In an 185-page report released today (11 December 2023) on the collapse of the Church of England’s Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB), barrister Sarah Wilkinson found the breakdown in trust between the board’s members and the Archbishops’ Council over their remit and authority made its failure almost inevitable.
The ISB was disbanded in June after a breakdown in relations, resulting in the sacking of members Jasvinder Sanghera, Steve Reeves, and acting chair Meg Munn. The ISB was formed in September 2021, with a former Children’s Commissioner for England, Prof. Maggie Atkinson, as its first chairman. Prof. Atkinson resigned last March over accusations she had mishandled personal data – a claim she has denied.
Ms. Wilkinson found that the ISB’s design flaws were a result of time pressure imposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, leading to unclear roles and inadequate governance arrangements.
Confusion also arose regarding the ISB’s legal status and operational independence. The report emphasized that the appointment of the acting chair without consulting other ISB members was the primary cause of the breakdown in relations.
Recommendations included mandatory training on handling complainants and victims, establishing an appeal process in safeguarding investigations, and outsourcing governance of any new safeguarding body.
The report will be considered in the development of a fully independent structure for safeguarding scrutiny in the Church of England.
The Archbishops’ Council expressed regret for the flaws exposed and acknowledged their responsibility, emphasizing the importance of maintaining high standards of safeguarding for survivors and victims of abuse.
Speaking on behalf of the Council, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Most Rev. Justin Welby and the Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, said the Council would be discussing the findings over the coming weeks.
“Although we will respond in more detail later, we want to say now that we deeply regret the flaws exposed by this report, especially in the design and governance of the ISB which contributed to the ultimate breakdown in relationships and take our share of responsibility for that breakdown,” they said.
