Today The Church of England published its most extensive report into how it has handled safeguarding cases. The Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) was launched in the summer of 2019. The aim is to ensure that all known cases of concern about the behaviour of clergy and church officers towards children and vulnerable adults are dealt with appropriately.
Sixty-five independent reviewers have examined more than 75,000 files across all 42 dioceses, as well as at Lambeth and Bishopsthorpe palaces and in the National Safeguarding Team. Dioceses are releasing their findings on an individual basis.
As a result of the PCR2 process, a number of recommendations have been made, some of which are national, and others are specific to the local context.
The diocese has published the local report in full on our website, along with an Executive Summary.
Bishop Stephen said,
“It is good that PCR2 is now completed, and I am grateful for the patience of victims and survivors of abuse. This Diocese is publishing its report in full. I am also grateful to the Independent Reviewers for their rigorous investigation and subsequent recommendations which, insofar as not already implemented, are being actively pursued. We are determined to continue work to ensure the Church is a safe place for all.”
The Diocese is continuing to strive for excellence in all aspects of safeguarding.
Jem Carter, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser said,
“We look to continually improve our response to safeguarding incidents, and even before these reports were made public, significant changes have already been made to the way concerns of this nature are now responded to. A key area we have focused on is improving our support to victims and survivors of abuse – who must sit at the very heart of all we do”.
The Diocese is responding positively to the reviewers' recommendations and changes implemented by the Diocesan Safeguarding Team so far include:
- Commissioned a dedicated Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) who can assist victims and survivors of abuse from within the Church setting. The Diocese is one of only three dioceses in England to have commissioned such a resource, and it is committed to providing a high-quality, trauma-informed response to victims and survivors who raise concerns.
- Appointed two Safeguarding Advisers, who have considerable professional experience in the safeguarding arena, which has increased hours of operation – doubling capacity.
- Became an early adopter of the Church of England’s new National Safeguarding Case Management System (NSCMS). This has ensured a more comprehensive and joined-up approach to record keeping.
- A participant in the National Safeguarding Team’s ‘Pathfinder’ initiative, which aims to provide improved oversight of casework, a dedicated performance framework around safeguarding, and the introduction of ‘Regional Advisers’ from the National Safeguarding Team. This will ensure that responses to safeguarding incidents are professional and of the highest quality.
Bishop Stephen added,
“The Diocese of Salisbury acknowledges that their handling of past safeguarding cases has, on occasion, not always been as effective as it should have been. This is a regret, and the diocese apologises for any pain it may have caused to victims, survivors, and all those involved.”
If you've been affected by any of the issues featured in the review, or you have a concern regarding a safeguarding issue, support is available here.