January 2026 Update
Next PSO Networking Event
We are pleased to announce that the next PSO Network Event will be held via Teams on Tuesday 24 February at 6:30pm. To book your place, please register by clicking here.
There will be an opportunity to meet with other PSOs, and we will also be providing an update following the publication of the INEQE audit report, and information about the Parish Safeguarding Hubs extension to the Parish Safeguarding Dashboard.
Planning for future PSO Networking Events
We want to know what you need from these events, so please click here to complete the survey 2026 PSO event and information planning to let us know how regularly you would like to meet, what topics you would like to discuss, and to provide any feedback you have about the event held in November 2025, if you were able to attend.
PSO Induction Sessions
After a hiatus, we are now able to offer the PSO Induction training sessions again. These can be attended by both new and long-standing PSOs, and are being held online via Teams. We are taking bookings via Eventbrite, with availability for the following dates:
Monday 16 March at 6.00pm
Saturday 16 May at 9.30am
Friday 18 September at 12.00 noon
Tuesday 8 December at 6.00pm
Training and DBS Requirements
A reminder that we have listed on the website a list of roles, with the required safeguarding training and DBS checks. This can be found here. The list is not exhaustive, so please do contact us if you are unsure about a role and its training requirements. If the query is about a DBS check, you are also able to contact Thirtyone:Eight directly if you wish.
National Safeguarding Team Parish Survey
The National Safeguarding Team are conducing a brief survey to find out how useful their resources are for parishes, and what further resources could be useful. The link to the survey is here, and the closing date for the survey is 20 February 2026. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please email policy.safeguarding@churchofengland.org
PSO role and recruitment:
You can access the revised PSO role description here: Parish Safeguarding Officer role description | The Church of England.
An Information and Welcome pack has been created to support PCCs and PSOs coming into role.
Safeguarding Dashboard:
There is a series of six two-minute videos (12 mins in total) to support PSOs in understanding the features and benefits of the Safeguarding Dashboard which absolutely does help make the PSO role more manageable. This video is located on the Safeguarding Virtual Library on our eLearning portal. You can also view the video here.
If your parish is not yet using the Safeguarding Dashboard please reach out to Louisa McCabe louisa.mccabe@peterborough-diocese.org.uk for more information on how to access this valuable resource.
Primary Information Hub:
The printed hand-book has been discontinued in favour of the Safeguarding e-manual. Please dispose of any remaining hard copies, as the guidance is now out of date.
The national group recognised the need to have one central place for information and guidance to support the PSO in their role. They agreed this aim would best be met via the Safeguarding e-manual Safeguarding e-manual | The Church of England and the Safeguarding Dashboard.
Both of these offer easy and timely access to information and tools relevant to the PSO and their role.
PSO Resources/Key Documents:
Templates and resources | The Church of England
PSO National Group | The Church of England
PSO Induction/Refresher training:
The National Safeguarding Team is currently reviewing the existing training package. Once the materials are ready, training dates will be shared through the diocesan newsletter.
Safeguarding Links on Parish Websites & A Church Near You:
It is not essential to have full safeguarding details on the home page of your website, it is perfectly acceptable for the word ‘Safeguarding’ to be a link from the homepage, either across the top or in an easily-accessible drop down menu. The link should be clearly visible on the homepage, but the whole information does not need to appear on the home page itself, as long as it is available when someone clicks on the link. Clicking that link should take someone to a further page which contains more detailed safeguarding information, including contact details for the Parish Safeguarding Officer, the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and a clear statement of the parish’s commitment to safeguarding. If possible a link to the Diocesan Safeguarding webpages should be included. This should also be reflected on any A Church Near You sites.
Some suggested wording for your statement of committment to safeguarding is below:
"Our parish of [name] is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults from harm. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO). Our Diocese of [name]’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor who advises our PSO. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the PSO [add their details or link to a page that shows the info] or the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor [add their details here or link to your own page that shows the info or the diocesan safeguarding page]. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority’s children or adult social care services."
Thank you for your continued support and all the valuable contributions you make to the Diocese.