New Church Calling: Stake Safeguarding Specialist

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Just like here in the U.S., sex abuse in the Church is such a big problem that in the U.K. there is now a calling called Stake Safeguarding Specialist. I'm sure the U.S. will have to follow soon in order to help stem the tide of sexual abuse/lawsuits/cover-ups plaguing the Church.

I just wish the Church had Stake Safeguarding Specialists when Joseph Smith was alive. Think of all the harm that could have been prevented.

https://youtu.be/Oqoq7PK52L8?t=5848

[Kishkumen]

I am happy to learn that they have taken some measures to provide protection for children, although I need to look into the details to see how robust they have made this position in its responsibilities and authority. In my view, there should be no interviews in which an underage child is left alone with an adult. That would go a long way toward making LDS children safer.

[drumdude]

The “anti-Mormons” who have put such an intense spotlight on this issue deserve a tremendous amount of credit for forcing the church’s leaders to offer basic protections like this.

In particular:

https://www.reddit.com/user/3am_doorknob_turn/

And their website www.floodlit.org

[I Have Questions]

Before we get carried away thinking the Church has done something progressive…what exactly is a Stake Safeguarding Specialist? What qualifies someone for the calling to be a Safeguarding Specialist? Who appoints them and what qualifies them to screen candidates for that role? What level of authority do they have? What will they actually do? If they perceive a specific issue, how do they escalate it? If the issue is a Bishop or a Stake President, what then? Etc.

Here’s reality. One of the things the Church agreed to implement in the UK was background checking. All members serving with children and youth were to have a criminal background check by the end of 2023 and then ongoing for newly called people (note: the background check usually takes place retrospectively after they’ve been called and are already serving even though they’re not supposed to - there would be too many callings left vacant as they’re aren’t too many willing volunteers in wards which mostly average 30 - 50 active members). As of May 2024 only 66% of those background checks had been completed.

The Stake Safeguarding Specialist is a role the Stake President assigns as an added thing to someone already serving in a Stake calling. A High Counsellor, a Stake Welfare person, a Stake Communications person etc. their calling is to assist the Stake President to facilitate and monitor the Church’s commitment to prevent and respond to abuse. One specific thing is to monitor compliance with the requirement to do background checks on people serving with youth and children - and you’ve seen how effective that’s been. One of the key priorities is to train Church Leaders to call the helpline as a priority when they are faced with an incidence of abuse.

It’s just lip service. It’s like they’ve sat around thinking about what the bare minimum is that they can get away with doing.

For reference:
https://uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/acp/ ... aining.pdf

https://uk.churchofjesuschrist.org/acp/ ... 20(UK).pdf

Letters and policies and callings are all well and good. But they are meaningless without effective implementation and real teeth.

[slskipper]

There already is a safeguarding specialist. It's called the cops.

[Moksha]

Mormon children in the UK are safer now.

[Philo Sofee]

There already is a safeguarding specialist. It's called the cops.

Wins the internet today.......... exactly perfectly said.

[bbbbbbb]

Mormon children in the UK are safer now.

"Safer" is a lovely, relative word. Mormon children in the UK are probably safer than traffic fatalities, but are they actually "safe" in the tender hands of the LDS?

[Moksha]

"Safer" is a lovely, relative word. Mormon children in the UK are probably safer than traffic fatalities, but are they actually "safe" in the tender hands of the LDS?

Safer from Elder predation than US Latter-day children due to the safeguards instituted in the UK.

[bbbbbbb]

"Safer" is a lovely, relative word. Mormon children in the UK are probably safer than traffic fatalities, but are they actually "safe" in the tender hands of the LDS?

Safer from Elder predation than US Latter-day children due to the safeguards instituted in the UK.

Agreed. It is a very sad commentary that such abuse only received a long-delayed response from the LDS after public revelations.