A former employee of Sense Scotland has pleaded guilty to stealing £40,060 from some of the disability charity’s service users.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court confirmed that Violet Connor admitted taking the money from some of the charity’s vulnerable residents between April 2019 and September 2022.
Sense Scotland said it became aware of some financial irregularities in October 2022 “in the finances of a small number of individuals we support in two of our services”.
“We immediately undertook a financial audit of the services and reported our findings to families, the police, and other relevant authorities and regulatory bodies, working closely with these bodies to assist with their inquiries,” its statement reads.
“The staff member found responsible for these irregularities was dismissed by Sense Scotland in November 2022.
“Shortly after this, Sense Scotland spoke with the families and guardians of the individuals affected and agreed to repay all funds. The people we support will not be financially disadvantaged as a result of these irregularities.”
Connor is set to be sentenced on 27 June.
Charity reviews policies
The charity said it has reviewed its policies, procedures and systems “to ensure robust management of the finances of the people we support” and is confident that this is an isolated incident.
“Finances in all other Sense Scotland services are in order,” its statement reads.
At the moment, the charity said it is unable to comment further on this matter as legal proceedings are still ongoing.
According to annual returns submitted to OSCR, Sense Scotland most recently had an income of £24.9m.
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