The Diocese of St Albans has today published its action plan in response to the Independent Review into Soul Survivor led by Fiona Scolding KC, following our initial response of 26 September. This includes a series of changes to be implemented within the Diocese, alongside recommendations for the wider Church of England.
Today’s response is issued by the Senior Staff Team on behalf of the Diocese, following three months of engagement with diocesan governance bodies. We wish to repeat our heartfelt apology to all who were damaged by Mike Pilavachi’s appalling and abusive behaviour, and express our deep regret for the pain and distress endured. Working with the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team, we are reaching out individually to survivors and others affected by Mike Pilavachi’s actions.
The Scolding Review highlighted that our safeguarding systems were not sufficient to prevent harm or allow it to come to light sooner. The Diocese and the wider Church of England must take steps to ensure that this never happens again.
The recommendations of the Review are being fully implemented in the new Bishop’s Mission Order (BMO) for Soul Survivor Watford, which will be finalised in the New Year. It will require mandatory reviews for the Lead and Associate Pastors, with input from individuals familiar with their work, and provide for diocesan oversight by three members of the Bishop’s Senior Staff.
We fully believe that the Church of England as a whole needs to ensure a stronger mandatory supervisory framework for BMOs and we are committed to informing national reform.
We continue our work to foster a culture of transparency, integrity, and care, and to put survivors and victims at the forefront of all we do. Our mission is to create safe spaces in our churches and congregations, where people can encounter and worship God, build community, and thrive.
Should you have any concerns or require support, please contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@stalbans.anglican.org, who are available to listen and help. Please be assured that any safeguarding concerns raised will be treated with the utmost sensitivity. If you, or anyone you are in contact with, have been affected by this news and wish to speak to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056.
The following summarises the actions the Diocese is implementing in the new BMO for Soul Survivor Watford:
- Mandatory reviews for the Lead and Associate Pastors of SSW
- Diocesan oversight of SSW by three members of the Bishop’s Senior Staff
- The Visitor will have the right to attend and speak at any meeting of the Trustees
- Increased accountability of leaders, including annual governance health checks as recommended by the Scolding Review
- Clear protocols that allow individuals to report concerns to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team, the Visitor, or through SSW’s revised complaints process.
The Diocese is also asking the Church of England to take action in the following areas:
- The Church of England should review the effectiveness of BMOs and recognise the importance of embodying a stronger mandatory supervisory framework in their Code of Practice
- Visitors should be provided with guidance on how best to conduct reviews of BMOs so that diocesan oversight is more effective
- The legal framework of a BMO and its Code of Practice should be able to embrace both large, established mission initiatives and small experimental projects
- The Church of England should consider whether it is appropriate for the Visitor also to be a trustee. As a diocese, we are conscious such a change could compromise the Visitor’s independence, but regular attendance at Trustee meetings will give the Visitor an insight into the workings of the Trust without compromising their independence.
