06/06/2023
The meeting was chaired by the lead safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell. Minutes and matters arising from the March meeting were discussed and agreed.
Updates on national safeguarding work included:
National Safeguarding Panel, NSP
Redress Scheme – following a discussion on various items members welcomed the progress made on the Scheme.
Information Sharing Project - members agreed to endorse the recommendation to the Safeguarding Programme Board to place the delivery of IICSA Recommendation 6 (Multi-Agency) into the existing safeguarding structures, policies and practices of the Church of England, as information sharing and collaborative working with statutory partners is a critical aspect of routine day-to-day safeguarding practice.
Trevor Devamanikkam Independent Learning Lessons Review
The learning lessons review was commissioned by the NST to identify and learn lessons and improve practice in relation to how allegations of abuse were responded to and the support provided to the late Trevor Devamanikkam. Members were updated on the 11 recommendations in the report published in May 2023. They reviewed all recommendations, approving those completed and noted the ongoing work on others.
Safeguarding Code: Safeguarding Practice Reviews
The NSSG approved the draft “Safeguarding Practice Reviews” Code following a number of amendments made after the March meeting. These were formerly known as lessons learnt reviews, currently two pages in the much wider 2017 document (Responding to, assessing, and managing safeguarding concerns and allegations against church officers practice guidance).This Code will now go to General Synod in July.
IICSA Recommendations 1 and 8 / Regional Model Pilot Evaluation Reports
The group were provided with the Regional Model Pilot, round 1 Qualitative Data report to review - the result of an 18-month pilot, introducing a new role of Safeguarding Lead (SL) to provide supervision and quality assurance to the DSAs and CSAs in 13 Pathfinder dioceses and 11 Pathfinder cathedrals. The group noted the content of the three evaluation reports and agreed to the timetable for the development and final model.
Senior Leadership Safeguarding Pathway evaluation
The group noted the positive findings of the Senior Leadership Safeguarding Pathway evaluation report, and approved its recommendations including the proposed next iteration of Pathway, which is planned to be presented to the next meeting of the NSSG in July 2023.
Members also heard verbal updates on a variety of other work.