In January 2026, the Charity Commission confirmed that it has issued Official Warnings to The Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance and The Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance, having concluded that failures to handle safeguarding allegations in accordance with the Commission's guidance and trustee duties amounted to mismanagement in the administration of these charities.
The notes highlight some key lessons for all charities on the appropriate delegation of safeguarding responsibilities and on how to maintain appropriate oversight, as well as a reminder of the care needed where individuals in positions of power or influence (including spiritual influence) are involved with a charity. We explore these lessons below.
The Commission expects protecting people and safeguarding responsibilities to be a governance priority for all charities. It is a fundamental part of operating as a charity for the public benefit.
The Commission's definition of 'safeguarding' is broad and includes taking reasonable steps to protect from harm all those who come into contact with a charity, including its beneficiaries, staff, volunteers and other people who come into contact with the charity through its work. The allegations, in this instance, related to alleged misconduct towards two adults by the then Bishop of Liverpool, who subsequently resigned, while maintaining that no wrongdoing had occurred.
The issues that the Commission identified during its engagement with these charities were:
- A failure to handle safeguarding allegations properly;
- A failure to maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding by the trustees;
- Lack of appropriate procedures to ensure that, in the context of the allegations, necessary information required to fully consider risks and make a decision on the appropriate action to take, reached the full trustee board;
- Inappropriate decisions on information-sharing (or the lack of it) in light of the need for sensitive handling of serious allegations among large trustee bodies which was to the detriment of adequate oversight of safeguarding and protection of those who come into contact with the charity; and
- As a result, the trustees were not in a position to consider whether the matters should be reported to the Commission as serious incidents when the allegations were first made in 2023 - the incidents were only reported in 2025 after media interest.
Lessons for other charities
In light of these conclusions, there are some important considerations for charity trustees to reflect on to ensure their own safeguarding approach is effective:
- Ensure trustees, staff and volunteers understand the requirements of the Commission's guidance and that they are properly reflected in the charity's policies and procedures in a proportionate way. This should include detail on how to handle an incident or allegation of abuse. Induction and training should be tailored to a person's role.
- Charity trustees have a collective responsibility for safeguarding and whilst they can delegate safeguarding actions, they retain overall responsibility for ensuring the safety and protection of individuals in their care.
- Clear terms of reference should be established which define roles, responsibilities, and reporting expectations for individuals or committees handling safeguarding matters.
- Protocols should be established for recording and sharing safeguarding allegations and incidents with the wider trustee board in a way that balances confidentiality with trustees' legal duties to oversee individual matters, manage risk and report serious incidents. Anonymised or redacted summaries can help trustees fulfil their oversight role while respecting privacy and data protection requirements.
- Where charities are led by people in positions of power or influence, including spiritual influence, trustees must exercise particular care. These roles often place individuals in situations where they can significantly impact the lives, well-being or development of others. Trustees must be equipped to challenge behaviour, regardless of the individual's position, and ensure safeguarding measures are applied consistently across the organisation.
- A robust code of conduct should apply consistently to all staff and volunteers including, for example, patrons and trustees. Any breaches must be dealt with fairly and transparently, in line with the charity's policies on safeguarding, complaints, and whistleblowing.
Trustees should take proactive steps to ensure their charity’s safeguarding governance is fit for purpose - the official warnings issued by the Charity Commission highlight particular areas of safeguarding governance that it might be useful for trustees to consider with reference to their own governance arrangements. We suggest an audit of safeguarding governance, whether internal perhaps using the Bond self-assessment tool or external, focusing on the trustees' role in overseeing operational matters and how they ensure they have enough information to do so effectively, whilst maintaining confidentiality so far as is possible.
For further advice on safeguarding in charities, please contact Sarah Clune.
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