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Leadership Safeguarding Training

Leadership Training is for people who play a lead role in shaping the culture of their parish. This will always include:

All clergy holding the bishop’s licence, commission, authorisation, or permission (including PtO where exemption has not been given) including Honorary/Assistant Bishops and Chaplains
All Readers and Licensed Lay Ministers holding the bishop’s licence (under Canons E6 & E8), together with all others who hold the bishop’s commission, authorisation, or permission to carry out similar ministerial functions (including PtO where exemption has not been given)
Non-executive members of Chapter (unless their role in the diocese requires a higher level)
Safeguarding Officers / Leads in all Church bodies (e.g. PSOs)
Tower captains at prominent towers (including Cathedrals, towers with frequent visitors or people learning)
District chair / district safeguarding lead of bell ringing guilds/councils
Ordinands (need to have completed Leadership before their diaconal ordination)
Lay ministers in training (need to have completed Leadership before they are licenced, authorised or commissioned)

It should also, according to the local context, include such other people who significantly influence the culture of that Church body. These may include, for example, lay ministry staff employed by a PCC or BMO, locally appointed leaders of new worshipping communities, focal ministers, and Churchwardens.

Within the Diocese of Chelmsford it is a requirement for all Churchwardens at parishes in interegnum to have a Leadership certificate dated with 3 years.

Pre-Course Requirements for the Leadership course

1) Download and read our Leadership Participant Handbook

2) Ensure that you have already completed the Church of England National Safeguarding Team’s Basic Awareness and Foundation courses on the Church of England National Safeguarding Team’s online Learning Portal (website) prior to attending this Leadership course. You may not be permitted to join the Part One Leadership session without having completed them and you may need to re-book.

- If you’re not sure if you’ve already completed the Church of England Basic Awareness and/or Foundation safeguarding course(s) you can log into the Church of England National Safeguarding Team’s online Learning Portal (website https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/), click on ‘Records’ and then click on ‘My Training Record’.

- Basic Awareness and Foundation are not virtual courses (e.g. Zoom) so you do not need to book a ticket, and you do not need a device with a camera or microphone. You can log into the Church of England National Safeguarding Team’s online Learning Portal (website https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/), whenever it’s convenient for you, read/listen to the text and videos and then select the answers to multiple choice questions.

3) Compose reflections in response to questions 2a and 2b, as outlined on page 6 of the ‘Leadership Participant Handbook’, and submit it via SurveyMonkey at least 2 days prior to this event. Not only will this enable you to fully participate and engage in the discussions and reflections that are an integral part of the Safeguarding Leadership Course, but you may not be permitted to join the Part One Leadership session without having submitted them on time and you may need to re-book.

- The reflections need to be submitted via SurveyMonkey in one sitting, therefore it is recommended that you type the reflections on a word/google document first and then you can copy and paste the information into the relevant parts of the survey.

Your Incumbent/PCC/Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) may be able to assist you with the Pre-Course Requirements if you’re not confident using a computer.

Download the Leadership Participant Handbook

Download the Social GGRRAAACCEEESSS and Safeguarding Easy read

View the available virtual (via Zoom) Leadership sessions and book a ticket:

We recommend booking both tickets at the same time if possible, but please ensure that the date you book for Part Two is at least 1 week after the date that you have booked for Part One.

If you have any questions regarding virtual (via Zoom) safeguarding Training please see Virtual (via Zoom) safeguarding course FAQs

Face-to-Face Classroom-Based Leadership Safeguarding Session

Location: Chelmsford
Date: Thursday 15th May 2025
Start Time: Registration opens at 9:45am for the training to start promptly at 10:00am
Finish Time: The presentation and group participation should finish at 3:00pm, but the trainers will aim to stay until 3:30pm if you would like to stay and complete and submit the post-course written requirements.

Only those that confirmed their attendance with us, the Chelmsford DST, will be posted a booking confirmation pack which includes the Leadership Classroom Workbook and will be permitted to join the session.

If you have any questions about the Face-to-Face Classroom-Based Leadership Safeguarding session, or would like to book onto it, please contact:

Post-Course Requirements for the Leadership course

1) Complete the post-course written requirements that are outlined in detail on page 10 of your Leadership Participant Handbook that you downloaded prior to attending Part One Leadership.

Your Incumbent/PCC/Parish Safeguarding Officer (PSO) may be able to assist you with the Post-Course Requirements if you’re not confident using a computer.

If your web browser blocks you clicking on the Survey Monkey link, copy and paste the link into your web browser’s address bar and press the enter or return key.
Your pre-course evaluation work needs to be submitted via Survey Monkey in one sitting, therefore it is recommended that you type the answers on a word/google document first and then you can copy and paste the information into the relevant parts of the survey.