BAAF administrators 'consider court application' to obtain information on collapse

The charity went into administration on 31 July, citing "significant changes and prevailing economic conditions" with the loss of more than 70 jobs.

Now administrators, London firm Smith & Williamson, is considering making a court application to compel former BAAF chair Anthony Douglas to supply details of “parties he had informal discussions with about emergency funding and possible strategic partnerships” prior to closure.

A statement issued today by two former BAAF chief executives – Felicity Collier and Barbara Hutchinson – states that at a meeting with creditors held on 9 October, Smith & Williamson revealed that Douglas had not told them the names of organisations he conducted discussions with.

"The administrators said, in response to questions from creditors, they were still asking him that question, but he was 'declining to respond'," the statement adds.

"They were then asked what powers as administrators they had to compel someone to reveal information and they replied they could compel someone through making an application to the court and, if this information was not forthcoming, they may pursue this.”

Following the collapse of BAAF, its functions – including a number of government contracts such as the National Adoption Register and the Independent Review Mechanism, which reviews the suitability of prospective adopters or foster parents – were transferred to children's charity Coram.

The statement adds that Smith & Williamson told the meeting that when it was appointed to advise the BAAF board in June, it identified nine organisations that might be approached about taking on some of BAAF’s work.

These included The Fostering Network and Barnardo’s, as well as several fostering agencies. But it said these possibilities were rejected.

In August, Collier and Hutchinson claimed the process undertaken to close the charity may have breached legal requirements.