Support for victims and survivors of church-related abuse extended
Support for victims and survivors of church-related abuse extended
The Church of England, The Church in Wales and The Catholic Church in England and Wales are pleased to confirm ongoing support for victims and survivors of church-related abuse, through Safe Spaces, the independent support service.
Safe Spaces is a free national support service which offers a confidential, personal, and safe space for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with either the Church of England, The Church in Wales or The Catholic Church in England and Wales, regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation.
First Light, the charity empowering victims and survivors, will continue to provide the service as an extension of their current contract, for a further 15 months.
Craig Russo BEM BCAv, Independent Expert Trustee / Director at SSEW said: “We are committed to ensuring that every survivor using Safe Spaces receives the high-quality support they deserve. Central to this is the independence of our service provider, which is vital for building trust and transparency. I am delighted that First Light will continue in this role; their presence provides the stability and continuity survivors need as we move toward the next stage of procurement.”
The Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, a Trustee of SSEW said: “Safe Spaces provides a vital support service to those who have been affected by church-related abuse. Our responsibility, as the Board of Safe Spaces, is to ensure that the needs of victims and survivors are being met. I hope our process of review and procurement will help ensure that everything possible is being done.”
Bishop Paul Mason, Safeguarding Lead for the Catholic Church, Board Member of the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) and a Trustee of SSEW said: “The impact of abuse can be complex and life-long. It is vital that victims have a source of support from an independent body who specialise in this area and I am confident that First Light will continue to provide this vital service throughout this process.
Lyn Gooding, CEO of First Light said: “We welcome the decision by the Safe Spaces England and Wales Board to extend the Safe Spaces contract. This extension allows us to continue our vital work advocating for and supporting individuals affected by church-related abuse, guided by our ongoing commitment to understanding and responding to the evolving needs of those we serve. By taking the time to thoroughly assess the impact and value of the service, the Board has ensured that Safe Spaces can continue to provide a secure, compassionate, and supportive environment for all who need it.”
First Light have been providing the vital service since January 2023 and have agreed to continue providing the service from 9th January 2026 until April 2027. This will allow time for a full, open, and publicised procurement process to secure Safe Spaces service provision for a new three-year contract.
The Safe Spaces Board will review how the needs of clients may be best met and assess how the service might evolve over the next three years. This review will be informed by an independent evaluation of the service by Rocket Science, an independent social research agency.
Current clients can expect their usual service, and new service users can access Safe Spaces at Safe Spaces England and Wales T:0300 303 1056
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Christmas Operating Hours
Christmas Operating Hours
Please note the following festive season hours for our support services.
Wednesday 24th December: 9am – 9pm
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Kennedy’s have issued guidance for those
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/
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Redress Scheme data breach by Kennedy’s Law LLP
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.
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Statements from the Church of England Following the Trial of Chris Brain
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.
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Safe Spaces Update
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Church of England Survivor Representative Vacancy
Safe Spaces Advisory Committee Member – Church of England Survivor Representative
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.
** 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)
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Safe Spaces Statement
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.
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Safe Spaces Update – Chair to Step Down
Safe Spaces Update
Governance Update for the Independent Service Supporting Survivors of Church-Related Abuse
Safe Spaces England and Wales (SSEW) today announced that Paul Langham, Independent Chair, has decided to step down after a year of service in the role. This will not affect the running of the service.
Craig Russo BEM, Independent Director, commented on behalf of the SSEW Directors: “We wish Paul all the best as he steps down from his role.”
“We are confident that the service will continue to positively impact the lives of victims and survivors as it develops. This is in no small part due to the representation and participation of survivors on our Advisory Committee and the valuable professional experience they bring to the table.”
“Safe Spaces remains steadfast in its mission to provide a safe and supportive environment for those affected by church-related abuse. The SSEW Directors and the Advisory Committee are committed to ensuring the service’s continued success and positive impact on survivors’ lives.”
Paul Langham will step down in April, following his final meeting as Chair of the Board.
Interim Chair arrangements to ensure a smooth transition will be announced in due course.
The Directors and the Safe Spaces Advisory Committee will continue to work closely together to maintain the high standards of care and support that have been established.
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Safe Spaces Update
Safe Spaces Update
We wanted to provide an update regarding the Safe Spaces service.
Martin Christmas Nelson, Safe Spaces Manager, will be leaving Safe Spaces to take up a new role. We want to thank Martin for helping establish what Safe Spaces is today, shaping the service, and ensuring that the values of First Light echo through to the Safe Spaces Service, ensuring everyone is heard, believed, and supported.
We would like to introduce Clair Street as the new Safe Spaces Manager.
Clair joined First Light in April 2024 as the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Support Manager, running the Independent Sexual Violence Advisory service for Devon and Cornwall. She then managed various teams within the integrated Safer Futures Domestic Abuse service in Cornwall. Clair is an experienced manager who has worked in health and social care since 2000 in a range of services and settings, including Drug and Alcohol, Prison Outreach, Homelessness, Community Outreach, and Mental Health.
Again, we want to thank Martin for all his hard work in setting up Safe Spaces and wish him all the best in his new role. We also extend a huge welcome to Clair to the Safe Spaces Team, who will continue the vital work and support we provide.
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