Jane Chevous is Co-founder of Survivors Voices. Survivors Voices is a survivor-led organisation that harnesses the expertise of people affected by abuse in order to transform society’s response to trauma and abuse. This is an extract from her Safeguarding Season film.
“Safeguarding means to me that we ensure survivors are safe, seen and supported. That we do everything we can to make sure every child, young person and adult is safe from abuse.
Not just through safeguarding policies and training, important though they are, but through talking about safe families and safe relationships, so we all know how to recognise abuse and have the courage to challenge abuse wherever and whenever we see it.
As a Christian, the men who abused me used spiritual authority to justify their abuse, breaking my relationship with God and my faith community as well as with them. And yet as a Christian it was my belief in a God of justice and healing that enabled me to journey to through to recovery.
So ultimately for me safeguarding is about us ensuring that justice, love, and healing are available for every survivor.”
- View our full What Safeguarding means to me series
If you have experienced sexual, physical or spiritual abuse in the Church, we very much want to hear from you. You will be taken seriously and there is support we can offer. Please call in confidence, either our Safeguarding Team on: 01634 560 000 or Safe Spaces on 0300 303 1056. You can also visit the Safeguarding section of this website.