Paedophile given £36k for student scheme without DBS check

Darren Kavanagh also went by the name of Darren Weston

A convicted paedophile received more than £36,000 of public money to employ students without undergoing DBS checks.

Weston College approved government funding for firms run by Darren Kavanagh to employ seven students - whose ages ranged from 18 to 23.

Kavanagh, 46, was jailed and placed on the sex offenders' register in 2016 after admitting child sexual offences.

The college said there was no government "guidance" that DBS checks were required for scheme organisers.

Kavanagh, who has been approached by the BBC for comment, was sentenced to two years in prison in Glasgow in 2016 and his name was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

The Kickstart funding came from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and was distributed locally through gateway organisations - in this case Weston College.

The £2bn scheme - which closed in August - was launched by the government in September 2020 to provide funding for employers to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit.

It provided £36,639.99 to Kavanagh's firm Octo Leisure Ltd based in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, between October 2021 and May 2022, a BBC Freedom Of Information request found out.

That amount was to cover "wages, national insurance and workplace pension contributions, as well as set-up costs and employment support".

Weston Media Works has shut down since news of Kavanagh's convictions came to light

The college said the students who worked for Weston Media Works through Octo Leisure Limited - both of which were run by Kavanagh - were not "placed by Weston College or registered as our students".

Instead, it said "the DWP set out guidance for Kickstart gateway organisations for the purpose of verifying that all employers had the capacity to offer job roles" via the scheme.

A spokeswoman added: "The DWP guidance did not require gateway organisations to undertake DBS checks.

"The college verified that job roles were available, following guidance set out by the DWP.

The Red Notice was issued by the council in October

"Following the DWP approval for the employer to access the Kickstart scheme, the DWP managed the recruitment of employees directly with the employer, independently of the college."

When contacted by the BBC, the DWP said it was "committed to safeguarding claimants".

A spokeswoman for the DWP said Weston College had ceased recruitment via Octo Leisure Ltd in December 2021.

She added: "All gateways were required to carry out thorough checks to ensure employers had the capacity to deliver the scheme.

Kavanagh has not been seen in Weston for many months

"We are committed to safeguarding claimants and keep our guidance under constant review."

The BBC had previously revealed how Kavanagh's convictions came to light in October when a Weston Town Councillor was alerted by a concerned resident about his criminal past.

They raised the issue with the authorities including North Somerset Council - who promptly issued a Red Notice - an urgent notification warning relevant groups in the area that children, young adults and vulnerable adults should not have contact with Kavanagh - who is also known as Darren Weston.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary was aware of the notice.

'Safeguarding alert'

In a copy passed to the BBC, the notice - issued on 3 October - states: "Safeguarding alert.

"We have received information relating to safeguarding concerns about an adult with whom some of you may have had contact.

"He is known as DARREN WESTON or Darren KAVANAGH and he runs Weston Media Works.

"I would strongly advise you that he has no contact with children, young people or vulnerable adults."

• Students placed at convicted paedophile's firm

Weston Media Works was running until news of the Red Notice emerged. It later closed and its signs were removed from its office in Weston-super-Mare in October.

The recently-launched InWeston magazine was also published by Kavanagh.

It has since announced on social media that with "profound regret and sadness" it was closing because the project was "not viable at this time".

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