This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2015/oct/15/kids-company-face-grilling-by-mps-live
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Kids Company hearing : Batmanghelidjh accused of 'verbal ectoplasm' – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 11.18am BST11:18 | |
| Paul Flynn MP turns up the heat. He asks: | |
| Are you seriously saying to us, Mr Yentob, that you as chairman and the other trustees have no responsibility for the failure of this charity? | |
| Flynn, a former investor, is questioning Yentob about Kids Company’s financial stability by comparing its model to the kinds of start up companies he used to fund. Yentob rejects the comparison. | |
| 11.12am BST11:12 | |
| Batmanghelidjh repeats her claim, first made this summer, that the government has contributed to Kids Company’s downfall by leaking confidential documents to the press. | |
| There has been an enormous amount of leaking from government offices into the media and right now the staff don’t feel secure because confidential papers from the Cabinet Office have been leaked. | |
| 11.10am BST11:10 | |
| Oliver Dowden asks if Batmanghelidjh’s role as both carer and manager led to difficulties. She insists that it did not and that she had teams in both areas to support her. Lack of funding was the problem, she says. | |
| 11.03am BST11:03 | |
| Batmanghelidjh insists she’s only been to dinner once with Yentob and the other trustees, as MPs try to probe what happened behind the scenes at Kids Company. | |
| 10.59am BST10:59 | |
| #KidsCompany is trending on Twitter. Here is a taster of the things that people are saying about the select committee hearing. | |
| Did Camila just suggest that social services have mislead the select committee? #kidscompany | |
| #kidscompany MP's investigating possible corruption. Does it get any more ironic? | |
| #kidscompany How were so many intelligent people taken in by a person who describes herself as having "very severe learning difficulties" | |
| It's some success of #kidscompany reps to annoy every member of the Public Administration committee | |
| 10.56am BST10:56 | |
| Batmanghelidjh calls for an audit of social services’ treatment of the cases handed over by Kids Company. | |
| I can only go by the evidence of my own caseload and I would say in the spirit of fairness there should be a proper, comprehensive and independent-of-government audit of what social services did with those cases that were handed over. | |
| “Why don’t you hand over your files,” one MP interrupted as she made her statement. | |
| 10.53am BST10:53 | |
| What stopped your staff handing out money “willy nilly”, Oliver Dowden asks after pointing out that social services had assessed that money was being spent on clients that simply didn’t need it. Batmanghelidjh responds: | |
| That money is attached to individual children and young people with needs. The department of education actually worked very closely with us to determine who those young people were and they audited us against those young people’s outcomes ... | |
| These are allegations that are being thrown against Kids Company without foundation. | |
| 10.42am BST10:42 | 10.42am BST10:42 |
| Buzzfeed writer Alan White picked up on this comment by Paul Flynn. | Buzzfeed writer Alan White picked up on this comment by Paul Flynn. |
| Camila Batmanghelidjh just got accused of providing a "torrent of verbal ectoplasm" by an MP. | Camila Batmanghelidjh just got accused of providing a "torrent of verbal ectoplasm" by an MP. |
| 10.40am BST10:40 | 10.40am BST10:40 |
| Further explaining the significant disparity between the number of clients Kids Company had on its books and the numbers handed over, Batmanghelidjh tells MPs: | Further explaining the significant disparity between the number of clients Kids Company had on its books and the numbers handed over, Batmanghelidjh tells MPs: |
| When the authorities wanted us to hand cases over they had a telephone meeting with us where they actually described the kinds of cases that they wanted to take ... They didn’t want any people with no status unless there was a child protection issue and consequently that narrowed down our referrals. | When the authorities wanted us to hand cases over they had a telephone meeting with us where they actually described the kinds of cases that they wanted to take ... They didn’t want any people with no status unless there was a child protection issue and consequently that narrowed down our referrals. |
| They were also prepared to look at people with extreme mental health difficulties and that’s what we did, we narrowed down the client group to what they were prepared to take and that’s what we handed over. | They were also prepared to look at people with extreme mental health difficulties and that’s what we did, we narrowed down the client group to what they were prepared to take and that’s what we handed over. |
| However, Kate Hoey subsequently read out a letter from Southwark council disputing this claim that they only wanted the records of certain clients. | However, Kate Hoey subsequently read out a letter from Southwark council disputing this claim that they only wanted the records of certain clients. |
| 10.34am BST10:34 | 10.34am BST10:34 |
| Our connection to the live feed has dropped out. While we wait for it to come back here is some background on the collapse of Kids Company and the revelations about its operation since then (from PA): | Our connection to the live feed has dropped out. While we wait for it to come back here is some background on the collapse of Kids Company and the revelations about its operation since then (from PA): |
| Batmangheldijh and Yentob’s appearance comes a day after an investigation by BBC’s Newsnight and BuzzFeed News uncovered documents raising concerns about the charity’s management dating back to 2002. | Batmangheldijh and Yentob’s appearance comes a day after an investigation by BBC’s Newsnight and BuzzFeed News uncovered documents raising concerns about the charity’s management dating back to 2002. |
| They found issues were being raised with trustees and regulators over several years, with two charities that worked with Kids Company expressing reservations about the way it was managed. | They found issues were being raised with trustees and regulators over several years, with two charities that worked with Kids Company expressing reservations about the way it was managed. |
| The documents show Kids Company gave a series of excuses for not supplying the Pilgrim Trust with information, ranging from a “specific learning disability” which prevented Ms Batmanghelidjh from using a computer keyboard, to a bank manager responsible for reproducing withdrawal slips being off sick after “falling off a roof”. | The documents show Kids Company gave a series of excuses for not supplying the Pilgrim Trust with information, ranging from a “specific learning disability” which prevented Ms Batmanghelidjh from using a computer keyboard, to a bank manager responsible for reproducing withdrawal slips being off sick after “falling off a roof”. |
| The PA report adds: | The PA report adds: |
| Whitehall’s spending watchdog has launched an investigation into Government grants to Kids Company. | Whitehall’s spending watchdog has launched an investigation into Government grants to Kids Company. |
| The National Audit Office (NAO) inquiry is examining a 3 million taxpayer-funded grant handed by ministers to Kids Company earlier this year against the advice of a senior civil servant, as well as a further 4 million grant made shortly before the charity was shut down in August. | The National Audit Office (NAO) inquiry is examining a 3 million taxpayer-funded grant handed by ministers to Kids Company earlier this year against the advice of a senior civil servant, as well as a further 4 million grant made shortly before the charity was shut down in August. |
| Kids Company is also the subject of a statutory investigation by the Charity Commission and an inquiry by the Constitutional Affairs Committee. | Kids Company is also the subject of a statutory investigation by the Charity Commission and an inquiry by the Constitutional Affairs Committee. |
| Mr Yentob, who is also the BBC’s creative director, has previously insisted he has not influenced the corporation’s coverage of the charity’s troubles, and in August denied there was a conflict of interest after he called Newsnight about another report it did on the charity. | Mr Yentob, who is also the BBC’s creative director, has previously insisted he has not influenced the corporation’s coverage of the charity’s troubles, and in August denied there was a conflict of interest after he called Newsnight about another report it did on the charity. |
| 10.28am BST10:28 | 10.28am BST10:28 |
| If you want to watch the hearing of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for yourself it is being broadcast on the parliamentlive.tv website. | If you want to watch the hearing of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for yourself it is being broadcast on the parliamentlive.tv website. |
| Here is a link. | Here is a link. |
| 10.27am BST10:27 | 10.27am BST10:27 |
| “Some people were getting £160 a week, isn’t that an inducement for people to identify themselves as in need of your services?” asks Flynn. | “Some people were getting £160 a week, isn’t that an inducement for people to identify themselves as in need of your services?” asks Flynn. |
| 10.25am BST10:25 | 10.25am BST10:25 |
| Paul Flynn is questioning Batmanghelidjh as to why the numbers of clients handed over to local authorities were so much lower than the number Kids Company claimed to have on their books. The charity’s records claimed to have 36,000 clients, but only 1,069 were handed over, he said. | Paul Flynn is questioning Batmanghelidjh as to why the numbers of clients handed over to local authorities were so much lower than the number Kids Company claimed to have on their books. The charity’s records claimed to have 36,000 clients, but only 1,069 were handed over, he said. |
| 10.06am BST10:06 | 10.06am BST10:06 |
| Batmanghelidjh is facing searching questions about the way that way that Kids Company handed money to clients. She said: | Batmanghelidjh is facing searching questions about the way that way that Kids Company handed money to clients. She said: |
| When legislation changed and people without status [ie asylum seekers] were not able to claim benefits that means the mothers and their children were starving. | When legislation changed and people without status [ie asylum seekers] were not able to claim benefits that means the mothers and their children were starving. |
| She insists that money was only handed to children and their families after a rigorous oversight process involving a number of mental health professionals. MPs are suggesting that after the money was handed over, Kids Company lost control of what it was spent on. | She insists that money was only handed to children and their families after a rigorous oversight process involving a number of mental health professionals. MPs are suggesting that after the money was handed over, Kids Company lost control of what it was spent on. |
| 10.00am BST10:00 | 10.00am BST10:00 |
| “There are large numbers of young children who are being abysmally failed by their government because they are not being protected and they are not being cared for appropriately,” Batmanghelidjh says. | “There are large numbers of young children who are being abysmally failed by their government because they are not being protected and they are not being cared for appropriately,” Batmanghelidjh says. |
| She is answering questions about the money spent on children, and how it was spent - a central criticism of the way that Kids Company operated. | She is answering questions about the money spent on children, and how it was spent - a central criticism of the way that Kids Company operated. |
| 9.55am BST09:55 | 9.55am BST09:55 |
| “I don’t think all of these organisations would have collaborated with kids company if it was all fraudulent,” says Yentob, defending the charity against suggestions from MPs that it somehow influenced the evaluations made of it. | “I don’t think all of these organisations would have collaborated with kids company if it was all fraudulent,” says Yentob, defending the charity against suggestions from MPs that it somehow influenced the evaluations made of it. |
| 9.53am BST09:53 | 9.53am BST09:53 |
| Yentob tells MPs that he doesn’t know how many organisations that have had so many evaluations as Kids Company, reeling off a list of eminent organisations that have probed the charity’s practices. | Yentob tells MPs that he doesn’t know how many organisations that have had so many evaluations as Kids Company, reeling off a list of eminent organisations that have probed the charity’s practices. |
| 9.51am BST09:51 | 9.51am BST09:51 |
| Batmanghelidjh is talking about how how the charity worked and the challenges it faced. | Batmanghelidjh is talking about how how the charity worked and the challenges it faced. |
| We were getting young people who were literally so mentally ill they were hearing voices ... | We were getting young people who were literally so mentally ill they were hearing voices ... |
| This is a result of chronic substance abuse since they were young children. | This is a result of chronic substance abuse since they were young children. |
| 9.47am BST09:47 | 9.47am BST09:47 |
| Two months after the collapse of Kids Company, the founder of the charity will be quizzed by MPs about how it was run. | Two months after the collapse of Kids Company, the founder of the charity will be quizzed by MPs about how it was run. |
| Camila Batmanghelidjh and the charity’s chairman of trustees, Alan Yentob, will face the Commons Public Administration Committee where they are expected to be questioned about how taxpayers’ money was used. | Camila Batmanghelidjh and the charity’s chairman of trustees, Alan Yentob, will face the Commons Public Administration Committee where they are expected to be questioned about how taxpayers’ money was used. |
| Their appearance comes a day after an investigation by BBC’s Newsnight and BuzzFeed News uncovered documents raising concerns about the charity’s management dating back to 2002. | Their appearance comes a day after an investigation by BBC’s Newsnight and BuzzFeed News uncovered documents raising concerns about the charity’s management dating back to 2002. |
| We will be liveblogging the action as it happens. | We will be liveblogging the action as it happens. |