Alongside the Unitarian Administrators group, we now have a Unitarian Safeguarding Network, the GA Safeguarding Officer, Gavin Howell, which has just started. The intention is to hold two sessions each month via Zoom to give anyone involved with congregational safeguarding a space to talk about relevant issues and get guidance. Around eleven Unitarians attended the meeting on 23^rd September 2024 to hear Gavin introduce the history of safeguarding in the Unitarian movement, some basic safeguarding concepts, and start discussions on what safeguarding means in a Unitarian context. It’s early days, and safeguarding is such a broad, and important, topic, we’ll clearly need more than one meeting to cover it!

Topics discussed included how to access training on safeguarding from the Thirtyone:eight organisation, what the implications of a church becoming a CIO are, and the importance of making sure your church constitution has provisions for handling complaints, resolving disputes, and clearly stating under what grounds someone might be removed from a position of responsibility or even from membership. Not cheerful topics, but Gavin moved the discussion along fluidly, and this is surely a excellent addition to the support now available for Unitarians. Things have improved considerably since I became a Unitarian in 2010. Are we slowly evolving a more national Unitarian network, even becoming more of a national movement – in our own way? It may be too early to tell, but the signs are promising. The next meetings are in October 2024. All are welcome!