As part of its ten-year strategy, the Truro Diocesan Board of Finance Ltd has made it a key priority to put victims, survivors and thrivers at the heart of its work.

In order to support the work of safeguarding in the diocese, the team has expanded, and we now welcome Lora Prynn as the new Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Officer. Lora joins Andy Earl, Head of Safeguarding and Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, Jo Pomery, Deputy Diocesan Safeguarding Officer and Cathedral Safeguarding Officer, Jo Bell, Safeguarding Governance Officer, Mandy Wells, Safeguarding trainer and Simon Vaughan, Safeguarding administrator.

Andy Earl, Head of Safeguarding and Diocesan Safeguarding Officer, said: “Lora brings an expertise grounded in victim and survivor focus and we are delighted that she has joined us.”

Lora brings a wealth experience to her role in the diocese. Her professional background is predominantly within children’s social work in the public and private sector. Lora has also worked as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate and team leader.

Lora qualified in 2003 and worked in the Children and Families directorate at Cornwall Council for the next 15 years which included time in teams including Child Protection, Looked After Children and fostering. Lora then spent time working for private fostering organisations.

On returning to Cornwall Council, Lora worked with First Light as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate and became a team leader. Lora say: “It was in this role that I started to think about how I could bring together my social work practice skills and my passion for domestic abuse survivor support and risk management. I designed and set up a new service/role focussing on support and advocacy within the family justice system. I learnt so much from the work I put into creating and mobilising this role especially around the challenges faced in identifying and addressing the need for change within organisations where there is degree of resistance and fear of change and the unknown.

Lora added: “Thank you to everyone I have met so far for making me feel so welcomed into the team and community. I am extremely honoured to have been offered the opportunity to support the amazing work of the Safeguarding team and although I have much to learn I am positive about how much more we can achieve together.”