The Diocese of Chelmsford is committed to safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults - and to ensuring our churches are safe, welcoming places for everyone.
We are committed to responding well to survivors, learning from the past, and continuously improving our safeguarding practice across the diocese.
On this page
Our safeguarding commitment
Abuse devastates lives.
Abuse has happened historically in the church. Its consequences are profound and long lasting. Our task in the Diocese of Chelmsford is to do everything possible to ensure abuse no longer happens now, or in the future. As we do this, we adhere to the words of the prophet Micah who writes, “What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).
We act justly by seeking to provide safe spaces for victims and survivors of historic abuse. We hold perpetrators to account and are developing a culture that promotes mutual accountability and radical candour. We have robust procedures in place to protect all members of our community. We know that with great power comes great responsibility, and we desire to use our place of power to hold ourselves and others to account, to challenge unacceptable speech and to bring into the light those deeds done in darkness.
We love mercy and long to be a refuge for the hurting and vulnerable. We seek to support survivors and victims in their ongoing recovery; guided by the individual. We seek to listen to those who feel voiceless and empower everyone in our communities to remain safe, within their families, places of work and worship.
We walk humbly, knowing we have made past mistakes and that we continue to need God and each other for wisdom and discernment. We equip and support our communities through relevant training; we employ qualified and experienced staff; and we remain committed to learning from our mistakes and improving safeguarding throughout the Diocese.
We hope you find what you need on these pages and that you too encounter the God of justice, mercy and humility.
National Safeguarding Standards
The Church of England published its National Safeguarding Standards in October 2023. These provide an essential benchmark for the quality and impact of safeguarding activity.
The five standards cover the breadth of safeguarding across the Church.
Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2)
In October 2022, the Church of England published its national Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) report, following a review of more than 75,000 files dating back to the 1940s. The purpose was to identify good practice and institutional failings, assess identified risks, and provide recommendations.
Read the national Church of England Past Cases Review 2 report - Church of England website
PCR2 in Chelmsford Diocese
The Diocese of Chelmsford carried out its own Past Cases Review 2, overseen by independent reviewers. The Report was welcomed by Bishop Guli, who committed to implementing all recommendations in full.
“The cases of abuse in the Church of England over many years have shocked us all... I very much welcome the findings of the Chelmsford Diocese report and the recommendations of the Independent Reviewers. I commit to implementing them in full.”
The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford
“We are committed to avoiding any complacency in this vital work in the future and will implement the recommendations in full.”
Nick Alston CBE DL, Independent Chair of the Chelmsford Diocese Safeguarding Advisory Panel
“The national Church PCR 2 report and the Chelmsford Diocese PCR 2 report remind us that we must continually strive to be a church where all are welcome and safe, especially the young and vulnerable.”
The Rt Revd Roger Morris, Bishop of Colchester
Independent audit of safeguarding
An independent audit of safeguarding in the Diocese of Chelmsford was conducted by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) in April 2017.
If you are not satisfied with how a concern was handled
If you are not satisfied with the service you have received, or with how a safeguarding concern has been handled, you have the right to raise this with us.
Please email safeguarding@chelmsford.anglican.org, marking your email 'Complaint', or write to the Diocesan Safeguarding Manager at our office address.
You may also contact the Church of England's National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org
Or contact the Charity Commission for England and Wales: www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity
Annual reports
We are working towards publishing annual safeguarding reports, in line with other Church of England dioceses. These will be added here when available.