December 2024
The Church of England has recently published two press releases on this topic.
This describes progress to date by the Wilkinson and Jay Reports Response Group which will report to the General Synod in February 2025.
This describes work being done by the National Safeguarding Team in conjunction with dioceses and others, to follow up the recommendations of the Makin report. A four stage process is outlined.
The following reaction to the latter has already appeared at Church Abuse: Church of England announces response to Makin review: kick it into the long grass.
We will add any further items relating to these two releases as they appear.
Hard to argue with the response to the CofE’s response to Makin at Church Abuse. Mr Nye delivering his finest civil servant’s response to the damning report reviews upon reviews upon reviews – bury it in red tape. There have been numerous reports all detailing the failings of the church and making crystal clear recommendations. Having another review followed by a more in depth review which is then reviewed twice more before further recommendations are made can only be seen as an utter failure of leadership and a deliberate rejection of any accountability for clear action on this matter. My… Read more »
All too predictably the CofE employs its standard response to any expensive & hard hitting review, avoiding doing anything while pretending to be taking it all very seriously & thus needing endless time to consider.
I’ll add what I posted on Twitter. This really is unacceptable. Survivors have been waiting for years for a proper response and some action. So what do the Archbishops’ Council do? Devise a process to kick the can down the road. Is there anyone in the National Church willing to say enough! I’d like to see Bishops who are not compromised on this break ranks & agree to meet with representatives of survivors (and an independent – truly independent – mediator), go through the recommendations of Jay, Makin & all the rest & quickly come up with an implementation plan.… Read more »
So Welby has gone like a lamb to the slaughter ( well he did struggle a bit) and XX Cottrell decides that it’s procrastination as usual. Were it not the C of E it would beggar belief.
It is time for a moratorium on any future hirings to senior Church roles of civil servants, lawyers or others whose professional formation has been in large secular public or private sector organizations, where reputation management, problem containment, communications obfuscation and bureaucratic delay are the first instincts. We desperately need senior officials who bring with them tangible evidence of deep formation in Christian and ethical management practices marked by honesty, frankness, courage, transparency, prudence and justice.