Safeguarding for religious orders

Churches, faith groups, and religious orders are woven into the fabric of our society, offering a lifeline for many children, young people, and vulnerable adults. However, in recent years, many have been rocked by cases of alleged abuse. The betrayal of trust should be unthinkable, but it’s our job to think about it.

Our specialist team understands the specific safeguarding challenges facing faith-based groups. We know it’s harder for victims to speak up and be believed. We acknowledge the significant reputational risks to the organisation. We recognise the difficulties of managing risks during social events and pilgrimages. And we know many groups lack the resources, knowledge, and training to properly vet and manage staff—not to mention support victims with compassion and clarity.

We work with religious organisations to:

• Carry out risk assessments
• Develop policies to reduce those risks and help you roll them out
• Identify areas for operational improvement
• Train people to fulfill their safeguarding responsibilities
• Introduce more stringent safeguarding measures in recruitment and management of staff and volunteers
• Create a framework to respond to reports and accusations
• Navigate legal issues if things go wrong
• Ensure victims, their families, and their communities have a clear path to justice, free from intimidation and procedural delays