Proof of claims
Thank you for investigating further, please find attached proof of claims.
In reference to the sexual abuse disclosure, we are blanking out some of the documents in order to protect the individual.
This is not the totality of our evidence, we have conversations with members, emails and messages over the past 2 years that we cannot release due to fear of reprisal, and in some cases fear of violence from members of the board and their partners.
Claim one:
Failure to safeguard
In 2022, at an event held at Manor Green College. A vulnerable autistic person disclosed historic childhood abuse to Maria Cook, this was the first time that they had felt able to disclose and this was due to not knowing Maria but trusting her as she promised to help them.
Instead of making a MASH (Multi-agency safeguarding Hub) referral, police, or contacting the LADO, the charity instead wrote to the vulnerable person's employer. Below you can see a redacted copy of this email.
We have redacted a large portion of this document to protect the identity of the vulnerable person, but you can see that the important points (i.e that the vulnerable person was identified as needing help by the charity) and that the charity withheld this evidence. They did not raise a safeguarding concern, but the employer could not either as the charity withheld their evidence.
Claim two:
Name calling and bullying
In the aftermath of COVID Janet Flanagan, vice chair of Autism Support Crawley reached out to one of our members and insulted them calling them a 'Dulcie' an old word for Dull or Dullard.
Since our website has been live, we have had members of the charity's benefactors reach out to us with concerns and accusations of bullying. If this is how major members of the board treat people, and the words they use, it's not surprising.
Claim three:
Wages in a voluntary charity
In 2024 the charity published it's previous year's finances, these are available on the charity commission website (Click here to be redirected).
As part of their statement, they received £3,476 in donations, but £4091 was instead paid out in wages. Also to note almost £3500 was paid out for office equipment, five years after start-up?
Wages? Where their charity statement and overview says they don't employ anyone? Who's taking wages and what for? (click here for the overview, scroll down for declaration)
Screengrab from the charity overview
Screengrab from the charity annual return submitted 22 January 2024
Claim four:
Not supporting Autistic people
If you look into the declarations made in the charity commission for autism support Crawley (click here for the governing document) you'll see the following:
"THE OBJECTS OF THE CIO ARE FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT THE GOOD HEALTH AND RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES/CARERS AFFECTED BY AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER OR SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION DIFFICULTIES"
Despite this, you will see in the contact with the charity below that (despite being registered in pathfinding and adult services literature) Autism support Crawley DOES NOT support autistic people in Crawley. Instead they only support parents and carers and rely on a 'trickle down' effect for engaging support.
This is significant, as the charity's CIO is what grant funders look at, meaning they would expect (and I'm sure the public do too) that autistic people's needs come first in the charities consideration. Alas it appears not.
Screengrab from the vice chair, raising this point in 2022. The charity has not responded in supplying what they promised since.
Screengrab from Autism support Crawley's website, see how it claims to be parent and carers only?
Screengrab from Autism support Crawley's linkedin profile, see how it claims to be parent and carers only? See also they declare employees here (refer back to point 3)
We have no doubt that people have benefited from this charity, but it is important that they are held accountable
Instead of 'actively engaging' most members of this group have been blocked and banned from attending or communicating with the charity. We thank you for reading our proof of claims, and hope to engage soon.
