The Charity Commission (England & Wales) has taken regulatory action against  Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance and Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance over failures to handle safeguarding allegations in line with the Commission’s guidance and trustee duties.

The Commission’s definition of safeguarding includes taking reasonable steps to protect from harm all those who come into contact with a charity.  The charities, which have purposes to assist and promote the work of the Church of England in the Dioceses of Liverpool and Chelmsford respectively, have both been issued with Official Warnings and advice on how to improve their practice for the future. 

The Official Warnings set out that both charities must ensure they have adequate understanding of the Commission’s guidance on taking reasonable steps to protect people from harm who come into contact with their charities. The trustees must also ensure that, where responsibility for safeguarding is delegated to individuals or sub groups, robust policies and procedures for reporting appropriate information to the wider trustee boards are in place and followed. Further to this, the charities must ensure that serious incidents are reported promptly to the Commission, with processes to support this put in place.  The charities are also required to update the regulator on their progress with actions set out in the Official Warnings. 

These cases highlight lessons for all charities well beyond the Church of England, especially other faith charities. Specifically, the Commission highlights:

• the need for safeguarding procedures and processes to be properly understood by all those who may receive reports of allegations, reinforced with regular training and an organisational commitment to continual learning and improvement  
• the need for appropriate reporting mechanisms to appraise the whole trustee body when safeguarding allegations are made (even if some details are kept confidential), to ensure trustees can fulfil their legal duties and assure themselves that the right steps are being taken to manage any safeguarding or other risks  
• the need for particular care and attention by trustees and charity leaders in handling allegations related to individuals in positions of power or influence, including spiritual influence. Trustees should be aware of the risks of individuals abusing positions of trust they hold within a charity - as reflected in the Commission’s safeguarding guidance - including by virtue of holding a religious leadership position.