October 31 – An independent review of one of English football’s most respected anti-discrimination organisations, Kick It Out, has found a series of governance shortcomings including “failures of communication” concerning how it handled an allegation of sexual assault made by a member of staff in 2017.
The matter was only brought to Britain’s Charity Commission’s attention by a Kick It Out trustee in October 2018 and in a statement the Commission said: “Many staff felt they were not managed well by the senior management team, with some feeling overworked and inadequately supported.”
“We recognise the role this charity has in tackling racism and all forms of discrimination in football. Just as in football, everyone involved in charities has the right to feel safe.
“The trustees of Kick It Out should have made protecting those who came into contact with their charity from harm a governance priority. The charity did not fully deliver on this expectation, largely due to failures in communication within the charity.
“The trustees are being held to account and they continue to make the significant changes at their charity that we know are already under way. We are sure the charity will learn from this experience.”
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