Presbyterian Church in Ireland safeguarding: Jim Gamble, INEQE, to lead Charity Commission review
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has appointed safeguarding group INEQE, led by former senior police officer Jim Gamble, to undertake an independent review of church safeguarding and governance.
Former moderator Rev Trevor Gribben resigned in November, when an internal review found “serious and significant failings” in central safeguarding functions for children and vulnerable adults from 2009 to 2022.
The PSNI and Charity Commission have opened major investigations.
INEQE will fulfill the role of the panel that will do the bulk of the investigation work for the Charity Commission’s statutory inquiry into governance and safeguarding in the church.
The commission told the News Letter in February that, as is normal practise in such investigations, the charity itself would select a panel of independent experts to reviews its failings, which would then be considered for approval by the commission.
The commission confirmed that the panel would do all the heavy lifting of its review, while the commission will maintain oversight of the independence and quality of the work throughout the process.
The review will be led by Jim Gamble, CEO of INEQE. He is supported by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals with deep expertise in social work, criminal justice, academia, the third sector, and regulatory oversight, including a barrister-at-law and a former Assistant Director of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The team's collective experience encompasses strategic governance, auditing comprehensive safeguarding arrangements, trauma-informed practice, and complex investigations. This skillset is further strengthened by specialists in research, education, and quantitative data analysis.
The appointment will have no impact on an ongoing review of the church using the audit framework of the Safeguarding Board of NI.
Presbyterian Moderator Rev Dr Richard Murray said: “Over recent months, at the Charity Commission’s request, we have sought to identify and secure the independent expertise necessary to carry out an inquiry into our safeguarding and governance as part of the Commission’s statutory inquiry.
"I am pleased to announce, therefore, the appointment of INEQE to undertake this review.
"The appointment is a genuine reflection of our total commitment to a credible, victim-centred, trauma-informed, open and transparent review, which will be conducted by a hugely respected safeguarding organisation, a leader in this field both in the UK and Ireland.
“From the outset we have stated publicly that we were fully committed to working with the Charity Commission to facilitate their inquiry and will cooperate fully in all aspects connected with it. On behalf of the Church, I give that same undertaking to INEQE.”
Jim Gamble, a recipient of the Queen’s Police Medal, began his career with the RUC and became the head of anti-terrorist intelligence in Belfast and later Deputy Chief Constable.
The founding CEO of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop), he is a graduate from the UK College of Policing Senior Command Course, and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Criminology and Criminal Justice Management from Cambridge University.
He has led safeguarding reviews of NHS Trusts, Oxfam GB and 23 dioceses of the Church of England.
The Terms of Reference for the review have been agreed with the Charity Commission and will cover:
:: Governance, Accountability and Oversight
:: Personnel Suitability and Skills
:: Policy and Operational Practice
Dr Murray encouraged abuse victims to contact the PSNI on 101, Victims Support NI on 028 9013 0405 and PCI’s Safeguarding Department on 028 9041 7234.