Task and Finish Group meets, with survivors involved, as work continues to implement recommendations.

The Church of England welcomes the final SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence) overview report, published today, which details the learning from the 42 independent diocesan safeguarding audits and findings on improving responses to survivors of abuse.

The meeting was chaired by the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, Jonathan Gibbs, who welcomed members and congratulated Mark Steadman (currently Archdeacon of of Stow and Lindsey  in Lincoln Diocese) on his appointment to Chief of Staff at Bishopthorpe and welcomed new NSSG member Mark Humphries, Oxford Diocesan Secretary. Mark Steadman will continue on the NSSG in his new role.

Statement from Archbishops' Council regarding the Independent Safeguarding Board 

Statement from Archbishops' Council

Publication of independent overview report relating to William Scott Farrell

Letters to Church Times (August 2022) from the Chair of the Redress Board and the Redress Scheme Survivor and Victim Working Group

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.

The meeting began with an announcement by the chair, the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, Jonathan Gibbs, that the contract for Zena Marshall, as interim national safeguarding director, has been extended to April 2022.

Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, opened the meeting and highlighted what he described as the cultural resistance to and complexity of achieving real change in the Church and the personal pressure this puts on safeguarding leaders.