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Author: Mark Lucking

Eligibility for Support

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Safe Spaces is here to support people who have experienced church‑related abuse within the Church of England, Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

This page explains who is eligible, how we assess referrals, and what to expect.

 

Who We Support

You may be eligible for Safe Spaces if:

✔ You have experienced harm

This includes physical, mental, emotional harm, or financial loss directly caused by behaviour that may be a criminal offence.
(As defined by the Victims’ Code.)

✔ The harm happened in connection with:

  • The Church of England
  • The Church in Wales
  • The Catholic Church in England and Wales

✔ You are over 18

Safe Spaces supports adults aged 18+. Eligibility is based on your age today, not the age you were when the abuse occurred. We are here for adults who experienced abuse as children or as adults

 

Eligibility Assessment

Every referral is reviewed individually.

If someone does not meet the criteria, Safe Spaces will always try to signpost them to other suitable services.

Our framework ensures the service focuses on people affected by church‑related abuse, including cases where the person who caused harm is now deceased.
All questions about eligibility are considered case by case in line with our policy.

 

Victims’ Code Definition of a Victim

“A person who has suffered harm, including physical, mental or emotional harm or economic loss which was directly caused by a criminal offence.”

 

Who Is Not Eligible

To maintain the specialist purpose of Safe Spaces, we cannot support:

✖ Church staff or volunteers

If the issue relates only to:

  • Employment matters
  • Internal conduct concerns that do not reach a criminal threshold
  • Grievances
  • Workplace bullying or harassment unrelated to criminal abuse
  • Other HR‑related issues

✖ Internal church disputes

Complaints handled through:

  • HR processes
  • Whistleblowing
  • Disciplinary procedures
    that do not involve allegations of abuse within the scope of Safe Spaces.

These situations should be addressed through the Church’s HR or employment dispute channels.

✔ What is still eligible

If abuse happened within a church employment or voluntary role and involves criminal conduct (e.g., sexual assault, coercion, violence), the person may still be eligible.
Such cases are reviewed individually.

 

Support for Vulnerable Victims

Some people may need extra support.
A person may be considered vulnerable under the Victims’ Code if they:

  • Are under 18
    (note: Safe Spaces supports adults 18+ only)
  • Have a mental health condition or learning disability
  • Have a physical disability or illness that affects their ability to access support
  • Feel significant fear or distress because of the abuse
  • Have communication difficulties or other barriers to accessing help

Safe Spaces will make reasonable adjustments to ensure support is accessible, safe, and trauma‑informed.

 

Safety and Conduct

Safe Spaces has a duty to protect everyone using the service, as well as staff.
We may restrict or remove access if someone:

  • Does not meet eligibility criteria
  • Acts abusively or harasses staff
  • Displays inappropriate or harmful behaviour

Our priority is to maintain a supportive and safe environment for all service users.

 

Safe Spaces Survivor Advocates

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Independent support for survivors of church-related abuse

The Safe Spaces Survivor Advocates provide confidential, trauma-informed support to adults who have experienced abuse within the Church of England, Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church. This specialist role offers emotional support, practical guidance, and advocacy to help survivors navigate complex systems and find a path toward justice and healing.

What to Expect

Survivors accessing this service can expect:

  • A compassionate, independent advocate who understands the unique challenges of church-related abuse
  • A safe, confidential space to talk about their experiences
  • Support via phone, email, video call, or text, tailored to individual preferences
  • Help navigating church safeguarding procedures, complaints processes, and justice pathways
  • Advocacy with church officials, safeguarding teams, and external agencies
  • Access to peer support and out-of-hours helpline services

Advocates work flexibly and sensitively, recognising the emotional impact of abuse and the importance of survivor-led support.

Why People Access This Service

Individuals may seek support from a Safe Spaces Survivor Advocate if:

  • They have experienced abuse in a church setting and want to be heard and believed
  • They are unsure how to report or navigate church safeguarding systems
  • They need emotional support, advocacy, or help accessing therapeutic services
  • They feel overwhelmed, isolated, or retraumatised by previous attempts to seek justice

Advocates provide clear, honest answers and empower survivors to make informed decisions.

How This Helps

Support from a Safe Spaces Survivor Advocate can help survivors:

  • Feel validated, heard, and supported
  • Navigate complex systems with confidence
  • Access justice, whether through church processes or external routes
  • Rebuild trust and regain a sense of control
  • Connect with others through peer support

The service is designed to meet survivors where they are, emotionally, spiritually, and practically, and walk alongside them at their own pace.

Safe Spaces Advisors

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Independent, trauma-informed support for survivors of church-related abuse

Safe Spaces Advisors provide confidential, compassionate support to adults who have experienced abuse within the Church of England, Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church. Whether the harm occurred recently or many years ago, advisors offer a safe space to talk, explore options, and receive practical and emotional support tailored to each individual’s needs.

What to Expect

Survivors accessing the Safe Spaces service can expect:

  • A non-judgemental, independent advisor who understands the complexities of church-related abuse
  • Support via phone, email, video call, or text, based on personal preference
  • Help navigating church safeguarding procedures, complaints processes, and justice pathways
  • Advocacy with church officials, safeguarding teams, and external agencies
  • Access to peer support and an out-of-hours helpline
  • Regular reviews of support plans to ensure needs are being met

Advisors work flexibly and sensitively, recognising the emotional impact of abuse and the importance of survivor-led support.

Why People Access This Service

Individuals may seek support from a Safe Spaces Advisor if:

  • They have experienced abuse in a church setting and want to be heard and believed
  • They are unsure how to report or navigate church safeguarding systems
  • They need emotional support, advocacy, or help accessing therapeutic services
  • They feel overwhelmed, isolated, or retraumatised by previous attempts to seek justice

Safe Spaces Advisors provide clear, honest answers and empower survivors to make informed decisions.

How This Helps

Support from a Safe Spaces Advisor can help survivors:

  • Feel validated, heard, and supported
  • Navigate complex systems with confidence
  • Access justice, whether through church processes or external routes
  • Rebuild trust and regain a sense of control
  • Connect with others through peer support

The service is designed to meet survivors where they are, emotionally, spiritually, and practically, and walk alongside them at their own pace.

 

About Safe Spaces England and Wales

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Safe Spaces England and Wales (SSEW) is a charitable company responsible for the governance and oversight of the Safe Spaces service.

SSEW has contracted First Light to deliver the Safe Spaces service under a three-year contract running from January 2023 to January 2026. This has now been extended for an additional year until 2027.

Why SSEW was established

SSEW was formed by the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

It was established as a separate registered charity and company to ensure complete independence from the Church, creating an independent service for victims and survivors.

The Board of Safe Spaces England and Wales

SSEW is governed by an independent Board.

The Board is led by the Chair and includes five additional Directors.

The role of Chair or Deputy Chair is always offered to the independent lived‑experience trustees to ensure greater independence.

The Directors:

  • provide strategic direction and oversight

  • are legally responsible for the activities of SSEW

  • hold decision-making responsibility for the charitable company

The Board does not deliver the Safe Spaces service or have contact with individual clients.

The Safe Spaces Advisory Committee (SSAC)

The SSEW Directors are supported by the Safe Spaces Advisory Committee (SSAC).

The SSAC brings together key stakeholders to provide operational advice relating to the day-to-day activities of SSEW.
Directors may take this advice into account when making decisions.

The SSAC includes:

  • Non-Executive Directors / Experts by Experience (Professionals from sectors such as Education, Adult Social Care, Local Government, Church of England Ministry, and the NHS, who also bring valuable lived experience.)

  • Safeguarding professionals

  • Legal advisers

  • Financial advisers

  • Communications advisers

SSEW Directors

The current Directors of Safe Spaces England and Wales are:

  • Dr Jamie Harrison
    Member of the Archbishops’ Council and Chair of the House of Laity, Church of England

  • Rt Rev Paul Mason
    Bishop of the Forces, Catholic Church in England and Wales

  • Paul McCallum
    Chief Operating Officer, Archdiocese of Southwark, Catholic Church in England and Wales

  • Rt Rev Julie Conalty
    Bishop of Birkenhead, Church of England

  • Craig Russo
    Independent mental health and wellbeing expert

Funding

The Safe Spaces service is funded by:

  • The Archbishops’ Council (Church of England)

  • The Catholic Church in England and Wales

SSEW also receives additional funding from the Archbishops’ Council and the Catholic Church in England and Wales to cover the core running costs of the charitable company.

Oversight and evaluation of the Safe Spaces service

Representatives from:

  • The Church of England Archbishops Council

  • The Catholic Safeguarding Advisory Service (CSAS)

sit on the Safe Spaces Advisory Committee.

These representatives meet regularly with First Light, on behalf of the SSEW Directors, as part of the contract monitoring process.

The SSEW Directors meet regularly with the SSAC to review service data and reports relating to the Safe Spaces service.

SSEW has appointed Rocket Science as the independent evaluator of the Safe Spaces service. Rocket Science provides regular updates to the Board, and evaluation findings will be published.

Kennedy’s have issued guidance for those

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Kennedy’s have issued guidance for those affected by the data breach

 

Kennedy’s have issued some guidance for those affected by the data breach. 

This link takes you through the process of how to stop all the emails/notifications.  

https://kennedyslaw.com/en/notices/deleting-ongoing-email-communications/

Redress Scheme data breach by Kennedy’s Law LLP

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Redress Scheme data breach by Kennedy’s Law LLP

 

The Church of England has issued a statement following the Redress Scheme data breach by Kennedy’s Law LLP

You can read the full statement here: https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-news-releases/redress-scheme-data-breach-kennedys-law-llp

If you have been affected by this, or need someone to talk to, Safe Spaces is here to support you.

Safe Spaces is a free, independent support service offering a confidential and compassionate environment for anyone who has experienced abuse by someone in the Church, or as a result of their relationship with:

  • The Church of England
  • The Catholic Church in England and Wales
  • The Church in Wales

The service is available to anyone aged 18 or over living in England and Wales. 

You are not alone. You will be believed, heard, and supported.

Statements from the Church of England Following the Trial of Chris Brain

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Statements from the Church of England Following the Trial of Chris Brain

The Church of England has issued a statement following the trial of Chris Brain, founder of the Nine O’Clock Service in Sheffield.
You can read the full statement here: https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/statements-following-trial-chris-brain-founder-nine-oclock-service-sheffield

If you have been affected by this, or need someone to talk to, Safe Spaces is here to support you.

Safe Spaces is a free, independent support service offering a confidential and compassionate environment for anyone who has experienced abuse by someone in the Church, or as a result of their relationship with:

  • The Church of England
  • The Catholic Church in England and Wales
  • The Church in Wales

The service is available to anyone aged 18 or over living in England and Wales. 

You are not alone. You will be believed, heard, and supported.

Safe Spaces Update

Posted on by Mark Lucking
We appreciate that for many who have experienced Church related abuse, today’s news of the death of Pope Francis may present a range of difficult emotions.
 
Our phone line reopens on Tuesday 22nd April at 9.00am but survivors are welcome to leave a voicemail today requesting a call back which we will prioritise.
 
Helpline: 0300 303 1056
(Reopens Tues 22nd April at 09.00am)
Email: safespaces@firstlight.org.uk

Church of England Survivor Representative Vacancy

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Safe Spaces Advisory Committee Member 

Church of England Survivor Representative 

Aims and Objectives 

The Safe Spaces Advisory Committee (SSAC) is a group that brings together key stakeholder representatives from the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales to provide operational advice in connection with the day to day activities of SSEW (Safe Spaces England and Wales), which the directors may factor into their decision making.  

The SSAC will: 

  • Provide an opinion on whether the contractual provisions of the contract have been met, with any suggestions for improvement.
  • Provide a view to the directors on service provider performance against key performance indicators and the required deliverables of the service.
  • Input on potential service developments.

Roles and Responsibilities 

The role of the Safe Spaces Advisory Committee is to: 

  • Attend meetings and contribute their experience and expertise to the discussion related to the review of the service outcomes reports submitted by the service provider and the Independent Evaluator.
  • Ensure that the directors are aware of the voice of survivors of Church-related abuse
  • Act as a ‘sounding board’ for the directors of SSEW in particular in relation to the more complex elements of the project that are relevant to their area(s) of expertise or experience.
  • Provide assistance in connection with a quality control mechanism to ensure that outcome reports submitted by the service provider and Independent Evaluators are of high quality, fit for purpose and useful in deciding the future of the pilot project.

Survivor Representative Responsibilities in SSAC

  • Considering and representing a survivor view of the impact of church-related abuse 
  • Contributing experience and expertise to the discussion related to the review of the service outcomes reports submitted by the service provider and the Independent Evaluator.
  • Reviewing evaluation reports from the Independent Evaluation Service and service provider from a survivor perspective, giving feedback as to whether  they sufficiently show survivor feedback and engagement.
  • To reflect survivor voices based on both lived experience as well as consideration of the diversity of survivor experience, as far as is possible.)
  • Give advice and suggestions as to how better to reflect voices of survivors within Safe Spaces.
  • Raising risks and issues relevant to the monitoring and evaluation of the Safe Spaces service.
  • Attendance of all meetings and for any meetings that are missed, to provide a feedback on relevant documents in advance.
  • Representing survivors by participating in recruitment interviews for keys posts and contracts.
  • Provide advice and support to a range of decisions to be made by the Board, whilst not having a formal vote – important input which is valued.

Person Specification 

Essential criteria

We are looking for a Survivor Representative who: 

  • Is a victim/survivor of church-related abuse within the Church of England.
  • Is committed to working ecumenically, assisting the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales to fulfil its safeguarding mission through the provision of the Safe Spaces service.
  • Has strong inter-personal skills, an ability to listen, engage effectively and work collaboratively.
  • Can communicate effectively by expressing their own views; work with differing opinions; challenge appropriately.
  • Can review documents and provide verbal and/or written feedback.
  • Can work appropriately with confidential information.
  • Can commit sufficient time to conduct the role well.

This post may involve discussing potentially distressing issues, applicants will need to demonstrate they have the emotional resilience and capacity to manage this. 

You will receive an honorarium of £125 per meeting + reasonable expenses will be paid in accordance with the Church of England’s NCI  expenses policy.

There will be approximately 6 board meetings per year. Meetings are expected to take place during usual business hours.  

Terms 

The representative would be appointed for three years. The term can be renewable once. 

 

Appointment 

The post will be subject to the safer recruitment processes. 

Closing date: May 10th 2025

Interviews: Online via MS Teams or Zoom on Wednesday 4th June 2025, timings to be confirmed.

Click to apply

** Please note that this will redirect you to the Church of England Pathways website.
(https://pathways.churchofengland.org/en/jobs/safe-spaces-advisory-committee-member-church-of-england-survivor-representative/2257)

 

Safe Spaces Statement

Posted on by Mark Lucking

Safe Spaces Statement

We are aware of the recent comments made by Justin Welby in his BBC interview. Safe Spaces is here to support victims and survivors of abuse linked to the Church, and our focus remains on advocating for them.

If anyone has been affected by these remarks or any other comments made by the Church or its representatives, we encourage them to reach out to us. We are here to provide confidential, independent, and compassionate support.

Safe Spaces is a free and independent service offering a safe, personal, and confidential space for anyone who has experienced abuse within, or as a result of their relationship with, the Church of England, the Catholic Church in England and Wales, or the Church in Wales.

You can contact our helpline on 0300 303 1056 

We are here for you, and you will be heard, believed, and supported.