The founder of a mental health charity has left his role as its chief executive after the organisation received an official warning over his position.
Signposted Cymru’s trustees said in a statement that Darren Thomas had resigned from his position and was no longer affiliated with or acting on behalf of the charity in any capacity.
The Charity Commission warned the charity in April over its then-CEO’s continued employment despite his being disqualified due to having an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA), a legally binding agreement set up to manage a person’s debt repayments.
At the time, the commission told trustees that failing to comply with its regulatory advice and guidance – including advice about carrying out IVA checks – constituted misconduct and/or mismanagement in the charity’s administration.
It instructed the charity to take independent legal advice in relation to the validity of the CEO’s employment contract.
A commission spokesperson said: “We have issued an official warning to Signposted Cymru, in relation to a failure to comply with the commission’s regulatory advice and guidance.
“We have an ongoing regulatory compliance case into the charity and continue to engage with the trustees to further resolve the issues brought to our attention.”
Charity’s spending halted
In a statement on Signposted Cymru’s website, the trustees said they were undertaking a review of the charity’s governance, operational and financial position “following a series of serious concerns identified internally”.
Due to the charity’s financial position, they said the charity’s spending had been halted and counselling provision “significantly reduced” while trustees “determine whether services can continue safely and sustainably”.
“This has been an incredibly difficult period for everyone connected to Signposted Cymru, particularly our beneficiaries, volunteers, staff and supporters,” they said.
“The trustees are continuing to work closely with relevant agencies and partners while assessing the future of the charity.”
Registered in January 2022, the charity reported an income of £173,000, mostly from restricted grants, and expenditure of £159,000 in the year to March 2025.
The accounts filed in January this year said the day-to-day management of the charity was delegated to Thomas at the time, with five employees in total.
