Samaritans accused of stifling dissent and bullying over branch closure plans

Samaritans has been accused of bullying behaviour and shutting down dissent after suspending a number of senior volunteers who spoke out publicly against its controversial plans to close as many as half of its 200 UK branches.

The mental health charity suspended at least two of its branch directors and one former branch director on Tuesday, 48 hours before its annual general meeting.

It refused to elaborate on the suspensions other than to say complaints had been received about “the recent conduct of a small number of volunteers” and that these would be investigated “in the normal way”.

One volunteer said the suspensions had been greeted with outrage and disbelief. “It’s petty and stupid and self-defeating,” they said. “It’s become a bullying charity that is looking to silence voices of dissent within the organisations.”

It is understood the suspensions have targeted volunteers who were quoted in the media in recent weeks questioning Samaritans’ closure plans. Those affected are required to step back from their roles while an investigation is carried out.

Samaritans has about 22,000 trained volunteers who answer calls and messages from people in mental health crisis at 201 branches across the UK and Ireland. Its helplines receive a call every 10 seconds.

The charity’s proposals to shut down scores of its local branches over the next decade and move volunteer call handlers into large regional centres emerged in August and were greeted with dismay by a number of its volunteers.

Those critical of the proposals were concerned that they would undermine local connections and fundraising relationships, and lead to hundreds of older volunteers quitting because they would be unable or unwilling to travel to the new centres.

Samaritans insisted the changes would make it more efficient by enabling it to answer more calls, cut waiting times and attract more call handlers. It rejected claims it had not properly consulted or listened to its volunteers.

Six volunteer branch directors and one former branch director wrote to the charity’s board in September calling for a vote of no confidence in its chair, Keith Leslie, and insisting the closure proposals were paused “in the spirit of safeguarding the mission and integrity of Samaritans”.

The charity initially appeared to adopt a more conciliatory approach in response, admitting its proposals had affected volunteer morale. It said some closures would regrettably be inevitable, but promised to work closely with volunteers to trial new ways of delivering the service.

Some volunteers were heartened by the new approach, but the suspensions threaten to reignite ill-feeling towards what critics say is an increasingly controlling and centralised charity out of touch with its local roots.

Suspensions enable an investigation to be carried to ascertain whether a volunteer’s conduct has breached their voluntary agreement with Samaritans, brought the charity into disrepute or put its reputation at risk.

Branch directors say there is nothing in volunteer agreements that prevents them from speaking to the media, and many talk regularly to local papers, radio and TV about suicide prevention issues and fundraising campaigns.

One branch director said: “What’s damaging to the reputation of Samaritans is what Samaritans is doing and the way they are doing it. It’s not the likes of me taking to the media.”

A Samaritans spokesperson said: “Complaints were raised about the recent conduct of a small number of volunteers which are now being investigated through our normal processes. It is not appropriate to comment further on any individual case.”