications
We now process all DBS applications online using the eBulk system, which is managed by Thirtyone:eight. All those working in a paid or voluntary capacity with children, young people or vulnerable adults require a DBS check as part of the safer recruitment process. A new DBS disclosure should be requested every five years.
Each parish should have appointed a Lead Recruiter to manage the DBS process and may also choose to appoint additional Evidence Checkers.
For any queries around how the DBS process works in the Diocese, please contact the DST. For enquiries about the eBulk system (including login and password queries) or eligibility for DBS checks for specific roles in your parish, please contact Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111, selecting option 1.
