Diocesan roles & responsibilities

To access the House of Bishops' full key roles and responsibilities guidance document click here. 

Diocesan Bishop

The Diocesan Bishop has overall strategic responsibility for Safeguarding, and in particular:

• Ensuring that a Safeguarding Policy is in place, including guidance to all who have a responsibility for its implementation.
• Appointing a Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC) to provide informed advice on all relevant safeguarding matters.
• Appointing a Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor, in consultation with the Church of England's National Safeguarding Team.
• Ensuring that there are appropriate arrangements in place for:
  • Monitoring compliance with the Safeguarding Policy across the diocese.
  • Ensuring that all clergy appointed to serve within the Diocese (including PTOs) obtain appropriate safeguarding checks.
  • Ensuring that all clergy who are named on the approved list of Locum Clergy (or are otherwise licensed to officiate) obtain appropriate safeguarding checks.
  • Ensuring that any safeguarding complaint within the Diocese against a member of the Clergy is properly investigated and communicated to the relevant statutory and law enforcement agencies without delay.

For these responsibilities, the Diocesan Bishop is accountable to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Suffragan Bishop

The Suffragan Bishop is responsible for the following key safeguarding issues:

• Acting as the Safeguarding Lead for the Diocese on behalf of the Diocesan Bishop.
• As the Diocesan Warden of Lay Readers, ensuring that there are arrangements in place such that all licensed readers (including PTOs) obtain appropriate Safeguarding Checks.
• Ensuring that there are arrangements in place such that any safeguarding complaint within the Diocese against a Lay Reader (arising from their duties as a Lay Reader) is properly investigated and communicated to the relevant civil authority without delay.

For these responsibilities, the Suffragan Bishop is accountable to the Diocesan Bishop.

The Diocesan Secretary

The Diocesan Secretary has executive and operational responsibility for Safeguarding, including:

• The day-to-day line management responsibility for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor.
• Supporting the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor in the resourcing of the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.
• Ensuring that there are arrangements in place such that any safeguarding complaint within the diocese against a member of Diocesan Staff is properly investigated and communicated to the relevant statutory and law enforcement agencies without delay.

For these responsibilities, the Diocesan Secretary is accountable to the Diocesan Bishop.

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team

The Diocesan Safeguarding Team (DST) is responsible for the day-to-day operation of all Diocesan Safeguarding services in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. The DST is managed by the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor who is accountable, in differing ways, to the Diocesan Bishop, the Diocesan Secretary and the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC), respectively. The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor is also the Safeguarding Advisor to the Diocesan Bishop and a member of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC).

The role of the DST in relation to Safeguarding children, young people and adults is to provide overarching guidance, support and advice to all members of the Diocese.

The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC)

The diocese has established a Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Committee (DSAC) whose primary role is to provide independent and impartial advice to:

• The Diocesan Bishop (in respect of their overall strategic responsibility for safeguarding).
• The Suffragan Bishop (in respect of their role as Safeguarding Lead for the Diocese).
• The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor on all matters relating to the development and implementation of the Diocesan Safeguarding Policy.
• The Diocesan and Suffragan Bishops, to impart to the Diocese as a whole and to the Diocesan Synod.