Our commitment to our work with victims and survivors
All those involved in the safeguarding work within the Diocese of Worcester are fully committed to ensuring that we proactively and appropriately support survivors. Our committment is to provide compassionate, practical and supportive help to anyone who comes forward with a lived expereince of abuse.
How to contact us
We understand it can be difficult to talk about painful experiences and it may take many years to feel able to do so. In your church setting you may want to speak to your Parish Safeguarding Officer or a member of clergy.
You may prefer to speak to someone in the Diocesan Safeguarding Team in Worcester. Details of how to contact them are found here.
You might like to consider using the Diocesan Authorised LIstening Service - an opportunity to talk confidentially to a trustworthy person who has been safely recruited to the role. They will will provide a series of face to face sessions, and will offer support for any next steps that are considered necessary. The service can be requested in confidence via Parish Safeguarding Officers, clergy, or direct via the Diocesan Safeguarding team. There are leaflets available in every parish.
We recognise that some people may not feel comfortable speaking to a person connected with the church, details of independent sources of advice and support can be found under Helpful sources of support below
What to expect from us:
We know that speaking about abuse—whether past or present, inside or outside the church—can be incredibly difficult. We are committed to listening, taking it seriously, and responding with care, making sure everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
We will:
- Listen to you, when you are ready to talk
- Respond within 24 hours if you leave a message.
- Communicate clearly about any next steps.
- Direct you to appropriate support and guidance, including signposting to other organisations if needed
We understand that experiences of abuse can deeply affect a person’s life and faith. Sadly, the Church has not always responded well, but we are committed to learning and doing better.
We value feedback from survivors and those affected by abuse. Your insights help us improve our response. You can send feedback to the diocesan safeguarding team on the details above.
Responding Well - A National Policy
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 also available on the Church of England website:
Survivor Engagement
If you would be interested in joining in future survivor participation opportunities, please email safeguardingadvice@cofe-worcester.org.uk
If you would like to find out more about survivor participation opportunities in the national church, please take a look at the National Safeguarding pages
Other helpful sources of support and information
- Safe Spaces (0300 303 1050)
A free and independent support service for anyone who has experienced abuse in relation to the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church of England and Wales.
- Interim Support Scheme
The Archbishops’ Council has established an Interim Support Scheme to improve the Church’s response to current and non-current survivors of Church-related abuse.
- Redress Scheme
Redress Church of England is the name of the Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. The purpose of the Scheme is to acknowledge the harm caused by abuse within the Church of England and to offer meaningful recognition to survivors. It is also the Church of England’s demonstration of the tangible and practical way it can show how truly sorry it is for its past failings relating to safeguarding.It is expected to be launched by the latter part of 2026, but you can register for updates here.
