October & November 2024 – Before planning your visit, please check our ‘Visitor Notices’ for accessibility updates and one-off changes to opening times. Click here to view.
NEWCASTLE CATHEDRAL
A BEACON OF LIGHT
Safeguarding
Newcastle Cathedral is committed to the care and protection of all children, young people and adults. We strive to be a caring community that provides a loving environment where victims can report or disclose abuse safely and where they will find support and best practices that contribute to the prevention of abuse.
Safeguarding Contacts
If you would like to discuss safeguarding at the Cathedral or need to report any concerns, you can contact Newcastle Cathedral’s Safeguarding Officer using the following details:
Jayne Forsdike
Office telephone: 0191 2321939 (extension 212)
Mobile phone: 07748371762
The Safeguarding Lead for the Chapter of Newcastle Cathedral is The Revd Canon Zoe Heming.
The Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, Newcastle, is the governing body of Newcastle Cathedral, which is regulated by and accountable to both the Church Commissioners and the Charity Commission.
You are also very welcome to speak with our Deputy Safeguarding Adviser, Gill Lawrence. Her phone number is 07397 997951.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser is Carol Butler. She can be contacted on 07825 167016 or email c.butler@newcastle.anglican.org.
Latest Safeguarding News
INEQE Safeguarding Audit – Published July 2024
An independent safeguarding audit has been published regarding safeguarding arrangements across the Diocese of Newcastle, within Newcastle Cathedral, and at parish level. The audit, commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council and overseen by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST), assesses safeguarding arrangements against National Safeguarding Standards and is being carried out in every diocese.
LOUDfence Event in Support of Victims and Survivors of Church-Based Abuse – Held March 2024
Hundreds of beautifully hand-crafted strawberries were created for a LOUDfence event held in March 2024. The strawberries were inspired by the central image of the ‘If I Told You, What Would You Do?’ project, jointly funded by Safe Spaces and the Diocese of Newcastle, which aims to engage with survivors of faith-based abuse. The accompanying fence will remain in the Cathedral until a new, more permanent home is created for the strawberries. Click here to find out more.
This short film features interviews with those involved in the LOUDfence service in March 2024. The event was organised by Sarah Troughton, David Creese and Peter Locke, all survivors of church-based abuse, brought together by the Diocese of Newcastle’s Chaplaincy to Survivors.
Safeguarding Documents
The Cathedral Chapter is committed to the protection, safeguarding, care and nurture of all children and vulnerable adults who visit the Cathedral. The Cathedral Chapter recognise that safeguarding is a collective and shared responsibility.
In recent years, considerable work has been undertaken to ensure that all staff and volunteers understand this responsibility.
- The Cathedral’s Safeguarding Action Plan can be viewed here.
- The Cathedral’s independent safeguarding audit report can be viewed here.
- The Cathedral’s Safeguarding Policy Statement can be viewed by clicking here. The House of Bishop’s Safeguarding Policy and Practice, adopted by Newcastle Cathedral, is accessible here. The Parish Safeguarding Handbook can be downloaded here. Paper copies of these documents can be obtained from the Vestry on request.
The Diocese of Newcastle’s Safeguarding policies and procedures, together with national Church of England documents relating to Safeguarding, can be viewed on the Diocesan website: newcastle.anglican.org/safeguarding
Cathedral Policies
Please click here to view our Whistleblowing Policy
Please click here to view our Complaints Policy
Please click here to view our Privacy Policy
Please click here to view our Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy
Previous Years’ Reports
Independent Overview Report – Published May 2022
Newcastle Cathedral acknowledges the publication of an Independent Overview Report by Independent Reviewer Chris Robson, detailing an independent Lessons Learned Review relating to the recruitment, appointment and management of William Scott Farrell in his various roles at Ely, Newcastle and Rochester Cathedrals. The Dean and Chapter of Newcastle Cathedral are now actively engaged in a process of learning from the issues raised in the report and are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring the recommendations of the report are implemented in their entirety.
To access the Independent Overview Report, please click here.