An independent audit of safeguarding in the Diocese of Carlisle and at Carlisle Cathedral has praised a “strong commitment” to ensuring our worshipping communities are safer places for all.

In January a team from safeguarding specialists INEQE – commissioned by the Archbishop’s Council to complete audits of all dioceses and cathedrals in England - visited Cumbria to conduct the audit.

Their newly published report has found that a “strong sense of safety and a positive safeguarding culture are evident across the Diocese and its parishes”. Meanwhile, the Cathedral’s staff and worshipping community recognise a “robust safeguarding culture” which has been embedded.

The commitment and hard work of Parish Safeguarding Officers and volunteers is also highlighted alongside that of the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer. A commitment to safeguarding from the Diocese and Cathedral’s senior leaders is highlighted. The Cathedral’s annual Safeguarding Season is also praised, through which we are encouraged to listen, learn and lament from the Church’s past failings around sexual abuse.

In total the report contains 39 recommendations which the Diocese and Cathedral are committed to engage with to further enhance safeguarding practices.

The Acting Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Rev Rob Saner-Haigh, said: “I want to thank the INEQE team for their very detailed audit of safeguarding practices across our Diocese and for the insightful constructive comments and feedback which we have received.

“Safeguarding remains a priority for us and we recognise that we can never sit still. We must always look to do and be better. So, we are thankful for the recommendations which INEQE have tabled to help us to achieve this. We are committed to exploring how these can be implemented to further strengthen our safeguarding practices.

“Safeguarding is part of our gospel call to care well for others. My prayer remains that we do all we can to ensure our churches and worshipping communities are safer places for all. Our primary focus remains those victims and survivors who have been impacted by the Church’s failings.”

The Dean of Carlisle, the Very Rev Jonathan Brewster, said: ““We thank the INEQE team for the time they spent with us and the supportive way in which the audit was conducted. We welcome the auditor’s constructive engagement with the whole cathedral community and their recognition of the work we have done to engage with victims and survivors of abuse through the Cathedral safeguarding season.

We went into this process with complete transparency and with a desire to learn and improve our systems. We welcome the report’s recommendations and look forward to continuing to keep safeguarding at the heart of all we do at Carlisle Cathedral.”

As part of the audit, INEQE team members analysed 580 documents and conducted interviews with church officers, victims and survivors, external partners and other stakeholders. An anonymous survey gathered 576 responses and auditors also interviewed members of eight focus groups.

The report includes recommendations around culture, leadership and capacity, prevention, recognising, assessing and managing risk, victims and survivors, and learning, supervision and support.

It highlights capacity issues for the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and there’s encouragement to adopt new approaches to operational and leadership arrangements for safeguarding. The Diocese and Cathedral are also encouraged to explore a future shared service for safeguarding provision.

The report also recognises the work of members of the independent Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP) which provides governance oversight and acts as a ‘critical friend’ around safeguarding provision.

Allan Harder, the Chair of DSAP, said: “This independent and thorough audit conducted by INEQE provides a comprehensive assessment of the diocese against the five national safeguarding standards. It recognises the positive work completed and importantly those areas which need development. As safeguarding is all our responsibility, I would encourage people to make time and read this informative report.”

The INEQE report has been published today and can be viewed on the Diocese of Carlisle’s website and on Carlisle Cathedral’s and INEQE’s websites.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information about INEQE visit: https://ineqe.com/.

Anyone with a safeguarding concern can contact our Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, Joanna Van Lachterop, on 07458 016884 or at safeguarding.adviser@carlislediocese.org.uk.Alternatively, people may wish to contact Safe Spaces, a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the Church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England. Safe Spaces can be contacted by telephone on 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times) or via email at safespaces@firstlight.org.uk.

For further information contact Dave Roberts, Diocesan Head of Communications, on 07469 153658 or at communications@carlislediocese.org.uk or Cath Coates, Marketing and Communications Officer at Carlisle Cathedral on 01228 479227 or at marketing@carlislecathedral.org.uk.