The Charity Commission has deployed interim managers to take over the running of a charity following a spate of critical inspection reports into facilities for autistic people it has run.

Guy Hollander and Mark Boughey of Mazers LLP have been appointed to manage Devon and Cornwall Autistic Community Trust, which is also known as Spectrum and is the subject of a statutory inquiry opened by the regulator last year.

They “will be responsible for all aspects of the charity’s governance in place of the trustees”, said the Commission.

The charity has been the subject to a raft of negative inspection reports that highlighted safeguarding concerns at its homes across the southwest.

This includes a lack of action to deal with allegations of abuse, low expectations for autistic people and homes being blighted by staff shortages.

Last year it ran 16 homes, five of which had been handed the lowest ranking of “inadequate” by health inspectorate the Care Quality Commission. At one home residents were regularly locked in their room, inspectors found.

The adult homes it ran have now been transferred to another provider, Modus Care Limited, but the charity continues to operate children’s services. This includes two residential care facilities and the Truro based Three Bridges School, which was rated as “inadequate” by education inspectorate Ofsted following a visit in November and December last year.

Inspectors found that children “are exposed to unnecessary risks because the management of safeguarding is weak”.

“Our immediate priority is to work closely with the existing trustees, staff and volunteers to stabilise the position following our appointment and facilitate the ongoing provision of services, which we recognise is critical for the beneficiaries of the Charity in both the near and longer term,” said Boughey.

“Following the transfer of adult care services last year to a new independent provider, the charity currently operates the Three Bridges School and two residential care facilities for children.”

He added: “Our wider role is to then assess the viability of the charity, alongside undertaking a detailed review of governance and the administration structure, and then make our recommendations to the Charity Commission on a way forward.

“We will be working closely with all stakeholders, including Cornwall County Council, to address any immediate questions and concerns and will be meeting with the carers and parents of the beneficiaries over the coming weeks to provide as much assurance and clarity as we can in relation to the Charity’s provision of services both in the near term and in the future.”

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