In appointing a new chair for the Charity Commission the government should rethink the commission’s priorities, ensure the chair is truly independent and rebuild trust with the sector, leaders have urged.
Interim arrangements for the chair of the charity regulator are due to be announced in the coming weeks.
Baroness Stowell will complete her term at the end of February, but the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has not yet launched the application process for a replacement.
There is now not enough time for the department to carry out the full recruitment process before her term ends.
In 2018, William Shawcross’ term was extended to allow for the recruitment process to take place. And in 2012, one of the existing board members became interim chair when Dame Suzi Leather’s term came to an end.
The chair of the Commission is appointed by the secretary of state for culture, media and sport. A preferred candidate is named after interviews have taken place. They then appear before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee for a pre-appointment hearing.
During Stowell’s hearing the committee expressed serious concern that she did not have enough knowledge of the sector and it ultimately declined to endorse the appointment. The government decided to proceed regardless.
Is the government valuing the charity sector?
NPC warned that this delay risks giving the impression that the government does not value the sector.
Leah Davis, head of policy and external affairs at NPC, said: “Given that the government has known since October that the current chair is leaving, there is a danger that this delay will confirm suspicions within the sector that the government is failing to value the contribution of effective charities - in particular their role in the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
“DCMS should use the time it has bought itself with the upcoming appointment of an interim chair to find a candidate that can play a transformative role in the sector and guide it towards maximum social impact for the people it works with and for.”
NPC has also sent a letter to the Oliver Dowden, culture secretary, urging him to rethink the Commission priorities.
The think tank has said the regulator should be more focused on impact charities make, require trustees to report on this, encourage transparency from grantmakers, and enable better use of Commission data.
‘Current leadership has lost the trust of the sector’
Meanwhile, charity bodies emphasised the importance of the next chair of the regulator being independent of party politics.
Jay Kennedy, director of policy and research at the Directory of Social Change, said: “The current leadership of the Charity Commission has lost the trust and confidence of the sector it regulates. Sadly, many charity trustees no longer feel confident that they and their charity will be treated fairly by the regulator in an efficient, considered manner. This situation is untenable and threatens the whole system of charity regulation.
“Whomever takes over as the new chair, whether on an interim or permanent basis, needs to understand and address this very real problem. They also must be independent of the government of the day and political partisanship, have knowledge and expertise in charity law and regulation, and of the charity sector, and should have genuine governance experience from a previous role in a similar body.”
Kristiana Wrixon, head of policy at ACEVO, said: “I support the decision to appoint an interim chair to allow the necessary time for an open and fair recruitment process to take place.
“ACEVO remains concerned about the increasing party politicisation of the post of Charity Commission chair. In the last few months we have met with Peter Riddell, the outgoing Commissioner for Public Appointments, to discuss our concerns but unfortunately have yet to receive a response to our communications from the secretary of state for DCMS or the DCMS select committee.”
ACEVO has also published an alternative person specification for the role this morning, emphasising experience and understanding of the sector.
Sarah Vibert, interim chief executive of NCVO, added: “Charities are facing major challenges to their operating models in the face of pandemic. More than ever, they need clear guidance, support and leadership from the Charity Commission.
“It’s crucial that the next chair of the Charity Commission is strategic, politically independent, and able to work effectively with charities. We hope the government will put in place a robust process to appoint a chair with the knowledge and skills required, including an understanding of the role charities play in both campaigning and service delivery.”
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