Staff cuts ‘handled badly’ in Brentwood

Brentwood diocese paid scant attention to gospel values when it made 10 members of staff redundant, it was claimed this week, writes Joanna Moorhead.

Sr Nuala Gannon IBVM, who was diocesan adviser for adult religious education for 17 years, said the process had been handled “terribly” by Fr Andrew Headon, episcopal vicar for admin­istration, and other members of the diocesan strategic planning group. “I would never have im­agined I would be treated like this by the Church,” she said, adding she had not been allowed to finish leading a one-year course, only three weeks away from completion – “a grave injustice to the students.”  Her views were echoed by two former ­colleagues, Elisabeth Abbott and Davina Bolt, who were secretary for the Marriage and Family Life Department and director of the Social Justice Department ­respectively, for 12 and 18 years.

Mrs Bolt said: “In three weeks the diocese wiped away 30 years’worth of work by those who have worked in Brentwood for social justice.”  Mrs Abbott added that  she and other staff understood that it was not easy to make redundancies but said “there were things they could have done to make us feel valued and make us feel we were part of a church organisation. Instead it was completely clinical and you felt as though you had no voice.  I have no doubt that they did everything legally, but it was very cold and heartless.”

All three said they were disappointed by the absence in proceedings of Bishop Alan Williams, who took over Brentwood Diocese last year from Bishop Thomas McMahon who had been in post since 1980. 

Fr Headon, who set out the reasons behind the changes in last week’s Tablet, said he completely disagreed that the process had been badly handled.  “There’s no good way of giving bad news,” he said.  “But I counter the narrative that these staff members are putting about.”

n In our report last week, we stated that diocesan commissions to be cut in Brentwood included those for youth, music, liturgy and justice.  In fact the liturgy and music departments are unaffected by the changes.