In 2001, Lord Michael Nolan was commissioned by the then Archbishop of Westminster to conduct an independent review into safeguarding in the Catholic Church. This timeline starts at this point and continues to the present day.
September, 2001
The Nolan Report was a major step in strengthening safeguarding in the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It made 83 recommendations to improve the protection of children, including safer recruitment, better sharing of safeguarding information, stronger record-keeping and clear referral to statutory agencies when concerns are raised.
2001
Following the Nolan Report, the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (COPCA) was created. It gave the Church in England and Wales a national safeguarding structure and helped dioceses and religious congregations apply safeguarding policies consistently.
2007
The Cumberlege Review looked at how far the Church had acted on the Nolan recommendations. It found that most had been wholly or partly addressed, while also calling for stronger national leadership, better training and support, and a more joined-up approach across the Church.
2008
The National Catholic Safeguarding Commission and the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service were set up to provide national leadership, guidance, training, audits and professional advice. Their work helped strengthen safeguarding practice across dioceses and religious congregations in England and Wales.
2019-2020
The Elliott Review examined whether the Church’s safeguarding structures were still effective. It made 15 recommendations for reform, including clearer accountability, stronger standards and a new national safeguarding model for England and Wales.
2020
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its report on the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. The Bishops accepted its recommendations alongside the Elliott proposals, reinforcing the need for greater accountability, scrutiny and public confidence in safeguarding.
2021
The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency was created as the professional independent inspectorate for safeguarding in the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It sets safeguarding standards, carries out inspections and supports a more transparent and accountable safeguarding framework.
2021
A common standards-based model was introduced for dioceses and religious life groups in England and Wales. This approach aims to make safeguarding clearer, more consistent and easier to compare across Catholic organisations.
2024
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors approved the Universal Guidelines Framework for pilot use. Although it is a global framework, it is relevant because it supports clear safeguarding policies, accountability, cooperation with civil authorities and measurable standards in local Church settings.
2025
The Strategic Council for Catholic Safeguarding was formed to provide senior leadership and oversight for safeguarding across the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Its role is to support consistency, monitor the effectiveness of the national model and help safeguarding continue to improve.
