Background to the Independent Investigation
On December 20th 2022 the UCCF Trust Board received a letter from a firm of solicitors representing individuals alleging multiple breaches of employment law by the charity, and misconduct on the part of some employees. These individuals required anonymity as a condition of participating in any investigation into the concerns they raised, which the UCCF Trustees have sought to honour throughout.
The Trustees took these allegations very seriously, commissioned an independent investigation into all the allegations made, and suspended two senior employees as a neutral act to ensure the complete integrity and transparency of the investigation.
This investigation was undertaken by Hilary Winstone of Old Square Chambers. She is an experienced barrister with expertise in employment law, who had no personal connection with UCCF, its employees or Trustees. She was given freedom to undertake the investigation in whatever way she deemed necessary to address the allegations raised, including an examination of the legality of UCCF’s employment practices.
The Trust Board received the investigator’s report at the beginning of June 2023. For reasons outside the control of the Trustees, this extensive investigation took much longer to complete than had been planned or expected. Over fifty individuals contributed, with both positive and negative personal experiences from their time at UCCF. All of the witnesses who participated were offered strict anonymity by the Investigator, which UCCF is committed to honouring.
The Findings of the Investigation
The investigator carefully considered all the allegations made by the complainants, together with other issues raised by participating witnesses. Many of the allegations made in the complainants’ initial letter were not upheld. A number of allegations made about the employment practices and contract procedures in relation to Christian Union Staff Workers (CUSWs) were upheld.
It has been the consistent practice over several decades for CUSWs to leave their employment after three years, with some staying on for four or five years. The investigation found a small number of instances where the termination of CUSWs’ contracts had been badly handled and conducted in ways that caused them considerable upset and were potentially unlawful.
The investigator also found that some staff had in the past felt unable to speak out about their concerns.
The investigator considered claims that UCCF and its staff had discriminated against women in its employment and ministry practices. She did not uphold these allegations. She also found significant improvement in recent years in supporting female staff through pregnancy and maternity leave.
UCCF Apology
UCCF has acted on all the findings of the investigator. The Trustees and Directors apologise unreservedly to those employees whose experiences fell short of what they were entitled to expect from UCCF, and for the hurt caused. We recognise that, as Christians, we need to honour our calling to work at the highest standard.
We are committed to ensuring that our policies and practices are lawful, fairly applied to all staff, and to fostering a Christ-like culture in which staff are not only valued but know they are valued, and where they can have the confidence to openly share any concerns they may have.
UCCF Action
The Trust Board was made aware of concerns about the employment practices of UCCF in March 2021. Since then, we have been working, together with senior staff and external professional support, to ensure that all our staff contracts and HR processes are fair and legally compliant. Reviewing the current practices of the charity, the investigator recognised positively that UCCF’s culture and the methodology of its employment practices has changed considerably.
The investigator made four specific recommendations. UCCF is committed to implementing these in full. They are:
- Appointing a Human Resources Director
- Continued effort to develop employment practices that are transparent, and which contribute to staff development and wellbeing
- Strengthened management training for Team Leaders
- Training staff at every level to pursue best practice in issues relating to equality
In the light of the investigation, the Trust Board will also be undertaking a review of our governance structures. We want to attain best practice as an employer, so that every employee’s experience matches the high standards we have set ourselves.
Following the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent internal processes, and in line with their findings, the suspensions of the two members of staff have now been lifted and it is expected they will make a phased return to active duties as soon as possible.
As we seek to begin this new season from the right foundation and united, there is a renewed, shared commitment between UCCF senior staff and the Trust Board to work cooperatively and within a model of governance best practice. We are committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure that issues identified by the investigation and internal processes are comprehensively addressed and past shortcomings are not repeated.
UCCF Thanks
UCCF is grateful to everyone who has participated in this investigation, and in particular to the individuals who raised their concerns. We recognise that this process has been stressful and demanding for many.
We are also thankful to those UCCF staff who have served as interim leaders of the Fellowship whilst this investigation has been undertaken, and to the wider staff team who have remained deeply committed to making Christ known amongst students. We praise God for the way in which our ministry on campuses around the country has continued and borne much fruit.
Confidentiality
We have not asked anyone involved in this process to sign up to any non-disclosure agreement. But, on the part of UCCF, the commitments we have made to those involved, as well as our common law obligations regarding privacy and confidentiality, means that it would not be appropriate for us to give any further details beyond this statement.
Chris Willmott (Chair), Simon Day (Vice-Chair), Jenny Brown, Ray Brown, James MacKenzie, Jai Padam
UCCF Trust Board
4 October 2023
Addendum: 10 October 2023
It is with great regret that we announce the resignation of Chris Willmott, chair of Trustees. Chris has given sacrificially of his time and energy in recent months to deal with a very complex situation, and we are grateful to him for his tireless leadership. We are conscious that this brings the total number of recent trustee resignations to six. Those who have resigned have done so for a wide range of reasons, including some entirely unconnected with the recent statement, others directly related, and still others only indirectly related. None of the trustees who have resigned are in any way implicated in wrongdoing.
None of the trustees, whether past or present, reject the report and recommendations of the independent investigator. We who remain are committed to implementing those recommendations, as well as reviewing UCCF’s governance structures, to ensure that UCCF is in the best possible shape to support our ongoing ministry among students. The Trust Board is quorate and functioning, and that we are now actively seeking new trustees to strengthen the Board at the earliest opportunity.
Simon Day (Acting Chair) on behalf of the Trust Board
