The failures at Kids Company resulted from a unique set of circumstances that are unlikely to be repeated. However, there are important lessons to draw from the Charity Commission report that are relevant to all charities, and which are included in the Charity Governance Code. It’s vital that charities ensure their governance processes are robust and fully transparent– including establishing terms of office and trustee rotation, balancing innovation and risk, regularly assessing the skills and experience of board members, maintaining firm financial oversight (including setting an agreed reserves policy), and addressing any power imbalances between the exec and non-exec teams.
ACEVO members can access advice on all aspects of charity governance through our governance advice line and other resources.
