NSSG April 2020 report.

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.

Statements regarding BBC File on Four Blackburn Cathedral case
 

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.

Church of England response to BBC File on Four Programme relating to the David Tudor, a priest who was prohibited from ministry for life in October. 

The Church of England is supporting this year’s Safeguarding Sunday, 10 October 2021.

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 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.

The Archbishops’ Council has voted unanimously that a proposal on interim independent oversight of the National Safeguarding Team is to be put in place before February Synod (2021) to pave the way for full independent oversight, by February Synod 2022. Both the Archbishops’ Council and the House of Bishops have already endorsed the principle of independence for the Church’s safeguarding work.

Work is underway in all 42 dioceses on the Church of England's Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) with a key focus on listening to survivors who want to come forward. The Church was criticised for not including their voices in the original PCR 2007/8 as shown in an independent scrutiny report, published in 2018.