North Wales Assembly Member and Shadow Secretary for Communities Mark Isherwood AM has called on the Welsh Government to take action following claims from former workers at Mind Cymru of systemic bullying.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter in the Assembly Chamber yesterday with the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services Alun Davies AM.
He also called on the Welsh Government to ensure that money raised in Wales to support local charities actually stays in Wales.
Speaking in the Chamber he said;
“It's essential that the Welsh Government should be supporting voluntary sector providers delivering key front-line early intervention and prevention services, which I know you agree support thousands of lives and save millions for statutory services. But, equally, it's essential that, when the Welsh Government provide funding support, due diligence is in place regarding financial and HR controls.
“Given your responsibility for the voluntary sector in Wales, and the fact that Mind Cymru received almost £1.6 million of Welsh Government funding over the last three years, what action have you taken since BBC Wales published last month claims from former workers at Mind Cymru of bullying, systemic bullying, often involving staff being isolated and undermined - a vicious circle of a drop in confidence having detrimental effects on performance, leading to further criticism; subtle bullying - it felt as if an employer was playing mind games; being made to feel isolated and worthless after reporting feeling stressed to an employer; and many more people from local Mind offices contacting BBC Wales since, reporting and echoing concerns about the culture that they claim was damaging and unsupportive?”
The Cabinet Secretary replied said that the issues are “a matter for Mind Cymru to resolve, rather than for this Government”.
Mr Isherwood added:
“I fully appreciate that, but you'll be as aware as I am, from your time in this Assembly, of the number of ocassions when Welsh Government has supported third sector bodies financially that have suffered similar allegations, and ultimately the Welsh Government has been held to account for its failure to intervene.
“Given the financial commitment that the Welsh Government is making, I hope you will confirm that you should at least be making some enquiries not only from the charity but from the alleged victims to establish what is actually happening with your money. Because I'm told that one of the triggers for the alleged bullying is when staff at Mind Cymru or local Mind offices across Wales talk publicly or talk to the likes of us about where the funding raised for Mind in Wales actually ends up.
“I'm told that of the £41.3 million going to national –that's UK - Mind to March 2017, only £1.2 million was directly spent on the network of 130 local Minds across England and Wales, delivering projects at the coalface in their communities, and that, having obtained moneys from grant providers like the Welsh Government and others in direct competition with local Minds, they're then top-slicing management fees, creating posts for people in offices and then only offering work to a handful of local Minds for not very much money when the local Minds that provide services are struggling for funding.
“As I emphasise, and they've asked me to emphasise, Mind Cymru is an office of UK Mind, and the money that's being raised in Wales from organisations like the Welsh Government - nearly £1.6 million over three years - is being used to compete with local Mind projects, such as peer support groups, putting the whole network at risk.
“What action, given that you're responsible for the voluntary sector in Wales, do you take to ensure that moneys raised in Wales to support local charities actually stay in Wales for spending by those local charities?
In his reply the Cabinet Secretary stated “The way that Mind organises its business is a matter for that organisation, not a matter for this Government”.