Commission aims to help charities back on track

Finance | 26 Sep 2008

The Charity Commission has identified poor basic accounting and reporting practices as a problem common to a number of the charities it dealt with in the year. It also points to a number of cases where charities have decided on another chance for individuals with a previous record of abusing vulnerable people, allowing them to become involved in ways that put the charity and its beneficiaries at risk. The findings were published in Charities Back on Track, a new report bringing together themes and lessons from the compliance work it has carried out over the last year.

Statistics also show how the Commission’s compliance and support team has significantly reduced the time taken to resolve the sort of cases that it is dealing with. In 2007-08, 74 per cent of section 8 inquiries were closed in nine months, compared to 24 per cent in 2006-07. And in 2007-08, 90 per cent of non-inquiry cases were closed in six months, compared to 67 per cent in 2006-07. In total, 200 cases were brought to a conclusion during the year, with 104 active cases at year end.

Andrew Hind (pictured), chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: “This report brings together the huge variety of our compliance work for the first time, showcasing some of the most interesting and significant cases we’ve dealt with this year. It gives trustees pointers to ensure they don’t repeat the mistakes of other charities, as well as letting them keep their fingers on the pulse of emerging sector-wide trends. We hope it provides charities with a useful insight into how we approach our compliance work, and the impact of our regulatory action.”

Directory: Charity Commission
Who's Who: Andrew Hind

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