UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

concerned about a twitter account being run by a former committeee member who has ceased to be yet the twitter is new n operating under the charities name, thissurely is a conflict of interest not to mention unsafe as I would assume all charity committee members have to be CRBd as they could potentially working with people who are both deemed as legally vulnerable and or at risk, and as a result safe guarding measures would have to be implimented for a just in case senario?

Lea

Hi Lea

The Twitter account was created on a voluntary basis by one of our members who unfortunately doesn't now have the bandwidth to keep it under day to day management. We did consider requesting it was closed but as people seem to find it useful, there's no real reason for us to do so -- if anyone thinks it would be better to close it then let me know and I can ask the person who created the Twitter account to do so. As the Twitter account was set up by an individual owner, it can't be directly affiliated with the Group and we would probably have to ask they close the account then open up a new one using the charity's details if we wanted to take over the account name. We could only request, we as a charity could not demand it was closed.

Twitter provides a feature to verify "official" accounts for individuals and organisations (a white tick on a blue circle) so you know if an account is owned by that organisation or person or just run on an informal or unofficial basis. The Twitter account mentioned here doesn't have this "verified" flag precisely for this reason -- it's not managed or maintained by the charity.

By the way, we don't routinely as Trustees or Committee Members submit to CRB checks ! Trustees can't be discharged bankrupts or have fraud convictions (and a few other things, the Charity Commission has some criteria for who can and can't be a trustee of a charity the details of which are on their website) but not CRB checking. We have to have a policy to safeguard vulnerable people or children for when we have a conference -- like the one we did earlier in the year. For routine committee, regional and Annual General meetings, this isn't required.

Cheers

Chris

if the twitter is unafilated to the group why does it use the groups logo, which in turn will make jo public assume the charity n twitter are linked

I am baffled by you saying bandwidth is a issue for twitter as I have personally been on twitter since 2008 n never known myself nor anyone else have this issue.

I am aware of how trusteeship works legally in compliance with both uk law n the charities commissions regulations, reminds you I am a health n social care policy graduate n also former trustee for a different charity

Hi Lea, apologies, when I said "bandwidth" I didn't mean in the technical sense ! It was in the sense that it took more of someone's time than they had available.

Like I say, Twitter has a feature which enables users to check if an account is managed by a person or organisation (a "verified account" as Twitter calls it). It makes it pretty clear if you're looking at an "official" Twitter account from an individual or organisation.

Twitter is chock full of accounts purporting to be from individuals or organisations but are spoofs or just cyber squatters. One of my favourites is "Kim Jong Un", with the ID "@RealKimJong_Un" (WARNING -- the content is scurrilous and often highly offensive). Just because there's lots of photographs of Pyongyang and a description that this is the Twitter account of "real" leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea does NOT make those statements any more accurate or truthful !

Big organisations spend a fortune now having someone manage their social media presence, a fair amount is used in protecting their copyrights and intellectual property. We in this Group's committee don't think that's a useful way of allocating limited resources. Like I say, if the Twitter account in question here is giving rise to a genuine problem I can ask for it to be closed. Ask being the key word here -- it's not our account so we cannot demand. Any more than the genuine Kim Jong Un can demand that the fake @RealKimJong_Un stops pretending to be the "real" Kim Jong Un.

Thanks

Chris

yes "legit" twitter accounts can and are often verified, many are not (a lot of footballers for example) it is not as cut n dry as "official organisations/celebrity" having a "verified account" The RNIB for example is not a verified account yet is the voice of that charity.

but by the twitter account using the groups logo to the world it can be seen easily as being a voice for the charity.

the fact the about for the twitter account in question states

Creating awareness, providing information, support & guidance on Keratoconus. We are a registered UK charity, support us & join our forums online.keratoconus-group.org.uk

this would imply it is the voice of the charity, I find it very contradictory to be there, and I am ssure I am not the only one who does, the key word in the about is OUR so "come and join OUR" says it is the voice of...

I assuemd it was the charity on twitter so sent a tweet to fnd out who was behind the twitter which is how I discovered what I did...

and in fact when i asked on twitter to that twitter where the forum was got a reply back saying WE whcih again says to me someone isn't being honest about this twitter account,

again I am asking for honesty as don't feel I am being given it.

Thanks Lea, I understand the problem here.

I'll speak to the rest of committee and check how we want to proceed. Will keep you updated !

Cheers

Chris

thanks Chris x