Pulse.Assent

The Charity Commission says safeguarding should be a priority for all charities, not just those working with groups traditionally considered at risk.

It comes as the charity regulator publishes a report showing safeguarding concerns are an increasing feature in its regulatory compliance case work with charities.

Tackling abuse and mismanagement, the regulator’s annual report of its compliance case work, reveals that safeguarding concerns featured in 302 regulatory compliance cases opened in 2016-17, up from 163 in the previous year. Disclosures with other agencies that have safeguarding responsibilities have increased by 30%, at 244 (up from 187 in 2015-16). Six statutory inquiries, the regulator’s most serious type of engagement with charities, featured safeguarding concerns.

Over half of serious incidents reported by the charities to their regulator related to safeguarding concerns (1,203 of 2,182).

The Commission recently updated its strategy on safeguarding in charities, which reminded trustees that they should proactively safeguard and promote the welfare of their charity’s beneficiaries and take reasonable steps to ensure that their beneficiaries or others who come into contact with their charity do not, as a result, come to harm.

Michelle Russell, Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement, said:

We know that it is vital that trustees set a culture within their charity that prioritises safeguarding, so that the risk of safeguarding incidents is minimised, and so that it is safe for those affected to come forward and report incidents and concerns with the assurance they will be handled sensitively and properly. As our safeguarding strategy makes clear, everybody has the right to be safe, no matter who they are or what their circumstances are, and the public rightly expects charities to be safe and trusted places.

Our wider compliance case work shows that problems in charities often result from basic failures by trustees to understand and fulfil their legal duties. In the area of safeguarding, this can include failing to recognise that your beneficiaries may be at risk or vulnerable in certain situations, or not taking proper steps to protect others who come into contact with your charity, such as staff members and volunteers.

I hope this report serves as a tool that enables trustees in managing their charities effectively.

Last month, the Commission issued an alert to charities reminding them of the importance of safeguarding, following a number of reports of serious incidents, and growing public interest in and concerns about accusations of harassment in the work place, including media reporting about some safeguarding incidents which have affected charities.

Tackling abuse and mismanagement also shows that in 2016-17 the Commission opened:

• 1,664 new regulatory compliance cases (2015-16: 1,804)
• 503 new monitoring cases (2015-16: 424)
• 187 new statutory inquiries* (2015-16: 53)
• 2,182 serious incidents (2015-16: 2,117)

*the increase in statutory inquiries relates in part to a class inquiry involving 74 connected charities which opened during the year; in addition, more charities became part of the double defaulters class inquiry.

The regulator also used its powers on 1,099 occasions; 13 of these were powers granted through the 2016 Charities Act. By the end of December 2017, the Commission had used these new powers on 80 occasions.

The Commission has today also published an updated regulatory and risk framework; the updated document explains the Commission’s approach to risk-led regulation and sets out how it prioritises both reactive and its proactive engagement with charities, including the development of policy and guidance aimed at enabling charity trustees to run their charity effectively.

The framework is designed as a guide for the Commission’s staff and as a reference tool and guide for those involved in charities, notably trustees, staff and professional advisers.

Notes to editors

1. The Commission is not responsible for dealing with incidents of actual abuse and does not administer safeguarding legislation. It cannot prosecute or bring criminal proceedings, but it can and does refer any concerns we have to the police, local authorities, the Disclosure and Barring Service (‘DBS’), and other agencies each of which has a particular statutory function.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This evening the Prime Minister spoke with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia.

They discussed the upcoming Commonwealth Summit, with the Prime Minister setting out her plans for an ambitious CHOGM which aims to reinvigorate the Commonwealth. They discussed policy priorities for the Summit, including environmental issues, which Mr Turnbull offered his support towards achieving.

On trade between the two countries, the Prime Ministers recognised the strength of the bilateral relationship between the UK and Australia, and expressed their wish for this to continue to develop after the UK’s exit from the EU.

They discussed Mrs May’s recent trip to China, including the importance of China supporting the rules based international system.

They also covered their shared interest in stability in the region, and recent developments on the Korean Peninsula.

Before the call ended, Mrs May welcomed Australia’s recent decision to legalise same sex marriage and wished Australia luck for their hosting of the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

A key poll taken at first UK Government Severn Growth Summit has revealed that 97% of delegates felt that the removal of the Severn tolls would be of benefit to Wales.

During the live poll carried out by Cardiff based award-winning company, Doopoll, it was also revealed that 90% (139 out of 155 respondents) of the guests feel that their business will be boosted by the abolition of the Severn Tolls.

Over 300 guests from either side of the Severn estuary attended the inaugural event at the Celtic Manor Resort, held to explore how links between the South Wales and South West England economies can be strengthened following the abolition of the Severn Tolls.

Companies on both sides of the border are already benefitting from the removal of VAT from the crossing tolls earlier in January. Later this year, the tolls will be consigned to history when they are abolished altogether by the UK Government.

The poll also revealed:

• 80% of delegates felt that removal of the tolls will give them access to a wider market (168 out of 203 respondents)
• Almost 60% of respondents felt that road links were a challenge of cross border working (119 out of 200 respondents)
• 86% of respondents cited faster rail links between Bristol and South Wales as important to them (out of 151 responses)

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The Severn Growth Summit has sparked the biggest commercial conversation for the west of the UK in a generation. It is clear from these findings that we have a golden opportunity to capitalise on the ambitions of industries from both sides of the Severn Crossings.

From Bath, all the way across to Swansea, we can create a critical mass that can raise prosperity, create closer collaboration and competition and improve social and cultural opportunities for people who live in the region.

I am delighted to see almost universal recognition from this live poll that scrapping the tolls will benefit Wales – this will be the biggest economic stimulus in decades and it fits my approach of making politics fit the economy rather than the economy fit politics. Exporting goods to the rest of the UK from Wales is of vital importance, with 8 out of 10 lorries destined for the UK market – scrapping the tolls will help our economy go from strength to strength.