The Church of England is at risk of another crisis if it fails to adopt a new independent system for keeping people safe, warned a former head of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse. On Tuesday, the Church’s national assembly voted on options to radically change its safeguarding processes. The Church’s General Synod put two models to the vote, both involving some degree of independence. The first involved creating an independent central safeguarding team for the Church, but with diocesan and cathedral safeguarding officers continuing in the same roles. The second would also make the Church’s safeguarding officers around the country part of that independent body.
After years of the Church of England being accused of failing to “mark its own homework,” a professor recommended an external organization to handle allegations of abuse. Many within the church are doubtful about the system, as it hands the process for dealing with abuse allegations to an outside organisation. The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and questions about the Archbishop of York’s handling of another case have added a sense of urgency to make changes.
There would be dire consequences if the General Synod members did not vote for the more complete model of independence. The professor went on to say that if they failed to adopt that version, “it would be a matter of time before yet more safeguarding crises occurred, and there would be renewed calls for radical action to be taken.” The Church of England has been accused of failing to keep people safe in the past. The second option was the preferred choice as the first model only offered partial independence. It is seen as crucial that safeguarding work be scrutinized by an external body so that the church can keep people as safe as possible.
If the fully independent model is approved, it will be delivered by a team committed to its success. It’s estimated that it could take around three years to introduce. Cultural issues will also hamper progress, such as deference to authority figures in the Church. The Church must resolve the problem by choosing the correct system to deal with abuse allegations. A critical part of the plan is choosing a team that is devoted to the success of safeguarding work. The Church has said that safeguarding in the church must be independent, transparent, and accountable, ensuring the deep and lasting impact of abuse is recognized
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