(Photo: Church of England)The Church of England has made significant progress in strengthening its safeguarding culture, but further work is needed to ensure consistent standards across the country, according to a new report from independent auditors INEQE. Many respondents said they felt safe in their church communities and believed safeguarding had improved in recent years. Strong leadership, dedicated diocesan safeguarding teams and closer collaboration with statutory agencies were all identified as contributing to this progress. Some safeguarding teams are operating under considerable pressure, while weaknesses remain in areas such as information sharing, record keeping and responding to concerns. Among its key recommendations, the report calls for stronger governance and greater operational independence for safeguarding teams, while maintaining accountability within the Church's structures.