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The Church of England requires everyone who has contact with, or responsibility for activities with children, young people and vulnerable adults to attend safeguarding training every three years. You can read The Church of England's safeguarding learning and development framework here
Safeguarding training is free - to attend a session click on one of the links below.
Download a guide to safeguarding training for parish roles here
How to Attend Training
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness (approx 75 minutes)
2. Safeguarding Foundations (approx 90 minutes)
Complete online on at The Church of England Safeguarding Training Portal
Our Guide to Using the Portal is here
3. Safeguarding Leadership Pathway
Book to attend a Zoom session here
Download your Safeguarding Leadership Participant Workbook here
Download our Zoom FAQs for safeguarding training here
Download a copy of the Virtual Safeguarding Leadership Presentation here
4. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse
Complete online at The Church of England Safeguarding Training Portal
5. Safe Practice in Pastoral Ministry (optional)
Book to attend a Zoom session here
6. Safer Recruitment & People Management (approx 90-120 minutes)
Complete online on at The Church of England Safeguarding Training Portal
7. Safer Recruitment in The Church of England - Birmingham Induction
Download a copy of the presentation here
8. Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator Induction
Book to attend a session here
Safeguarding Training in Deaneries
For learners who are unable to access training online or via Zoom, face to face Basic Safeguarding Awareness and Safeguarding Foundation training will be available through their deanery:
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Kings Norton, Moseley & Shirley: Wednesday 14th September 2022, 6.30pm - 9.00pm at St Philip's Church Centre, Manor Road, Dorridge, Solihull B93 8DX
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Yardley & Solihull: Saturday 17th September 2022, 10.00am - 12.30pm at All Saints Church, 172 Herbert Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B10 0PR
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Warley & Edgbaston: Monday 26th September 2022, 6.30pm - 9.00pm at St James Rounds Green, Shelsey Avenue, Lion Farm Estate, Oldbury B69 1BG
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Aston & Sutton Coldfield: Saturday 1st October 2022, 10.30am - 1.00pm, St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, St Cuthbert's Place, Castle Vale B35 7PL
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Handsworth & Central: Monday 31st October 2022, 1.30 pm - 3.45 pm at Birmingham Cathedral, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2QB
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Coleshill & Polesworth: Tuesday 8th November 2022, 6.30pm - 9.00pm, Holy Trinity Warton, Church Road, Warton, Staffs B79 0JN (Parish of All Souls, North Warwickshire)
Further dates will be added as they are agreed. To attend you must book your place here
For more information please email Laura Rutherford.
Clergy, Readers, Licensed Ministers, Ordained Local Ministers, Commissioned Pastoral Visitors
... must complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations
3. Safeguarding Leadership Pathway - renewal every three years
4. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse - renewal every three years
5. Safe Practice in Pastoral Ministry (optional)
Area Deans, Incumbents, Priests-in-Charge,Team Vicars and other roles involved in appointing employees and volunteers must also complete:
6. Safer Recruitment & People Management- renewal every three years
Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinators
... must complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations
3. Safeguarding Leadership Pathway - renewal every three years
4. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse - renewal every three years
5. Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinator Induction
6. Safer Recruitment & People Management- renewal every three years
7. Drop-in Safeguarding Surgery (optional)
Please check The Update or The Bulletin for the dates and Zoom links or contact the safeguarding team and request the link via email
9. Annual Resource & Recognition Day (recommended)
The next day will be held on Saturday 4th February 2023.
10. Deanery Network Events (recommended)
Events will be advised to Parish Safeguarding Co-ordinators by their Area Dean.
Parish Roles
All volunteer and paid roles
... in the parish church are required to complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness - renewal every three years
PCC Members
... are required to complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations - renewal every three years
4. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse - renewal every three years
Church Wardens
… are required to complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations – renewal every three years
3. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse - renewal every three years
… are recommended to complete:
4. Safeguarding Leadership Pathway (This course is a requirement rather than a recommendation for Church Wardens in a vacancy and for Church Wardens that play a lead role in shaping the culture of their church setting - if this course is completed, renew every three years, instead of the Safeguarding Foundations course)
Roles that have direct contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults
… are required to complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations – renewal every three years
... are recommended to complete:
3. Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse - renewal every three years (This course is a requirement rather than a recommendation for pastoral visitors)
Roles that play a leadership role in shaping the culture of the Parish Church
…are required to complete:
1. Basic Safeguarding Awareness
2. Safeguarding Foundations
3. Safeguarding Leadership Pathway – renewal every three years
This will include, amongst others, paid children, youth, family or vulnerable adults workers (or individuals who have similar responsibilities as a volunteer). The Safeguarding Leadership Pathway focusses on leadership and cultural change. The Parish Church must assess the safeguarding training needs of their volunteer, elected officials and paid roles to decide if the requirement to attend the Leadership Pathway is met.
Roles involved in recruitment and line management or supervision
... are required to complete:
6. Safer Recruitment - renewal every three years
Parish Identity Verifiers must also complete:
7. Safer Recruitment in The Church of England - Birmingham Induction
Optional Safeguarding Courses
Developing our Safeguarding Adults Practice for Leaders
A session for ministers, parish safeguarding co-ordinators, leaders & organisers of activities for vulnerable adults to increase understanding of safeguarding and reducing risk when working with adults in our church-based community activities. Participants must be willing to take their learning back to their parish and help raise the awareness and safe practice of all members of their teams. Resources to facilitate this will be provided.
Book to attend a Developing our Safeguarding Adults Practice for Leaders (optional) session here
Safe Practice in Pastoral Ministry
A session for all lay and ordained ministers and leaders to consider their roles and responsibilities in relation to pastoral ministry including recognising and managing challenging behaviour, developing pastoral skill in risk assessment, recording, reporting and sharing information appropriately and establishing safe working practices that connect the expectations of The Church of England with personal theology.
Book to attend a Safe Practice in Pastoral Ministry (optional) session here
Modern Slavery
Two e-learning modules for anyone who wants a basic understanding of the issues of modern slavery and for leaders and helpers of social action projects
Complete the Introduction to Modern Slavery and Safeguarding & Social Action Modules here
The Prevent Duty and Radicalisation
An e-learning module from HM Government for anyone who wants to understand more about the Prevent Duty and how to safeguarding vulnerable people from becoming radicalised to support terrorism or become a terrorist themselves.
Complete the Introduction to the Prevent Duty and Radicalisation module here
County Lines and Child Exploitation
A podcast from the Children's Society to raise aware of County Lines is available here
The Clewer Initiative provide training for churches on different forms of exploitation linked to modern slavery on their website here
The Gospel, Sexual Abuse & the Church
A small group resource for the local church to explore safeguarding from a theological perspective
Download the resource here
Forgiveness & Reconciliation in the Aftermath of Abuse
A theological response to abuse for ministers and leaders
Download the resource here
Further Reading
Oakley & Humphries (1819) Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse. Creating Healthy Christian Cultures. SPCK Publishing. https://spckpublishing.co.uk/escaping-the-maze-of-spiritual-abuse
Fife, Janet and Gilo (1819), Letters to a Broken Church. Ekklesia.
Harper and Wilson (1819) To Heal and Not to Hurt: A fresh approach to safeguarding in Church, Darton, Longman and Todd
Merchant (1818), Broken by Fear, Anchored in Hope: Faithfulness in an age of anxiety. SPCK Publishing. https://spckpublishing.co.uk/broken-by-fear-anchored-in-hope
Frankl, (1804) Man's Search for Meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust, Rider.
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