Archbishop Welby’s resignation has opened wide the problem of safeguarding in our society.

It has brought about a flurry of safeguarding teams making sure all the people in the organisations have completed their courses and paperwork.

Fair enough, for this is what the insurance companies will look at if there is an incident. Although, if this is the only thing that they do, if it is the only answer, why has the Church of England Archbishop had to resign?

What is really needed is re-establishing trust between all parties concerned. Anyone should be able to approach someone they trust within the organisation to discuss and or report a problem.

They should know that they will be believed, and their concerns addressed and followed up in a sensitive way, so that if the person concerned is innocent, this can be found to be so, without ruining their lives.

Whistleblowers should be able to receive wise counsel about how to take the matter further if needed – not made to feel they are on their own, and mistaken, because it is easier to say so.

Time and again there have been cases which have been quietly ignored – for this is the easiest way.

A slight misdemeanour or character flaw appears to be unimportant - minor, not worth making a fuss about. Yet it is these minor demeanours that can easily develop into major ones if left unchecked.

Those who are likely to abuse can often be extremely arrogant and charismatic with it – so that they easily make friends who wouldn’t like to criticise them.

The powers-that-be, who feel they have important roles to perform, often fail to come down to earth and deal with the pettiness of expressions of disquiet expressed about fellow colleagues.

Many of those in high positions are so used to saying platitudes that sound right and seem to deal with the problem, but often their words are only hollow, they have no substance and do not deal with the problem at all.

They need to give people time, to listen, and to follow up, reporting it, reassuring the speaker, giving precise contact details of counsellors as needed – not just with a metaphorical wave of the hand with instructions to look on the website.

They need to challenge those who are misbehaving, even if they are close colleagues. They need to be willing to take matters further, even if it means losing friends.

It is the vulnerable people who need looking after, over and above one’s friends, no matter how painful this may be.  

Rosemary Westwell

Witchford, Cambridgeshire