Safeguarding Resource
Digital Safeguarding Toolkit for Churches
A free guide for anyone who messages on behalf of a UK church.
Taking Safeguarding Seriously
Why Online Safeguarding Matters
Churches already take safeguarding seriously. Many have a policy, a Designated Safeguarding Lead and people who want to get it right. What has changed is where church life happens. Youth groups, small groups, worship teams and volunteer rotas now run on messaging apps. Wherever your church talks, the care is the same.
Problems online rarely come from bad intent. Usually it’s well-meaning people using familiar tools without a moment to think. This toolkit does the thinking with you.
Our guide to online safeguarding for churches goes into more detail.
What’s in the Toolkit
The Digital Safeguarding Toolkit is a free, practical guide to church online safeguarding, written for anyone who messages on behalf of a UK church. Pastoral teams, youth leaders, group chat moderators, church staff and volunteers can all use it. No prior safeguarding training is needed.
Church life now runs on messaging apps, and the same care applies there as in the room. Inside, you will find everyday scenarios showing how a conversation can slip out of sight, a digital code of conduct for volunteers and staff, and clear guidance on your church social media and WhatsApp policy, from managing group chats to moderating livestream comments.
It also covers how to recognise an online safeguarding concern and what to do when someone comes to you, who is responsible for what, and the role of your Designated Safeguarding Lead. Two team checklists, a reporting flowchart and an incident report form are ready to use straight away.
The toolkit sits alongside your church’s safeguarding policy and your DSL’s guidance. Read it as a team, work through the checklists, and shape it into the way your church communicates day to day.
Free, No Sign-UP
How to Use the Toolkit
Read it as a team, share it with staff, volunteers and youth leaders, or use it to run a training session. Work through the checklists honestly and adopt the code of conduct. Keep the incident report form somewhere everyone can find it, and review your safeguarding approach at least once a year.
The toolkit sits alongside your safeguarding policy and your DSL's guidance. It doesn’t replace them. You don't need safeguarding training to use it.
Made by Jovo, for Every Church
Jovo is a messaging app built for churches, and keeping conversations safe is the whole point of it. We made this toolkit because that shouldn't depend on the app you use or the training you've had. Whether or not you use Jovo, it's yours.
