The Rt Rev Joanne Grenfell, Bishop of Stepney and Lead Bishop for Safeguarding, has issued a pastoral letter in anticipation of Safeguarding Sunday, 17 November 2024[*]. Extracts from the letter relating to present and future initiatives are reproduced below.

“… many will want to know what happens next in terms of holding to account those who are implicated by the Report’s conclusions. This lies in the hands of colleagues in the national safeguarding team, in the Church’s legal team, and in dioceses. It would not be appropriate for me to speak in relation to any individuals, but I want to assure you that there is a careful and robust process for examining any new evidence, reviewing any previous decisions that have been made, and deciding what should happen next.

In the meantime, the work of safeguarding across all our churches, cathedrals, worshipping communities, and mission activities continues. On Safeguarding Sunday, we draw attention to the way that safeguarding must sit at the heart of our faith and our lives as Christians. God is both compassionate and just: “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds…As the Makin Report points out in its first recommendation, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility; it points to who we all are as children of God.

As Christians, our first task is to pray: for victims and survivors of John Smyth, for victims and survivors of any kind of abuse. You can find a liturgical resource, Towards a Safer Church, containing prayers and worship materials on the theme of safeguarding. Further church resources for Safeguarding Sunday are here.

Many of us will be asking how else we can respond. In every sphere of life – as family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues, volunteers, and as churchgoers – there are practical actions that we can take. These include:

• Being attentive to the needs of victims and survivors of abuse if they come forward, offering patient listening and deep care, signposting those who are in need to appropriate support, with prominently displayed information in all our buildings and on our websites.
• Responding well to any disclosures of abuse, setting aside our own biases to be able to recognize that abuse can happen in any church, any family, any culture or context; being aware that, as well as happening in the past, abuse may be happening now.
• Familiarizing ourselves with how to report concerns, for example to parish or diocesan safeguarding officers, as well as to the police or social services where appropriate; following carefully the policies set out by the Church and by organizations in which we work, study, or volunteer.
• Ensuring that DBS checks are up to date; undertaking training in safeguarding willingly and wholeheartedly.

[…]

We need to develop better foundations for safeguarding in the Church of England. A group which I co-chair, along with an independent co-chair, Lesley-Anne Ryder, is developing proposals for a future structure for safeguarding. This follows recommendations in independent reports from Professor Alexis Jay and Dr Sarah Wilkinson. The group includes victims and survivors and a range of people from inside and outside the church, with varied backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. We are working both swiftly and carefully. Based on the group’s work and extensive wider consultation, I intend to bring proposals to General Synod in February…”.

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[*] The pastoral letter was for bishops, archdeacons, clergy, diocesan secretaries, diocesan and cathedral safeguarding officers/advisers, parish safeguarding officers, church wardens, and diocesan communications officers.