All Church of England parishes in Worcestershire and Dudley have been asked to ensure that all safeguarding concerns have been reported to the appropriate authorities as part of a review to ensure that the Church is a safe place for all.
The Past Cases Review is being carried out in all 42 dioceses in England. It will encompass all safeguarding cases – both children and vulnerable adults – from the early 1990s until 2019. The aim is to ensure that all known safeguarding cases have been appropriately managed, that all identified risks have been assessed and mitigated, and that the needs of any known victims have been addressed.
The Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorick, who takes the lead on safeguarding in the Diocese of Worcester, said: “It is essential for us to be confident that any concerns reported to us have been dealt with properly and support put in place for those affected. We want to do everything we can to make our churches the safest places possible where all feel welcome.”
An earlier Past Cases Review took place between 2007 and 2009 to consider child protection cases only. There were a number of shortcomings in the process and as a result, the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England decided that the review should be undertaken again. The Church of England nationally has set a deadline of 31 December 2020 for completion of the review in all dioceses.
Anyone who wishes to make representations to the PCR2 process, or wishes to make a disclosure regarding church related abuse should contact Hilary Higton, Safeguarding Adviser for the Diocese of Worcester on hhigton@cofe-worcester.org.uk.
Alternatively, there is a dedicated telephone helpline - 0800 80 20 20 - operated by the NSPCC, independently from the church. Anyone can use this helpline to provide information or to raise concerns regarding abuse within the Church of England context; whether they are reporting issues relating to children, adults or seeking to whistleblow about poor safeguarding practice. Survivors were not invited to contribute to the earlier review and the Church wants to ensure that listening to survivor voices will help shape how this review is conducted.
Read more about the Past Cases Review process
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