Parliamentary Group Launches Inquiry to Improve Child Protection in Faiths

An Inquiry into Safeguarding: Strengthening Child Protection in Faith-Based Communities

Efforts to bolster child protection measures within faith communities are gaining momentum as the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Safeguarding in Faith Communities (APPG) embarks on a new inquiry. This initiative seeks to address safety concerns in environments such as churches, mosques, and temples.

The APPG is calling for widespread participation from faith leaders, safeguarding officers, volunteers, youth workers, survivors, and relevant organizations. They are gathering insights through questionnaires, written submissions, and hearings, with the inquiry set to conclude by July 2026. The findings will culminate in a report providing key recommendations.

A focal point of this inquiry is the concept of “regulated activity,” which pertains to work or volunteering with children that necessitates adherence to stringent legal standards, including enhanced DBS checks.

Within faith settings, ambiguity often surrounds the application of these rules, particularly in informal contexts such as Sunday school, youth groups, Bible studies, or prayer meetings. In some instances, these activities may not legally require enhanced checks.

The APPG aims to scrutinize the current understanding of these regulations within faith communities and clarify their obligations.

The inquiry references the 2022 Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which recommended eliminating the supervision exemption for regulated activity. This exemption allows individuals under constant supervision to bypass the threshold for regulated activity.

Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight supports the inquiry, emphasizing the importance of “clarifying and expanding the definition of regulated activity” to ensure comprehensive protection for children and vulnerable individuals within faith-based settings.

They highlighted, “Significant gaps exist in the current definition of regulated activity within faith communities. Addressing these issues is crucial for safeguarding children and vulnerable individuals.”

Peter Wright, leading the APPG secretariat, expressed at the inquiry’s launch, “To date, there has been limited research, data, and formal scrutiny of how the regulated activity definition operates in practice within faith communities. As the APPG on safeguarding for faith communities, we feel we are uniquely placed to provide some of that crucial information.

“This inquiry is intended to fill that gap by providing both quantitative and qualitative evidence to ensure that discussions with Government about key legislation such as the proposed mandatory reporting duty are grounded in and informed by the experience and voice of faith communities.”

Additionally, the APPG has appointed Joanne Grenfell as co-chair, who has served as the Church of England’s lead bishop for safeguarding for three years.