We invite parish colleagues to complete this survey to help us understand how safeguarding is supported and experienced at the parish level. The survey focuses on how Church of England safeguarding documents and NST guidance are accessed and used in practice, and whether they meet the needs of people carrying safeguarding responsibilities in different parish roles.
It also explores themes related to safeguarding culture within church communities, including how responsibility is understood and shared, how safeguarding is led and modeled locally, and the factors that can affect how safe and supported people feel in church settings. In addition, the survey gathers views on the Parish Safeguarding Toolkit, including awareness of its development and what additions would be most valuable in day-to-day safeguarding work.
The survey should take around 15 minutes to complete. Please answer based on your experience in your current role. Please do not include personal data or details of specific safeguarding concerns or cases.
Responses will be used to inform ongoing work to develop and refine safeguarding guidance and resources for parishes.
You can print a copy of your answers at the end of this consultation.
The closing date for responses is the 20th February 2026.
If you have any queries about the process, please email policy.safeguarding@churchofengland.org.
Thank you for taking the time to share your views.