Anglican Church committed to best safeguarding, says Dean

Both Bailiwicks took part in an independent review, which was published yesterday.

The recommendations focused on better organisation of cases and their paperwork.

There also needed to be better password management, after it was found some documents were password protected. Attempts to identify passwords had limited success.

Five recommendations were made, and updates in the report found these had started to be addressed.

Dean of Guernsey the Very Rev. Tim Barker said he understood that past failures to provide good safeguarding practice had caused damage to individuals.

‘That is why we in the Deanery of Guernsey are committed to the provision of safeguarding officers in every parish, and to provide regular and appropriate training and support for all who work with children, young people, and vulnerable adults,’ he said.

‘I welcome the review of past cases in Guernsey, and our renewed commitment to work with both victims and survivors and the statutory and voluntary organisations in Guernsey, so that we can implement the best possible practice and ensure that our churches are safe places for all.’

The review was carried out by retired UK police officer Tracy Hawkings, who has no link to the Diocese of Salisbury – which oversees the Channel Islands – or the Bailiwicks.

The first past cases review was carried out in the late 2000s in the British Isles in response to several court appearances in the UK by clergy in connection with sexual offences against children.

Concerns over how the first PCR was conducted meant that seven dioceses needed to do another review.

This included both Winchester and Salisbury dioceses, which have either previously or currently oversee the Channel Islands.

Guernsey’s safeguarding arrangements transferred to Salisbury in late 2020. The second review began in December 2020 and finished in May last year.

It aimed to ensure the church was aware of risks to children and vulnerable adults and ensure appropriate action was taken.

The review included looking over all files relating to current clergy, as well as former, deceased and unlicensed clergy, as well as files on readers and documents on a system showing details of safeguarding referrals. Overall just over 300 files were reviewed.

There were also 23 entries on the known cases list – 17 involved behaviour with children and six involving behaviour with adults – which covers both islands. This relates to behaviour by lay people, as well as clergy, over past decades.

The files are kept off-island and some will date back to the 1940s and 1950s. Mr Barker said comprehensive records began being kept from the 1980s and practices had been improving over time.

Mr Barker said they would be working to keep safeguarding standards high and ensuring that churches in the Bailiwick were safe spaces for everyone.

‘We are encouraged, but not complacent,’ he said.

‘We will be ever-vigilant.’