Today the Diocese of Salisbury received the publication of the Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) national report on the Church of England, along with feedback from their local PCR2 inspection.
Throughout this review, the Diocese has cooperated fully with the Independent Reviewers, who were given free access to all relevant files and documentation.
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.
Salisbury Diocese has published their local report in full on their websites, along with an Executive Summary.
The Rt Revd Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury 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, Salisbury 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 said,
“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.