On 7 May 2026, the INEQE Safeguarding Group published an independent safeguarding audit of the Diocese of London as part of the Church of England’s national audit programme. Commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council in partnership with the National Safeguarding Team, the programme is auditing all dioceses by 2028. Extracts of the report are reproduced below.
Independent safeguarding audit of the Diocese of London published
Overview of main findings
The London audit identifies progress in safeguarding arrangements across the Diocese. It notes that an “overwhelming majority” of respondents from the London Diocesan Fund workforce, parishes and wider worshipping community reported improvements, and said that the importance of safeguarding is now better recognised. INEQE found that a safeguarding culture is becoming “embedded” across the Diocese, with respondents describing a growing sense of confidence in reporting concerns.
The audit also identifies clear areas where further work is needed. It notes that some victims and survivors do not experience safeguarding as sufficiently person-centred or trauma-informed, and emphasises the importance of ensuring that learning from training is consistently applied in practice. The audit concludes that, while the Diocese is well-led and progress has been made, further investment will be required to ensure safeguarding arrangements are robust and sustainable across the Diocese.
The London College of Bishops have issued a joint statement responding to the recommendations of the report.
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Background
In August 2023, the INEQE Safeguarding Group was appointed by the Archbishops’ Council to carry out the next round of independent external audits of Church of England dioceses and cathedrals. The purpose of these audits is to ensure that dioceses, cathedrals and palaces are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.
The independent audit programme will run for five years, from 2023 to 2028, with audits commencing in January 2024. Audits are now conducted in dioceses and cathedrals at the same time, having previously been carried out separately.
As part of the Diocese of London audit, INEQE:
- collated and analysed 330 documents
- held nine focus groups and 70 engagement sessions involving 154 people, including church officers (staff and volunteers), external partners, victims and survivors
- received 2,390 anonymous survey responses from victims and survivors, children and young people, worshippers and church workers
Further information about safeguarding at the Diocese of London, including how to raise a concern or access support, is available on the Diocese’s safeguarding page.