The first independent audit of the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST) has been published today.
The audit was carried out by the INEQE Safeguarding Group and commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council, following a recommendation from the National Director of Safeguarding. It assesses the work of the NST against the National Safeguarding Standards.
The report highlights areas of good practice as well as identifying 66 recommendations for further improvement. Some of these relate to the wider Church’s safeguarding structures, while others are specific to the NST.
You can read the full report here.
Areas of good practice
The audit recognises that the NST has undergone significant transformation in recent years and is now a professional national function focused on improving safeguarding practice across the Church of England.
It highlights a strong internal culture, supported by confident leadership and a senior team with a wide range of expertise. Staff reported feeling able to raise concerns and contribute to ongoing development.
The report recognises the significance of the development of the National Safeguarding Standards. These now shape policy, training, supervision and day-to-day practice in churches and cathedrals:
“The National Safeguarding Standards establish a critical framework that constitutes good safeguarding practice. The NST defined and built this collective understanding to support parishes, dioceses, and cathedrals locally in developing a consistent, high-quality approach to safeguarding practice and culture.”
The audit also commends the NST’s shift towards safeguarding based on evidence and information, and it states that the casework team’s triage system functions well.
“The audit saw evidence of good practice by the NST, with caseworkers effectively receiving referrals, collating information and analysing cases. There was evidence of escalation to senior managers as appropriate, swift triage and allocations being accompanied by a written brief from the casework manager.”
Recommendations and next steps
The audit identifies several areas where further work is needed to strengthen safeguarding arrangements. These include:
- improving communication around survivor participation
- strengthening feedback mechanisms with dioceses and cathedrals
- clarifying the circumstances in which the National Director of Safeguarding can intervene in local cases
- developing specialist HR safeguarding expertise
- ensuring resilience and contingency planning for case management systems
- further developing national safeguarding training and learning infrastructure
The NST will now consider the recommendations in detail and set out how these will be taken forward.
Alexander Kubeyinje, the National Director of Safeguarding, said: “As the National Director of Safeguarding for the Church of England, I approach this vital work not just as a leader, but as a registered social worker. I view everything we do through a steadfast, safeguarding-first lens.
“Critically, the Church must confront the uncomfortable truth: victims and survivors have been let down. We cannot simply move past these failures; we must own them, address them head-on, and ensure that the lived experience of survivors informs how the church reforms and rebuilds.
“Real change requires the courage to look in the mirror. It demands deep reflection and the willingness to improve. That is why I commissioned the independent safeguarding audit of the NST.
“The report rightly recognises the significant transformation the NST has undergone in recent years. We have introduced National Safeguarding Standards, developed an intelligence-led research and evaluation function, and embedded greater survivor participation into our core processes. These are vital steps forward on our improvement journey.
“However, the report is unequivocally clear: there is still work to be done. We must urgently strengthen the NST’s operational independence so that safeguarding is delivered with the clarity, authority, and unwavering consistency that is rightfully expected of a national body.
“I will now work alongside the Archbishops’ Council to consider the audit’s recommendations in their entirety and, where appropriate, deliver the structural changes necessary to reinforce operational independence across the Church.
“My commitment to victims and survivors, to our dedicated volunteers and staff, and to all who worship in our churches, is absolute: we will use this audit as a catalyst to accelerate our improvement journey. We will not rest until the Church of England is unequivocally a safer place for everyone.”