Safeguarding Improvement Board
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults at Blackburn Cathedral is of singular importance.
The purpose of the Safeguarding Improvement Board is to work with the Cathedral Chapter and executive, providing challenge and support to achieve the aims of the Cathedral's improvement journey.
About the Improvement Board
Membership of the Board will be drawn from a professional community of interest including:
The Cathedral's Interim Dean and Senior Non Executive Member of Chapter, The Church of England National Safeguarding Team, Diocesan Board of Finance, Bishop's Office, statutory bodies, local authorities and the charity sector.
The Board's composition may alter as required and agreed by the Chair. The Board will be supported by the Cathedral COO.
Introducing the Safeguarding Improvement Board Chair
Barbara Peacock is a social worker and senior strategic leader of children and adult services for different authorities.
She has worked on improvement across children and adult services and has chaired boards for six years.
She has worked in the voluntary sector, private sector and the NHS. She was also on the Jay Wilkinson reference group for the Church of England.
Board Updates
The Board, which meets each month, is committed to open and transparent communication with our many communities and to this end, will publish 3 key messages from each meeting.
The third Board meeting took place on 12th November 2025 and the key messages from this meeting can be found below.
- The Safeguarding Improvement Board and Chapter, the trustees of the Cathedral, have signed off Blackburn Cathedral’s Safeguarding Improvement Plan. This Improvement Plan has been submitted to the Charity Commission. A summary of the Improvement Plan will be signed off at the next Safeguarding Improvement Board meeting and then published.
- The senior leaders at the Cathedral and members of Chapter, recognise the need for cultural change and are committed to actively working for positive cultural change in relation to safeguarding. These changes will bring wider positive benefits for those who work, volunteer or worship at the Cathedral. Everyone acknowledges this is not easy work, it will take time, but it has now begun.
- There is a new formal arrangement between the Cathedral and the Diocese to deliver operational safeguarding for the Cathedral, which has now started with a new Cathedral Safeguarding Advisor in post from the start of November, who is part of the wider safeguarding team in the Diocese. This brings added capacity, knowledge, quality assurance and experience to safeguarding in the Cathedral. This forms part of the approach to build wider partnerships to support the Cathedral to become more outward looking and collaborative.
- We have confirmed our commitment as a Board to be intentional in our trauma informed leadership as we embark on this improvement journey.
- We are committed to listening, hearing and engaging with the Cathedral community; congregation, victims / survivors, volunteers and staff to shape the future. We are thinking hard about how we can do this most effectively.
- We have written our Terms of Reference (available to view above) and work has begun on the Safeguarding Improvement Plan which will be published when signed off by the board.
Terms of Reference
