Model Job Description
Safeguarding Adviser
(Children and Adults)
A Model of Good Practice
Distribution
Diocesan Bishops for dissemination to their senior staff
cc Cathedral Deans for dissemination to their senior staff
Bishop’s senior safeguarding staff leads
Diocesan Secretaries / CX for dissemination to Human Resources Manager,
Communications Officer, Diocesan Registrar, Independent Safeguarding Chair, Children /
Youth Worker and Social Responsibility Officer.
Cathedral Chapter Clerks / CX for dissemination to their Human Resources Manager,
Communications Officer and Safeguarding Adviser.
Bishop’s Chaplains
Diocesan Safeguarding Advisers
Survivor Groups - Minister and Clergy Sexual Abuse Survivors (MACSAS), the Lantern
Project, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation,
Ecclesiastical Insurance Group
Safeguarding Lawyer, Church House, Westminster
National Going for Growth (Children and Youth) Adviser
National Safeguarding Team
Date of circulation:
March 2014
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
1
Preface
March 2014
Dear Colleague,
This Model of Good Practice has been developed at the request of a number of Dioceses. It has
been jointly worked on by the Joint Safeguarding Liaison group (Policy Sub Group) and a Diocesan
Chief Executive, on behalf of the Diocesan Secretaries Liaison Group.
It may be helpful to be clear about the status of this document. The House of Bishops approve
safeguarding policy statements, for example Protecting all God’s Children and Promoting a safe
church. Policy statements are reviewed on a regular basis, usually every five years or so. Practice
guidance, including joint practice guidance with the Methodist Church, is written by advisers to
address immediate practice issues or issues that have been identified by Dioceses which need a
quicker response. Policy statements and practice guidance are commended to you. Failure to
adhere to them could invalidate your insurance cover. Models of good practice are templates which
you may choose to use as they stand or to adapt to suit your purposes in your diocese. A
cataloguing system, referenced by type and date, has been introduced for clarity of current advice.
This Model of Good Practice is a template which you may choose to use as it stands, or to
adapt to suit your purposes in your diocese.
The Model of Good Practice provides a current view of the:



Role of the Safeguarding Adviser
Time that is required to fulfil this role
Salary range (at 2014)
Person Specification
You are encouraged to refer to it if you are appointing a new Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser, and
when you review the Job Description of your current Safeguarding Adviser at annual appraisal.
If you have any questions about this Model of Good Practice contact:Simon Payne
Acting Head of Delivery
National Safeguarding Team
Central Secretariat
Church House
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3AZ
simon.payne@churchofengland.org
I hope you will find this Model of Good Practice helpful in your Diocese.
Yours in Christ's fellowship,
+ Paul
Paul Butler
Bishop of Durham
Lead Bishop on Safeguarding
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
2
Name of Diocese
Safeguarding Adviser
(Children and Adults)
Model1 Job Description
Context: In every diocese the Diocesan Bishop is ultimately accountable for Safeguarding.
In order to discharge this responsibility it is essential that a Safeguarding Adviser is
appointed to advise the Bishop, senior staff and those responsible for the care of children
and vulnerable adults. The Safeguarding Adviser should support the diocese in the
development of policy and good practice, training and ensuring that allegations of abuse
and offenders returning to the community are appropriately supported and managed. This
document should be used as a template of best practice for adoption by every diocese. In
most cases the Safeguarding Adviser will be accountable to the Diocesan Secretary /
Chief Executive or a member of their senior team. As the principal adviser to the Bishop
and due to the nature of the work, specific direction may come directly from the diocesan
bishop. Whilst dioceses will wish to add local arrangements into the job description it is
anticipated that all the paragraphs below will be adopted.
The Safeguarding Adviser may be an employee of the Diocese, or may be commissioned
as a consultant to advise the bishop and diocese of policy and practice. In both cases, the
DSA is accountable to the Diocese and cannot be reviewed as ‘independent’ for the
purposes of independent risk assessment.
Job Summary: To support the diocese in the development of local policy, good practice
and training. To ensure that allegations of abuse are appropriately referred to the statutory
authorities ensuring the provision of appropriate advice and support to survivors and
victims of abuse. To make sure that offenders returning to the community are appropriately
supported and managed. To advise the diocese on all safeguarding matters ensuring that
all advice is in line with the law, government guidance and national guidance from the
House of Bishops and National Safeguarding Adviser.;
Key Relationships: In each diocese there will be different people responsible for the
management and implementation of safeguarding. It is however, essential that the
Safeguarding Adviser forms excellent working relationships with: the Bishop and senior
staff, the independent chair of the Safeguarding Panel, the Dean and senior Cathedral
staff, those in licenced and authorised ministry, deanery / parish safeguarding advisers,
relevant officers in the various statutory authorities (as a minimum Local Authority
Designated Officer (LADO),key local authority adult and children’s services officers and
Probation Offender Managers. Contact with the Multi-Agency Public Protection
Arrangements (MAPPA) officer and the police Public Protection Unit (PPU) will be vital.
Time and salary: The imperative for dioceses to engage appropriately in safeguarding
requires an approach beyond the traditional ‘firefighting’. It is therefore anticipated that in
most dioceses the post will need to be fulltime if the range of responsibilities are
adequately covered. The post of Safeguarding Adviser should be regarded as a senior
adviser post and is likely (depending on regional variances) to be in the region of £36 –
Based on guidance contained in Protecting all God’s Children 4th Edition 2010 Appendix 4 and recommended by the
National Safeguarding Adviser and Diocesan Secretaries Liaison Group.
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
1
3
46k plus London weighting where appropriate (2014). Dioceses may need to add a local
supplement where there are special circumstances which need to be taken into account to
recruit the right candidate.
Professional Standing2: A significant amount of the Safeguarding Adviser’s time will be
spent giving advice. It is essential therefore that this advice is provided by a person
professionally qualified and experienced in the practice of safeguarding. The adviser
must be able to demonstrate professional independence and will have knowledge of the
structures of the Church of England. The safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
is a core part of the Church’s mission and the Safeguarding Adviser will be essential to
promoting that mission. This post would be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and
Barring Service (DBS) check.
Policy Framework: There are five safeguarding policies in the Church of England:




Promoting a Safe Church (safeguarding policy for adults) 2006,
Responding to Domestic Abuse (guidelines for those with pastoral responsibility,
2006,
Protecting All God's Children (safeguarding policy for children and young
people, 4th edition,2010,
Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused 2011,
Safeguarding Guidelines relating to Safer Recruitment' (interim policy), 2013.
Main duties and responsibilities
1
Development of policy, procedures and good practice guidelines
 Monitor and remain up to date with the development of government policy,
Church of England policy and good practice and maintaining continuing
professional development and professional registration where appropriate.
 Developing and regularly reviewing the diocesan safeguarding policy, ensuring
that it is easily accessible and understandable.
 Supporting the Archdeacons in ensuring each parish has adopted and
implemented the diocesan policy and procedures.
 Monitoring, checking and providing advice and guidance on parish policies;
 Providing an annual report for the Diocese (Bishop’s Council/Diocesan Synod) and
statistical return to the national adviser;
 Providing a brief to the national Safeguarding Adviser on all cases which go to
court, tribunal or become public through the media.
2.
In co-operation with the Diocesan Director of Training, provision of appropriate
safeguarding training as recommended nationally for:
 The bishop and senior staff
 All those in licensed ministry
 All volunteers working with children, young people or the vulnerable (including,
organists, choir leaders, music group leaders and bell ringers (who teach or train
children and young people).
 Children and youth workers and those working with vulnerable adults
 .Parish safeguarding co-ordinators
 Any other person who has responsibility for policy and management of work with
children, young people and vulnerable Adults (including churchwardens and PCC
2
The Diocese should ensure that the Adviser has access to professional indemnity and public liability insurance
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
4
members).
Ensuring evaluation, review and monitoring of the training programmes.
3
Casework. The diocesan safeguarding adviser should:
 Provide guidance and direction where there are concerns about children and young
people and adults who may be a risk;
 Respond to requests for advice, information and guidance for individuals in the
Church who are concerned about the welfare of vulnerable people (children, young
people and adults).
 Take the lead in responding to serious situations following Practice Guidance 2014
number 1, including:
o Ensure there is support and advice for those who are victims or survivors of
abuse
o Ensure the provision of approved Authorised Listeners3
o Support individuals when a referral to local authority children’s and adults
social care or the police is necessary;
o Attend strategy meetings and case conferences as requested by statutory
agencies. At times this will include preparing parish personnel for such
meetings and attending with them or on their behalf;
o Support parishes during a child/adult protection or safeguarding enquiry and
afterwards. This may include ensuring support is provided for others in the
parish who may be affected by such an enquiry, for example volunteers or
other leaders;
o Work in partnership with the statutory agencies, any of whom may make the
initial approach or seek information to which they are entitled;
o Provide advice to the bishop or other employer on the possibility of
employment or redeployment of those with convictions or continuing
unresolved concerns regarding harm to a child or adult
o Advise when an independent risk assessment should be sought;
o Ensure at all times that appropriate records are maintained, suitable for
admission in legal proceedings.
o Draw up and regularly review agreements with those known to be a risk to
children and / or vulnerable adults.
 Provide advice to the diocesan DBS administrator and ensure the DBS process is fit
for purpose
 Provide a risk assessment4 process for those where DBS checks are not clear;
The nature of this work will mean that at times telephone advice will suffice. At
other times the role will require meetings with individuals, convening of a ‘core
group’ in management of serious situations, the preparation of reports, or the
setting up of support networks.
4
Networking

The effectiveness of the diocesan safeguarding adviser is dependent
on building professional relationships with statutory agencies: the local safeguarding
boards (children and adults), the local authority children’s and adults social care
3
Responding Well to those who have been sexually abused 2011
“Consideration should be given to establishing a risk assessment panel for complex cases” Protecting all God’s
Children 4th Edition 2010 Appendix 4
4
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
5
services, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) the local police: in
particular, the child and adult abuse investigation unit, the public protection unit,
multi-agency protection panels and the local probation service.
 The diocesan safeguarding adviser should be part of the national and regional
network of diocesan safeguarding children advisers, any relevant local ecumenical
or multi-faith forum; the adviser should be resourced to attend the Annual
Conference of Church of England Diocesan and Methodist District Advisers.
 Within the diocese, the diocesan safeguarding adviser will be linked with significant
diocesan personnel, for example, those responsible for children’s work, youth work,
clergy and lay workers, Diocesan Directors of Communications, Training, Human
Resources and social responsibility, Bishops’ Chaplains.
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
6
Name of Diocese
Safeguarding Adviser
(Children and Adults)
Model person specification
Attributes
Education
Training
Skills
Knowledge
Experience
Ability
Essential
Relevant professional qualification or
equivalent (for example; social work, health,
teaching, law, police etc.) with current
registration where applicable.
Level 3 training5 in child or adult protection with
ability to demonstrate transferrable knowledge
across the client groups
IT and good record keeping skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication
skills - written, oral and presentational
Senior practitioner/manager experience and
knowledge of safeguarding working with
children, young people or adults who are
vulnerable and ability to demonstrate
transferrable knowledge across the client
groups
Senior practitioner/manager experience of
working with victims or survivors of abuse
Up to date knowledge of safeguarding
guidance and the management of cases of
concern.
Experience in developing and implementing
safeguarding procedures and policies
Able to analyse complex situations and advise
appropriately
Proven experience of arranging and leading
training events
In sympathy with the aims of the Church of
England
A proven ability to develop and sustain
relationships at all levels both inside and
outside the church
Able to identify examples of poor practice and
ensure that necessary change is implemented
Able to maintain the highest
standards of confidentiality and work sensitively
with those affected by issues of safeguarding
Able to travel in the diocese.
Desirable
A qualification in Training
Training in both child and adult protection
Training to Level 4
Senior practitioner/manager experience
and knowledge of safeguarding working
with children, young people and adults
who are vulnerable.
Detailed knowledge of
national church safeguarding policies
Knowledge of church
structures
5
Level 1: Non-professional staff working in children, young people / vulnerable adult settings
• Level 2: Minimum level required for professional staff who have some degree of contact with
children and young people or vulnerable adults and/or parents/carers
• Level 3: Professional staff working with children, young people or vulnerable adults and/or their parents/carers and
who could potentially contribute to assessing, planning, intervening and evaluating the needs
of a child or young person and parenting capacity where there are safeguarding/child protection
concerns11
• Level 4: Named professionals, with at least 3 years’ experience who can give advice to others
• Level 5: Designated professionals – takes a strategic and professional lead in an organisation
• Level 6: Experts (clinician with specialist skills and knowledge) and / or a court appointed expert
MGP 2014.1 Church of England Safeguarding Model of Good Practice 2014 number 1
7