The UK Charity Commission undertook an inquiry into Oxfam when whistleblowers raised their concerns that Oxfam was not taking the safeguarding concerns of the sexual exploitation of women (and possibly children) by the Country Director of Haiti and other senior management seriously.
In a foreword to the report, the Chair of the Charity Commission said that no charity is more important than the mission it pursues or the people it serves. The case of Oxfam has not only implications for one, large charity but for the wider sector to learn from and be held to account.
The report heavily criticises the Board and senior management of Oxfam as it missed opportunities to address issues raised by its own safeguarding staff and exposed the charity to undue risk.
For example:
Are any of these points from the Oxfam report applicable to your own organisation? How can these challenges be overcome? |