Independent safeguarding audits were first commissioned by the Church of England in 2015 with a pilot scheme which was then rolled out across the national Church. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA, commended these audits and one of IICSA’s 2020 recommendations (No 8) was that independent external auditing of the Church’s safeguarding policies and procedures, as well as the effectiveness of safeguarding practice in dioceses, cathedrals and other Church organisations, should continue.

Consequently, INEQE Safeguarding Group was appointed by the Archbishops’ Council to carry out a new round of independent external audits of Church of England dioceses and cathedrals, starting in January 2024. Several dioceses have already completed their audits and in September the process started in the Diocese of Carlisle.

The audits are carried out in dioceses and cathedrals at the same time, with an audit framework agreement to ensure consistency of approach. The purpose of the audits is to ensure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. INEQE provides each diocese with a series of standardised questions, which the diocese are required to respond to in detail and then INEQE visit each diocese in person to conduct a range of interviews with a wide range of diocesan personnel and stakeholders. The INEQE team visited Carlisle from 7 to 10 January, 2025.

The INEQE Independent Safeguarding Audit of Carlisle Diocesan Board of Finance and Carlisle Cathedral report was published on Thursday 20 March. It can be viewed on this website by clicking on the link below as well as on the websites of Carlisle Cathedral and INEQE.

Click here to view the INEQE report.

Click here to read an associated press release.