Damning report leads to resignation calls
Save the Children's UK chief executive is facing calls to resign amid a damning report into the aid group’s handling of sexual abuse allegations.
The Charity Commission announced a statutory inquiry nearly two years ago into the charity’s response to complaints made in 2012 and 2015 against Justin Forsyth, its former CEO, and in 2015 against Brendan Cox, a former policy and advocacy director.
The commission has now found that the charity mismanaged the complaints about Justin Forsyth’s behaviour. Its report highlights a failure to carry out formal investigations into the complaints, which were resolved instead through personal apologies.
Conservative MP Pauline Latham, a member of the international development committee who questioned chief executive Kevin Watkins in parliament in 2018, accusing him of being part of a "cosy boys’ club", said he should resign.
She said: “Save the Children never took these claims seriously. Now is the time to realise you can’t do that. Kevin Watkins was a trustee. He was on the inside track, he must have known the right people to get the job he got."
Watkins has been criticised by MPs for spending £114,000 on lawyers to try to stop reports of inappropriate behaviour coming out in the media, after the full story emerged in 2018.
Latham added: “He was wrong to spend money that should have gone to children on lawyers to try and stop reports of this coming out. Anyone tarnished with that reputation should go.”
The commission has said the complaints against Justin Forsyth should have been reported to Save the Children UK’s full board when they arose. It also criticised the charity for not identifying him in a report made to the regulator at the time.
Watkins, who became CEO in 2016, having previously served on the organisation’s board, said: “I unreservedly apologise to the women affected by the behaviour of these two senior executives. The harm they suffered was compounded by a failure to respond appropriately to complaints and then by our defensive handling of media inquiries about the cases.
“Our staff are passionate about our work for children. They have a right to expect the highest standards of support and protection. I’m determined to work with them to build an organisational culture that reflects our values.”
Charles Steel, the interim chair, added: “The trustees and leadership fully accept these findings and we are profoundly sorry that we let the women and our organisation down. The inquiry makes clear that every part of our organisation must be held to account for our duty of care to staff and for living up to our values. While we are making progress in improving our culture, we have more work to do, and this will continue to be a critical priority for our organisation.
“We must repay the trust of our staff and supporters. Only with that trust can we fulfil our mission to help the children who need us most.”
The Commission said the charity was unduly defensive in responses to media coverage in 2018 which did not give "sufficient consideration to the impact" on the women who had made complaints.
However, the inquiry recognised Save the Children UK’s "positive and responsible attitude towards admitting past mistakes" and noted "significant progress" made since 2015, particularly since the charity commissioned an independent review of office culture in 2018. The review, carried out by Dr Suzanne Shale, found that the charity had become more respectful and supportive but made a series of recommendations for further action.
In 2019, the organisation appointed a full-time team and senior director to lead changes to the charity’s culture. Save the Children UK strengthened reporting and whistleblowing policies which allow staff to raise concerns anonymously and committed itself to independently investigating any future allegations against executives or trustees.
The charity has also brought in new HR leadership and safeguarding expertise; and improved board diversity.
