Kibble Education and Care Centre is currently the subject of a near three-year probe by the Scottish charity regulator. by Edel Kenealy Daily Record / PDE 14th Jan. One of Scotland’s biggest charities has been given an undisclosed sum in Scottish Government funding despite being investigated over financial decisions. Kibble Education and Care Centre is currently the subject of a near three-year probe by the Scottish charity regulator. OSCR opened an inquiry into the Paisley-based charity after a previous application for Scottish Government funding was found to contain substantive inaccuracies. It has since been extended to include an examination of financial decision-making after Kibble confirmed it was paying the legal fees of two employees who had launched a private defamation case against former St Mirren FC director Alan Wardrop. The case failed in June last year and the pursuers, Kibble directors Jim Gillespie and Mark MacMillan, were ordered to pay 80 per cent of Mr Wardrop’s legal fees. Kibble, which was never named as a claimant in the court papers, again agreed to pay these costs. It means the charity, which provides residential care for vulnerable children, is liable for an estimated £400,000. The OSCR probe into the charity remains live. A spokesperson told the Express: “We are continuing to make inquiries into Kibble Education and Care Centre. This process remains ongoing, and in line with our standard policies, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time.” It has emerged the Scottish Government has committed to providing funds for the 12-bed expansion at Kibble’s Goudie Street campus before the investigation is concluded. The move has outraged Paisley councillor Kenny MacLaren. The SNP representative for Paisley Northwest said: “The Scottish Government definitely should not be handing any money over, or agreeing to fund anything, until this OSCR investigation has concluded. I have a number of concerns about Kibble, not least the recent decision to use charitable funds to pay for a private defamation case. “I have raised this with the CEO of Renfrewshire Council and my fears that councils are paying for services [for young people] and that money is being used for these legal fees. I am the chair of a charity, Shopmobility Renfrewshire, and there is no way I would sign off on something like that and can’t understand why they would either.” Kibble is currently seeking planning permission to build three connected units within its current campus. Each unit comprises of four secure bedrooms, staff facilities, a living and dining room, a separate secure kitchen, an accessible bathroom, breakout spaces, a visitor room and secure external courtyard. If approved, the development would see the number of children in secure accommodation on the site increase from 18 to 30. The Scottish Government failed to answer any questions about its funding of the project; the previously failed funding application which contained a number of false claims and dubbed “concerning” by Lord Clarke in the defamation case; and the £400,000 of charitable funds Kibble spent on that matter. Failing to explain why Kibble is a suitable candidate for Scottish Government funding, a spokesperson said: “OSCR has confirmed it has an ongoing inquiry into Kibble and therefore it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.” A spokesperson for Kibble said it was “excited” to be expanding its secure estate, and welcomed its “partnership with the Scottish Government and other stakeholders”. Pointing to a recent positive inspection of its Safe Centre, the spokesperson said: “This track record of excellence and specialised, individual care is central to our future plans for provision of much-needed modern facilities for some of the country’s most vulnerable young people. “The court action Cllr MacLaren refers to arose after a series of untrue claims were made against two senior Kibble employees. Action had to be taken to correct the record and bring an end to the damage caused to the organisation as well as its people. The court agreed that the claims were false and defamatory.” Judge Lord Clark, however, dismissed the claim and stated Mr Wardrop’s comments were in the public interest and honestly held based on the evidence he had at the time, and the repeated failure of both men to provide information repeatedly requested by Mr Wardrop and members of the St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation. Mr Gillespie confirmed on Monday he was stepping down as chief executive of Kibble to take on the role of CEO at Rangers Football Club. The departure from Kibble means he also relinquishes his role as vice-chairman at Saints.  

Hey @elviswas this you? 

Mullin who had a clean sheet on Saturday?