Guy Hollander of Mazars has been named as the interim manager, a temporary appointment that will be reviewed at regular intervals until the Commission carries out its investigation and orders its variation or discharge.

Hope House School Limited (registered charity number 1121132), stated as its object ‘to advance the education of children between the ages of 5 and 19 years old who suffer from neurological and psychological conditions such as, but not limited to, Opitz syndrome, autistic spectrum disorders, Asperger’s syndrome and dyspraxia'.

Regulatory concerns were raised about the governance of the charity, in particular the adequacy of the charity’s financial controls. Transactions between connected parties and possible unauthorised trustee benefit were also flagged up.

The Commission opened a statutory inquiry on 9 October 2017 into the charity following an anonymous complaint and restricted the transactions of the charity to those that continue the charity’s objectives.

The Commission stressed that it is the interim manager’s intention that the charity will continue to provide services to the school’s pupils following the commencement of the Autumn term on the 6 September 2018.

According to Harvey Grenville, head of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission: ‘We were not satisfied that the current governance and administration arrangements were adequately meeting the needs of this charity. This appointment is an important protective measure for the charity and those it was set up to help.

‘Part of the interim manager’s duties will be to establish the viability of the charity and determine the most appropriate option regarding its future. He is tasked with ensuring that the charity continues its service provision while he completes his appointment.’

Once the Commission has concluded an inquiry it intends to publish a report detailing the issues the inquiry looked at and any actions that were undertaken as a result.

Report by James Bunney