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Roles required to complete the CofE Leadership course every 3 years:
- All clergy holding the bishop’s licence, commission, authorisation, or permission 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
- Archbishops
- Archdeacons (including Associate Archdeacons)
- Assistant Diocesan Directors of Ordinands (ADDOs)
- Bishops’ Chaplains
- Cathedral Administrators
- Cathedral Chapter Members
- Cathedral Directors of Music / Masters of Choristers
- Cathedral Safeguarding Officers (CSOs)
- Chief Executive
- Chief of Staff
- Deans
- Diocesan and Suffragan Bishops
- Diocesan Directors of Ordinands (DDOs)
- Diocesan Safeguarding Officers (DSOs)
- Diocesan Secretaries
- Directors of Communications
- Directors of Ministry
- District chair / district safeguarding lead of bell ringing guilds/councils
- HR Directors
- Lay ministers in training need to have completed the Leadership course before they are licenced, authorised or commissioned
- Leaders of Religious Communities
- Ordinands need to have completed the Leadership course before their diaconal ordination
- Provincial Episcopal Visitors
- Registrars
- Residentiary Canons
- Safeguarding Officers / Leads including Designated Safeguarding Person in a Religious Community (e.g. PSOs).
- Senior Chaplains to the Armed Forces
- Tower captains at prominent towers (including Cathedrals, towers with frequent visitors or people learning)
- Wardens of Readers / LLMs (Licensed Lay Ministers)
- ANYONE going on to complete the 'Senior Leadership' course
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 CofE 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) CofE Leadership sessions and book a ticket:
Please be aware: We now only have 1 x Part One Leadership session left and that is on Wednesday 6th May2026 (if you cannot make Part Two on Wed 13/05/2026, do NOT book Part One on Wed 06/05/2026).
The NEW version of the CofE Leadership course should be available from mid-June. Details will be added to this webpage and included in the quarterly PSO Newsletters as soon as all details have been confirmed.
If you have any questions regarding virtual (via Zoom) safeguarding Training please see Virtual (via Zoom) safeguarding course FAQs
Face-to-Face Classroom-Based CofE Leadership Safeguarding Sessions
The NEW version of the Face-to-Face Classroom-Based CofE Leadership Safeguarding Session should be available from July 2026. Details will be added to this webpage and included in the quarterly PSO Newsletters as soon as all details have been confirmed.
Post-Course Requirements for the CofE 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.