The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Joanne Grenfell, has been chosen to co-chair Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Safeguarding in Faith Communities.
Grenfell has been the Church of England’s Lead Safeguarding Bishop for three years and in February was heavily involved in a range of new safeguarding measures passed by the Church at its synod.
At the time Grenfell said the new measures amounted to “a single, unified system that brings independence and scrutiny together”. The new system is designed, she argues, to deliver consistent safeguarding practice at all levels of the Church and so restore trust.
Grenfell received the support of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, who from her first days in post made it clear that improving safeguarding was a top priority.
As a diocesan bishop, Grenfell also holds a seat in the House of Lords. As Co-Chair of the APPG, her role will be to facilitate cross-party collaboration to improve safeguarding in faith communities up and down the country.
Upon her appointment, Grenfell said, “I have a vision of church and faith communities working together to promote healthy culture, wise leadership, and strong accountability in every faith setting.
"I believe that to do so will strengthen the ways in which we can prevent abuse and will help us better to hear, care for, and work with victims and survivors.
"I am excited to be invited to co-chair this APPG with Ruth Jones MP, to bring the best of parliamentary scrutiny and collaboration to this task.”
Labour MP Ruth Jones also serves as a Co-Chair on the APPG and welcomed Grenfell to her new role.
“I do appreciate that Bishop Joanne is relatively new to the Lords, but I am so pleased she has agreed to take up the co-chair role. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable as the APPG moves forward with its vital work," she said.
