The person tasked with advancing the Church of England’s commitment to independent safeguarding, has stepped down from her role.

Dame Christine Ryan was appointed as independent Executive Chair of the Safeguarding Structures Programme Board in October last year.

The programme was set up in 2025 to reform Church of England safeguarding after a series of crises, including heavy criticism over the way it handled disclosures of abuse carried out by the late evangelical barrister John Smyth.

When appointed, Dame Christine, who was Chair of OFSTED for five years, said she was committed to “improving the quality and consistency of service across all Church bodies” and to “rebuilding trust through greater strategic and operational independence and rigorous external scrutiny”.

Announcing her departure on the Church of England website, a spokesperson for the Archbishops’ Council said under her direction, the church had “established a clear vision and much of the detailed design for a new safeguarding structure built on greater independence, accountability, and consistency. This blueprint, subject to final approval, details how the organisation intends to operate in the future”.

It added that the work will continue “at pace” and remains “on target to meet the key programme milestones for 2026, including launching a standardised complaints process by the end of the year”.