Safeguarding

Welcome

We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults to worship and grow in Christ safely. We value and respect everyone we work with and our safeguarding team endeavours to be as relational, transparent and proportionate as possible.

You'll find links to safer recruitment, DBS guidance and safeguarding training in the navigation links of this page. Scroll down to meet the team and find out when and how to call them.

What to do if you have a safeguarding concern

If someone is in immediate danger

If you have information about a safeguarding situation where a child or adult is in immediate danger, or requires immediate medical attention, call emergency services on 999.

If there is no risk of immediate harm

If you do not think there is a risk of immediate harm, please speak to a safeguarding professional about your concern as soon as possible. If you have significant concerns please report to children's social service or adult's social services without delay. When first reporting a concern, please be sure to make contact using the information shown below.

Outside office hours

For urgent safeguarding enquiries outside of office hours (see below), please call our partners Thirtyone:eight on 0303 003 1111 for confidential advice, guidance and support.

During office hours

Call 01865 208 295 or email safeguardingreferrals@oxford.anglican.org for urgent safeguarding concerns Monday to Thursday 9am – 5pm and Friday 9am – 4.30pm.

You can also contact your area safeguarding adviser directly if you prefer:

Buckingham – Tsungai Muchegwa: 01865 208220
Dorchester – Erica Hegg: 01865 208295
Berkshire – Charlotte Wilmshurst: 01865 208284
Oxford - Sophie Harrold: 07350 359809

Meet our safeguarding team

Louise Whitehead

Head of Safeguarding

07391 868 478

Louise joined the diocese in 2022 and brings experience and expertise from working in children and young people’s social work practice and management for Oxfordshire County Council. Louise qualified as a social worker in 2014. She has been involved in management, training and promoting best practice within the local authority.

Prior to this, Louise worked in international development and completed doctoral research at Oxford Brookes while living in Cambodia.

Erica Hegg

Area Advisor for Dorchester

01865 208295

Erica has been employed by the diocese since April 2021. Erica served with Wiltshire Police as a detective constable, specialising in child sexual exploitation.

Erica has experience of investigating serious and complex crime, skilled in public protection (child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, vulnerable adults and management of people who have sexually harmed). She worked in a multi-agency environment with children services, probation, education, NHS and HM prison.

Tsungai Muchegwa

Area Advisor for Buckinghamshire

01865 208 220

Tsungai joined the safeguarding team in August 2022. Tsungai has joined us from Buckinghamshire Council where she was working in Commissioning for Adults Services. Tsungai is a Qualified Social Worker with experience in Child Protection and as an Advanced Practitioner in Adult Services. Tsungai has experience of leading complex safeguarding investigations and supporting people in a number of multi-agency teams.

Tsungai also has experience of working in partnership with Bedfordshire Police in a Sexual Assault Referral Centre supporting people who would have experienced sexual violence or sexual abuse.

Charlotte Wilmshurst

Area Advisor for Berkshire

01865 208 284

Charlotte (also known as Charlie) joined the team in May 2022. Charlie worked as a Civilian Investigator with Thames Valley Police in the Violent and Sex Offender Register and Domestic Abuse teams.

Charlie has experience in the management and risk assessments of people who have sexually harmed. She also has experience of investigating domestic abuse cases, where she was awarded a commendation for her outstanding work with survivors. Charlie has gained a wealth of experience working with several teams within Thames Valley Police including the Multi Agency Safeguarding Team, 999 Operator - Control Room. Charlie has also managed two Extra Care Housing facilities supporting vulnerable residents and leading the care teams.

Sophie Harrold

Area Advisor for Oxford

07350 359809

Rebecca Norris-Bulpitt

Safeguarding Training & Policy Adviser

01865 587041
07388 993689

Linda Carpenter

Safeguarding Training & DBS Administrator

01865 208 267

Linda joined the team in January 2018, previously working as a classroom assistant supporting pupils with additional needs and later as the Business Manager of a primary school.

Linda has a good understanding of the need for robust safeguarding procedures and training, central to protecting children and supporting those working in this environment. Linda has also been appointed as parish representative to the Deanery Synod.

Charlotte Dover

Team Administrator (HR & Safeguarding)

01865 208 278

Charlotte joined the team in July 2023, and has a background in archives and data administration. She works across both the HR and the Safeguarding teams, giving administrative support to colleagues as well as leading on data collection and systems maintenance.

Charlotte is involved in the User Groups for the National Safeguarding Casework Management System and the Parish Safeguarding Dashboards, and provides PSOs with access to and support for the Dashboard.

Charnelle Stylianides

Director of People and Safeguarding

01865 208 770

Charnelle leads the development and implementation of the diocesan People and Safeguarding strategy for both clergy and employees. Charnelle previously held the role of Interim Chief People Officer at the global children’s charity World Vision. She also has experience as Chief People Officer for Picker Institute, a healthcare charity, and delivering consultancy work for Oriel College.

What if I'm not happy

If you are not satisfied with the service you have received as a result of the diocese handling a safeguarding concern or allegation, you should follow the Safeguarding Complaints Policy and Procedure and/or refer to the When Things Go Wrong leaflet summarising the process.

Don't forget

All phone or email referrals to the safeguarding team must be followed up by completing the Safeguarding referral form.

Complete the referral form online

If you have any problems with the online form, you can download a copy (for Microsoft Word or as a PDF) and return it to safeguardingreferrals@oxford.anglican.org.

Your Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO)

Your Parish Safeguarding Officer is also a local first point of contact for reporting safeguarding concerns. If you are concerned that a child or vulnerable adult is at risk of harm, you should approach your local Children's Social Care or Adult's Social Care department.

If you have a non-urgent enquiry

We can give you advise on non-urgent matters too - send us an email at safeguarding@oxford.anglican.org.

When should I contact the diocesan safeguarding team? (click here)

A referral to the diocesan safeguarding team must be made about any case where a child or vulnerable adult appears to be at risk or where an adult appears to present a risk.

The diocesan safeguarding team must also be informed straight away of any safeguarding concerns involving a church officer. A church officer is anyone appointed/elected by or on behalf of the Church to a post or role, whether they are ordained or lay, paid or unpaid.

What does the diocesan safeguarding team do?

We offer advice, support and guidance to anyone in the diocese about all aspects of safeguarding.

This may include:

Advice, support, and signposting: telephone, email and face-to-face consultation about a range of issues, and advice on where to get help.
Policy and practice: signposting to national and local policies and practice guidance.
Training: safeguarding training to clergy and other leaders, including on-site training and online.
Casework: management of complex cases, joint-working with statutory agencies, consultation and advice.
Support for survivors: direct support and advice, provision of Authorised Listeners.
Supporting parishes in preventative safeguarding and culture change.

Key facts about safeguarding in the Diocese of Oxford

We have:

Grown our safeguarding team to 6.3 full-time equivalent staff.
A structure in place for independent scrutiny and accountability through the Diocesan Safeguarding Panel.
Systematically trained clergy and church officers in safeguarding, including training for the senior team.
In 2024, the team trained 7,526 participants, through the delivery of 125 training modules and the completion of online training, supported 12 volunteer trainers and provided guidance to 448 parish safeguarding officers.
Delivered a culture change in the handling of safeguarding disclosures.
Increased our corporate understanding of the nature of abuse and increased awareness of those who are isolated or lonely being at risk of abuse.

There is always more to be done. We see learning as central to the culture of a safe church and build upon recommendations from our learning reviews and PCR2.

Read our safeguarding privacy policy.

Safeguarding newsletters

Our newsletter brings together the latest safeguarding information from across the diocese so we can better protect children and vulnerable adults involved in the life of the Church. Read past editions and sign up to receive the quarterly news.

Subscribe now

Support for Survivors

This leaflet aims to explain how the diocesan safeguarding team will respond to those who come forward to report abuse and explains the support that is available. Download a copy of Support for survivors here.

You can find more information, resources and support on our dedicated page for Support for Survivors, including information about the Oxford Survivor Group and the Chaplaincy for Survivors.

INEQE Safeguarding Group independent audit

In June 2024 the Diocese of Oxford underwent an independent audit of our safeguarding work, undertaken by the INEQE Safeguarding Group. The audit is part of a national programme, commissioned by the Archbishop’s Council, to conduct an intensive and comprehensive review of safeguarding at each diocese and cathedral in the Church of England.

The report’s authors found the Diocese of Oxford to have ‘a solid safeguarding foundation delivered by its exceptionally well-led and blended Safeguarding Team’. The report commended what it described as a ‘safeguarding first’ philosophy and congratulated our parishes for the sense of optimism it found on the frontline ‘where talented Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs) lead by example’ and ‘collaboration is strong’.

Read the full report and watch Bishop Steven's response here.

Safeguarding drop-in sessions and training

The team are going to be trialling area drop-in sessions over the next few months. Each Area Safeguarding Advisor will be available on some Friday mornings for people to drop in online to discuss anything related to safeguarding. PSOs will receive more information from their (archdeaconry) Area Safeguarding Advisor with the details of sessions in their area.

If I Told You, What Would You Do?

Check out this excellent survivor-led resource on the responding well to victims and survivors page.