Safeguarding in practice

Safeguarding in practice

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone in our Cathedral community, whether they are volunteers or staff. This page has been put together to provide information on our internal procedures and policies for raising safeguarding concerns.

If you completed Church of England safeguarding training online we need you to watch our follow up briefing video (step 1), read our frequently asked questions section (step 2) and complete the short test (step 3) to confirm you understand what you need to do when you have a safeguarding concern. Once you have completed this training and test we would love to hear your feedback (step 4), so please do take the time to share this with us.

This page will remain and active and available, so anytime you wish to have a refresher on our procedures and policy please do come back to this page.

Step 1: 

Watch our briefing video

In this specially recorded video, Safeguarding Officer Louise Wilcox and Volunteer Manager Rachel Ball discuss our internal procedures and policies for raising safeguarding concerns.

This includes:

  • the Cathedral's framework for safeguarding
  • our legal requirements
  • how to report safeguarding concerns
  • what happens after a concern is raised
  • ongoing safeguarding training and support

Step 2: 

Read our FAQs

Solidify your knowledge of our internal practices around safeguarding by reading our frequently asked questions.

Why do I need to take safeguarding seriously?

Churches in the UK are required to undertake safeguarding through a combination of general UK law, charity law and specific internal church legislation. This is a shared responsibility of everyone in the Cathedral, in the same way ensuring our health and safety and security procedures and policies are adhered to. 

We want to create the safest environment we can, and we all play a part in doing that.

Where can I read the safeguarding policy?

The safeguarding policy is available to staff on the global drive (formally the S drive) and for volunteers on Assemble. You can also (along with the public) view the policy on our safeguarding webpage. 

Where can I find our Safeguarding Cause for Concern/Incident Report form?

This form can be found on our global drive (formally the S drive) and for volunteers on Assemble.  You can also get a paper copy from our virgers; any member of staff with computer access to the global drive will be able to print off a copy for you.

Please complete this form as comprehensively as you can and ensure your own contact details are on the form.  If we have any questions, we will come back to you.

What are the training requirements for safeguarding?

We ask all staff and volunteers to complete their training every 3 years and ideally undertake the training in person, as it gives you an opportunity to not only share your experience and questions but also hear from others, learning together. These training sessions are a great opportunity to meet other staff and volunteers from across the Cathedral. 

For newly joining volunteers, you will complete the Church of England online safeguarding training as part of the vetting and check stage of the recruitment process. You are also required to review this page and complete the short test (step 3). 

For existing volunteers renewing, we would prefer you to complete the training in person but understand you may complete it online for the other churches you are a part of. We can accept those certificates, as long as you complete the test (step 3). 

More information can be found on our Complete your training webpage. 

Certificates should be sent to volunteering@stpaulscathedral.org.uk.

For staff, you are expected to complete the training in person. If you have any questions about this, please speak with your line manager or HR.

What further support is there available?

There are a number of organisations you can speak with and their contact details, along with links to their websites, can be found on our safeguarding webpage.

Step 3: 

Confirm your knowledge

Our short multiple choice test will confirm you have understood our procedures and will be able to apply them when required. 

If you have completed the online Church of England safeguarding course, you must complete this test successfully to enable us to record your safeguarding training as up to date.

Take the short test

Step 4: 

Provide your feedback

We would love to hear from you about this training (Church of England online safeguarding training and the information on this page); please take 5 minutes to complete this short training evaluation form.

Training evaluation feedback form

Learn more