Essential Parish Resources

Registering as a Parish Safeguarding Representative

Parish Safeguarding Representatives (PSR’s) undertake key responsibilities so please let us know whenever your parish appoints a new person to this role so we can contact them. Please complete the Change of Parish Safeguarding Representative Form and email it to us so we can contact the new PSR with information about their role. Please provide your new PSR with a role description.

National Safeguarding Standards

The National Safeguarding Standards have been developed as a benchmark for safeguarding requirements within diocese and worshipping communities. The standards are considered essential to understand the quality and, most importantly, the impact of each church organisations safeguarding activity. They also provide a simple construct which integrates the complexity of all safeguarding activity. All such activities, at all levels across the Church, will relate to at least one Standard. Please ensure you display the poster and share the booklet and/or leaflet with the PCC, who are required to ensure the parish follows these standards.

Safer Recruitment and People Management

The Church of England’s safeguarding policy statement ‘Promoting a Safer Church’ outlines the Church’s commitment to promoting a safe environment and culture across all Church bodies. An essential part of this commitment is ensuring that all those who work or volunteer with vulnerable groups are suitable for the role they will carry out.

One way in which the Church aims to fulfil this commitment is by following ‘safer recruitment’ processes and ensuring continued vigilance once someone is in role. Obtaining a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) certificate is only one element of a ‘safer recruitment’ process. The reality is that many people who have abused or will abuse in positions of trust do not have a criminal record. Therefore, the wider process of ‘safer recruitment’ is an essential part of the Church of England’s approach to safeguarding. Consequently, the National Safeguarding Team have reviewed its previous guidance and published new policy and associated guidance, ‘Safer Recruitment and People Management’ (SR&PM). SR&PM must be followed for all those in role working with children and vulnerable adults.

Template Role Descriptions: The following are model role descriptions you may find useful as you seek to implement SR&PM in your recruitment processes and volunteer management.

Parish Dashboard and Safeguarding Hub

The Parish Dashboard and Safeguarding Hub are online tools designed to make it easier for churches to manage their safeguarding requirements. They enable parishes to work through each requirement, now aligned with the National Safeguarding Standards, and to produce an audit or report instantly.

Ruth Putnam, our Parish Support Officer, is available to provide support for both the Parish Dashboard and Safeguarding Hub as well as general parish safeguarding administration advice. If you would like to request support from Ruth with your dashboard and hub, please complete this form and Ruth will be in touch shortly.

Parish Safeguarding Guidance

The following Church of England policy and guidance have been approved by the House of Bishops and must, where relevant, be followed by all Church Bodies and Church Officers (church staff and volunteers). Local and national safeguarding policies can be found on the ‘Local and National Policies’ page of the Diocesan safeguarding web pages.

Church of England Safeguarding E-Manual – includes:

Church of England Safeguarding Policies and Practice Guidance – includes:

Church of England Templates and Resources – includes:
- Model Activity Risk Assessment Template
- Model personal Risk assessment Tool
- Model Risk Assessment Checklist for Home Visiting
- Model Registration form for Activities and Trips

Domestic Abuse Resources – includes:
- Discreet Contact posters for Plymouth, Torbay and Devon wide
- Theological Clarification
- Marriage Preparation
- Legal Context

Parish Templates

Parish Responding to Safeguarding Allegations or Concerns Procedure (Template): Every PCC must have a procedure in place to deal promptly with safeguarding allegations or concerns. This template helpfully localises the national and diocesan guidance.
Parish Safeguarding Contacts Poster 2026 (Template): Please use and display this proforma safeguarding contacts poster which can be updated with your local details.
Parish Church Building Lettings Safeguarding Statement (Template): This is an addendum to add to lettings forms to cover safeguarding responsibility when church premises are hired.

Additional Tools and Documents

Working and volunteering safely with children and young people: A helpful guide to assist all those working with children and young people.
Safe Spaces Church Resources: includes posters that can be printed and displayed
NSPCC PANTS & Pantosaurus resources: A range of resources to help start the conversation to keep children safe from abuse.
Guidance on safeguarding whilst using videoconferencing platforms for ministry: This guidance is useful for any churches who deliver online services or groups.
Guidance on protecting images from AI manipulation and Abuse: this guidance shares best practice and considerations for organisations working with children and young people on the use of photos and videos of children and young people across their online platforms, to address the risk of AI image manipulation.