Bishop Julie thanks the churches that participated in the annual awareness raising campaign that aims to give churches an opportunity to show their communities that they take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. Next year's event will happen on the 19 November.
The Church of England is supporting the international campaign for 16 days of activism to end gender-based violence, as newly released figures show that there has been a 37% increase in reports of domestic abuse to diocesan safeguarding advisers over the past three years.
Church House welcomes our newest member of staff, Samantha Sudderey, who has joined the Safeguarding Team as an Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser.
The Church of England has responded to the publication of the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). The Church of England was one of the first institutions to call for the Inquiry and a spokesperson for the Church says it is "taking its recommendations very seriously."
The Church of England has published its national Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) report, the purpose of which was to identify both good practice and institutional failings in relation to the handling of allegations of abuse. The Diocese of Chester has also published its Summary Report.
The Bishop of Birkenhead and the Lead Bishop for Safeguarding, Julie Conalty, has issued a statement following the sentencing of Richard Owens, a former choirmaster in the Diocese of Chester who pleaded guilty to non-recent sexual offences.
The Church of England will be continuing to provide support for victims of church-based abuse, following a successful two-year pilot of the Safe Spaces service. Since the service began in September 2020, a team of trained support advocates has supported more than 300 victims.
The Bishop of Birkenhead has signed a petition calling on the Government to make it illegal for school uniforms to be sold in sex shops and used as a costume in pornography. The petition was set up by students at Sandbach High School.
The Bishop of Birkenhead has thanked the outgoing DSAP Chair, David Hermitt, for his role in "establishing a better safeguarding culture" in the Diocese of Chester. David has resigned from the Chair after being co-opted to serve on General Synod.
The safeguarding Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) is nearing completion in the Diocese of Chester. Two Independent Reviewers, both former Senior Police Officers, have been carrying out this task since early 2021.
Volunteers are being sought to assist the diocese in delivering safeguarding training to parishes. The volunteers must be suitably qualified and experienced with a willingness to assist the lead trainers in a co-working capacity.Â
During the summer, Sean Augustin joined the safeguarding team at Church House as an Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser helping and supporting our Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs).
The Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, is encouraging churches in the Diocese of Chester to mark Safeguarding Sunday and says: "We need to talk more about safeguarding," and address our "past failures".
Survivors of church-related abuse have welcomed the news that Julie Conalty is to be the next Bishop of Birkenhead describing her as “one of very few senior figures who recognise that corruption in the Church needs to be faced.â€
