🐑 Exciting news! The first guest blog on Guarding the Flock will be published later this week. One of my aims for the blog has always been to create space for different voices, perspectives, and experiences from across safeguarding, faith, governance, and survivor communities. If you've ever thought, "I've got something to say about that," I'd love to hear from you. Guest contributions are very welcome. Watch this space... #Safeguarding #GuestBlog #ChurchLeadership #Governance #Accountability #GuardingTheFlock🐑

In any other organisation, an obsessive interest in other people's sex lives would result in being whisked to HR and disappearing into the ether. The Church of England, however, appears to have built an entire ecosystem around it. 🐑 guardingtheflock.com/post/th…

I just received a brew from someone on @buymeacoffee! buymeacoffee.com/guardingthe…

This is a really important just read article from Michelle Burns. Reflecting on her experience as a safeguarding advisor @dioceseoflondon she points out how safeguarding policy is used by senior staff to police the personal relationships of clergy and that this is varied by significant degree in relation to sexuality. Michelle highlights how deeply this affects queer clergy in particular, whose lives are often brought under particular scrutiny. She further highlights the extraordinary disjunction between now much resource we spend on policing consensual sex between adults and how little on governance failures in safeguarding…. For my part I have been becoming more convinced that a Church that can impose lifetime sanctions for consensual sex between adults, but cannot identify meaningful accountability when safeguarding systems cause profound harm, has a serious moral problem and has lost sight of the Jesus presented in the gospels. Five years after Alan Griffin’s death, many still ask where responsibility lies……and why consensual sex, even if outside the teaching is the Church, leads to lifetime bans, but governance failures, which lead to a death have no consequences at all. The Church has become highly skilled at scrutinising the powerless. It remains much less confident at holding power to account.That is not justice. And it is not safeguarding.

The Church of England has many gifts. Clarity of responsibility is not one of them.

Can an institution provide dignity in retirement if it has not consistently provided dignity in service? 🐑

Retired Clergy Association tells fairness & dignity review that many dioceses depended on retired clergy to cover weekly services and calls for a "transformed mindset" in the Church in terms of how they are treated churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2…

New blog tomorrow 🐑🐑🐑

Hi all, Michelle here from Guarding the Flock. Just wanted to say a huge thank you for all your support and for reading, sharing, and engaging with my blog. I've picked up two new clients this week, which is fantastic news, and I'm genuinely grateful. The last year hasn't always been easy, but the encouragement, recommendations, and support have meant the world! Thank you for being part of the journey. Onwards and upwards! 🐑🐑🐑 #GuardingTheFlock #Safeguarding #CharityGovernance #FaithBasedCharities #ChurchLeadership #Trustees #SpiritualAbuse #Training #CPD #NonprofitLeadership #ChurchOfEngland #ThankYou

"It might, therefore, be concluded that on reflection some decided they had nothing for which to apologise, or that the issues were not as serious as they first determined. It is also possible that the silence is a mark of shame and fear." anglicanfutures.org/post/why…

If my blog resonates with you and you value this work, you can support the blog and ongoing advocacy here: buymeacoffee.com/guardingthe… Every contribution helps keep these conversations visible and supports continued safeguarding advocacy. There’s absolutely no pressure — your engagement, reflection, and presence here matter just as much. 🐑

A new code of conduct for security schemes for faith communities stipulates that recipients must not promote extremism or hate. But charities frequently spread misogyny, homophobia & extremism under the cloak of religion. We've called for consistency👇 secularism.org.uk/news/2026/…

NEW BLOG: “To Nourish a Viper in One’s Bosom” 🐍🩸 guardingtheflock.com/post/to… Church safeguarding rarely fails because nobody saw the snake. It fails because people kept calling the snake “misunderstood” right up until it bit someone. #Safeguarding #SpiritualAbuse #ChurchToo #ChurchOfEngland #ToxicLeadership #GuardingtheFlock