Safeguarding

Safeguarding in the Diocese of York: what we do, how we help, and where to find national Church of England guidance

Safeguarding is at the heart of all that we do

The Diocese of York is committed to ensuring that children, young people, vulnerable adults, and those in abusive relationships are safe, valued, and supported in every aspect of church life. We aim to create environments where all people, especially those who may be vulnerable, can worship, grow in faith, and participate fully in the life of the Church free from harm.

Our commitment

We follow the national legal and procedural framework for safeguarding, alongside the Church of England’s policies and practice guidance. This includes:

  • Responding promptly to complaints
  • Working closely with the police and social care agencies where harm or risk is identified
  • Supporting survivors of abuse with compassion and care
  • Ministering appropriately to those who have caused harm
  • Ensuring safe recruitment, training, and supervision of all those working with children and vulnerable adults

Reporting a safeguarding concern

If someone is in immediate danger

If you have information about a safeguarding situation where a child or adult is in immediate danger, or requires immediate medical attention, call emergency services on 999.

You can also find additional emergency contact information for the local authority Children’s and Adult Social Care team on our Local Authority & Statutory Contact page

You can seek further advice or make a disclosure by calling 01904 699 509 or 01904 699 524 or by contacting a member of the Safeguarding Team, who will respond as soon as possible.

You can also email your concerns to safeguarding@yorkdiocese.org, and a member of the Safeguarding Team will respond to you within 24 hours.

If there is no risk of immediate harm

If you do not think there is a risk of immediate harm, you must speak to a parish or diocesan safeguarding officer about your concern as soon as possible.

Any safeguarding concerns in a parish should usually be brought to the attention of your local Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) or parish priest in the first instance.

When first reporting, or seeking advice from the diocese about a safeguarding concern, please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer on 01904 699 509 or 01904 699 524 or by email at safeguarding@yorkdiocese.org 

In this section

Learning and Training

Introduction to the Learning and Training modules; who needs to do what; how to access the online modules; and dates, times and venues

Safer Recruitment & DBS

Recruiting for unpaid or paid roles with responsibility for children or vulnerable adults; applying for disclosure of convictions with the Disclosure and Barring Service