RSPCA warned over ‘£150k payout’ to ex-boss

THE RSPCA was wrong to sanction a six-figure pay-off for an acting chief executive in a row over age discrimination, the Charity Commission said, as it criticised the charity’s trustees for “mismanaging” its administration.

The commission issued the RSPCA with a rare official warning after Michael Ward, 57, quit as acting head in May with a reported £150,000 pay-off, amid claims that he feared “unfair treatment” in the process to fill the role permanently.

The warning means that unless there are improvements in the RSPCA’S running, the commission can take over.

The Charity Commission criticised RSPCA trustees for failing to ensure the decision was made properly, “particularly given the large sum of money involved”, and said a group of the trustees had not made certain they were properly informed before making a settlement offer to Mr Ward.

The RSPCA declined to comment on the settlement, or on whether the sum was paid to Mr Ward. A spokesman said that 90 per cent of a governance review to reform the way the charity is run had been implemented.