A Christian charity whose youth minister was convicted of sexual offences against beneficiaries failed to ensure adequate safeguarding procedures, a Charity Commission inquiry report said today.
Bristol Community Church Trust – which has since changed its name to the Bourne Christian Centre – was first investigated in 2011, after the regulator was informed that sexual abuse allegations had been made against the charity’s youth pastor. The pastor was later convicted of sexually touching a child and voyeurism, and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.
Initial inquiries by the Charity Commission raised “serious concerns about the adequacy of the safeguarding governance within the charity”, causing the regulator to focus its investigations on whether trustees at the charity were complying with charity law in relation to their handling of the allegations.
A further independent review in 2012 by the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service - requested by the charity - identified “significant weaknesses” in safeguarding policies. Following the review, the charity adopted an action plan, involving 54 recommendations, which was completed last year.
Today, the regulator said its inquiry found “misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity due to the failure of the trustees to take reasonable steps to protect beneficiaries”, including “a number of deficiencies in the charity’s safeguarding policies, procedures and practice”.
As a result, “vulnerable beneficiaries” were subject to “undue risk”, the regulator said.
In a statement this morning, Michelle Russell, director of investigations, monitoring and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said the case was a “reminder to charities that work with children and vulnerable people that it is essential that they have adequate safeguarding policies and procedures which reflect both the law and best practice”.
“Where incidents occur or allegations are made, charities must ensure safeguarding issues are taken seriously and dealt with promptly in accordance with those policies and procedures,” she said.
“Where a safeguarding incident happens, the Commission expects trustees to report these to the appropriate statutory agencies such as the police, local authority, and to the commission as a serious incident as soon as possible after the incident occurs.”
The Bourne Christian Centre told Civil Society News this morning that its trustees and leadership team "take safeguarding very seriously and have put in place clear processes and robust policy, so that everyone has a good understanding of how to safeguard our children and young people, in all of our ministries".
Its trustees had "followed clear advice, given by the Charity Commission, local authority designated officer and Churches Child Protection Advisory Service, in order to ensure compliance with legal obligations and our own child protection policy", it said.
"The new trustees and leadership team put a lot of effort into sorting this difficult situation and have worked hard and changed the culture of the organisation."
