New safeguarding data from a three-year period has been published by the Church of England today. The data is for new concerns and allegations reported to the Church in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and relates to all its work, not just to Church Officers. The reports range from concerns about possible risk to direct allegations of abuse. There is more detail in the press release.
“The Church is still on a developmental journey in respect of recording and reporting of safeguarding data.” Never has imagery been so overused as the ‘journey’.
Heartily agree! Could we also have less use please of “flourishing”, “resilience”, nouns used as verbs eg something was “gifted” to her. “Going forward” instead of “in the future”. Business speak often responsible for this massacre of the language. And the repeated use of these and many others is just plain tedious. Whew, got that off my chest.
PS oh yes, and let’s hear less about everyone’s “legacy”!
Agreed. As for the journey towards providing justice for survivors and the accused, and recompense for survivors, the journey hasn’t even begun. In fact, it hasn’t been planned, and there seems to be no intention of beginning it.
Janet I fear you are completely correct. Reading the 2019-21 statistics for complaints is horrifying (2,000 plus per annum); just as much as was the current dysfunctionality of C of E safeguarding structures on public display both prior to and during General Synod. Whitewashing and gaslighting are clearly no strangers to church culture. Deplorable.
Indeed. I am reminded of many fine sermons preached, north of the border, with regular quotes from Bonhoeffer which were so relevant to life. His Quote, “ We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spike into the wheel itself”.