Victim Support has been awarded the contract to manage Safe Spaces, a joint Church of England/Church in Wales and Catholic Church in England and Wales (CCEW) project to provide a vital support service for survivors of church-related abuse.

NEWS / Lord Carlile named as independent reviewer in George Bell case.

Melissa Caslake, the Church of England’s national director of safeguarding, is moving on to a new role as Chief Officer for Children’s services for Devon County Council.

Summary of September meeting 

It was announced that the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mountstephen, is joining the NSSG and will take on the role as Chair of the Redress Scheme Project Board. It was noted that the extensive programme of work in safeguarding will need additional new episcopal members. The Terms of Reference of the group also need to be reviewed to ensure that they are fit for purpose in the context of the implementation of the Independent Safeguarding Board.

General Synod voted unanimously today to endorse the Church’s response to the five recommendations from IICSA and urged its national safeguarding steering group to work towards a more fully survivor-centred approach to safeguarding, including arrangements for redress for survivors.

The Terms of Reference for the ‘PCR2 Reference Group’ which will oversee Past Cases Review 2 for the National Church Institutions has been published today.  

The Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team (NST,) has today published the key findings and recommendations, along with the full report, from the independent review into the processes used in the Bishop George Bell case.

STATEMENT / The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA, has today published its report into the Anglican Church

A Betrayal of Trust, the independent report into the Church's handling of the allegations concerning the late Hubert Victor Whitsey, former Bishop of Chester, was published in October.