Desk-based investigations

Trinity
Jun 28, 2018
2 min read

Updated: Jul 1, 2018

15feb18

Of continued interest is the Charity Commission’s failings in connection with the Oxfam story and other stories soon to be revealed on this blog.

Helen Evans, before resigning, was Oxfam’s Global Head of Safeguarding.

Helen communicated her concerns to the Charity Commission in 2015.

Interviewed on Channel 4 News earlier this week [see earlier blog posts], Helen said the Charity Commission were not interested to meet with her to discuss those concerns and her findings. Astonishing!

This is a most disturbing point given Helen’s high office and unique position in having important insider information on her subject.

The Charity Commission’s lack of interest and engagement was refuted the following evening on the same programme by their Deputy CEO, David Holdsworth.

Despite David not mentioning it on the programme, it seems the Charity Commission opened the lowest level of investigation - an Operational Compliance Case - following Helen’s contact with the Commission.

This it appears was a desk-based investigation which didn’t involve collecting information, face to face, from the people best placed to provide it - Helen Evans and her immediate colleagues, in this case.

The idea of visiting and questioning key personnel apparently does not match the Charity Commission’s Digital Mission.

The Mission is the Commission’s vision for speeding things up and getting things done, according to their Deputy CEO, David Holdsworth, on Twitter.

This digital approach to investigating is particularly difficult to understand - and for the Commission to justify.

It really couldn’t be of any more concern, given that in Oxfam’s case, the safety of minors was at risk.

One couldn’t imagine the police investigating this issue - or any issue - solely by a desk-based analysis carried out in the comfort of the local nick.

Trinity

#davidholdsworth #CharityCommission #helenevans #oxfamgb #charity