The Diocese of St Albans has published the report of a call for information and voluntary listening exercise relating to non-recent safeguarding concerns connected with St Andrew’s Chorleywood. The concerns described in the report relate to the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and not to current safeguarding practice or leadership at the church.
The call for information and voluntary listening exercise was launched after safeguarding disclosures received in recent years indicated that others may have experienced harm but had not yet been heard. It invited people to share information or experiences connected with the church during that period, so that any current safeguarding risks could be identified, support needs understood, and learning taken forward.
The report brings together themes from the experiences and information shared by 27 individuals who raised concerns or described experiences of harm. It identifies accounts of abuse and harmful behaviour, the misuse of authority, barriers to challenging leadership, and institutional and cultural factors that may have influenced how concerns were responded to at the time.
A Safeguarding Case Management Group, chaired by His Honour Philip Waller CBE, a retired Family Court Judge, oversaw the process. The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel provided strategic oversight, and the Diocesan Safeguarding Team delivered the operational work.
The call for information and voluntary listening exercise was not a formal investigation and was not established to make findings of fact about individual cases. Its purpose was to provide a safe opportunity for people to share experiences, to identify any current safeguarding risks, to understand support needs, and to contribute to learning and safeguarding improvement.
His Honour Philip Waller CBE said the exercise had been shaped by “a commitment to listen well to those who have come forward, to respond with compassion, and to take seriously any information that may indicate a current safeguarding risk, whether within the Church of England or beyond”. He also recognised “the courage it takes to share experiences of harm or abuse, whether for the first time or by returning to events that may already have been recounted”.
All disclosures received through the exercise were assessed and managed in accordance with current safeguarding policy and guidance. Where necessary, action was taken, including referrals to relevant agencies and the implementation of appropriate risk management measures. Participants were offered support through a survivor care strategy, including pastoral and therapeutic support.
The report does not raise concerns about current safeguarding practice or current leadership at St Andrew’s Chorleywood. Safeguarding standards, oversight and accountability arrangements have developed significantly since the period described in the report.
The Rt Revd Andrew Rumsey, incoming Bishop of St Albans, said he was grateful for the careful and timely report, especially to those who had come forward to share painful experiences, and for the willing co-operation of St Andrew’s Chorleywood during this exercise.
He said: “As I prepare for ministry in St Albans, my first concern is for the care and welfare of those we serve, and I welcome any opportunity for shedding light on where that care may have been lacking or where harm has been caused, so that safeguarding remains at the heart of the Church’s life and ministry.”
Bishop Andrew said the Diocesan Safeguarding team would carefully consider the lessons emerging from the report and how this learning could strengthen safeguarding practice and culture across the Diocese. He added that anyone for whom the report has prompted additional concerns should not hesitate to contact the Diocese.
The Diocese thanks all those who contributed to the call for information and voluntary listening exercise, particularly those who shared experiences of harm or abuse. We recognise that coming forward can be difficult, and we remain committed to listening carefully, responding compassionately, and ensuring that safeguarding learning is taken seriously.
The themes identified will inform ongoing safeguarding development, support for those affected, and continued learning within both the Diocese and the Parish. A lessons-learned review of the process will also be undertaken.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Team will continue to listen to and support anyone who wishes to come forward following publication of the report.