ALL 27 recommendations of the Makin review might be accepted by the Church of England, the group tasked with responding to the review has announced.
Keith Makin’s review of the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth and of the Church’s response to disclosures was published a 12 months ago (News, 7 November 2024).
In an interim report, published on Tuesday morning, the Makin Recommendations Task and Finish Group said that 24 of Mr Makin’s recommendations can be accepted in full, and the opposite three can be “partially accepted”.
The group was established earlier this 12 months to reply to the recommendations (News, 23 May). Chaired by the deputy lead bishop for safeguarding, the Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Revd Robert Springett, its membership also includes survivors of abuse, diocesan safeguarding staff, and independent safeguarding experts.
It has met 4 times up to now, and is on account of deliver a final report in summer 2026.
In a joint statement with the lead bishop for safeguarding, the Bishop of Edmundsbury & Ipswich, Dr Joanne Grenfell, Bishop Springett said: “We are profoundly sorry for the ways by which the Church did not protect children and vulnerable adults, and for the lasting impact of those failures.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve continued to hearken to survivors, offer them support and reply to the recommendations and observations within the independent learning lessons review.”
The Task and Finish Group’s interim report sets out Mr Makin’s recommendations and provides a response to each, but says that the Makin report “includes much detailed learning which can’t be summarised in its 27 recommendations alone”.
The group was split on whether to just accept Mr Makin’s suggestion to permit victims to take part in a core group convened to reply to their disclosures of abuse.
A majority of the group considered it inappropriate for the person making the criticism to be involved in such groups, on the idea that the group needed to be fair to each them and the alleged perpetrator.
The minority view within the Task and Finish Group was that involvement would ensure a “stronger victim-centred focus in discussions”.
As a results of this disagreement, the group opted to just accept only partially Mr Makin’s advisable changes to the way in which by which core groups operate, including having a single point of liaison between the Church and the police.
There are two other recommendations which have been only partially accepted, each referring to disclosure of past knowledge of abuse. The group agrees with the essence of Mr Makin’s suggestion, but concludes that adding a recent section to the prevailing confidential declaration form “will not be probably the most effective technique of achieving this objective”.
Instead, it suggests that a recent form or policy be developed that may “require Church officers to reveal any knowledge they’ve of abuse that has not been reported”.
Among the opposite recommendations within the Makin report, which the Task and Finish Group has accepted in full, including protections for whistle-blowers, and maintaining a record of ordination candidates who’re turned down on the the idea of safeguarding concerns.
Other recommendations are already within the technique of being enacted, the report says. These include removing the time limitations within the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) and the creation of an independent scrutiny body to oversee church safeguarding.
The substitute of the CDM with a recent Clergy Conduct Measure, which imposes no deadline on complaints of great misconduct, has been approved by the General Synod, but last week was referred back to the Synod by the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament, for further consideration (News, 31 October).
In February, the Synod agreed to create a recent independent body and to outsource the work of the National Safeguarding Team. A board has been convened to implement this work (News, 3 October).
In response to Mr Makin’s suggestion that mandatory reporting of safeguarding concerns be considered, the group points to the approval by the Synod in February of a recent Code of Practice on reporting.
Further work to implement mandatory reporting “must include” consideration of the seal of the confessional, the Task and Finish Group’s interim report said. The work “might be implemented in phases, to be certain that it’s achievable”.
The Task and Finish Group’s remit is to reply to the recommendations and advise on their implementation. Its acceptance of every suggestion is accompanied with a stated expectation that the Church “submit evidence” to guarantee the group that the suggestion might be “implemented in an affordable timescale”.
The interim report has been approved by the Church’s National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG) and might be presented to the Synod in February.
