The number of reports of serious incidents relating to safeguarding soared between 20 February and 30 September 2018, reaching 2,114, compared to 1,580 serious incident reports about safeguarding received in the whole of 2017-18, and 1,203 received in 2016-17.

Analysis of the reports made between February and May 2018 found that the largest number of safeguarding reports were made from charities in the overseas aid/famine relief sector (29%), followed by those active in the disability (12%), religious activities (12%), education /training (12%) and younger people (11%) sectors.

The majority of reports related to incidents of or concerns about potential harm to individuals, including but not limited to sexual abuse or harassment.

In cases where an individual was identified as having allegedly been harmed, 47.5% related to a child, and 32% related to an adult (in the remainder the age of the individual could not be identified).

The Commission’s report found that, despite recent increases in serious incident reporting, there is significant and systemic underreporting of incidents by charities working at home and abroad. It also found that reports of serious safeguarding incidents were not always made sufficiently quickly.

Only 1.5% of registered charities have submitted any kind of serious incident report since 2014, and only 0.9% of charities have reported a safeguarding incident since 2014.

The regulator says it is concerned in particular that there may be certain groups of charities in which under-reporting is especially prevalent, and it is planning further work in this area.

However, analysis of over 5,500 historic records relating to safeguarding concerns dating back to 2014 did not reveal issues giving rise to serious or urgent concerns about either the Commission’s handling at the time, or a charity’s response.

The taskforce identified only one case in which it was not clear, from the records, whether a potentially criminal matter had been reported to the police and subsequently was able to ensure that it had been.

Sarah Atkinson, director of policy, planning and communications at the Charity Commission, said: ‘Making a serious incident report to the Commission is not in itself an admission of wrongdoing or failure. Quite the reverse: it demonstrates that a charity is responding properly to incident or concern.

‘So we welcome the increase in reporting by some charities, especially international aid charities that appear to have improved their reporting since February’s revelations.

‘But we are not convinced that we are seeing everything we should be. Working with charities, we need to bring about a culture change on reporting to ensure charities are safe places, better able to make a difference to people’s lives.’

The Commission has already updated its guidance for trustees relating to reporting serious incidents clarifying a number of areas where charities have indicated that it was not clear enough. For example, the Commission has provided additional guidance on when and how to report potential criminal offences that may have taken place abroad.

It is now taking a number of further steps. These include developing a new digital tool for reporting serious incidents to help make it easier for charities to provide the information the Commission needs at the outset. It is also creating checklists to sit alongside its existing guidance to help better inform trustees about the key information required in any serious incident report. These will be available in the next few weeks.

As part of its response to the safeguarding revelations, the Commission also committed to reviewing its approach to whistleblowing reports from individuals currently involved in a charity as a staff member or volunteers.

The Commission has now published updated guidance that helps people better understand when, and how, they can report possible wrongdoing to the regulator. It plans to pilot a dedicated helpline service for whistleblowers starting later this year.

Final report of Charity Commission safeguarding taskforce is here

Report by Pat Sweet