Safeguarding and independence

The Church of England is currently responding to two important safeguarding reports looking at ways forward on independence (including external scrutiny) and reflecting on lessons learnt on the former Independent Safeguarding Board, ISB.

Updates

November 2024 

General Synod voted in July 2024 to commission the lead safeguarding bishop, advised by a Response Group, to oversee detailed analysis of four different options for organisational structures of safeguarding independence. These were developed to benefit from the guidance and recommendations for the future of Church safeguarding outlined in the reports from Dr Sarah Wilkinson and Professor Alexis Jay. 

Read the July 2024 Synod Paper outlining these options (summary p12 onwards and further description in Appendix F). 

1. Baseline model 
2. Independent Scrutiny model 
3. Independent decision-making model 
4. Reference model

Since July, the Response Group has been continuing its work in responding to these recommendations and has overseen a process of feasibility analysis of the four options in the July Synod Paper – which have developed since July in response to the analysis undertaken. This feasibility assessment has considered the technical consequences of the models (such as HR, data protection and legal implications etc.) and has provided advice to the Response Group to help consider which model/s are most likely to help the Church to improve its response to victims, survivors, and people bringing concerns and allegations about safeguarding. Helpful insights about the models have been collected both from victims and survivors and other stakeholder groups from across the Church including safeguarding professionals, General Synod members, and others. 

At its recent residential meeting and in a further meeting, the Response Group analysed the feasibility assessments. Following extensive fieldwork with thousands of people affected by or involved in Church safeguarding, the group has now advised the Lead Bishop to undertake more detailed analysis of Models 3 and 4. These models have been developed since General Synod in July 2024, in response to insights that have been gathered, and the technical analysis that has been undertaken. Models 3 and 4 have been further refined in conversations with the Response Group.

In their work, the Response Group has now established broad consensus that any future structure must include independence in relation to safeguarding audit, scrutiny, and complaints functions. The Response Group has also recommended that the models include outsourcing, or structural changes to some or all aspects of operational safeguarding.

The Lead Bishop’s recommendations will soon be brought to the Church of England’s governance bodies: the House of Bishops, Archbishops’ Council, and the NSSG.

These revised models and analysis will be published when the papers for General Synod in February 2025 are published this coming January 2025. The Lead Bishop will then present these recommendations to General Synod in February 2025.

Stakeholders are invited to join a mailing list so over the next few months, a few brief questions can be circulated, to gather invaluable feedback on the Response Group’s work. Anybody who wishes to join the mailing list to share feedback with the Wilkinson Jay Response Group on this work is invited to email [email protected]. A Privacy Notice setting out how your data is used is linked below. Whilst you are welcome to rely on your experiences to inform responses, please ensure that no personal data is provided that may identify someone or a case.   

Contact the team

The Response Group is chaired by the lead safeguarding bishop and an independent co-chair, see revised Terms of Reference.
For all enquiries email [email protected]