Safe Spaces

Safe Spaces is a free, national support service independently run by Victim Support.  It provides 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.  Together with Church of England Dioceses we are promoting this service and we have placed information and full contact details below.  You can access the Safe Spaces website here. 

Safe Spaces comprises a team of trained support advocates, who are Independent Sexual Violence Advisors 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.

The service provides remote support through their helpline, live chat service and website and is for anyone who feels they have experienced church related abuse of any form 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.

The service is for people 18 or over who live in England and Wales. Survivors do not have to have reported the incident to the Church authorities or the Police in order to access support, and you do not need to be a current active member of the church in order to access support.  

Please refer to the Safe Spaces website for further information on the Safe Spaces service and eligibility.

You can contact the Safe Spaces team by:

Tel: 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times)
Email: safespaces@victimsupport.org.uk
LiveChat: www.SafeSpacesEnglandandWales.org.uk
Website: www.SafeSpacesEnglandandWales.org.uk