safeguarding culture
Build trust in the institution by ensuring the highest standards of safeguarding culture, putting survivors and victims at the centre of our response, and recognising that our failures have jeopardised our mission and place in the public square.
Whilst much improvement has been achieved in recent times much more needs to be done to complete this work and fully embed an excellent safeguarding culture throughout the church.
Strengthening our safeguarding culture, governance and accountability is essential if our churches are to be places of genuine safety and welcome for alll.
Much work has been done, but more is needed – especially in supporting parishes in promoting a healthy safeguarding culture.
I want a safeguarding culture built on relationship and genuine assurance, so that our practices protect people rather than institutions.
At times this has led to ‘tribalism’ and othering one another in a way that reflects a poor image of Christ to the world and has overshadowed other important issues such as widening economic inequality, climate change, racial justice, fostering a good safeguarding culture and lack of opportunities for young people.
I am passionate about: resourcing ministry at the grassroots outreach to communities who have not traditionally found a welcome in church developing a robust and undefended safeguarding culture working out what reconciliation looks like in and beyond the church.
I think that the changes in safeguarding culture which have been achieved in recent years have been vital, and I supported the recent synod decision to slightly less radical (and therefore more do-able) move to independent oversight of safeguarding.
This includes attending to on- going safeguarding culture change and clergy well-being.