Standard Seven: Training and Support for Safeguarding
Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 @ 10:53 am
The seventh standard calls for Church bodies to provide ongoing training and support to everyone involved in safeguarding.
The Church body will provide and access ongoing training and support to everyone involved in safeguarding to enable them to deliver the practice described within the safeguarding standards.
The criteria which indicate that this standard is being met include…
TS1: Training
The Church body will:
- Ensure that all clergy and religious who require it, including those in formation, have access to and avail themselves of nationally agreed safeguarding training to support their contribution to the Church body’s safeguarding practice.
- Require all overseas personnel, and those that are new to ministry, to have received training in the safeguarding standards and to have a good understanding of their content, prior to being involved in active ministry.
- Ensure that all lay employees and volunteers receive safeguarding training appropriate to their role, including specialist training for those with specific leadership or safeguarding responsibilities.
- Promote continuous improvement through regular review of the range, quality and impact of training provided.
- Produce a training needs analysis to facilitate the provision of training.
- Avail themselves of locally provided safeguarding training from relevant organisations in the area.
- Keep records of those who avail themselves of training opportunities and proactively engage with those who do not attend.
TS2: Support
The leadership of the Church body will:
- Prioritise the provision of effective safeguarding training.
- Maintain active oversight of its training provision to address any failures to meet its training requirements which may impact negatively on its practice.
The following represents evidence that would indicate compliance with this standard:
- The existence of a safeguarding training plan for the Church body, which has been updated and revised.
- A comprehensive training needs analysis for safeguarding for the Church body.
- Notes within the minutes of management and leadership meetings for the Church body, that the training needs are being tracked and discussed.
- An induction programme for new leaders and other key roles within the Church body.
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