Ex-charity workers still awaiting tribunal payout

Amanda Stewart said she had concerns the money will never be paid

Former workers at a failed charity say they have not received any money despite being awarded significant sums at an employment tribunal.

Parc (Essex), which provided respite care for families of children with additional needs, closed in 2022 amid questions over discrepancies in its accounts.

The charity was ordered to pay a total of £166,000 to 21 former staff members.

Chris McCann, one of the three trustees at PARC, said they were unable to respond to questions because of the High Court enforcement action.

Management at PARC (Essex), which was based at Great Notley country park, did not contest the case, which was brought by former staff at an employment tribunal in East London in 2023.

They had claimed unfair dismissal, redundancy payments, breach of contract and unpaid holiday wages, according to court documents.

'Borderline farcical'

One former member of staff, Amanda Stewart, said: "I can confirm that none of the former employees have received a penny of the money they were awarded at the employment tribunal.

"We have followed, to the letter, every legal procedure available to us since receiving the judgement."

Ms Stewart added that a High Court enforcement process was currently ongoing, but if it proved that PARC had no cash or assets available, "we may not ever see any of the money awarded".

She said she was owed more than £15,000.

The former PARC site was left unused for more than two years

Chris Frisbee, a former health and safety officer at PARC, told the BBC the situation regarding the tribunal award was "borderline farcical".

He said a lot of the equipment was now in a poor state after the building was left disused for two years.

But, he added, he was pleased the facility had now been taken over by a new charity offering similar care.

He said there had been a "a long a wait for the light at the end of the special education needs (SEN) tunnel for respite care in the county of Essex".

"Two years and counting is too long for a community to have to wait for this badly needed resource," he added.

About 140 special needs families were affected when the facility closed abruptly in June 2022 after at least £64,000 of county council funding could not be accounted for.

There is no evidence the money has been misappropriated, or any suggestion of wrongdoing.

The site is now operated by the Happy Hill charity.

It is hoping to offer short breaks to carers and families of children and young adults up to the age of 25 in time for the summer holidays.

Chris Frisbee was awarded almost £10,000

The former staff are hoping the PARC can be placed into liquidation to recover any money and assets to enable them to be paid.

Amanda Stewart also wants a change in employment law "to make sure that no employer can ever do this to my children - take away their job and income with zero notice, leaving them in crippling debt and just wash their hands of them and walk away".