Foundation Training

The Foundation Pathway must be undertaken by anyone who has a safeguarding role, including those who work with children, young people or vulnerable adults.

Why?

It is important that people understand how good safeguarding practice connects with their own role and responsibilities.

Mandatory Requirements

The Basic Awareness Pathway must be completed before anyone undertakes the Foundation Pathway.

The Foundation Pathway is mandatory for:

Parish Safeguarding Officers
Churchwardens
PCC members
Vergers
Anyone (volunteers and employees) in a church role that involves working with children, young people, or vulnerable adults.

The Foundation Pathway (or a higher Core Pathway) must be repeated every three years.

Notes of clarification

The Core Pathways, in ascending order, are:

Basic Awareness
Foundation
Leadership
Senior Leadership

For new appointments, the Foundation Pathway must be completed as part of the Induction process (unless the person has already completed this or a higher Core Pathway within the past three years).

Based on a person's current church roles, the highest level Core Pathway must be repeated every three years.

Please note that:

Tower captains and bell ringing teachers are required to complete the Foundation Pathway.
This training is specific to the Church of England and it must still be completed by those who have undertaken safeguarding training in a different context (e.g. at work).
It is the responsibility of the diocese (rather than a parish) to ensure that clergy and Readers complete the required safeguarding training.

Links to useful resources

The latest version of the Safeguarding Learning and Development Framework was approved by General Synod in July 2024. It came into force on 1 January 2025.

The latest version of the Basic Awareness Pathway can be found at the Safeguarding Training Portal and can be completed in under 90 minutes..

What's changed?

Section 3.2 of the new Framework includes the clarification that tower captains and bell ringing teachers must complete the Foundation Pathway.