Source: Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency published on this website Wednesday 17 September 2025 by Jill Powell

The importance of medicine safety and how to report side effects of medicines via the Yellow Card scheme is now part of the statutory guidance for schools in England.

On World Patient Safety Day (17 September), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is proud to announce a major milestone in its mission to protect public health: for the first time, the importance of medicine safety and how to report side effects of medicines via the Yellow Card scheme is now part of the RSHE statutory guidance for schools in England. 

Working in close partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), the MHRA has successfully embedded this life-saving knowledge into the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance – reaching children and young people in classrooms across the country. 

This bold step puts patient safety into the hands of the next generation, giving them the tools to recognise and report side effects from medicines. 

Putting safety at the heart of education 

The curriculum changes are reflected in the statutory guidance , which now links directly to the Yellow Card scheme and a dedicated child-friendly guide tested with over 3,500 children and young people.

The content covers: 

• What a side effect is 
• Why it’s important to report problems with medicines  
• How to submit a Yellow Card report 
• Who the MHRA are and how they help keep the public safe 

World Patient Safety Day emphasises the need for stronger measures to protect children from preventable harm. The inclusion of this important information on the curriculum reflects this call by making young people active participants in the safety of the healthcare system. 

The inclusion in education ensures that even the youngest members of society know how to: 

• Take charge of their own health 
• Speak up when something doesn’t feel right 
• Play a direct role in improving the safety of medicines and medical devices for all 

Accessible, empowering, actionable 

• Young people are guided to seek support from a parent, carer, teacher, or healthcare professional if they’re worried about a possible side effect, and they are shown how to report it through the Yellow Card website: https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk  
• The guide for children and young people explains reporting in simple, clear terms and is now an official part of the resources supporting Health Education in England. 

About the Yellow Card scheme 

• The Yellow Card scheme is the UK’s system for reporting suspected side effects to medicines, medical devices, and other healthcare products. Managed by the MHRA, the scheme plays a crucial role in monitoring product safety and taking action to minimise risks. 
• Now, for the first time, children and young people are actively encouraged in this system – not just as potential patients, but as active participants in ensuring safer healthcare for all. 

Charity Commission disqualifies four trustees after CEO used charity as front for criminal activities

Source: Charity Commission published on this website Friday 29 August 2025 by Jill Powell

The charity was set up to support blind and partially sighted members of African and Caribbean communities and provide services which included immigration advice, education and training. 

An official inquiry report, published today, found that four trustees of the charity had not sufficiently overseen the actions of the charity’s CEO, Ibukun Olashore, including by allowing her to continue acting as CEO following a serious conviction. The lack of action by the trustees enabled the CEO to have sole access to charity funds and use the charity to offer immigration advice illegally. As a result, the regulator has disqualified four trustees.

The Commission has now removed the charity from its public register after it was struck off by Companies House.

In March 2021, the charity’s CEO was charged with serious criminal offences. In April 2022, she was convicted of conspiracy to do an act to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national and of conspiracy to possess/control identity documents with intent. As such, she was automatically disqualified from being a charity trustee or holding a position with senior management functions within a charity.  

At her sentencing, the judge concluded that the CEO used the charity ‘as a front’ and that material evidence showed Ms Olashore was “using OBAC as a way of disguising [her] dishonest activities and potentially finding people with whom [she] could take money.”

The regulator opened an inquiry after the trustees repeatedly failed to respond to requests for information, including a formal direction to submit information by legal order. It also had suspicions that the CEO remained at the charity despite her conviction.  

In its report, the Commission finds that:

• even after being made aware of the CEO’s convictions for serious criminal offences, the trustees failed to take any steps to address this matter, such as suspending the CEO and carrying out an internal investigation  
• the trustees exerted insufficient oversight over the charity, allowing it to be used as a vehicle for criminal activity. Proactive intervention by the trustees may have helped mitigate the impact on the charity and prevent it from being misused for over 10 years
• for two years, the trustees exposed the charity to risk of criminal conviction by continuing to offer immigration services despite the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) refusing to re-register the charity as an immigration service provider. The IAA rejected the charity’s application in July 2022 which came into effect in August 2022
• the charity had been subletting its offices which was in breach of its tenancy agreement and this had been its only source of income since February 2023. When questioned, the trustees had no knowledge of the lease terms or who one of the subletters was
• the charity failed to report serious incidents at the charity, including the CEO’s conviction, a break-in and threats made to staff by a beneficiary
• trustees repeatedly failed to respond to the Commission and either failed to provide sufficient answers or attend meetings when summoned in person

The Commission finds all of these failures amount to serious misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration, governance and management of the charity. The report, which contains the full findings, is available on gov.uk.

The regulator gave the trustees the opportunity to remedy their failings by issuing the charity a Regulatory Action Plan but the trustees failed to act. As a result, the Commission has disqualified the four most recently serving trustees. Ruth Bishop, Diib Jama and Rasheed Bello have been disqualified for 5 years. Dwight Watson has been disqualified for 3 years. The charity’s CEO is automatically disqualified indefinitely.  

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said: 

We expect anyone running a charity to do so honestly, and with integrity. To use a charity as a cover for criminal activity is wholly unacceptable and an abuse of trust. By allowing this to continue, the charity’s trustees have also abused the trust placed in them and failed to uphold their legal duties. 

The Commission will always take robust action if a charity is misused. We do this to prevent further harm and ensure that trust in the wider sector is protected. It was proportionate in this case to disqualify four trustees, all of whom failed to meaningfully engage with our inquiry.”  

Source: Sussex Police published on this website Tuesday 2 September 2025 by Jill Powell

A care home worker who stole sentimental jewellery from an elderly resident has been jailed.

Police were called after staff at Bethune Court in Boscobel Road, Hastings, reported the theft on 21 March, 2024.

The victim – an 82-year-old woman – discovered jewellery including her late husband’s gold wedding ring had been taken from the bedside table in her private room.

As enquiries were ongoing, the victim’s family posted an appeal for information on social media. This was seen by a local pawnbroker, who believed they had recently accepted the same ring from regular customer.

She was identified as Rita Cooney, who worked as a housekeeper at the care home.

The 58-year-old, of Hillcrest Avenue, Bexhill, was arrested and charged with theft, which she was convicted of.

At Lewes Crown Court on 14 August, she was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.

She was also charged with fraud, and that offence will lie on file.

Investigating officer, PC Wesley Brickstock, of the Hastings Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This was a despicable act committed by a woman who exploited the vulnerability of an elderly resident in a place where she should be able to feel safe.

“I’d like to thank the victim and her family for their support in our investigation, and the local pawnbroker who diligently notified police, ensuring we could bring Cooney to justice.”

Source: The Charity Commission published on this site Thursday 31 July 2025 by Jill Powell

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has criticised the Central Oxford Mosque Society and The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent, both of which failed to prevent their platforms being misused to communicate inappropriate material.  

It was found that there was misconduct and / or mismanagement committed in connection with the charities.  

Central Oxford Mosque Society 

The Commission opened a case into the charity after concerns were raised about posts on the charity’s social media platform in October and November 2023.  

The posts commented on the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East. One provided information on what to do if arrested at a protest and advertised the services of a specific private solicitor’s firm. Another featured a graphic cartoon which seemed to criticise media reporting of the conflict. A third post included another cartoon suggesting the media misrepresents the situation in Palestine. Both cartoons were shared by the charity just three days after the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. The Commission considered that the sharing of these cartoons could create community tensions in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.  

The regulator engaged with the trustees, who were unable to explain how the posts furthered the charity’s purposes for the public benefit. It found that, at the time of publishing the posts, the charity had no social media policy in place and that only one trustee had access to the social media account. The trustees’ responses to the Commission also failed to acknowledge or recognise all of the concerns about the posts in question.  

The Commission concluded that the posts were outside the charity’s purposes, and that two were divisive and inflammatory.  

The Official Warning sets out actions the charity is to take to address the wrongdoing, including to create, implement and adhere to robust policies, including a social media policy, and to ensure all of the charity’s activities are in furtherance of its purposes.   

The regulator acknowledges that, since it gave the charity notice of its intention to issue an Official Warning, the charity’s trustees have taken steps to address the concerns. 

The Mosque and Islamic Centre of Brent 

The Commission opened a case after concerns were raised in the media about speeches held at the charity’s premises. The sermons were promoted on the speaker’s social media channel.  

The Commission determined that of five speeches given at the charity’s premises in November and December 2023, four included inflammatory and divisive content, two contained content that could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging support of Hamas, a proscribed organisation, and one could be reasonably interpreted as discouraging worshippers from engaging with democratic processes.  

The Commission found that, at the time of the speeches, the charity did not have effective policies in place to manage risks related to speakers at the charity. In response to the regulator’s concerns, the charity’s trustees did not demonstrate that that they fully understood the risk of reputational harm being caused by the sermon and were unable to offer adequate assurance that they would take action to prevent a similar failure in the future.  

The Official Warning sets out steps the charity now needs to take to address the concerns.  

The Commission notes that, since it gave the charity notice of its intention to issue an Official Warning, the charity has adopted a written policy on speakers.  

Charity Commission Assistant Director for Investigations and Compliance, Stephen Roake said

“We recognise that recent events in the Middle East are emotive and distressing. But it is precisely in times of conflict that charities are expected to bring people together, not to stoke further division.  

“Trustees of charities have a legal duty and responsibility to ensure everything their charity does is capable of furthering its purposes, and must also take steps to protect the charity’s assets, including its reputation.  

“Sadly, in the case of these two charities, the trustees failed to have appropriate processes in place, and allowed their charity’s names and reputations to be exposed to serious harm through inflammatory and divisive language, and in one case, seeming to associate the charity with a proscribed organisation.  

“We expect the trustees to continue to take swift action to address the respective concerns.”

During the last 18 months, the Commission has opened more than 300 regulatory cases involving charities supporting different sides of the Middle East conflict. It has issued formal statutory guidance to charities in around 100 of these cases, and has made more than 70 referrals to the police where it considers a criminal offence might have been committed.