The Church of England’s General Synod has voted to establish a national safeguarding charity aimed at providing independent oversight of safeguarding practices across the Church.
The vote on Wednesday passed overwhelmingly, with 345 in favour, one against and three abstentions.
The charity will operate independently of church hierarchy and will be governed by a majority-independent board.
Its lead safeguarding professional will hold protected operational powers, ensuring that day-to-day safeguarding decisions remain entirely separate from church leadership.
The Rt Rev Dr Joanne Grenfell, the Church of England's lead Bishop for safeguarding, said the reforms marked “a significant day for the Church".
"What has been agreed is a single, unified system that brings independence and scrutiny together," she said.
"This is needed to rebuild trust. It will deliver consistency of practice at every level of the Church, from parish to palace.”
The changes are being driven by the Safeguarding Structures Programme Board, led by independent executive chair Dame Christine Ryan, who was appointed in October 2025.
She described the approval as “the pragmatic and sensible solution that will remove complexity and deliver much needed change, strengthening and restoring trust in Church safeguarding".
The programme will now enter a detailed design phase, including extensive stakeholder consultation in Spring 2026. Operational changes are expected as early as the end of the year.
Synod members hailed the motion as a major step toward transparency and accountability.