Board Member Profile

Tasks for the ISB as a whole

  • Provide professional supervision (but not line management) to the Director of Safeguarding.
  • Quality assure case work for cases that are escalated to the NST.
  • Receive complaints referring to the NST’s handling of cases to determine if appropriate action has been taken and decide the appropriate response. This would not normally mean reinvestigating the case.
  • Quality assure national safeguarding policy and practice requirements issued as Guidance by the House of Bishops under the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016.
  • Ensure that victims and survivors, and all others who are affected by safeguarding cases, are heard and enabled to inform policy and practice.
  • Make any recommendations the Chair deems necessary to enable the Church of England to embed a proactive, preventative, safer culture and ensure that processes for responding to allegations and complaints are just to all involved, timely and in line with best practice.
  • Advise on the continuing development of a core curriculum for training undertaken by dioceses.
  • Advise on good practice models which will set the standard for the work of Diocesan Safeguarding Officers (with particular emphasis on enabling the conceptual shift from Adviser to Officer status), support DSOs in applying these principles in their local context and intervene on behalf of DSOs if dioceses do not enable DSOs to discharge their responsibility for directing safeguarding activities in the diocese.
  • Advise relevant parts of the Church on the development of the long-term measures needed to achieve independence and excellence in safeguarding. This will include consultation with the National Safeguarding Steering Group and the National Safeguarding Panel to draw on their wisdom and define their future roles in relation to the ISB.
  • Hold the church publicly to account for any failure to respond to the ISB’s recommendations.
  • Report annually on their experience as an Independent Safeguarding Board, and where appropriate on progress towards Phase 2.

Tasks for the Independent Member specifically

 Strategic

  • Work with the Chair to develop the overall function and purpose of the ISB, working in partnership with leaders across the Church of England, engaging with the NST and other stakeholders to establish and implement the guiding principles for how the ISB should operate, including determining the best possible governance structure to allow it to deliver.
  • Provide expert recommendations to enable the Church of England to prevent safeguarding failures and ensure the church is held publicly accountable for any failure to respond to the ISB’s recommendations.
  • Working with the Chair to recruit other suitably qualified Board members and acting as an ambassador for safeguarding governance both within the Church and externally to appropriate stakeholder groups.

 Advisory

  • Advise on good practice models that set the standard for the work of Diocesan Safeguarding Officers and offer support in applying these principles locally.
  • Advise on the continuing development of a core curriculum for training undertaken by Dioceses.
  • Investigate complaints in relation to the NST’s handling of cases and decide the appropriate response, ensuring best practice is followed in the handling of all case work.
  • Provide quality assurance to the national safeguarding Guidance issued by the House of Bishops.
  • Ensure that victims and survivors, and all others who are affected by safeguarding cases, are listened to and empowered to inform policy and practice.
  • Work with the Chair to oversee the development and maintenance of an ISB website which promotes the Board, enabling all formal minutes and other relevant reports to be publicised and with clear links to the Church of England website.

Anticipated Timescale

It is expected that the task of establishing the relationships between the ISB and existing safeguarding structures (Para.2 under Strategic Leadership, above) will be completed within 6—9 months of the establishment of the ISB.

Proposals in Phase 2 of the programme, especially on future structures for embedding the independent element in the Church of England’s safeguarding work, and putting in place effective independent oversight of diocesan safeguarding operations, are expected to be developed by the end of Year 2 of the ISB’s existence so that discussion and planning for implementation can take place in the third year.

This role is a fixed term contract at 2 days a week.

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