Staffing – Since we took on the Safe Spaces contract in January, our staffing numbers have been steadily increasing to deal with demand. We’re delighted to say that we now have a full complement of staff working full time for Safe Spaces, consisting of a manager, 2 Support Advisors to operate the helpline, webchat and triage our new contacts, and 3 Survivor Advocates who provide longer term support to survivors. Thanks is due to all the survivors who offered to help during recruitment processes, from writing questions to sitting on interview panels. It’s wonderful to be able to use survivor voices to shape the service.  Information and bios for our staff are now available on the website. All staff continue to receive specialist training from secular and non-secular sources to further their understanding of church-related abuse. In addition, we have a pool of experienced staff who work on our out of hours helpline service.

Demand – Our service has steadily grown since January, reflecting the increase in demand and growing awareness of Safe Spaces. When our contract began, we inherited 43 survivor cases, and that number has now grown to 90 open cases being supported. We’re very proud of this growth, but also acutely aware that this is still just a drop in the ocean when considering the number of people who would benefit from our support, so we’re determined to grow further in the future.

Growth – As a combination of our successful recruitment and increased demand, we’ve now formulated a structured plan to further extend our reach and awareness of Safe Spaces, in particular within non-religious institutions so that we can reach those affected by abuse who no longer have a connection to the church. All our staff are now busy contacting a wide range of agencies including the police, Department for Work and Pensions, social care, Local Authorities, other charities and not-for-profit organisations, as well as strengthening our understanding and cooperation with Diocesan and Cathedral Safeguarding teams within the Church  of England, Church in Wales and Catholic Church in England and Wales. This has created opportunities to deliver talks, seminars and training sessions to raise awareness of church-related abuse and its impact, as well as the important role Safe Spaces can play in providing support to people who have been abused.