Poor governance at Mermaids amounted to mismanagement, inquiry reveals Published 24 August 2023 Department of Health and Social Care
The Charity Commission has today published the findings of its statutory inquiry into the governance and financial management of Mermaids, a charity supporting transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children and young people.
The inquiry was opened in October 2022 following concerns about the performance of the charity’s trustees, particularly in relation to safeguarding.
The inquiry found that the charity’s safeguarding policies and procedures were not fit for purpose and that trustees had failed to take reasonable steps to protect children from abuse.
The inquiry also found that the charity’s financial management was inadequate and that trustees had not acted in accordance with their legal duties.
The Charity Commission has made a number of recommendations to the charity, including:
- appointing an independent chair and trustee with relevant safeguarding experience
- reviewing and revising its safeguarding policies and procedures
- improving its financial management
- providing training for trustees on their legal duties
The Charity Commission will continue to monitor the charity’s progress and will take further action if necessary.
[Image of Mermaids logo]
Notes to editors
- Mermaids is a registered charity that supports transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse children and young people.
- The Charity Commission is an independent regulator of charities in England and Wales.
- The Commission can open a statutory inquiry into a charity if it has concerns about its performance, finances or governance.
- The Commission has the power to make recommendations to charities and can take further action if necessary, including removing trustees or suspending the charity’s registration.
Media enquiries
Media enquiries should be directed to the Charity Commission media team via media@charitycommission.gov.uk or 0300 063 0879.
Poor governance at Mermaids amounted to mismanagement, inquiry reveals
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