If the news reports are to be believed I find the issues surrounding Kids Company somewhat disturbing - especially the apparent lack of decent scrutiny.
A few years ago I was employed by an organisation that operated largely on grant funding from government and for a time I was responsible for day-to-day liaison with the funding department. Every year I was charged with compiling a comprehensive plan of proposed future work programmes, including budgets, planned outcomes, milestones and key performance indicators. This plan was strongly critiqued by my opposite number in the department and also presented to the great and the good from all interested departments - an event which included a no-holds-barred question and answer session.
Then, during the year I had to regularly report on progress, in particular addressing any departure from the planned budget or milestones, accounting for any adverse outcomes and highlighting particular successes.
It would appear, if one believes the news reports, that Kids Company managed to avoid much of this scrutiny. If this really is the case then both sides of the deal have behaved very shabbily. This is public money we're talking about (i.e. your and my taxes) and to play fast an loose with it - either by cutting corners to acquire it or by being too lax in how it was granted - is just not on.
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