About Safe Haven – A Ray of Hope

Trustee Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedures

 

  1. Introduction

Trustees of Safe Haven – A Ray of Hope have a legal duty to act in the best interests of the charity. Conflicts of interest whether actual, potential, or perceived—must be properly identified, declared, and managed to uphold public trust and comply with charity law.

 

  1. Purpose of the Policy
  • To protect the integrity and reputation of the charity.
  • To ensure transparency in decision-making.
  • To support trustees in fulfilling their legal and ethical obligations.
  • To comply with Charity Commission guidance (CC29: Conflicts of Interest –A Guide for Charity Trustees).

 

  1. What is a Conflict of Interest?

A conflict of interest arises when a trustee’s personal interests or loyalties could, or could appear to, influence the decisions they make on behalf of the charity.

Types include:

  • Financial interests (e.g. trustee or their family stands to gain financially).
  • Loyalty conflicts (e.g. trustee has a duty to another organisation or person).
  • Indirect interests (e.g. close friend or relative benefits).

 

  1. Responsibilities of Trustees

All trustees must:

  • Avoid situations where personal interests conflict with their duties.
  • Declare any interests as soon as they arise.
  • Withdraw from discussions and decisions where a conflict exists.
  • Complete an annual declaration of interests form.
  • Update the register of interests as required.

 

  1. Register of Interests
  • The charity will maintain a Register of Interests for all trustees.
  • Trustees must declare relevant roles, relationships, or financial interests.
  • The register will be reviewed annually and made available for inspection if required.

 

  1. Procedure for Declaring and Managing Conflicts

Step 1: Declaration

  • At the start of every trustee meeting, trustees will be asked to declare any actual or potential conflicts of interest.

Step 2: Recording

  • Any declared conflict must be recorded in the minutes and the Register of Interests.

Step 3: Management

Depending on the nature of the conflict:

  • The conflicted trustee must leave the meeting while the item is discussed and decided.
  • They must not vote or be counted in the quorum for that item.
  • If a conflict is ongoing, the Board may ask the trustee to step back from related roles or discussions permanently.
  1. Serious Conflicts

Where a serious or irreconcilable conflict exists, the Board may:

  • Seek independent legal advice.
  • Consider removal of the trustee (in line with governing document and Charity Commission guidance).
  • Report the conflict as a serious incident to the Charity Commission if it poses a risk to the charity’s reputation or assets.

 

  1. Breaches of Policy

Failure to declare a conflict or comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action and could constitute misconduct under charity law.

  1. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or earlier if changes in law, regulation, or best practice require it.

 


Approved by:

Blessing Olalemi: May 30th

Kerry- Ann Batten: May 29

John Olalemi: May 30th

 

Last reviewed: May 30th 2025 | Next review: June 2026