Vicar given teaching ban over safeguarding issue

The Reverend Ross Jude Bullock taught at Queenswood between 2010 and 2020

A vicar has been banned from teaching after failing to report safeguarding breaches involving a convicted sex offender staying in a parish building.

The Reverend Ross Jude Bullock, of St Anne's, Chingford, also taught religious studies and psychology at Queenswood, a girls' school in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

In 2018, he allowed the offender to stay in the parish centre and failed to report there was a danger of the individual breaching breaching his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

A Teaching Regulation Agency professional conduct panel raised concerns over his dishonesty and his "dismissive attitude" to safeguarding.

Mr Bullock first met the unnamed offender in 2013 at a church where he was parish priest.

In May 2018, he offered the offender the option of sleeping overnight in a room at the back of the parish centre after his family had become homeless.

That October, police found the offender hiding elsewhere with someone else, whose name was redacted from the report, and he was arrested for breaching his SOPO.

Mr Bullock later admitted he had been aware the offender was not allowed unsupervised access to anyone under 16, including his own family.

Queenswood confirmed Mr Bullock had worked as a part-time teacher at the school between 2010 and 2020, when he was dismissed after a disciplinary process.

It added: "The incident that was investigated did not in any way involve the school, its pupils or any member of its community."

'Kafka-esque incompetence'

The conduct panel found that Mr Bullock had been aware the offender was at risk of breaching the SOPO and knew he was living with the redacted individual.

It also concluded he had been dishonest and had searched how to delete text messages from a Samsung phone as part of an attempt to remove evidence, which he denied.

He also denied having a poor regard for the need of safeguarding children, but the panel was made aware of comments where he had a "dismissive attitude".

He described the safeguarding agreement as "a load of fuss" and said his life had been "ruined by the Kafka-esque incompetence and cruelty of the safeguarding industry which is marching full-scale ahead into becoming a new Stasi".

The report added: "The panel was also concerned that the Rev Bullock's focus appeared to be on the impact of his conduct on himself rather than on the risk he had caused for children."

Although Mr Bullock had been "sorry" for not involving the relevant safeguarding team, the panel "had serious concerns" at his "lack of insight and his wider attitude to safeguarding procedures".

It was found he fell significantly short of the standards expected of the teaching profession.