The Church of England has launched a new national way of handling safeguarding complaints, with an independent body overseeing the final stage.

Until now, complaints have been handled under separate arrangements. The new process joins them into one: a complaint is dealt with locally first, and an independent safeguarding complaints body oversees the end stage. Dioceses and cathedrals can sign up voluntarily now, ahead of it becoming compulsory next year through new legislation, which still needs General Synod’s approval.

The Archbishops’ Council approved the rollout in October. It also signed off plans for a new independent safeguarding authority to oversee safeguarding across the Church. Day-to-day, it will be led by a Chief Safeguarding Officer and overseen by a board with an independent majority and chair. It will be able to inspect local church bodies, issue compliance notices as well as assess the risk posed by senior clergy.

The Council has also appointed Felicity Mitchell, a barrister with experience in the ombuds sector, which is a field of independent bodies that investigate complaints people can’t resolve with an organisation directly. She'll be an interim chair of the board overseeing the reforms, with immediate effect. She succeeds Dame Christine Ryan.

For churchgoers, the key change is that the final stage of a complaint will no longer be handled by the Church alone.

Bishop Joanne Grenfell, a long-time advocate of independent safeguarding, urged every diocese and cathedral to sign up “as soon as possible”.

The new authority is due to be set up in law in 2027, with national safeguarding staff transferring in 2028.