Place2Be statement: safeguarding and staff dismissal

On Monday 5 June 2023, we were informed that a staff member in Scotland was convicted of two serious sexual offences in the High Court.

In line with our protocols, we immediately put our critical incident procedures into place. We have issued the following statements. We have also informed staff.

Updated statement - 28 June 2023

On 20 June 2023, we received a written response from Police Scotland to our correspondence. In their letter, they acknowledge the legitimate public concern around the Morgan Prior case; along with the importance of maintaining public confidence in the application of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.

Police Scotland confirm that they considered the disclosure of Prior's non-conviction information on various occasions and reached their decision not to disclose the information after applying their tests to the facts and having conducted a peer review.

They confirm that there have been a number of discussions around this case and that they will conduct a wider review of the current thresholds for disclosure of non-conviction information, which will be carried out in conjunction with Disclosure Scotland. This review will also consider any learnings from the case.

We are encouraged by this commitment and have responded to say we welcome the opportunity to offer our input into this review process.

Updated statement - 14 June 2023

We have carried out a thorough review of our processes in our recruitment of Morgan Prior. We are confident that at each stage, process was followed in line with our approved safeguarding procedures. We can confirm that:

• His employment references and security checks, including the Protecting Vulnerable Groups check (PVG) conducted by Disclosure Scotland with Police Scotland, came back completely clear;
• No alerts were raised by Disclosure Scotland ahead of making him a job offer, and none were received subsequently;
• In line with all organisations, our employees are required to give truthful answers to the questions put to them at application and through the interview process; and to inform their employer if they are charged with any offence. This individual did not disclose this information to us at any point; 
• We require all staff members to commit to living by our values, one of which is ‘integrity’. These values are enshrined in our practices, policies, and culture.

We contacted Disclosure Scotland and Police Scotland to understand why Place2Be was not notified about the charges against Mr Prior. Disclosure Scotland said they could only reveal information that was shared by Police Scotland. Police Scotland have informed us that they took an active decision not to disclose this information – and that they stand by this decision.

Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland provides information to Disclosure Scotland based on proportionality, relevance, human rights and potential risks to other vulnerable groups.”

We have requested written confirmation of this decision from Police Scotland.

We accept that the right to a fair trial includes the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, we are concerned by the implications of Police Scotland choosing not to disclose the information in this case. All organisations working with children and vulnerable people will want assurance from Disclosure Scotland and Police Scotland that the PVG system is robust and fit for purpose.

We are keen to work with Police Scotland and Disclosure Scotland to identify how the likelihood of something similar can be minimised in the future. We have written to the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to offer this assistance.

Initial statement - 7 June 2023

Safeguarding remains our top priority, and we take this matter very seriously. We are in contact with our school partners to ensure our continued support for the school community.

We can confirm that Morgan Prior was dismissed on Monday 5 June 2023, which was the same day we were made aware of the charges and conviction. We can also confirm that no safeguarding concerns were identified or raised internally or by external sources when carrying out security checks (including DBS/PVG) prior to his appointment in April 2021 or subsequently.

In line with all organisations, our employees are required to give truthful answers to the questions put to them at interview and application stage; and to inform their employer if they are charged with any offence. This individual did not disclose this information.

We have notified the Charity Commission, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) of this incident.

Read our Safeguarding policy