Church funding policy for victim support
The Church of England and the Church in Wales should each introduce a Church-wide policy on the funding and provision of support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse concerning clergy, Church officers or those with some connection to the Church. The policy should clearly set out the circumstances in which different types of support, including counselling, should be offered. It should make clear that support should always be offered as quickly as possible, taking into account the needs of the victim over time. The policy should take account of the views of victims and survivors. It should be mandatory for the policy to be implemented across all dioceses.
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedOn 7 April 2021, the Church in Wales stated that it had introduced Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) support for survivors. The Church in Wales committed to offer funding towards counselling recommended by an ISVA where the abuse was committed by Church in Wales clergy, or in a Church context. The Church in Wales also stated that the sufficiency of this provision will be reviewed regularly, in consultation with its Safeguarding Panel, Safeguarding Committee and the providers of the ISVA service. On 17 December 2021 the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England published an update stating that the National Safeguarding Steering Group has approved amended guidance on responding to victims and survivors of abuse. The guidance stipulates what Church bodies must do if abuse is disclosed, requires Church bodies to provide accessible information about reporting abuse to statutory services and makes provision for mandatory support. General updates on the Interim Support Scheme and National Redress Scheme were also provided.