## Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
_trading as_ Saffron Sheffield
Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Charity Registration Number 1010129 (England & Wales) Company Registration Number 02443288
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## **Reference and Administration Details**
## **Charity Name:**
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited, also known as Saffron Sheffield
**Charity No:** 1010129 (England & Wales)
## **Company No:**
02443288
## **Registered Office & Operational Address:**
289 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S7 1FJ
## **Trustees:**
Trustees who are also directors under company law and who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows: Emma Draper _(Chair)_ Ahmina Akhtar _(Deputy Chair)_ Judith Dodds _(Treasurer)_ Olivia Sinclair Gillian Godden
Teresa Allewell _(Resigned at AGM on 20/11/23)_ Afolasade Ladejobi _(Resigned at AGM on 20/11/23)_
## **Key Management Personnel:**
Sarah Smart (Chief Executive Officer) Ingrid Harris (Head of Clinical Services) Keren Bramman (Finance Manager) Danielle Hogan (Office Manager)
## **Bankers:**
Co-operative Bank plc
PO Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
## **Independent Examiner:**
Christy Lau FCCA CTA DChA, Slade & Cooper Limited Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6JG
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Saffron Sheffield’s Board of Trustees presents its report and unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. As company law requires, the trustees’ report includes the directors’ report.
The reference and administration details on page 1 form part of this report. All financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association of Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (“ **the company** ” or “ **the charity** ” or “ **Saffron Sheffield** ”) and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 15 November 1989 and registered as a charity on 26 March 1992. The directors established the company under a Memorandum of Association, which sets out its objects and powers, and its Articles of Association govern it. Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited adopted the trading name Saffron Sheffield in 2019.
The trustees delegate the charity's day-to-day responsibility to the CEO, supported by the Head of Clinical Services. Saffron Sheffield's management and governance are guided by local, regional, and national policy and informed by feedback from current and past clients.
We are an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and became registered with the Fundraising Regulator in October 2023. We also hold memberships with The Survivor’s Trust, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), and the Association of Chief Executives for Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO).
## **Board of Trustees**
During 2023-24, the board comprised 5 - 7 trustees. Two trustees resigned from their posts in November 2023 due to relocating further away from Sheffield. New trustees will be recruited during the second half of 2024.
A person wishing to become a trustee must be aged 18 or over and recommended by the trustees after an appropriate recruitment process. Trustees must retire at each AGM
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
but can offer themselves for re-election or further co-option. Trustees can at any time co-opt someone to be a trustee, but the total number of co-opted trustees can be, at most, half the number of elected trustees.
After a review in 2023, the trustees reduced the number of times they meet each year from ten to eight, including the AGM. The CEO, Head of Clinical Services, and Finance Manager continue to provide complete reports covering financial performance, clinical outcomes, and staff well-being at quarterly business meetings.
All trustees completed in-depth safeguarding training provided by the NSPCC in 2023. As a result, a new safeguarding committee was developed comprising two trustees alongside the CEO, Head of Clinical Services, and Office Manager. The committee will meet quarterly to discuss current issues and review our policies and procedures.
All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity. Any expenses reclaimed from the charity are set out in Notes to the Accounts, Note 11. The trustees of Saffron Sheffield guarantee to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 to the charity’s assets in the event of winding up.
## **Risk Management**
Although Saffron Sheffield's current turnover is below the threshold requirement to report on Risk Management, the trustees believe it remains good practice to carry out reviews appropriate to the scale and risk of our service.
Saffron Sheffield’s Risk Register and Risk Appetite Framework, reflecting all aspects of the charity’s operations, are annually reviewed to ensure the appropriate management of any organisational risks.
We have appropriate and robust policies and processes for our service, such as safeguarding, health and safety, data security and finance. We ensure all staff have read and understood them and have continuous access to those relevant to their post and responsibilities.
The following are specific risk reviews and actions undertaken during the reporting period.
- To ensure that Saffron Sheffield remained a fair and unbiased employer committed to equal opportunities and that we were up to date with required employment legislation, we reviewed, updated and developed our Whistleblowing, Anti-Bullying, Harassment, and EDI policies.
- After recognising a safer recruitment gap during a review of our Safeguarding Policies, it was agreed that all trustees must undergo a DBS check every three years, regardless of whether they are involved in client-facing activities.
- The trustees continued to engage a specialist data security and protection company, Custodia Continuity, to audit all systems and data controls to ensure continuous client confidentiality and legal compliance. During this year, Custodia
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Continuity also worked with the CEO to implement the following;
- creating a new secure and robust data backup process for our client database
- delivering annual data security training for all staff and trustees
- installing antivirus software and endpoint security on all laptops
- continuous management and updating of all data security and compliance policies
- starting the process of becoming Cyber Essentials certified
- Significant concerns were raised with our CEO regarding the online donation platform Saffron Sheffield used after our Finance Manager could not log on for several weeks and did not receive any response to her queries by telephone or email. After discussing with Custodia Continuity, we decided to cancel our agreement with this platform and find a more professional and secure alternative. The new platform, _JustGiving_ , was implemented in December 2023.
We manage any specific client risk through assessments at several stages throughout the therapy journey. Our therapists undertake structured assessments and have support from the Head of Clinical Service to share decision-making and ensure any intervention is proportionate.
All clinical staff receive clinical supervision from either the Head of Clinical Services or another qualified and approved therapist. We ensure all supervisors follow best practice guidance from the BACP.
## **Objectives and Activities**
The trustees have given due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit when annually reviewing the charity's objectives and planning its activities, complying with the duty in section 4 of the 2006 act.
The objectives of Saffron Sheffield, as set out in its governing document, are
- to promote and protect the mental health and wellbeing of women and girls, in particular through the provision of counselling and psychotherapy, and
- to advance the education of the public with regard to the mental health and wellbeing of women and girls.
This report will examine how Saffron Sheffield’s activities in the reporting year have contributed to its objectives and highlight how the charity has benefited the people it aims to help.
## **Who We Help**
The direct beneficiaries of our activities are women in Sheffield aged 16 and over who have experienced trauma in childhood or adulthood. Our clients usually suffer from complex post-traumatic stress symptoms due to chronic or repeated instances of trauma.
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Women self-refer to our service, with 78% of our 2023-24 beneficiaries having been signposted in by their GP (18%), Community Mental Health Teams and other NHS Services (7%), Sheffield Talking Therapies - IAPT (14%), Online Search Engine/Social Media (6%), Friends/Family (6%), Social Services (4%), University Support (3%), IDVA/ISVAs (3%) or other organisations or individuals (17%).
These same beneficiaries also relayed to us the following experiences and trauma responses when they registered with us for therapy;
## _Traumatic experiences_
- 37% experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation as a child.
- 24% experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation as an adult.
- 47% experienced physical domestic abuse.
- 71% experienced mental/emotional/controlling (coercive) behaviour.
- 27% experienced sexual domestic abuse.
- 27% experienced financial domestic abuse.
- 1% experienced exploitation, modern slavery, trafficking or county lines.
- 14% experienced being a victim or witness of a crime or an accident.
- 19% experienced health or medical-related trauma.
- 59% experienced relationship trauma.
- 22% experienced traumatic bereavement.
## _Traumatic responses_
- 99% had depression, anxiety or stress.
- 15% had self-harmed.
- 38% had suicidal thoughts.
- 8% had attempted suicide.
- 8% were misusing substances.
- 8% were misusing alcohol.
Women who access our support frequently disengage with other services, suffering additional distress, thereby increasing the risk of further abuse or exploitation.
We work with women who are often denied access to other services because
- They are actively self-harming
- They have recently attempted suicide
- They are still living with their abuser
- They are displaying significant dissociative symptoms
- They are assessed as too vulnerable to begin a therapeutic intervention.
The correlation between deprivation and poor mental health is well documented, and we recently undertook some research that showed 37% of our clients at that time lived in postcode areas of Sheffield that are ranked in the lowest 15% of wards in the Indices of Deprivation 2019.
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
As a further indicator of our clients' often challenging circumstances this year, we noted that 36% were unemployed. Feedback tells us that those in work (26% full-time, 20% part-time) routinely struggled to hold down a job due to trauma symptoms. Alongside this, we monitored that;
- 21% were women of the global majority.
- 12% were in part or full-time education.
- 51% self-disclosed their mental ill health as a disability.
- 84% had previously accessed therapeutic services in Sheffield.
- 50% were caring for children.
- 38% lived alone.
- 3% were in temporary accommodation.
- 3% were retired.
## **External Impacts**
Several external impacts have exacerbated the mental health fragility of many women we support.
## _**Cost of Living Crisis**_
Research from the Living Wage Foundation has shown that the cost of living crisis disproportionately impacted women. Many are trapped in low-paid and insecure jobs, such as cleaners, catering staff and care workers. Over half of low-paid workers have been forced to rely on food banks. Poverty and financial stress extend the symptoms of previous trauma experiences and put women at higher risk of severe mental health problems.
A study by Women’s Aid also reports that the cost of living crisis is devastatingly impacting vulnerable women, with nearly three-quarters of domestic abuse victims saying the spiralling cost of living has stopped them from escaping their abusive partner safely.
In response to this crisis, we offer free essential hygiene and toiletry products in our premises bathrooms for our clients to take discreetly. We also have an emergency assistance fund for clients who need help affording transportation to and from their therapy sessions, which helps to manage the risk of interrupted therapy.
## _**Media & World Events**_
The strain of living through and absorbing news headlines and social media commentary on femicide and domestic abuse - alongside political corruption and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East - has been continuous over the past twelve months. For our clients, this barrage of bad news has resulted in additional emotional distress, fear, concern and an ongoing lack of trust in those whose purpose is to protect society.
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## _**NHS Waiting Times**_
We know that healthcare delays can worsen the mental health of our clients. The wait for diagnosis, care and treatment can mean weeks and months filled with fear and worry. In a call for evidence in 2021 to inform the first-ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy, it was found that 60% of women could not access the health services they needed. In recent years, there has been a general lack of GP appointments and delays in female cancer screening services.
## _**Criminal Court Delays**_
According to the Institute for Government, the effects of the pandemic and barristers strike _‘have severely affected the functioning of the criminal courts in recent years, with hearings delayed and the case backlog growing to record highs. The situation in the crown court, which conducts more serious or complex hearings, is much worse.’_
Statistica states on its website that in 2023, _‘the mean average for a serious criminal offence to reach a conclusion in the crown courts of England and Wales was 676 days.’_
Whilst we can work with pre-trial women, the additional stress and pressure of waiting for justice can add to their trauma experience. Our clients often feel even more vulnerable during their engagement with the police and courts, and these delays bring uncertainty to their lives that hinder their ability to move forward.
## **Our Service**
We provide free, accessible, high-quality psychotherapy and wellbeing activities for women in Sheffield who have experienced trauma. We help women understand that their trauma is not their fault, alleviate their distress and help them rebuild their lives. We continue to see how essential our specialised service is in Sheffield, especially with the disproportionate impact of external forces on women becoming increasingly apparent.
## _**1:1 Therapy**_
## ● _Waiting List_
In the face of increasing demand and continued rising costs, there are limits to the service we can safely provide. Despite the generosity of our donors, our current capacity only allows us to work with an average of 75 women at any given time. Alongside this, exacerbated trauma symptoms relating to external impacts have increased the number of sessions each woman needs. 82% of our clients now require 20 or more sessions, with 23% of those being offered the full 40 sessions. Because of this, women move slowly through our service and our waiting list remains closed for longer.
We opened our waiting list in January 2024, and 681 women registered for 1:1
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
therapy, a 134% increase from our previous intake in June 2022. As of the 31st March 2024;
- 672 women were waiting to be offered an assessment
- 16 women were in the assessment process, and
- 26 women had completed the assessment process and were waiting to start their 1:1 therapy
We communicate quarterly with women registered for our service, advising them of an estimated waiting time.
## ● _Assessments_
We offered 418 clinical assessments during 2023-24. 160 women attended 364 of these assessments.
We undertake comprehensive clinical assessments to obtain a detailed picture of client symptoms, assess their risk to themselves and others, and inform an appropriate personalised therapy offer. For each client receiving therapy in this reporting year, we undertook the following;
- A starting point session, identifying suitability for our specialist therapy.
- Full clinical assessments at therapy's beginning, middle and end using an internationally recognised tool (TSI-II).
As an agile organisation, we have continued to learn and adapt our working processes to maintain expanded delivery levels. In February 2024, our Head of Clinical Services and Senior Therapists completed a piece of work examining the advantages and disadvantages of removing the starting point session. This was done for the following reasons;
- The current assessment process had been in place for several years and, when designed, was fit for purpose. However, since then, we have experienced significant year-on-year growth in both registration numbers and complexity in client presentations, the main result of which is the slower movement of women through our service.
- We have seen increased waiting times between a client’s starting point session and their full clinical assessment, potentially making the information out-of-date as a client’s situation may have changed during the waiting period.
- The emotional toll of increased waiting times can exacerbate trauma symptoms, and we needed to address this in an informed and practical way to ensure the safety of our clients.
We concluded that removing the starting point for our new intake of women would immediately save approximately 750 clinical hours. These hours would then be more effectively used for full clinical assessments, making the waiting time
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
shorter, less taxing, and more trauma-informed, as clients will only need to explain their trauma once. This new process, for which we also reworked our assessment paperwork, was trialled in March 2024 with great success. Besides having no negative impact on clients and no loss of necessary data collection, we found that it also made the full assessment quicker to complete as there was no repetition. This process will now be rolled out as general practice for our service from April 2024.
## ● _Therapy Sessions_
Helping women walk free from the severe and multiple traumatic experiences of their past can take time. In 2023-24, we offered long-term, tailored, specialised therapy of 6 - 40 sessions, focusing on the woman and her needs. This approach helped therapy progress at a manageable pace. It gave clients time to feel stable and trustful enough to go deeper and share the details of their traumatic experiences.
191 women benefited from the 2,791 1:1 therapy sessions offered, and 90 clients completed therapy during this year.
## _**Wellbeing**_
## ● _1:1 Sessions_
We offered tailored wellbeing support to help manage the risk for clients waiting for 1:1 therapy. During this year, we provided 123 1:1 wellbeing support sessions attended by 41 women.
## _**Accessibility**_
- _Non-English Speakers_
This year, we continued to develop our processes and pathways to support clinical work with clients for whom English is not their first language. This included reviewing and updating our client paperwork to make it easier to translate. In addition to Urdu and Punjabi, we can now take clients who speak Farsi, Arabic, and Polish. Over the next 12 months, we will also add Albanian, Kurdish Sorani, and Czech.
Using a translation service is working well, and our first non-English speaking client supported by Language is Everything was allocated in October 2023.
## _**Recruitment and Team Development**_
At Saffron Sheffield, we employ and engage highly skilled professionals.
We recruited one replacement associate therapist and two volunteer therapists to the
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
clinical team during this reporting period. All underwent rigorous selection and demonstrated a good depth of experience in delivering psychotherapy for trauma and abuse before starting with us.
Both of our Senior Therapists have completed supervision training and have continued to supervise some of our clinical staff and volunteers. We have continued to hold a monthly reflective practice for our clinical team.
We recruited an ex-service user for the Volunteer Client Engagement Representative post in 2023. We also secured a 100-hour volunteer position from Sheffield University for nine weeks over the summer to support this role in developing client resources and planning for future activities.
One of our employed fundraisers resigned from her post and moved to work with us in the same role as an associate.
At the end of March 2024, we had ten employed staff (7 FTE), eight associate staff and six volunteers.
Saffron Sheffield staff and trustees undertook the following CPD opportunities during this reporting period:
## ● _Clinical_
- Integrating Creative Methods into Practice
- Understanding & Working with Survivors of Sexualised Trauma
- Vicarious & Secondary Trauma - Ensuring Care for the Carer
- Neurodiversity 101
## ● _Governance / Management_
- Cyber Security & Data Protection (GDPR)
- Trustee Safeguarding (NSPCC)
- Risk Management (ACEVO)
- Organisational Growth (ACEVO)
- Charity Boardroom Dynamics and the Role of the CEO (ACEVO)
- - Women in Leadership
- Menopause at Work (ACAS)
- Sickness Absence - Supporting Your Staff (ACAS)
- Preventing Charity Fraud (Civil Society Media)
## ● _Fundraising_
- Corporate Fundraising (SYFAB)
- Government Contracts (School for Social Entrepreneurs)
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## **Client Engagement**
Recruiting a volunteer Client Engagement Representative allowed us to advance our Client Engagement strategy this year. With support from the CEO, they organised and delivered the following activities;
- The development of a Client Engagement mailing list for anyone who had completed therapy with us over three months previously. This list will be used to share information about upcoming events and to request information from them via surveys or questionnaires.
- The painting and refurbishment of our waiting room at our premises.
- Planning for our first two engagement events in April 2024, bringing together previous clients to socialise, be creative and discuss ways they could support Saffron.
- The co-production of a values statement for any future client engagement activity.
## **Fundraising**
Our services remain in high demand, so income diversification and financial sustainability remain priorities.
During this reporting period, we secured significant multi-year grant funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, The Henry Smith Charity, and Sheffield ICB. We
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
were also successfully awarded the government’s Suicide Prevention grant funding, which became available early in 2024.
We undertook two Big Give campaigns, receiving matched donations from their ‘Kind2Mind’ and ‘Women and Girls’ funds. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club gave us another opportunity to bucket collect outside the stadium on a match day in September. We also supported several individual donation events during the year, including a ‘Step out for Saffron’ walking challenge in May 2023, which raised £1,502, and a sponsored abseil challenge in January 2024, which raised £5,597.
Recognising the need to remain transparent and accountable in all aspects of fundraising, this year, we registered with the Fundraising Regular and implemented their Code of Practice.
## **External Training**
We provided training opportunities for therapists and other mental health workers in Sheffield during 2023-24. In May, a ‘Neurodiversity 101’ workshop was delivered to 23 delegates from 14 Sheffield organisations, and a day of training from Zoe Lodrick had a total attendance of 68 delegates from over 30 organisations, including representatives from CAMHS Sheffield, the British Army, Together Women, IDAS, Sheffield University, and Sheffield County Council.
## **Partnerships**
Saffron Sheffield plays an active role in several networks within the Sheffield and South Yorkshire area and nationally.
## _**Sheffield Psychologies Board (SPB)**_
Our CEO became co-Chair of the SPB in January 2024. This board meets monthly to share practice, collaborate on service improvements, and develop client/patient pathways. Consequently, mental health practitioners across the city are better aware of our specialist service and how to signpost clients to us.
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## _**End Violence Against Women and Girls (WAVES)**_
WAVES is a Sheffield voluntary sector forum for organisations whose primary purpose is working to end violence against women and their children. Saffron is a member organisation and works collaboratively to share resources, information, and best practices to develop a strong voice to tackle domestic and sexual abuse, rape and other forms of male or gender-based violence.
Our CEO and Client Engagement Representative attended WAVES' first annual event, ‘Can You Hear Us’, alongside other Sheffield women’s services and co-hosted a round table discussion with senior stakeholders from a range of sectors on long-term mental health provision for women who have experienced domestic abuse.
## _**Mental Health Partnership Network (MHPN)**_
This network was developed to support and sustain Sheffield's strong mental health voluntary sector. It ensures that the mental health voice is heard, its diverse perspectives are represented in several inter-agency forums, and opportunities are maximised to influence policy and decision-makers, funders and commissioners, and other partner agencies. Saffron Sheffield’s CEO has been a member of the MHPN's Steering Committee since September 2021.
## _**The Survivors Trust**_
The Survivors Trust is the largest umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the UK. It has been providing infrastructure support to members for the past 15 years. Saffron Sheffield is one of 124 member agencies based in the UK and Ireland.
## _**Synergy (Sheffield Mental Health Alliance)**_
The alliance comprises a group of voluntary and community sector partners who come together, along with experts by experience, to improve the provision of mental health services across Sheffield and positively influence the sector and the wider system.
## _**Sheffield City Council’s Domestic and Sexual Abuse Provider Consultation Group**_
This group exists to provide a formal forum for commissioned and non-commissioned providers working in and around domestic abuse and sexual abuse to consult and be consulted on local, regional and national initiatives and developments.
## _**Clinical Lead Network**_
This is an informal network for all heads/leads of third-sector therapeutic services in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley. They meet every other month, allowing peer support discussion and consultation on clinical and professional topics. The Head
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
of Clinical Services represents Saffron Sheffield at these meetings.
Our CEO also attended the ‘Working Together to Address Health Inequalities’ workshop hosted by the Sheffield Health & Wellbeing board.
## **Achievement and Performance**
This year, we have again successfully helped many women deal with the consequences of broken relationships, sexual or domestic abuse, bereavement and other traumatic experiences. Women accessing our service have told us that due to our support, they could better recognise the potential for unhealthy relationships, enabling them to make better choices, build resilience and keep themselves safe.
Our work has wider, additional benefits for the families and communities of the women we directly support. Our clients told us that therapy has made them better parents. Many also found it easier to attend or volunteer in community activities. Therapy has also helped several women keep or find new employment.
We are confident that our blended therapy offer achieved the same standards for building therapeutic relationships, ensuring client satisfaction and reducing trauma symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Our clinical results have continued to be strong, and client testimonies have demonstrated that our service remains critical for the women of Sheffield.
Our activities have proved life-changing for clients. Our in-depth assessment process has proved invaluable, and significant psychological change has occurred due to our specialist 1:1 therapy.
## **Client Outcomes**
We capture a balance of quantitative and qualitative data, and the combination of clinical monitoring using the Trauma Symptom Inventory-II (TSI-2) and self-reported changes whilst identifying personal goals reflects our holistic, collaborative approach.
Our monitoring system is customised, and we are confident it provides the best data collection outcomes for our organisation, clients, and funders. We are mindful of the value and profoundly personal nature of focused therapy time for our beneficiaries, so we endeavour to monitor change with minimal client disruption.
From April 2023 to March 2024, we collected information on 24 different trauma symptoms from all 90 clients who completed therapy. Although we monitor and capture data from various points in the therapeutic journey, we focus our reporting of outcomes primarily on women who have completed therapy with us to provide a more conclusive reflection of change.
The outcomes for this reporting period below show the continuing effectiveness of our
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
work. Of the 90 women who completed therapy in the reporting period:
- 82% had a statistically significant reduction in their trauma symptoms
- 95% felt more self-confident
- 91% felt better able to say ‘no’ and be assertive when they needed to be
- 89% felt better able to have healthy boundaries in their relationships
- 100% achieved a personal goal they set for themselves
- 95% felt they were better able to recognise abuse in a relationship
- 96% understood themselves better
- 94% were coping better with their feelings
We received feedback forms from 85 of the 90 clients who completed therapy. These showed a positive trend among clients in self-reported improvements in physical health and mental health-related emergency visits:
- 44% said their physical health had improved
- 35% were visiting their GP less often
- 23% were visiting A&E less often
Feedback forms also showed how clients felt about Saffron Sheffield:
- 100% were happy with the service they received
- 100% would recommend Saffron Sheffield to a friend
- 98% were satisfied with their initial contact and response
Of the 23 clients who completed their 1:1 wellbeing sessions this year, 21 (91%) saw a reduction in depression symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and 19 (83%) experienced a decrease in their general anxiety as measured by the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) 7 scale.
## **Client Voices**
_“Saffron has been a lifesaver for me. I was welcomed in without judgement, and my therapist listened to me with compassion, enabling me to achieve the goals I set out at the start of my therapy.”_
_“I am definitely thinking about things differently. I am able to notice my fight/flight response much quicker and understand where this comes from. I am less stressed overall and feel more comfortable in myself.”_
_“For me, the fact that this therapy is even available has been life-changing. Being with a women-only service has provided me with an environment where I feel completely safe and heard by the therapist and the service as a whole. It has been helpful that this is a free service to reduce any financial stress.”_
_“Being able to speak to somebody with a kind voice and unpack all the pain I have been in_
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
_has given me time to reflect on things and better understand myself and my relationships. I feel like my therapy has saved my life. My therapist has been incredibly kind, an excellent listener, and nonjudgmental.”_
_“When I have had therapy before, I guess it has not been specialised enough. At Saffron, I have not felt pressured or rushed and felt understood in a way I have not felt before.”_
_“It's been a different experience for me, having only been in NHS services. Saffron is a lot more person-centred, and I am in the lead. Things like always being on time, the room always being prepared, and being given a heads up if a session is being cancelled helped me trust it.”_
_“The sessions offered did not feel limited. I felt I was assessed properly and provided the right amount of support. The fact that I can have a female therapist and that it is a femaleonly service has enabled me to feel safe to engage in therapy and the service as a whole.”_
_“I believe that the service has had a huge impact on me. I have learned a lot and do not need others to validate or inform me of who I am. I am starting to know who I am for myself. I also feel that my body is healing as well.”_
_“Having services that can help someone like me, at my age, who has had past trauma but has not had much contact or support from other services. It's never too late to do the reflection and focus on your mental health. It's just amazing that it's free, and I feel very privileged to have had this support.”_
_“I am forever grateful to Saffron for giving me this opportunity to grow.”_
_“The service from everyone - all staff - clinical and office staff has always been really helpful and polite. I have recommended the service to lots of people. I feel like I have really benefited in terms of understanding myself, not just recognising my behaviours but also changing my behaviours. People have mentioned that I have become a more positive person - not just outwardly but also in my thought processes.”_
_“I feel like even though it was a long wait due to covid, that the wait was worth it. Therapy has helped me really engage with how I feel and my body and how different parts of my life affect me, but also how to recognise those feelings and how to respond. I wish I had more sessions, but at the same time, I don't think I need them!”_
_“To be honest, I didn't think anything was going to change, but I feel different. My friends have said they have seen such a change in me in the past year. Incredible.”_
_“I have found my therapy very rewarding. It has been really good to speak with someone who has unconditional empathy and through this establish a trusting relationship This has made me feel very safe to talk about myself and find more healthy ways of coping with both past and present difficulties.”_
_“I thought when I first started 'who would want to listen to me.' I feel like something is clicking in my brain now. I feel different and not as traumatised by my abuse. The 40 sessions have given me the time to work deeper and speak about things that were tightly locked away.”_
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Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
_“After everything I have kept bottled up in me for so long, I finally feel free. I feel like I can breathe and finally can consider myself a functioning and self sufficient member of society, and do more meaningful work in improving and furthering myself.”_
_“Saffron has provided me with therapy that I would not have otherwise been able to afford. My therapist, through Saffron, has changed my life.”_
_“I have changed from a confused dysfunctional person to someone who feels confident they have the tools to live safely. Thank you Saffron.”_
_“Saffron showed me that change is possible.”_
_“My therapist has successfully given me the space to explore my past traumas in both a sensitive and validating way. During our sessions, I have felt secure enough to release emotions which were previously repressed, and I have been taught how to reframe my past experiences and learn how to be compassionate with my younger self. My therapist has provided me with coping tools which I'll be able to utilise for the rest of my life, and for that, I'll be forever grateful.”_
_“I wouldn't have been able to have therapy if it weren't for video calls. The video option has made it 100% accessible for me. I'm comfortable and safe, and it's made it easier for me to open up to my therapist.”_
_“The therapy Saffron has offered me has been life-changing. I feel like we managed to kickstart the healing of my trauma, as well as personal growth that would have taken me many years to resolve by myself, if at all.”_
_“I've had therapy before, which had nowhere near the same impact as what Saffron offers. It was the specific trauma-based approach and expertise that finally helped me overcome and deal with my trauma and the resulting patterns that I carried throughout adulthood.”_
_“I’ve learned so much about myself, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I can finally start moving forward, which is tremendous and exciting.”_
_“What a lifeline therapy with Saffron has been for me - I'm genuinely not sure I would still have been here without it.”_
_“This is the first time I have been spoken to and treated like a human being.”_
## **Financial Review**
## **Overview**
At the end of the reporting period, the charity held total funds of £336,292 (2023: £311,647). Of this, £42,342 (2023: £4,544) is held in Restricted funds and £293,950 (2023: £307,103) in Unrestricted funds. The Unrestricted funds total of £293,950 comprises the value of Saffron Sheffield’s main premises (289 Abbeydale Road), which
18
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
is a fixed asset of £134,815, free reserves of £116,000, a designated building fund of £14,000 and a designated fund of £29,135 which is allocated towards service delivery in the new financial year 2024-25. This breakdown is shown in the Notes to the Accounts, Note 20. Net current assets at the end of the reporting period were £201,477 (2023: £173,087).
## **Income**
Total income for the reporting period came to £363,512, an increase from the previous year (2023: £292,799). The Sheffield Integrated Care Board (ICB), formally the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has continued to acknowledge the importance of our work in Sheffield, awarding us £85,428 in the reporting period. We appreciate that the ICB continues to recognise our role as a specialist service provider by renewing our 3-year grant agreement and continuing the same level of funding until 2026-27.
In addition, we were fortunate to have been awarded 21 grants totalling £257,190 (2023: £201,706) from a range of local and national charitable trusts, which are detailed in the Notes to the Accounts, Note 4. 8 of these grants are multi-year funding agreements, and include the National Lottery, The Henry Smith Charity and the Leathersellers Company Charitable Trust, who we specifically targeted to help ensure future funding security.
Per our funding strategy, we continued seeking opportunities to diversify our income streams with more individual donor fundraising activities. These included an ongoing partnership with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club - taking a bucket collection outside Hillsborough Stadium on match days, a matched funding appeal, peer-to-peer sponsored events including a 150ft indoor abseil and the ‘Step out for Saffron’ walking challenge. We have also increased our digital presence, including supporter emails, social media channels and website development, enabling a more straightforward process for online donations. We also delivered three external CPD training events to therapists and professionals across South Yorkshire.
The total income from donations, which includes individual giving and campaign activity, during the reporting period was £15,131 (2023: £11,430). The new income stream from training events was £4,470.
We are encouraged that our income from individual donations is significantly higher than the previous year despite the current cost of living pressures. We will continue to monitor the situation, manage risk, and be agile in our strategic decision-making regarding our ongoing fundraising activities.
## **Expenditure**
Total expenditure for the reporting period came to £338,867, an increase compared to the previous year (2023: £298,067). As a provider of specialist services, staff costs continue to be our main expenditure, and we increased capacity across the staff team in the year in response to the increased demand for our services.
19
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
In the reporting period, we increased all staff salaries by 2% due to the continued rising cost of living. We also invested in a translation service to increase the inclusivity of our services to women for whom English was not their first language and installed a new VoIP digital alarm system in our building.
## **Reserves Policy**
The trustees review the reserves yearly to ensure they align with Charity Commission guidance. We hold reserve funds to;
- meet expenditure commitments in the event of cash flow difficulties, which could otherwise bring about an interruption to service for our clients
- pay for unforeseen expenditure
- enable the winding up of the charitable company in the event of ceasing to operate
The level of required reserves agreed by the trustees is an amount sufficient to cover at least four months of fixed and essential running costs (as per the budgeted costs for the financial period). The trustees have therefore approved an increase to the level of reserves held up to £116,000 for the financial year ahead (£108,000 for the financial year ending 31 March 2024). Reserves are held in a separate bank account, which enables the charity to benefit from increased protection for its cash deposits under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and quarterly interest payments.
## **Plans for the Future**
As we finalise this report, we are focused on several ongoing fundraising activities, including individual appeals, sponsored events, and community activities, to continue to diversify our income.
Our CEO and Head of Clinical Services will spend time during 2024 reviewing the current structure of our team, ensuring that it best serves the needs of a growing organisation, and making positive changes where required, in consultation with the Board of Trustees.
Our CEO and Client Engagement Representative will continue building the client engagement programme with activities planned for the autumn of 2024, including a craft and coffee group and a storytelling workshop.
We have secured a donated energy efficiency audit for our building, which will help us secure funding for some much-needed renovation and building maintenance, including new windows, damp-proofing, and solar panel installation.
20
Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield) Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Ended 31 March 2024
## **Statement of Responsibilities of the Trustees**
The trustees (who are also directors of Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give an accurate and fair view of the charitable company's state of affairs and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period.
In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice
- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements
- prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose the charitable company's financial position with reasonable accuracy at all times and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the charitable company's assets and, hence, for taking reasonable steps to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
Additionally, the trustees are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the corporate and financial information on the charitable company's website.
Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. The trustees have prepared this report in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime of the Companies Act 2006.
The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees on 28 October 2024 and signed on their behalf by:
_________________
Judith Dodds, Treasurer
_________________ Gillian Godden, Trustee
21
Independent examiner’s report to the members of Sheffield Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service Limited (Saffron Sheffield)
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2024 which are set out on pages 23 to 44.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity trustees of the company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (‘the 2006 Act’).
Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your company’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the 2011 Act’). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
## **Independent examiner's statement**
Since the company’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or
4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Christy Lau FCCA CTA DChA Slade & Cooper Limited Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Ancoats Manchester, M4 6JG
Date 19 November 2024
22
## Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Statement of Financial Activities
(including Income and Expenditure account) for the year ended 31 March 2024
|Unrestricted
funds
Note
£
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
15,131
Charitable activities
4
62,500
5
4,612
Investments
1,151
**Total income**
**83,394**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
6
39,597
Charitable activities
7
56,950
**Total expenditure**
**96,547**
9
**(13,153)**
**Net movement in funds for the year**
**(13,153)**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
21
307,103
**Total funds carried forward**
21
**293,950**
Other trading activities
**Net income/(expenditure) for**
**the year**|Restricted
funds
£
-
280,118
-
-
**280,118**
-
242,320
**242,320**
**37,798**
**37,798**
4,544
**42,342**|Total funds
2024
£
15,131
342,618
4,612
1,151
**363,512**
39,597
299,270
**338,867**
**24,645**
**24,645**
311,647
**336,292**|_Total funds_
_2023_
_£_
_11,430_
_281,369_
_-_
_-_
**_292,799_**
_31,941_
_266,126_
**_298,067_**
**_(5,268)_**
**_(5,268)_**
_316,915_
**_311,647_**|
|---|---|---|---|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
A full comparative Statement of Financial Activities is available on the last page of the financial statements.
23
## Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited Company number 02443288
## Balance sheet as at 31 March 2024
|Note
£
£
**Fixed assets**
Tangible assets
14
134,815
**Total fixed assets**
**134,815**
**Current assets**
Debtors
15
36,266
Cash at bank and in hand
16
185,058
**Total current assets**
**221,324**
**Liabilities**
Creditors: amounts falling
due in less than one year
17
(19,847)
**Net current assets**
**201,477**
**Total assets less current liabilities**
336,292
**Net assets**
**336,292**
**The funds of the charity:**
Restricted income funds
19
42,342
Unrestricted income funds
20
293,950
**Total charity funds**
**336,292**
2024|_£_
_£_
_138,560_
**_138,560_**
_9,494_
_216,636_
**_226,130_**
_(53,043)_
**_173,087_**
_311,647_
**_311,647_**
_4,544_
_307,103_
**_311,647_**
_2023_|_£_
_£_
_138,560_
**_138,560_**
_9,494_
_216,636_
**_226,130_**
_(53,043)_
**_173,087_**
_311,647_
**_311,647_**
_4,544_
_307,103_
**_311,647_**
_2023_|
|---|---|---|
|||**_138,560_**
**_173,087_**|
|||_311,647_|
|||**_311,647_**|
|||_4,544_
_307,103_|
|||**_311,647_**|
For the year in question, the company was entitled to exemption from an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
Directors' (trustees') responsibilities:
- The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006
- The directors (trustees) acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts
These accounts are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.
The notes on pages 26 to 44 form part of these accounts.
Approved by the trustees on 28/10/2024 and signed on their behalf by:
Judith Dodds, Treasurer
Gillian Godden, Trustee
24
## Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Statement of Cash Flows
## for the year ending 31 March 2024
|Note
2024
£
**Cash provided by/(used in) operating activities**
22
**(32,729)**
(31,578)
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
216,636
**Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year**
16
**185,058**
Increase/(decrease) in cash and cash
equivalents in the year|_2023_
_£_
**_(38,744)_**
_(38,744)_
_255,380_
**_216,636_**|
|---|---|
25
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024
## **1 Accounting policies**
The principal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:
## **a Basis of preparation**
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), second edition - October 2019 (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.
## **b Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis**
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.
The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.
## **c Income**
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.
Income received in advance of a provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.
26
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **d Donated services and facilities**
Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised; refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.
## **e Interest receivable**
Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the bank.
## **f Fund accounting**
Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.
Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.
## **g Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT**
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.
## **h Operating leases**
Operating leases are leases in which the title to the assets, and the risks and rewards of ownership, remain with the lessor. Rental charges are charged on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.
## **i Tangible fixed assets**
Individual fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:
Land & buildings 50 years Improvements to property 4 years Fixtures & fittings 3 years Equipment 4 years
27
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **j Debtors**
Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.
## **k Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and cash in hand includes cash and short term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.
## **l Creditors and provisions**
Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
## **m Financial instruments**
The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.
## **n Pensions**
Employees of the charity are entitled to join a defined contribution ‘money purchase’ scheme. The charity’s contribution is restricted to the contributions disclosed in note 10. There were £nil outstanding contributions at the year end.
The money purchase plan is managed by The Pensions Trust and the plan invests the contributions made by the employee and employer in an investment fund to build up over the term of the plan a pension fund which is then converted into a pension upon the employee’s normal retirement year age when eligible for a state pension. The total expense ratio of the plan is 0.45% for the main fund, and total expense ratio is less than 0.52%, and this is deducted from the investment fund annually. The trust has no liability beyond making its contributions and paying across the deductions for the employee’s contributions.
## **2 Legal status of the charity**
The charity is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales and has no share capital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The registered office address is disclosed on page 1.
28
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **3 Income from donations and legacies**
|Donations
Hasluck Charitable Trust
Gripple Foundation
Arnold Clark Community Fund
**Total**
All donations and legacies income is unrestricted.
Individual Giving, Gift aid and
The Big Give campaign activity
The Cooperative Bank
The Big Give (matched
donations)|Total 2024
£
10,610
2,021
2,000
500
-
-
15,131|_Total 2023_
_£_
_8,072_
_358_
_-_
_1,000_
_1,000_
_1,000_
_11,430_|
|---|---|---|
29
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **4 Income from charitable activities**
|J.G. Graves Charitable Trust
People's Postcode Lottery
Wesleyan Foundation
February Foundation
**Total**
The Leathersellers' Foundation
**Current reporting**
**period**
Evan Cornish Foundation
Souter Charitable Trust
Zachary Merton & George Woofindin
Convalescent Trust
The Cutlers’ Company Charitable
Trust
NHS South Yorkshire ICB
Hyman Winstone
Sheffield Town Trust
Henry Smith Charity
James Neill Trust Fund
Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust
The Big Give Digital Grant
Schroder Charity Trust
Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust
The National Lottery Community
Fund
The Secretary of State for Health
and Social Care
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined
Authority / MoJ
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined
Authority|Unrestricted
£
-
25,000
-
-
1,000
-
-
2,000
-
-
2,000
-
25,000
-
-
-
4,000
3,000
-
-
-
500
62,500|Restricted
£
85,428
-
2,000
3,000
-
63,700
23,382
-
500
10,000
-
64,230
-
10,000
7,500
5,000
-
-
2,678
2,000
700
-
280,118|Total 2024
£
85,428
25,000
2,000
3,000
1,000
63,700
23,382
2,000
500
10,000
2,000
64,230
25,000
10,000
7,500
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,678
2,000
700
500
342,618|
|---|---|---|---|
30
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **4 Income from charitable activities (cont.)**
|_NHS South Yorkshire ICB_
_Sheffield Town Trust_
_Henry Smith Charity_
_The Brelms Trust CIO_
_James Neill Trust Fund_
_The Talbot Trusts_
_Evan Cornish Foundation_
_Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust_
_The Tramlines Trust_
**_Total_**
_The Cutlers’ Company Charitable_
_Trust_
_Lloyds Bank Foundation for England_
_& Wales_
_Sheffield City Council Tackling_
_Inequalities_
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
_South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined_
_Authority / MoJ_
_J.G. Graves Charitable Trust_
_Sheffield City Council Covid_
_recovery_
_The Leathersellers' Foundation_
_Zachary Merton & George Woofindin_
_Convalescent Trust_|_Unrestricted_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_25,000_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_1,000_
_-_
_2,250_
_-_
_-_
_2,000_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_2,000_
_1,000_
_33,250_|_Restricted_
_£_
_83,021_
_50,000_
_-_
_10,000_
_2,000_
_3,000_
_-_
_60,000_
_-_
_23,382_
_3,466_
_-_
_2,500_
_750_
_10,000_
_-_
_-_
_248,119_|_Total 2023_
_£_
_83,021_
_50,000_
_25,000_
_10,000_
_2,000_
_3,000_
_1,000_
_60,000_
_2,250_
_23,382_
_3,466_
_2,000_
_2,500_
_750_
_10,000_
_2,000_
_1,000_
_281,369_|
|---|---|---|---|
31
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **5 Income from other trading activities**
|2024
£
Saffron merchandise sales
142
Training income
4,470
4,612
All income from other trading activities is unrestricted.
**Cost of raising funds**
2024
£
Staff costs
32,559
Fundraising costs
7,038
39,597|_2023_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_2023_
_£_
_26,942_
_4,999_
_31,941_|
|---|---|
## **6 Cost of raising funds**
All expenditure on cost of raising funds is unrestricted.
32
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **7 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities**
|Staff costs (see note 10)
Recruitment
Supervision
Associate therapists
Staff training
Staff travel & subsistence
Volunteer costs
User costs
Subscription & reference
Office supplies
Consultancy fees & expenses
Events & conferences
Awareness raising
Premises costs
Office costs
Equipment & repairs
Depreciation
Governance costs (see note 8)
Restricted expenditure
Unrestricted expenditure|Total 2024
£
230,026
250
900
28,277
2,256
204
65
42
1,367
521
7,269
2,467
1,767
10,946
4,205
1,644
3,745
3,319
299,270
2024
£
242,320
56,950
299,270|_Total 2023_
_£_
_198,996_
_1,280_
_1,275_
_30,067_
_3,071_
_237_
_76_
_5_
_293_
_792_
_4,617_
_-_
_3,212_
_9,560_
_4,323_
_1,694_
_3,745_
_2,883_
_266,126_
_2023_
_£_
_259,345_
_6,781_
_266,126_|
|---|---|---|
33
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **8 Analysis of governance and support costs**
- **9**
|Basis of
apportionment
Trustees training and recruitment
Governance
Independent examination fees
Governance
Accountancy services
Governance
Legal and professional
Governance
_Basis of_
_apportionment_
_Independent examination fees_
_Governance_
_Accountancy services_
_Governance_
_Legal and professional_
_Governance_
**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
This is stated after charging/(crediting):
Depreciation
Operating lease rentals:
Property
Independent examiner's fees (net of VAT)
Accountancy fees
Independent examination
QuickBooks Online subscription
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**|Governance
£
442
504
1,906
467
3,319
_Governance_
_£_
_480_
_1,700_
_703_
_2,883_
2024
£
3,745
-
1,342
420
246|Total 2024
£
442
504
1,906
467
3,319
_Total 2023_
_£_
_480_
_1,700_
_703_
_2,883_
_2023_
_£_
_3,745_
_423_
_1,207_
_400_
_210_|
|---|---|---|
34
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **10 Staff costs**
Staff costs during the year were as follows:
|Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
**Allocated as follows:**
Cost of raising funds
Charitable activities|2024
£
230,717
13,411
18,457
262,585
32,559
230,026
262,585|_2023_
_£_
_199,685_
_10,547_
_15,706_
_225,938_
_26,942_
_198,996_
_225,938_|
|---|---|---|
No employee has employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2023: Nil).
The average number of staff employed during the period was 11 (2023: 11).
The key management personnel of the charity comprise the trustees and Chief Executive Officer. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £48,600 (2023: £41,814).
## **11 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions**
Neither the trustees nor any persons connected with them received any remuneration or reimbursed expenses during the year (2023: Nil).
Aggregate donations from related parties were £622 (2023: £651).
There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business and no restricted donations from related parties.
A declaration of interest was made in 2022/23 which relates to the supplier Custodia Continuity who were contracted to provide data security consultancy and support (to the value of £4,644 in the year ended 31 March 2024 (2023: £4,617) which is shown under Consultancy fees in Note 7, Expenditure breakdown).
One of the Directors of Custodia Continuity is the partner of a key staff member (Finance Manager) and therefore, in the interests of transparency, the Trustees consider it appropriate to disclose this as a related party transaction. The decision to engage Custodia Continuity was reviewed by the Chair of Trustees at the time prior to the contract being issued.
No other person related to the charity or Trustees had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year (2023: Nil).
35
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **12 Government grants**
The government grants recognised in the accounts were as follows:
|NHS South Yorkshire ICB
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Sheffield City Council
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority /
MoJ|2024
£
85,428
23,382
7,500
2,678
-
118,988|_2023_
_£_
_83,021_
_23,382_
_-_
_-_
_60,000_
_166,403_|
|---|---|---|
The unfulfilled conditions and contingencies attaching to the grants were to complete restricted projects (see note 19).
## **13 Corporation tax**
The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within Chapter 3 of Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.
## **14 Fixed assets: tangible assets**
|Property &
improvements
**Cost**
£
191,840
Additions
-
Disposals
(4,590)
187,250
**Depreciation**
53,280
Charge for the year
3,745
Disposals
(4,590)
52,435
**Net book value**
134,815
_138,560_
_At 31 March 2023_
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2024
At 31 March 2024
At 1 April 2023
At 1 April 2023|Fixtures &
fittings
£
3,607
-
-
3,607
3,607
-
-
3,607
-
_-_|Equipment
£
2,283
-
-
2,283
2,283
-
-
2,283
-
_-_|£
197,730
-
(4,590)
193,140
59,170
3,745
(4,590)
58,325
134,815
_138,560_
Total|
|---|---|---|---|
36
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **15 Debtors**
|Grants receivable
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
**16**
**Cash at bank and in hand**
Cash at bank and in hand
**17**
**Creditors: amounts falling due within one year**
Other creditors and accruals
Deferred income
**18**
**Deferred income**
Deferred grant brought forward
Grant received
Released to income from charitable activities
Deferred grant carried forward|2024
£
34,793
-
1,473
36,266
2024
£
185,058
185,058
2024
£
9,347
10,500
19,847
2024
£
46,700
10,500
(46,700)
10,500|_2023_
_£_
_7,521_
_238_
_1,735_
_9,494_
_2023_
_£_
_216,636_
_216,636_
_2023_
_£_
_6,343_
_46,700_
_53,043_
_2023_
_£_
_88,250_
_46,700_
_(88,250)_
_46,700_|
|---|---|---|
37
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **19 Analysis of movements in restricted funds**
|Sheffield Town Trust
Total
Wesleyan Foundation
J.G. Graves Charitable
Trust
Zachary Merton &
George Woofindin
Convalescent Trust
Evan Cornish
Foundation
Henry Smith Charity
South Yorkshire
Mayoral Combined
Authority / MoJ
The National Lottery
Community Fund
February Foundation
South Yorkshire
Mayoral Combined
Authority
The Secretary of State
for Health and Social
Care
Sheffield Church
Burgesses Trust
The Big Give Digital
Grant
**Current reporting**
**period**
NHS South Yorkshire
ICB|Balance at
1 April
2023
£
4,544
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
4,544|Income
£
85,428
2,000
3,000
63,700
23,382
500
10,000
64,230
10,000
7,500
5,000
2,678
2,000
700
280,118|Expenditure
£
(89,972)
(2,000)
(3,000)
(53,473)
(23,382)
(500)
(10,000)
(32,115)
(10,000)
(7,500)
(5,000)
(2,678)
(2,000)
(700)
(242,320)|Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-|Balance at 31
March 2024
£
-
-
-
10,227
-
-
-
32,115
-
-
-
-
-
-
42,342|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
38
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **19 Analysis of movements in restricted funds (cont.)**
|_Sheffield Town Trust_
_The Talbot Trusts_
_The Big Give_
_Total_
_The Brelms Trust CIO_
_South Yorkshire’s_
_Community Foundation_
_Sheffield City Council_
_Tackling Inequalities_
_NHS South Yorkshire_
_ICB_
_Henry Smith Charity_
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
_Evan Cornish_
_Foundation_
_Sheffield City Council_
_Covid Recovery_
_Zachary Merton &_
_George Woofindin_
_Convalescent Trust_
_South Yorkshire_
_Mayoral Combined_
_Authority / MoJ_
_J.G. Graves Charitable_
_Trust_|_Balance at_
_1 April_
_2022_
_£_
_13,581_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_1,489_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_700_
_-_
_15,770_|_Income_
_£_
_83,021_
_50,000_
_10,000_
_2,000_
_3,000_
_60,000_
_23,382_
_-_
_3,466_
_2,500_
_750_
_-_
_10,000_
_248,119_|_Expenditure_
_£_
_(92,058)_
_(50,000)_
_(10,000)_
_(2,000)_
_(3,000)_
_(60,000)_
_(23,382)_
_(1,489)_
_(3,466)_
_(2,500)_
_(750)_
_(700)_
_(10,000)_
_(259,345)_|_Transfers_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_|_Balance at_
_31 March_
_2023_
_£_
_4,544_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_-_
_4,544_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
39
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **19 Analysis of movements in restricted funds (cont.)**
|**Name of fund**|**Description, nature and purposes of the fund**|
|---|---|
|NHS South Yorkshire|One year extension of 2020-23 grant towards the running costs of the|
|ICB|charity. The funding enables the provision of Saffron Sheffield’s service|
||which offers women who have suffered sexual abuse an opportunity to|
||explore their feelings and experiences in a safe, supportive women only|
||setting.|
|Sheffield Town Trust|Towards the running costs of the organisation, enabling the provision of|
||therapy and counselling sessions for women who have experienced|
||trauma or abuse.|
|The JG Graves|Towards the cost of specialist therapy provision for women, supporting|
|Charitable Trust|women to recover and rebuild their lives after trauma or abuse.|
|The Henry Smith|The first of three years’ continuation funding towards the running costs of|
|Charity - Improving|the charity and, in particular, to maintain the post of Head of Clinical|
|Lives Grant|Service and to contribute to Senior Therapist posts.|
|South Yorkshire|The second of three years’ funding towards the cost of therapy provision|
|Mayoral Combined|for women who have experienced trauma or abuse. The fund contributes|
|Authority (formally SY|to the cost of three part-time Therapist posts.|
|Police & Crime||
|Commissioner) - Victim||
|Services Grant/Ministry||
|of Justice||
|The Zachary Merton &|Towards the running costs of the organisation, enabling the provision of|
|George Woofindin|therapy and counselling sessions for women who have experienced|
|Convalescent Trust|trauma or abuse.|
|Evan Cornish|The first of a two year grant towards the cost of specialist therapy|
|Foundation|provision for women, supporting women to recover and rebuild their lives|
||after trauma or abuse.|
|The National Lottery|The first of three years’ funding towards the cost of therapy provision for|
|Community Fund|women who have experienced trauma or abuse. The fund also contributes|
||to Client Engagement activities.|
|Wesleyan Foundation|Towards the cost of specialist therapy provision for women, supporting|
|(South Yorkshire's|women to recover and rebuild their lives after trauma or abuse. The fund|
|Community Foundation)|has contributed to the cost of a part-time Therapist post.|
|South Yorkshire|Funding to support women who have suffered domestic abuse in Sheffield|
|Mayoral Combined|by contributing to the cost of two Senior Therapist posts.|
|Authority (formally SY||
|Police & Crime||
|Commissioner) -||
|Community Grant||
|Scheme||
40
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **19 Analysis of movements in restricted funds (cont.)**
## **Name of fund**
## **Description, nature and purposes of the fund**
The February Towards the running costs of the organisation, enabling the provision of Foundation therapy and counselling sessions for women who have experienced trauma or abuse.
The Secretary of State Towards the cost of delivering long term trauma therapy for vulnerable for Health and Social women in Sheffield. Care - Suicide Prevention Grant Fund
Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust
Towards the cost of specialist therapy provision for women, supporting women to recover and rebuild their lives after trauma or abuse.
The Big Give Digital Grant
A Women and Girls Digital grant which was allocated towards IT and Data Security services in the year.
41
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **20 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds**
|Building fund
General fund
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**
_General fund_
_Business continuity_
_fund_
**Current reporting**
**period**
Business continuity
fund|Balance at
1 April
2023
£
246,560
-
60,543
307,103
_Balance at_
_1 April_
_2022_
_£_
_245,305_
_55,840_
_301,145_|Income
£
58,394
-
25,000
83,394
_Income_
_£_
_19,680_
_25,000_
_44,680_|Expenditure
£
(40,139)
-
(56,408)
(96,547)
_Expenditure_
_£_
_(18,425)_
_(20,297)_
_(38,722)_|Transfers
£
(14,000)
14,000
-
-
_Transfers_
_£_
_-_
_-_
_-_|Balance at 31
March 2024
£
250,815
14,000
29,135
293,950
_Balance at_
_31 March_
_2023_
_£_
_246,560_
_60,543_
_307,103_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
## **Name of Description, nature and purposes of the fund unrestricted fund**
General fund The General Fund figure after allowing for all designated funds. This figure comprises Saffron Sheffield's free reserves of £116,000 and the value of its fixed asset (property at 289 Abbeydale Road) £134,815. Building fund Building fund for maintenance and improvements to premises on Abbeydale Road Business continuity Designated to fund otherwise unfunded operating costs in the 2024-25 fund operational budget. This fund includes a further £25,000 received from The Leathersellers' Foundation which has been designated to fund operating costs in the 2024-25 financial year.
42
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **21 Analysis of net assets between funds**
|Tangible fixed assets
Net current assets/(liabilities)
Total
_Tangible fixed assets_
_Net current assets/(liabilities)_
_Total_
**Current reporting**
**period**
**_Previous reporting_**
**_period_**|General
fund
£
134,815
116,000
250,815
_General_
_fund_
_£_
_138,560_
_108,000_
_246,560_|Designated
funds
£
-
43,135
43,135
_Designated_
_funds_
_£_
_-_
_60,543_
_60,543_|Restricted
funds
£
-
42,342
42,342
_Restricted_
_funds_
_£_
_-_
_4,544_
_4,544_|Total
£
134,815
201,477
336,292
_Total_
_£_
_138,560_
_173,087_
_311,647_|
|---|---|---|---|---|
## **22 Reconciliation of net movement in funds to net cash flow from operating activities**
|**Net income/(expenditure) for the year**
**Adjustments for:**
Depreciation charge
Decrease/(increase) in debtors
Increase/(decrease) in creditors
**Net cash provided by/(used in) operating**
**activities**|2024
£
24,645
3,745
(26,772)
(33,196)
(32,729)|_2023_
_£_
_(5,268)_
_3,745_
_7,616_
_(44,837)_
_(38,744)_|
|---|---|---|
43
Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service Limited
## Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 (continued)
## **23 Prior year Statement of Financial Activities (including Income and Expenditure account)**
|Unrestricted
funds
Note
£
**Income from:**
Donations and legacies
3
11,430
Charitable activities
4
33,250
5
-
**Total income**
**44,680**
**Expenditure on:**
Raising funds
6
31,941
Charitable activities
7
6,781
**Total expenditure**
**38,722**
9
**5,958**
**Net movement in funds for the year**
**5,958**
**Reconciliation of funds**
Total funds brought forward
301,145
**Total funds carried forward**
**307,103**
**Net income/(expenditure) for the**
**year**
Other trading activities|Restricted
funds
£
-
248,119
-
**248,119**
-
259,345
**259,345**
**(11,226)**
**(11,226)**
15,770
**4,544**|Total funds
2023
£
11,430
281,369
-
**292,799**
31,941
266,126
**298,067**
**(5,268)**
**(5,268)**
316,915
**311,647**|_Total funds_
_2022_
_£_
_11,945_
_235,806_
_1,521_
**_249,272_**
_19,436_
_255,560_
**_274,996_**
**_(25,724)_**
**_(25,724)_**
_342,639_
**_316,915_**|
|---|---|---|---|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derives from continuing activities.
44