Victims and survivors should be allowed the space to disclose at their own pace and discretion. Church Officers listening to disclosures should avoid pressing for information and provide the required time for the conversation to unfold without either participant feeling rushed. They should also not ask leading questions. The extent of disclosure should rest with the victim or survivor, who should feel in control of their story – within the boundaries of good safeguarding practice – and what is going to happen with it.
This page contains guidance and resources to help anyone in responding well to victims and survivors of abuse.
For any victims or survivors looking for support, you can find more information and resources here.
Responding well
The Church of England has produced a Responding Well to Victims and Survivors of Abuse Policy, which you can read in full here.
An easy-read summary of the guidance is now available on the Church of England website here, or accessible by clicking on the picture on the right.
The summary was co-produced with victims, survivors and safeguarding professionals from dioceses, cathedrals and parishes.
Survivor-led resources
The Church of England has also worked with survivors to produce a series of films and complimentary resources to explain the policy.
The video above introduces the series which covers recognising and disclosing abuse, receiving a disclosure of abuse, and support options.
Find all the films and the full policy on the Church of England website.
If I Told You, What Would You Do?
If I Told You, What Would You Do? is a powerful suite of resources from the Diocese of Newcastle, in collaboration with Safe Spaces, that aims to communicate well with survivors of faith-based abuse, as well as with those who need to see, hear and respond well to them.
The films, postcards and other resources have been developed directly by survivors and are ideal for use in your Safeguarding Sunday services or at any other time of the year.
You'll find a complete list of resources on the Newcastle site.