Content Warning: Abuse within the Church
If you are ever dealing with a safeguarding concern that is an emergency, call emergency services on 999. If you have any safeguarding concerns regarding SCM, please contact CEO Naomi Nixon, our Safeguarding Co-Ordinator, or call ThirtyOne:Eight’s helpline 0303 003 1111.
Dear SCM Members,
Whilst safeguarding cases in churches are sadly nothing new, such revelations continue to be shocking and there has been a lot in the news this year. Last month, the independent review of the Church of England’s response to the abuse of John Smyth was published. And, more recently, SCM learnt of a safeguarding case which led to an arrest at Inclusive Gathering Birmingham (IGB) – who we have since removed from our website’s directory SCM Connect. Our concern is first-and-foremost for the wellbeing and safety of the survivors and victims of these cases of church-related abuse, and of all church-related abuse. We are saddened and angered that this continues in Christian communities, whilst we keep at the front of our minds the exceptional bravery of those victims who have spoken out about their experiences.
SCM seeks to be a safe home for all people – especially for those who have experienced abuse within the Church – which is why we are writing to our members to highlight what SCM is doing to minimise harm and maintain a safe home for all, and the actions you can take if you have a safeguarding concern within SCM or your church.
What SCM is doing.
SCM is committed to safeguarding. It is a priority for our organisation, so we are saddened by churches’ and church-related organisations’ consistent institutional failings to keep people safe from abuse. In our vision of SCM, we are clear that “we seek to be both a radical voice for equality and justice, and a safe home for progressive Christian students”. In order to seek justice and provide a safe home for all, we have a robust and clear safeguarding policy and procedure for members, staff, and trustees to follow. This safeguarding policy is underpinned by the values of protecting from harm, minimising risk to individuals, confidentiality for those who report, and ensuring everyone understands their responsibility. When we receive a safeguarding concern or disclosure we act quickly and immediately, becoming a priority for our Safeguarding Co-Ordinator and information is shared on a strictly need-to-know basis, ensuring anonymity for the person reporting a concern (where possible).
If you have concerns:
When it comes to safeguarding, accountability, transparency, and openness are crucial to keeping people safe. That is why, as a staff and trustee board, we are clear of the ways you can seek support should you have any concerns. That is why we want to ensure that all members are aware of the steps to report any allegations or disclose any suspicions of abuse within SCM.
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Speak to Naomi Nixon our Safeguarding Co-Ordinator. The person in receipt of allegations or suspicions of abuse should report concerns as soon as possible to Naomi Nixon, Chief Executive Officer (hereafter referred to as the "Safeguarding Co-ordinator"), who is nominated by the Trustees to act on their behalf in dealing with the allegation or suspicion of neglect or abuse, including referring the matter on to the statutory authorities. Telephone: 0121 426 4918 or Email: CEO@movement.org.uk.
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Speak to the Chair of Trustees if the Safeguarding Co-Ordinator is unavailable or if the suspicions in any way involve them. In the absence of the Safeguarding Co-ordinator or, if the suspicions in any way involve the Safeguarding Co-ordinator, then the report should be made to the Deputy Co-ordinator, who is the Chair of Trustees at convenor@movement.org.uk. If the suspicions implicate both the Safeguarding Co-ordinator and the Deputy, then the report should be made in the first instance to ThirtyOne:Eight PO Box 133, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7UQ or Telephone: 0303 003 1111. Alternatively contact Social Services or the police.
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If the concern is about Safeguarding at SCM or you need an independent voice. It is, of course, the right of any individual as a citizen to make a direct referral to the safeguarding agencies or seek advice from ThirtyOne:Eight, although the Trustees hope that members or staff of SCM will use the above procedure outlined in the SCM safeguarding policy. If, however, the individual with the concern feels that the Safeguarding Co-ordinator/Deputy has not responded appropriately, or where they have a disagreement with the Safeguarding Co-ordinator(s) as to the appropriateness of a referral, they are free to contact an outside agency directly.
What have we done about Inclusive Gathering Birmingham (IGB)
In the case of IGB, we have reached out to local groups who might have been directly impacted by these events, and we have removed IGB from our SCM Connect directory. SCM is clear that when a church is listed on SCM Connect we are not endorsing it - we have no means to inspect or monitor all of the churches who sign up to the listing, and we suspect you wouldn’t want us to. Nevertheless, it feels uncomfortable that IGB was ever listed there and we acknowledge this.
How to seek support independent of SCM:
If you have a concern or need help regarding SCM, please follow the steps above. Similarly, if you would like to seek support from an independent organisation you might want to speak to one of the following organisations.
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ThirtyOne:Eight: Independent Christian charity, offering safeguarding support
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Safe Spaces: free, independent support
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FearFree: Specialist support to victims and survivors of abuse
The Church should be a safe space for all people, and at SCM we are upset that the Church consistently fails people in this area. At SCM we remain committed to safeguarding. It is a priority to our work and paramount to our vision of SCM, where “we seek to be both a radical voice for equality and justice, and a safe home for progressive Christian students”.