The Charity Commission has said a charity, which supports disadvantaged communities, made “a serious error” by employing a convicted murderer to work with children.

Its probe found that Rashid Zaman, aged 44 from Bradford, West Yorkshire, was allowed to volunteer for St Giles Trust in 2021 and was later an employee for the charity working with children in schools.

This was despite him serving 15 years in prison for killing a man who tried to stop him and two others from stealing a care in 2001 and being on the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)’s barred list.

The charity said that Zaman was not on the initial DBS check completed in 2021 but he was included when re-applying in 2023.

However due to “an operational failure in the charity” no action was taken to stop him working with children until December 2024, when an HR officer at St Giles Trust identified the change in the DBS check and reported it to senior managers.

The charity then reported the matter as a serious incident to the Commission and carried out its own investigation.

The failures at the charity around Zaman’s employment amounts to “mismanagement” and the regulator says it is “critical of the trustees for allowing this to happen”.

But the trustees have avoided further regulatory action, says the regulator “due to the way they responded to the matter”.

The Commission adds that “if there are further safeguarding failings in the future, this will be a matter of significant concern”.

It also warns all trustees they need to be “fully aware” of their responsibilities in relation to DBS checks “and the importance of maintaining sufficient oversight”.

“This was a serious error which should never have been allowed to happen. However, this case demonstrates that if problems do arise, the way trustees respond makes all the difference,” said the Commission’s head of regulatory compliance casework Chris Sladen.

“This is a reminder that effective safeguarding is never complete. All trustees should be routinely checking their policies and procedures are fit for purpose and are being applied properly to protect people who come into contact with the charity from harm.”

Improvements to training and policies

A St Giles Trust spokeswoman confirmed that the regulator will not be taking statutory action against the charity and the case is now closed.

"We have welcomed the advice and guidance provided by the Commission and have taken the opportunity to go above and beyond that guidance; improving our systems, policies and training in relation to safeguarding, she said.

"We are incredibly grateful to our supporters and staff for their continued commitment during this time; this support has been vital to protect the people who rely on our work.

"We are confident that we are now in an even stronger position to deliver the very best service for our clients."

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