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Last updated 19th August 2026

Reporting a safeguarding concern

How to report a concern

Any safeguarding concerns in a parish should be brought to the attention of your local Parish Safeguarding Officer(s) (PSO) in the first instance, who can seek further advice from the DSO or ADSO if necessary. 

Safeguarding concerns in a school/universtity/prison/healthcare setting should be raised with the relevant organisation's safeguarding team. 

 

Reporting a Concern During Office Hours (07:30 - 17:00)

All safeguarding concerns should be submitted using the safeguarding reporting form, completed with as much information as possible. The referral form is preferred to a standard email as it prompts for all the information required to enable an effective assessment of the concern.
When completing the form, please ensure that:

-Full names are provided for all individuals referenced.

-Church roles or positions are clearly identified where applicable.

-Personal opinions, assumptions, or speculation are not included. Only factual information should be recorded, as subjective commentary may compromise the accuracy and validity of the record.

All safeguarding referrals must be sent to safeguarding@blackburn.anglican.org. Please do not send concerns directly to individual members of the safeguarding team, even if you have previously communicated with them regarding another matter. All referrals are subject to a triage process and allocated to the most appropriate team member. Due to varying workloads, leave arrangements, and areas of responsibility, referrals may not always be managed by the same person.
 
Please note that if you contact the safeguarding office or an individual team member by telephone regarding a concern, you will normally be asked to complete and submit the referral form by email.
 
While we recognise that some situations may feel urgent, the Diocesan Safeguarding Team is not an emergency service. The safeguarding inbox is monitored, and referrals are reviewed and responded to appropriately during office hours.
 
If anyone is at immediate risk of harm or in immediate danger, you must contact the police by calling 999.

Reporting a Concern Outside Office Hours (17:00 - 07:30, Weekends, and Bank Holidays)

Outside office hours, the safeguarding inbox and team mailboxes are not monitored, and there is no safeguarding staff member available to respond.
 
If you need safeguarding advice or wish to report a concern during this time, please contact Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111.
Thirtyone:eight will provide initial safeguarding advice and will forward details of the referral, along with any advice given, to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team for follow-up during office hours. This service is commissioned by the Diocese to provide timely and appropriate safeguarding support to parishes.
 
As with all safeguarding concerns, if someone is at immediate risk of harm or danger, call 999 immediately.

Reporting Abuse and Finding Support

The Diocese of Blackburn is committed to creating a safe environment where everyone is valued and protected. We ensure that individuals can report concerns or experiences of abuse confidently and receive the support they need. If you have been affected or wish to raise a concern, please contact our Diocesan Safeguarding Team for confidential advice and assistance.

Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse

This policy sets out the requirements and good practice advice for Church Bodies on developing healthy cultures, which prevent harm from taking place and ensure disclosures can be made safely when harm does occur. Importantly, it also outlines requirements and good practice advice for Church Bodies on the support that should be put in place for victims and survivors of church-related abuse within the Church of England.

 

To Report a Concern to Statutory Social Care Services

Please use the link below to contact the social care services in your area. Lancashire Safeguarding Partnership - Report a Concern

Any safeguarding concern that you have, or action you take should always be shared with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. If you contact 31:8 they will share this with the safeguarding team. 

The safeguarding helpline is closed between midnight and 7am. 

An Information Sharing Agreement between the two organisations will allow for the DSO to receive a copy of the advice Thirtyone:eight may offer the parish church/caller. For all policy related queries please refer to the Diocesan website for more information here

 

Survivor Support Services

A list of organisations offering support to survivors is available to download here.

Blackburn Diocese is committed to reporting abuse and finding support for those affected. Church of England guidance on Responding well to Victims and Survivors can be found here.

If you have experienced or are experiencing abuse in a church setting or by a member of the Church, this is not acceptable. Abuse can take various forms and it can be difficult sometimes to make sense of your experiences immediately. It is common for victims of abuse to feel unsafe, unable to trust others, ashamed or afraid of being judged. If you are facing these emotions, remember that you are not alone and that you are not to blame for the abuse that you have experienced. You can decide whether, when and to whom you may wish to disclose those experiences. We will listen and help you to get the right support to be able to move forward in your life.

 

Interim Support Scheme

The Archbishops’ Council has established an Interim Support Scheme to improve the Church’s response to current and non-current survivors of Church-related abuse.

This Scheme is part of the Church’s recognition that harm has been caused by both that abuse itself, and the Church’s responses to survivors. This Scheme is not intended to provide compensation or restitution to survivors, nor is it a redress scheme; this is being developed separately by the Church.

The Interim Support Scheme is intended to give immediate help and support to survivors whose life circumstances are significantly affected by the abuse suffered, and the response to it and is designed to address immediate and urgent needs that help in the short-term to put the survivor’s life back on track.

How to apply

Please send the following to SupportScheme@churchofengland.org

A full list of supporting documents including a How To Guide can be found here.

 

Confidentiality Declaration

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team has a secure electronic system for retaining any safeguarding information we receive. 

Access to the information is restricted to those in the team who are working on the concern and complies to our privacy commitment under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). We may, on occasions, share this information with statutory organisations to comply with our obligations under national legislation.   

Where it is necessary for the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults, we will share information with others involved in safeguarding within the church, but we will inform you of our intention to do so.  Further information can be obtained from the safeguarding team upon request.

 

 

Safeguarding

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