THE “determined approach” to making sure that churchwardens complete safeguarding training before their swearing-in — despite resistance in some cases — is among the many examples of excellent practice highlighted in a latest audit of safeguarding within the diocese of Truro.
The Independent Safeguarding Audit was carried out in late 2023 and early 2024 by the INEQE Safeguarding Group, which has been commissioned by the Archbishops’ Council to audit all dioceses and cathedrals (News, 4 August 2023). Truro is the fourth diocese to be audited. The report, published on Tuesday, draws on evidence that features 497 anonymous survey responses from victims and survivors, children and young people, in addition to those worshipping or working inside the parishes, cathedral, and diocese.
It concludes that “good progress” has been made by the diocesan board of finance (DBF), and, more recently, by the cathedral. There is a positive assessment of each the Acting Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, and the Dean of Truro, the Very Revd Simon Robinson, who’re “continuing to drive and prioritise safeguarding across their respective areas of influence,” it says.
The conclusion states: “Strengths in Truro’s current safeguarding arrangements are evident at each a strategic and operational level. These have been built upon the foundations of focused leadership, the expertise and commitment of the Diocesan Safeguarding Officer/Diocesan Safeguarding Team and the upkeep of strong links with statutory partners. The contributions made by the numerous volunteers in parishes and people who support the cathedral have also been highly significant.”
Among the areas is “an absolute focus by the DBF on collaborating with victims and survivors and learning from their experience. The audit found senior leaders to be committed to this agenda, going beyond ‘a box ticking exercise’ and ensuring that lively and meaningful engagement is ‘lived and breathed’.”
Also praised are: take care of choristers, “revolutionary and fascinating outreach on the cathedral”, recruitment practices, training, awareness raising, communication strategies, “the intelligent use of thresholds”, and “the triaging, allocation and overall management of cases”.
When it involves some remaining “stubborn challenges”, the review concludes that the “most senior leaders” are “committed to pushing ahead with the development journey they now lead. To accomplish that they may need to handle any residual negativity regarding culture and consider learn how to reinforce operational capability”.
It notes that the requirement that churchwardens complete their safeguarding training at “Basic” or “Foundation” level before a visitation (swearing in) has been “driven forward despite a level of resistance from some wardens. This determined approach is sweet practice.”
Auditor’s heard of an archdeacon’s “determination to make safeguarding ‘real’ for churchwardens, to assist them recognise that it will probably occur of their parishes and to dispel the parable that abuse is an ‘up-country’ problem.”
The review praises the four-person diocesan safeguarding team as a “highly capable and blended team with a spread of relevant and complementary skills”, but suggests that the DBF should consider the creation of a dedicated director of safeguarding, noting that because “across society there’s a growing number of individuals in need, demand for safeguarding services and support are prone to increase”.
The second section of the audit focuses on Truro Cathedral, which, in 2022, was subject to a Visitation instigated by the previous Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen. This reported “serious concerns” concerning the cathedral’s mission and governance, including “discordant leadership”, “underperformance”, and “an unhealthy culture” (News, 3 February 2023). Several recommendations linked to safeguarding were made.
The audit reports that, while progress has been made, “a spread of stubborn and diverse challenges remain. Some are linked to structure; many to policy, practice, and behavior and the residual fallout from the Visitation. A latest dean has been appointed and recognises that addressing these issues is critical to the longer term health and wellbeing of the cathedral community.”
The concentrate on safeguarding improvement is, it says, “an absolute priority for the brand new dean”, while most on the cathedral “recognised training as being relevant to their role and most believed that safeguarding was now embedded within the cathedral’s culture”.
The auditors observe that: “From interviews and focus groups it was clear to the auditors that a small group of people feel hurt, and a few aggrieved, by any suggestion that toxicity can have existed up to now. . .
“Critically, from the Audit’s perspective, having engaged with many individuals across the cathedral communities, it’s going to take courage to challenge the few who simply is not going to change, or those who say they may, but won’t or cannot.
“The overwhelming majority of those engaged agreed that it was in everyone’s interest to acknowledge the Visitation findings, accept the necessity for change and be a part of it. A small number disagreed but could produce no evidence to support their position. For them, on condition that their resistance isn’t linked to safeguarding principles but a belief that the criticism of the cathedral was fallacious, it is maybe time to reflect and move on.”
Among its recommendations is that the dean should consider the advantages of an independent safeguarding advisory group. Recommendations for the DBF include the suggestion that every parish perform “a focused workforce and worshipper survey to check safeguarding awareness and confidence within the escalation processes including knowledge of the whistleblowing policy”.
The audit raises concerns that pertain to national safeguarding arrangements. It notes that “blue files” (personal files on clergy, which include safeguarding concerns) are in “hard copy”.
”At worst, there might be a catastrophic lack of the files by means of fire or other damage,” it observes. “In the audit’s opinion, blue files have to move to an electronic records management system and this view can be shared with the NST.”
The audit also found “widespread frustration” amongst users of the newly implemented national MyConcern safeguarding case-management system: a “centralised and secure database, allowing for safeguarding concerns to be reported and recorded”. A “significant area of concern” was “the lack to share information across dioceses regarding individuals of concern”.
