Church’s parliament urged to back independent safeguarding to ‘restore trust’

The Church of England must choose to make its safeguarding processes independent to “restore trust” among abuse survivors, its parliament has heard ahead of a significant vote on the issue.

General Synod members are choosing a new model for how abuse allegations are handled, but views have differed on how independent it should be.

Of the two being presented on Tuesday one, known as model four, would see all safeguarding officers currently working in dioceses, cathedrals and the national Church transferred to work for a new independent organisation.

This is the option generally favoured by abuse survivors, with a lawyer supporting some who gathered ahead of the meeting in central London saying it is a chance for the Church to “step away from secrecy and self-protection”.

A different option, known as model three, would see most national staff move to a new outside non-Church body, but other diocesan and cathedral officers remaining with their current Church employers.

Both options would see safeguarding work scrutinised by a second external body, but papers published last month say it would take “a minimum of two years to legislate for a scrutiny body as a statutory body”.

They are being presented following reviews in recent years by former chairwoman of the national Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) Professor Alexis Jay, and barrister Sarah Wilkinson.

This five-day session of Synod is the first sitting since the resignation of the archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who stood down amid condemnation over safeguarding failures.

Archdeacon of Liverpool Miranda Threlfall-Holmes urged members to vote for model four, branding the Church a “ridiculously complex institution” which is in need of more simplified processes.

She said: “Model four represents the seriousness with which we need to take this.

“Yes, it will be expensive and complex but…we are a ridiculously complex institution.

“But we, Synod, are the lawmakers. We can change that. It is ridiculous that there are 85 different employers and systems for safeguarding. Let’s sort that out. Let’s take the pain now and just have one.”

Labour MP Marsha de Cordova, who represents the Church in the House of Commons, said choosing model four was the “first step towards restoring trust”, noting it is the approach preferred by Prof Jay and abuse survivors.

Echoing this, lead safeguarding bishop, Joanne Grenfell, who put forward model four to be debated and voted on, said, while “much has changed and improved” on safeguarding, the Church must listen to survivors “telling us that they don’t have confidence that we can do this ourselves”.

She added: “To restore trust, we need to set things up in a way that means there can be no actual or perceived conflicts of interest or undue pressure exerted from anyone inside the Church.”

Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow said model four would ensure a “cultural reset”, but other members voiced concerns.

Arguing for model three, Bishop of Rochester Jonathan Gibbs said it could help towards a change in culture “where safeguarding professionals embedded at the diocesan level are able to see and challenge the way things are done day by day”.

He suggested model four “could actually make it harder, in some ways, for us to bring about the cultural change we need, and that would be a loss, though it may be one we have to accept as a consequence of our collective failures”.

Reverend Nicki Pennington, based at a Church in Cumbria, said she was “concerned as to whether culture change can be effectively driven and supported by an outside agency”.

Leaflets being handed out by demonstrators in front of Church House ahead of the debate branded the Church’s attitude and processes to date a “safeguarding failure”.

One man, who was abused as a child in Liverpool saying the Church should “close its doors” if Synod does not back this option.

Craig Freedman was abused by John Roberts, who was based at St Peter’s Church in Woolton, Liverpool, and was convicted in 1989 of indecent assault.

But instead of being defrocked, Roberts was eventually promoted to the position of Canon before he retired in 2013.

Mr Freedman said he felt “persecuted” through the Church’s actions in allowing Roberts to continue.

He told the PA news agency: “I’m banking on Synod to vote for independence through model four.”

Mr Freedman said this would show the Church’s “willingness to make change”.

He added: “I’d call for the Church to close its doors if it doesn’t vote model four. I have lost all my faith. As far as I’m concerned the Church has persecuted me throughout my life.”

Abuse lawyer David Greenwood stood in solidarity with victims on Tuesday.

He said the vote presented an “opportunity to step away from secrecy and self-protection”.

The lawyer said: “Model three won’t deal with conflict of interest, deference, and uneven funding arrangements.

“I support model four, subject to policy being created by an independent body and bishops and officials being mandated to comply with the external body’s advice.

“The project board and scrutiny body will also need to be independent from the Church.”

One Synod member, also backing model four, praised Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley for having had “the guts to stand up to the archbishops”.

Cornwall-based priest William Harwood, who said he is a survivor of Church-based abuse, described her as being “the bishop of courage and transparency” for speaking out on abuse.

She was the only bishop to publicly call for Mr Welby’s resignation and has also called on the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell to quit over safeguarding failures.

Responding to her comments this week about feeling isolated, he said: “You are not alone.

“You are not the bishop of negativity, you are the bishop of courage and transparency and you give a dissenting voice at the top levels to so many survivors who have no voice.”

As his voice broke with emotion, he was met with applause.

He said survivors like himself will “never trust the House of Bishops without wholesale change”.

A vote is expected to take place on Tuesday afternoon.