The Charity Commission has released the findings of its two-year-long statutory inquiry
BY DIVA STAFF, IMAGE BY GETTY
A new report by the Charity Commission about trans youth charity Mermaids found that “over several years, trans youth charity Mermaids was not governed to the standards it expects” and that these governance failures amounted to mismanagement.
This two-year-long investigation and statutory inquiry was prompted by a series of complaints from the public with concerns about how Mermaids was run and whether it complied with charity law.
The Charity Commission found that there was “no evidence of misconduct” within Mermaids, however, it did report that the charity had experienced ongoing governance problems after a period of rapid growth and an increase in demand for their services.
The regulator found that Mermaids had struggled with this growth, and had a high turnover of trustees that impacted on good governance. Some of the areas of mismanagement highlighted in the review included addressing internal issues around culture and inclusivity at the charity and properly adhering to their own internal HR policies including in relation to safer recruitment of trustees. The Charity Commission noted that these issues have been largely addressed through the implementation of recommendations from two independent reviews commissioned by Mermaid’s Trustees into EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) and Governance.
The regulator did not find any evidence of misconduct in relation to Mermaids work with trans+ children and their families. One of the complaints that prompted the investigation was the concern that Mermaids were offering medical advice to young people. The Charity Commission has found no evidence that this was the case. It has also found no evidence to substantiate the claim that Mermaids had made medical referrals for young people without the approval of a parent or carer or failed to have appropriate safeguarding policies in place.
However, the Charity Commission has instructed Mermaids to change the information on their page about puberty blockers, deeming it unclear. It has also instructed not only Mermaids, but all charities working with trans+ children to “have regard to findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Cass Review“. This is an unusual step, as the Cass Review was commissioned to inform the provision of NHS services, and does not have the status of government guidance. It remains to be seen how this instruction by the charity regulator is responded to by the wider sector.
Kathryn Downs, Mermaid’s Chair of Trustees, commented on the release of this review: “We are relieved that the Charity Commission Inquiry which began nearly two years ago is finally over. The report states, as we anticipated, that there is no finding of misconduct at Mermaids. ”
She added: “As Mermaids approaches its 30th birthday, we remain determined to deliver on our 2024-27 Strategy and expand our efforts to create a safe, inclusive society where trans children and young people are empowered to live their best lives, at a time where our communities need the support Mermaids delivers more than ever.”
Following the findings of this review, Orlando Fraser, KC, Chair of the Charity Commission said: “As the report indicates, there are lessons for other charities working in these areas, including that they need to have regard to the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Cass Review.”
You can read the full review here: charity-inquiry-mermaids
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