Recommendation 32: Send internal safeguarding reviews to national body
From The Anglican Church Case Studies Investigation Report, published 9 May 2019.
Recommendation
If religious organisations have undertaken internal reviews or enquiries into individual safeguarding incidents, their findings should be sent to the national review body (set up under the Children and Social Work Act 2017).
In brief (written by this site)
Religious organisations should send internal safeguarding review findings to the national review body. In an update archived in August 2023, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse reported that the Church of England stated in July 2022 that all independent learning lessons case reviews commissioned by the Archbishops' Council had been shared with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Aug 2023). It also recorded in August 2023 that the church's National Director of Safeguarding would meet with the panel every six months, while updated review arrangements were due to be detailed in a forthcoming House of Bishops policy scheduled for consultation in September 2022 and approval in December 2022 (The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Aug 2023).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
No government response to this recommendation is on the record yet.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Church of England has been found in the sources searched (last checked 2 October 2026). This is separate from the response above.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (2 August 2023)
On 27 June 2019, the Church of England stated that Church’s National Safeguarding Team will initiate an active dialogue with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel to ensure that the right cases are reported to them in accordance with the principles outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) and the safeguarding requirements arising from The Children and Social Work Act 2017. The agreed approach will be reflected in the House of Bishops guidance. On 12 July 2022, the Church of England stated that all independent learning lessons case reviews commissioned by the Archbishops' Council have been shared with their designated contact on the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, who will meet with the Church's National Director of Safeguarding every six months. In addition, the Church of England stated that updated arrangements for safeguarding case reviews will be detailed in forthcoming House of Bishops safeguarding policy, which is due to go out to full consultation, including with victims and survivors, in September 2022. It is anticipated to be presented for approval at the National Safeguarding Steering Group in December 2022.
From: Recommendations - Anglican Church Case Studies: Chichester/Peter Ball investigation report
Site note: These are the Inquiry's own words, from its recommendations page for the Anglican Church Case Studies investigation report, captured by the Internet Archive on 2 August 2023. They are the Inquiry's account of what the body told it, not the body's own words.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Finding