Charity Commission launches inquiry into school’s management and administration
An statutory inquiry examining the governance, management and administration of a Newark charity has been launched.
The Charity Commission is investigating Hope House School Limited, a registered charity which educates children with neurological and psychological conditions such as Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, autistic spectrum disorders, Asperger’s syndrome and Dyspraxia.
The Commission conducted a books and records inspection following an anonymous complaint which raised concerns about the charity’s governance and administration.
The visit raised a number of regulatory concerns and the Commission has therefore opened a statutory inquiry to examine the governance, management and administration of the charity. The inquiry will focus particularly on whether:
- the trustees have exercised sufficient oversight and control of the charity
- the financial controls of the charity are adequate and its funds have been properly expended solely in furtherance of its charitable objects
- potential conflicts of interest and connected party transactions have been properly managed
- there has been any unauthorised trustee benefit
The Commission has also exercised temporary and protective powers to restrict the transactions that the charity can enter into to ensure that any funds expended are only in furtherance of the charity’s objects and closely monitored.
The Commission said that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail and investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been misconduct or mismanagement; establish the extent of the risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work; and decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.
