Safeguarding progress in the Church of England is being “threatened by institutional resistance and drift”, according to an independent audit.
INEQE Safeguarding Group released on Thursday its 2025 Annual Report on the Independent Safeguarding Audits of Church of England Dioceses and Cathedrals, alongside two reports focusing on Chorister Safeguarding and Victim and Survivor Engagement.
The audit, which engaged with over 10,000 contributors highlights a “maturing safeguarding culture, though critical structural inhibitors remain at the senior level”.
It said while there is a “clear and positive trajectory in safeguarding improvements across the Church,” it has issued a stark warning that this progress is currently being “undermined by structural resistance from a small group of senior officers and a dangerous period of institutional ‘drift’ regarding future safeguarding structures”.
INEQE said engagement with victims and survivors grew by 38% compared to the previous year, ensuring that their lived experiences remain at the centre of the Church’s learning and future strategies.
Across the majority of staff and worshipping communities, the audit found that safeguarding is increasingly understood as a "gospel and theological imperative" rather than a mere administrative requirement. The report notes a growing strength in the confidence of individuals to raise concerns without fear of reprisal, driven by visible and accountable leadership. Distinct progress has been made in areas such as safer recruitment and chorister wellbeing, where historical models prioritising musical performance above all else have been replaced by thoughtful, child-centred decision-making.
However, the report identifies critical inhibitors to change, which don’t generally stem from senior clergy, but from a "small group of influential senior officers at the diocesan level and certain individuals within the national Church". The audit criticises a readiness among these individuals to "hide behind exceptionalism, Canon Law, tradition, and procedural defensiveness" to resist operationally independent safeguarding structures, such as the establishment of the Director of Safeguarding role.
The report also highlights a delay in implementing vital recommendations because “auditors are now encountering excuses that bodies are waiting for the outcome of the Safeguarding Structures Programme. The audit explicitly warns that "ignoring evidence-based recommendations invites risk”.
The Church of England's Lead Safeguarding Bishop, Rt Rev Robert Springett, said in a statement to Premier Christian News: ”External scrutiny is vital and I welcome this report and its findings. While it shows that progress has been made, it also points to areas that can still be improved. I spoke recently at the General Synod of the Church of England of the importance of our engagement with victims and survivors and of how much I personally had learnt from them. I therefore especially welcome the recommendations for further engaging with them as this will support us to improve the quality and consistency of our responses and the care we provide, to help us build a safer Church for all”.