Following a lengthy inquiry in response to news articles published in 2016 regarding allegations of abuse of pupils at Ampleforth College (‘the College’), the Charity Commission has recently published its findings, many of which highlight the importance of governance reviews and safeguarding, applicable to all charities.
The particulars of this organisation involve St Laurence Education Trust (‘SLET’), that delivers its charitable objects through the operation of Ampleforth College, which is located adjacent to Ampleforth Abbey, the operation of which delivers the charitable objects of Ampleforth Abbey Trust (‘AAT’).
The two entities share a close relationship, both in terms of proximity and their charitable purposes, both being linked to the furtherance of the Roman Catholic religion; Abbey monks provide chaplaincy and teaching to pupils at the College.
With the help of the AAT Board, the Commission’s inquiry into the news articles resulted in the disclosure of nine previously unreported serious abuse allegations and/or convictions, resulting in a statutory inquiry – extending to encompass SLET – being opened on 15 November 2016.
The areas examined included:
- Whether the respective trustees of SLET and AAT had complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as Trustees under charity law;
- Whether, and to what extent, there was or had been misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the Charities by the Trustees;
- The Charities’ handling of safeguarding matters, including the creation, development, substance and implementation of its safeguarding policy and review procedures;
- How the Charities dealt with the risks to the Charities and their beneficiaries arising from alleged abuse incidents, including the application of their safeguarding policy and procedures.
The inquiry found that:
- There had been poor communication between the Charities and their Safeguarding Committees that were in place at the time the inquiry was opened.
- There had been a failure to meet independent school standards and these failures, along with the slow pace at which cultural change and improvements were made, exposed beneficiaries to risks of harm and the College to reputational harm.
- There had been a lack of sufficient expertise and oversight, and records relating to safeguarding were poor. The inquiry also found that trustees of Ampleforth Abbey were not adequately managing safeguarding risks to pupils attending the College.
The Commission detailed the importance of recognising the Charities’ completion of structured governance reviews and the recruitment of experienced safeguarding personnel. The report emphasised the need for continued vigilance and robust safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable individuals associated with the Charities.
