Safe Spaces is a joint Anglican and Catholic Church initiative to provide a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool asks anybody who has been harmed by abuse within the Catholic Church, whether recent or historic, to get in touch with our safeguarding team.It is the policy of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to report all allegations of abuse to the relevant authorities.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool recognises the impact of abuse on both individuals and their families. We also accept the findings of IICSA (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) and Elliot report that encourage transparency and openness.
We want to continue to learn and develop our safeguarding work, by working closely with survivors of abuse and listening to their experiences.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool understands that some people may not report abuse at the time, particularly if the abuse happened while they were a child.
We encourage anybody with an allegation or concern which involves a person from the Catholic Church, to talk to our safeguarding team. All communications will be handled sensitively and considerably.
If you wish to report a concern, or just make an enquiry, then contact our safeguarding team on 0151 522 1013 or safeguarding@rcaol.org.uk
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with either the Church of England or the Catholic Church of England and Wales.Although the churches have funded the service, Safe Spaces is run independently by the charity Victim Support, who are one of the leading charities providing specialist support to survivors of abuse in England and Wales.
Safe Spaces comprises a team of trained support advocates who have undergone specialist training in supporting survivors of sexual violence and who have received additional specific training in how the churches respond to abuse cases, the way in which faith and church-related settings have been used to carry out abuse, and the particular issues affecting people who have had or still have, a relationship with the church.
This may have been in relation to the Church of England, Catholic Church in England and Wales, or the Church in Wales. By ‘church related’, this may include:
- Abuse by a church officer. A church officer is any person, ordained or lay, paid or voluntary, who holds a role in the church.
- Abuse that is linked to participating in a church-led activity or group.
If someone lives outside of England and Wales, but suffered abuse by a Church Officer from the Church of England, Catholic Church in England and Wales or the Church in Wales, Victim Support will endeavour to provide support. It is for people aged 18 or over, but the abuse can have happened at any time in the past. If support is required for someone younger, Victim Support will endeavour to find appropriate local support.
Survivors do not have to have reported the incident to the Church authorities or the Police in order to access support. You do not need to be a current active member of the church in order to access support. It is for people who’ve experienced any kind of abuse – this includes (but is not limited to) sexual violence, inappropriate sexual behaviour, physical abuse, financial abuse or exploitation, psychological abuse (including spiritual abuse), domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour.Our dedicated Safe Spaces team are available through our helpline and live chat service between Monday–Saturday 10am-6pm, apart from Thursdays when the service is open 12-8pm.
Answerphone is available outside of opening times.
