Meeting of the National Safeguarding Panel, June 2025

Learning Together: Strengthening Survivor Engagement

The recent Learning Together event brought together over 30 survivors and safeguarding professionals for a day of open dialogue and shared learning. With a welcoming atmosphere, independent structure, and thoughtful touches like a wellbeing room, the event received glowing feedback. The panel is keen to host similar gatherings every 1–2 years, resources allowing.

Regional Safeguarding Model: Progress, Gaps, and Survivor Voice

The panel explored the Regional Safeguarding Model, focusing on IICSA Recommendations 1 and 8. Survivor voices highlighted both meaningful progress and ongoing challenges particularly around trauma-informed practice and regional responsiveness.

Regional Safeguarding Leads (RSLs) shared how they’re building trust and influencing change, despite not having formal management authority. Their credibility and peer learning are helping shift culture in a more collaborative direction.

While the model’s strengths like reflective supervision and tailored inductions were acknowledged, the need for consistent survivor involvement and clearer co-production strategies remains.

Pilot Evaluation: Learning from What Works

The evaluation of the regional safeguarding pilot showed mixed results. Supervision (Workstream 1) was a clear success, but resourcing (Workstream 4) lagged behind. A new staffing benchmark model is already helping under-resourced dioceses, moving the conversation from anecdotal feedback to data-driven action.

The panel welcomed this shift, seeing it as a step toward greater national consistency and more effective safeguarding.