Bristol homeless hostel trustees failed to report deaths

Trustees of a homeless charity failed to report two deaths and misplaced records, an investigation has found.

The Charity Commission began investigating Bristol Sheltered Accommodation and Support (BSAS), which previously ran Wick House, in 2015.

It said the "misconduct and mismanagement" also included unauthorised payments of almost £50,000 being made to two trustees.

BSAS no longer operates Wick House and has a new trustee board.

George Mahoney died at the shelter from alcohol misuse in 2016 - he is one of the deaths the report found had not been reported by trustees who no longer work for the charity.

The 32-year-old's father, Keith, said the investigation vindicated anyone who believed those in charge at the time "were not fit to look after the most vulnerable people in Bristol".

He also described support for his son as "non-existent".

"It seems to be something that's happening quite regularly - it's not just happening in Bristol," he added.

"My hope would be that some government agency is appointed to grasp the nettle and deal with this sector so that it's not unregulated and allowing rogue operators to make lots of money out of local authorities."

The Charity Commission's report concluded the trustees, except for those appointed after March 2019, had "failed to comply with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity and this amounted to serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity".

It also said there had been "significant failings" in its financial controls.

"It's clear from our investigation that this charity was mismanaged over a long period of time, and that its trustees repeatedly disregarded regulatory advice and were receiving unauthorised payments," said Amy Spiller, head of investigations at the commission.

She added residents of Wick House and their families had been "let down".

Director of policy Sarah Atkinson said the commission was concerned a "lack of agreed standards" and "regulatory oversight" meant it could not "confidently hold a charity offering this type of accommodation to account".

"We are determined to ensure the lessons are learnt from Wick House and other similar settings," she added.

Avon and Somerset Police said seven deaths had occurred at Wick House since 2013.

An inquest into the death of one of the residents in November 2018 heard it did not find the charity responsible.

The commission said the new trustee board had "positively engaged" with the inquiry.

BSAS said the investigation had "prompted major changes and improvements in the running of the charity".

It added: "We are thankful to the commission for their recommendations and that they have allowed the charity to continue doing the work of housing homeless people with support needs.

"We take note of their summary of events and will make certain that the inadequacies that have been highlighted have been carefully addressed both now and in the future."