Church of England needs ‘far-reaching’ change to enhance safeguarding

A report has been published today outlining the steps the Church of England must take to enhance its safeguarding track record and ensure it’s fully independent. 

The Future of Church Safeguarding, by Professor Alexis Jay, former Chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), identified “shortcomings” with current safeguarding arrangements, including a scarcity of independent scrutiny and trust between the Church and victims. 

The report said that the Church “must take motion urgently to revive trust and confidence in its safeguarding by victims, survivors, those wrongly accused and most people”.

While some improvements have been made, the report concluded that “overall Church leaders have did not allay suspicions and belief that the underlying intention of the Church is to retain control of safeguarding contained in the Church, and to guard its status”. 

With accountability lying inside individual dioceses, it warns that the present system is inconsistent and “not compatible with best practices”.

“The dioceses are largely autonomous, and every may interpret guidance, definitions of safeguarding and skilled practice in its own way, resulting in wide variations across the Church,” the report reads.

“Bishops, other clergy and church officers, with little safeguarding knowledge or experience manage safeguarding on a every day basis and take necessary, often life-changing decisions. This underlines the necessity for change to be far-reaching.”

The report was commissioned by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York last 12 months after a furore broke out over the dissolution of the Church of England’s Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) and the dismissal of its two board members. 

Professor Jay said the debacle “marked an extra deterioration within the Church’s relations with victims and survivors”.

Other weaknesses identified within the report included a scarcity of adequate funding or uniform complaints system, “poor” data collection, and ranging interpretations of existing guidance.

For those that were being complained about, “the impact of being wrongly recorded as a ‘safeguarding risk’ often placed them on a path that would devastate their lives, in some cases losing their livelihood, their accommodation and their faith community”.

The report recommends the creation of two separate charities, one for independent operational safeguarding and the opposite for independent scrutiny of safeguarding.

“Overall, Church safeguarding falls below the standards expected and set in secular organisations,” the report said.

“We concluded that the one way wherein this may be addressed is by making safeguarding of youngsters and vulnerable adults truly independent of the Church.

“Further tinkering with existing structures is not going to be sufficient to make safeguarding within the Church consistent, accountable and trusted by those that use its services.”

In a press release the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell said: “The Church is committed to the very best standards of safeguarding because it carries out its work in every community across the country, on daily basis of the 12 months. The workings out of the report from Professor Jay will provide an important next step as we move forward.

“We thank Professor Jay and her team for this fully independent report, and the wisdom, expertise and meticulous proposals contained inside it. We recognise her criticism of our safeguarding structures and processes and we welcome this scrutiny and challenge.

“For the sake of all those that come into contact with the Church, particularly victims and survivors, we welcome the plans which can be in place to take forward this work as swiftly as possible to present everyone confidence and trust in our structures and processes.”