28 August 2025

Some soundbites from my recent Safeguarding training session:

•  If it’s not safe, it’s not  church.
• Forgiveness doesn’t negate justice nor risk.
• Some relationships can be restored but you need to let others go.

It is a truism that, ‘The field of Safeguarding  is ever changing. It’s a dynamic not a static environment.’ There has been so much change in the last thirty years that’s why continual training is essential for everyone even retired ministers!

The most immediate change for me was the introduction of a concept which I didn’t know about – Safeguarding Culture. This term is used to describe a more holistic approach to safeguarding. Instead of looking at it negatively as regulations to be fulfilled, a more integrated  approach is encouraged.

In this culture, Safeguarding is reframed more positively. It grows naturally out of the environment of the Church which is pursuing shalom, the well-being of everyone within the community, the nation and ultimately the world.

I can see that for a minister of Word and Sacrament with a responsibility to preach  the Word, this offers more creative ways in which to introduce the topic of ‘Safeguarding’ into the devotional life of the congregation. I was excited by this, inspired even.

On the worrying side, there was much talk about people being  re-traumatised by the poor way in which abuse is handled within the congregation. We were encouraged to understand the protocols, seek help from the Safeguarding Service and exercise self-awareness  in the things we say to people who have been abused.