DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Registered Charity No.1063430 Registered Company No. 3376847**
## **Annual Report and Accounts 2022/2023**
**Menzies LLP Independent Examination**
DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **Table of Contents**
|**1**|**Welcome from the Chairman ................................................................................... 4**|
|---|---|
|**2**|**Operational Activities and Achievements .............................................................. 6**|
||Reducing health inequalities -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6|
||Connected Lives ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6|
||Working with Hertfordshire County Council------------------------------------------------------- 7|
||Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy ................................................................................................................. 7|
||Training and Development Centre ------------------------------------------------------------------ 8|
||_‘Hearing AiderTM’ Training_......................................................................................................................... 8|
||Working in partnership with care providers ------------------------------------------------------- 8|
||Volunteer Support Service – Our ‘Hearing Aiders’ --------------------------------------------- 10|
||Hearing Support Service – Our ‘Hearing Advisors’ -------------------------------------------- 11|
||HAS Postal Service ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11|
||HAS Mobile Service ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11|
||Supporting NHS Audiology Services -------------------------------------------------------------- 11|
||Making Assistive Technology Accessible -------------------------------------------------------- 12|
||Technical Support Service – Our Equipment Specialists ------------------------------------ 12|
||Hearing Advisory Services in the East of England --------------------------------------------- 13|
||Bedfordshire Hearing Advisory Service ----------------------------------------------------------- 13|
||Northamptonshire Hearing Advisory Service ---------------------------------------------------- 13|
||Gibraltar Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus Association, GHITA --------------------------- 13|
||The Training Centre ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9|
||Social Clubs, Self Help Groups --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14|
||@accessherts - Introducing Deaf Services ------------------------------------------------------ 15|
||Deaf Clubs – at the heart of the community ----------------------------------------------------- 15|
||Deaf Patient Participation Groups ------------------------------------------------------------------ 15|
||Hospital/Community Sensory Link Worker ------------------------------------------------------- 15|
||Deaf Health Forum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16|
||Increasing awareness of Hearing Advisory Services ----------------------------------------- 17|
||Measuring Achievement ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18|
|**3**|**Our Structure and governance .............................................................................. 19**|
||Our Vision ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20|
||Our Core Values ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20|
||Our Mission ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20|
||Our Aim --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20|
||Our Strategic Intent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20|
||Our Strategies ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20|
||Our Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20|
||Our CSR policy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21|
||Our ESG Policy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21|
||The Trustees --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22|
||The Board, Committees and Working Groups -------------------------------------------------- 23|
||Honorary Patron, Advisors and Officers ---------------------------------------------------------- 24|
||Our Benefactors and Supporters ------------------------------------------------------------------- 25|
||Our Corporate Benefactors -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25|
||Our Colleagues in the Public Sector --------------------------------------------------------------- 25|
||Our Colleagues in NHS Audiology Departments ----------------------------------------------- 25|
||Our Colleagues in the Charity Sector ------------------------------------------------------------- 26|
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
||Our supporters, organisations and groups------------------------------------------------------- 26|
|---|---|
||Our Hearing Advisory Service Team -------------------------------------------------------------- 27|
|**4**|**Financial Reports .................................................................................................... 28**|
||Hon Treasurer’s Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28|
||Independent Examiner’s Report ------------------------------------------------------------------ 311|
|**5**|**Financial Accounts ............................................................................................... 322**|
||Statement of Financial Activities ----------------------------------------------------------------- 322|
||Balance Sheet ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 333|
||Responsibilities of the Directors ------------------------------------------------------------------ 333|
||Movement in Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 344|
||Notes and policies to the accounts -------------------------------------------------------------- 355|
## _**Thank you to our Local Authority and NHS Commissioners**_
**Audiology Services**
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **1 Welcome from the Chairman**
Dear Friends and Supporters
When I was appointed Chairman to the Board ten years ago, the Charity was vigilant for opportunities to deliver additional services and create diversified income to provide financial stability. In the rapidly changing times, there has been much development within HAS and the environment in which we operate.
Now, it is with feelings of both fondness and regret, that I am standing down as Chairman of the Charity. I intend, however, to continue to serve as a Trustee and Volunteer. In addition to my personal circumstances, this move is planned so that HAS may continue developing and reimagining services for the future.
During the last decade, I have seen many changes within the Charity. A constant presence has been Philip Linnegar, our excellent CEO, whose knowledge, abilities and commitment have enabled us to flourish into the current organization.
As I now look back, I am proud to have been involved with the Charity’s development. Some salient events include:
**Developing our ESG:** We have developed our ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’, set out elsewhere in this report.
**Environmental improvements:** HAS has been privileged, from its earliest inception, to have served people with hearing problems in Hertfordshire and (more recently) Bedfordshire. There have been occasions when the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) contract was put out to tender, and the outcome was uncertain. The latest contract, held jointly with Herts Vision Loss, has enabled the Charity to now support profoundly Deaf people, and work towards reducing health inequalities.
This change coincided with moving our Head Office from Woodside Centre, to WelTech Centre, which is a far more environmentally friendly building.
**Social Prescribing** : As a result of the changes to the NHS organization, the Charity was proud to become a Host Organisation for Link Workers within GP surgeries and, more recently, a Community Sensory Link Worker supporting people countywide.
**Social Responsibility - Gibraltar:** HAS took the local organization, GHITA, under our wing on an informal basis, helping it develop into its present effective state, to support the Territory’s people with their hearing problems.
**Governance Refresh** : After 20 years, our Governing Document needed to be brought up to date with current legislation, and enhanced to include the wider scope of activities, and to more accurately reflect the range of beneficiaries we support.
## **New ideas, new services:**
**Suffolk Contract:** This was a new avenue for HAS to explore, drawing upon many years of experience. Our competitive bid was successful, and this geographical expansion
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
brought new responsibilities and personnel, who have become a welcome and established part of our team.
**Special Events** : Many activities and opportunities have manifested over the years. I was particularly pleased to use my hobby, playing guitar with a local club, to host a musical event to raise funds for HAS. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to talk about HAS to various social groups. The most recent event, also musical, was The Queen’s Platinum Piano Day, where I was the ‘sound guy’.
## **Appreciation**
These are just a few of the momentous events with which I am proud to have been associated. There are many more, but it would take a a very long book to mention them.
In conclusion, I wish to express my gratitude to all those involved with HAS, staff and volunteers, for their dedication and hard work. I would also like to thank once again, the Board of Trustees, past and present, for their encouragement and enthusiasm.
As a person with hearing difficulties since childhood, I have welcomed (and continue to welcome) the opportunity to help others similarly afflicted.
Long live HAS and may the Charity continue to develop!
## John Stoker
_John Stoker Chairman_
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **2 Operational Activities and Achievements**
## _**Reducing health inequalities**_
Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service is committed to reducing health inequalities for people who are hard of hearing or profoundly Deaf and use British Sign Language as their main aid to communication.
Research by SignHealth and RNID, highlighted that Deaf people in particular faced barriers accessing NHS services, with Deaf people and healthcare staff having difficulties communicating. Deaf people reported feeling excluded, marginalised and disenfranchised by the healthcare system, finding barriers at every step preventing them taking control of their health.
Hertfordshire County Council, HCC, findings through public engagement mirrored much of the national research. Supported by additional funding from HCC, the Charity has worked to develop practical solutions, reported later under 'Deaf Services'.
## _**Connected Lives**_
Connected Lives is the HCC commissioning model, which positively encourages colleagues to emerge from their silos, and address challenges together. By considering the Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy, NHS Commissioning Guidance, national study recommendations together with our own knowledge and experience of services, together we can make a difference for profoundly Deaf people.
We are enthusiastic to consider and willing to try through the work of our staff, volunteers and colleagues of partner organisations.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Working with Hertfordshire County Council**_
Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service has always been well supported by the Hertfordshire County Council, since the organisation was first created as a collaboration between the Council, NHS Audiology, Hertfordshire League for the Hard of Hearing and the County’s several Deaf Clubs, and named 'Hertfordshire Deafness Support Association', HeDSA, over 40 years ago.
## **Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy**
The Hertfordshire Sensory Strategy 2020-2023 has been very useful in drawing together partnerships, co-production between organisations, joint working, unifying ideas, resources and commitment to deliver better health and social care outcomes.
The Council committed to working with Voluntary, Charity, Social, Faith and Enterprise sector, VCSFE, the NHS, and other partners, by working through five Workstreams. HHAS is engaged into two of the Workstreams, through Task and Finish Groups for 'My Health', and 'My Home, My Community'.
The County Strategy Priorities are set out in the table below and include our updated Service Responses.
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Sensory Services Strategic Priorities HAS Service Responses
‘My Health’ Workstream
Providing clear and accessible information @accessherts - Deaf PPG
Improving collaborative working/integrated pathways @accessherts - Deaf Health Forum
‘My Home, My Community’
-
Improving emotional/peer support @accessherts Deaf Befriending
-
@accessherts Deaf Group Support
Making Assistive Technology accessible HAS Hearing Aid Support Service
HAS Equipment Support Service
Improving wider Sensory Awareness of colleagues HAS Training Centre
@accessherts - The Studio
-
@accessherts FaceBook page
**----- End of picture text -----**
## _**Social Prescribing and the role of Link Workers**_
The Sensory Strategy work aligns to the Connect and Prevent principles within Connected Lives. One important part of the closer working relationships in recent years has been the development of the Hertfordshire Community Navigator Service, HCNS. The partnership has developed to support Social Prescribing.
In simple terms, many people make appointments to see their GP with medical conditions or issues that cannot be cured with a doctor's prescription. Examples of this could include housing conditions, loneliness, lack of confidence, money worries, or not feeling a sense of belonging to the community.
In such a situation, a GP can complete a Social Prescription, which is passed to a trained Link Worker. They in turn will meet with the patient and put together a package of support that will improve their health and well-being. Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service hosts two Link Workers, providing service to patients of Danais Primary Care Network in Hemel Hempstead. The PCN is formed of Bennetts End Surgery and Everest House surgery.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Training and Development Centre**_
The Charity is well placed to create and deliver our in-house training, to meet the needs we have identified that improve the lives of our clients, and the people who care for them. At the same time, we can publicise and promote other training providers, whose courses add to the range of subjects, or to the overall capacity of training courses available.
## _**‘Hearing Aider[TM] ’ Training**_
Most of us take our hearing for granted, but it is so important for our communication, confidence, independence and quality of life. In a care home setting, the number of residents having a hearing loss can be disproportionally high, presenting a challenge to raise the awareness of residential and care home managers for the need of better on-going support for both hearing aids and assistive technology.
‘Hearing Aider[TM] ’ Training is an intensive one-day course on hearing aid maintenance and deaf awareness we have developed for busy front-line care home staff. This is ideal in areas where demand for support cannot be met by volunteers, or as in-house training across multisite care home groups.
## _**Working in partnership with care providers**_
The Charity has continued to work with Hertfordshire Care Providers Association, HCPA, and Hertfordshire County Council, HCC.
HCPA supports many of the care home providers, across the county from the smallest to the largest. Their wide range of training courses help maintain the quality of care home provision across the county. HCC are also committed to provide courses to their staff through the Workforce Development Programme. We were delighted at the interest and uptake of our two courses, ‘Introduction to BSL’ and ‘Introduction to Deaf Awareness’, to the HCPA and HCC training schedules.
## **Course development**
The Charity is looking forward to extending our training courses to NHS providers, particularly at primary care level, in line with our objective of reducing health inequalities.
We are planning to introduce another course, originally developed by the former CEO of Cambridgeshire Hearing Help, Frances Dewhurst, called "Living well with hearing loss". This training and takes forward some of the proposals originally set out in the 'Action Plan for Hearing Loss', (NHSE 2015). Available in two versions, it is ideal for people with hearing loss, or for paid front-line carers who support residents with hearing loss in a care home setting.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **Lip Reading Classes**
Lip reading is a widely recognised and vital skill that can be taught to aid communication for people with acquired hearing loss. It can be great fun to learn, and many friendships start as the result of classes. Students learn to observe lip patterns, movements of the tongue, jaw and facial expressions. Developing skills that gradually put them all together enable lip readers to interpret what is being said, as an aid to communication.
Courses are available to people of all ages: our tutors and students set individual learning plans and regularly review progress so that by the end of the course it is clear to see how much has been achieved.
Learning to lip read requires dedication and commitment. Our different classes run in 10week terms, with modest fees that we benchmarked against other similar regional providers.
Our courses are provided on-line via Zoom, so students can study in the comfort of their own home. If you are interested in Lip reading classes please contact Maria Waller on 01472-286060, text 07467 122766, email suffolkinfo@hhas.org.uk, or complete the on-line form on our website.
## _**The Training Centre**_
The Marmot Review, “Fair Society, Healthier Lives”, (Marmot, 2010), proposed an evidencebased strategy to address the social determinants of health, from cradle to grave. It has provided successive governments with compelling evidence that has informed policy making over the last decade. The Charity is well placed to consider the provision of services, over the lifetime of clients.
Our ‘virtual’ Training Centre is a means to capture the several providers of training, the range of subjects and course types on offer, and the target audiences for the training. The common factor is that the training directly or indirectly supports people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or have a sensory loss.
## **Front-line staff training**
For many client-facing staff, there is already an appreciation for Continuing Professional Development. Some smaller courses raise awareness and can help make health information more accessible, remove barriers to communication. These include:
- Deaf Awareness Training
- Sensory Awareness Training
- Introduction to British Sign Language
- Introduction to SignVideo
- Introduction to Assistive Technology (Equipment)
- Introduction to NHS hearing aids (Hearing Aider[TM] training)
These courses are provided free of charge and are usually delivered via zoom. Alternatively, they can also be provided at our training rooms in Welwyn Garden City or Ipswich, or in-house by arrangement, (expenses may be charged). Please contact us for further details.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Volunteer Support Service – Our ‘Hearing Aiders’**_
Our friendly, trained volunteers, ‘Hearing Aiders’ have, since the formation of the Charity, provided our longest running service. We are keen to hear from people with a few hours to spare each month, in a variety of interesting roles.
## **Visiting Care Homes**
Looking after residents in sheltered accommodation, residential and nursing homes, a monthly visit for a couple of hours are enjoyable make a huge difference. It is amazing how a little support and encouragement can get the most out of a hearing aid, increasing someone's confidence and bringing a smile to their face.
## **Helping with the Postal Service**
Our HAS Postal Service remains a steady and popular alternative to many people, after the pandemic. We are currently recruiting for volunteers to help with our Postal Service requests. Based within our offices at Welwyn Garden City or Ipswich, our volunteers really make a difference.
## _**Appreciated, Valued – Volunteering is Fun…!**_
Volunteering is fun, and can be personally satisfying seeing someone’s face light up with the return of a world of sound. Clients appreciate care being provided closer to home, and without the journey to the hospital.
Many volunteers who join the Charity stay for years, and find that the two or three hours a month they give, working in their own local community, fits in well with their other commitments.
We would be delighted to hear from you, if you have some time to spare.
## _**Thanking, Rewarding, Celebrating**_
Every year in Hertfordshire, the Charity looks forward to hosting and event to celebrate the achievements of our fantastic Volunteers. During the summer, we were able to arrange a Volunteers Afternoon, which gave everyone an opportunity to get together again, and catch up with the changes that had taken place during the pandemic.
We thank our dedicated ‘Hearing Aider’ volunteers in Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Bedfordshire, for their time and support.
The total number of ‘Hearing Aider[TM] ’ volunteers in all areas supported by the Charity in 2022/23 was 90, (2021/22: 100).
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Hearing Support Service – Our ‘Hearing Advisors’**_
The Hearing Support Service is the staff led side of our activities and operates scheduled services across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk. It can be really helpful for people who wear a hearing aid and mobility, dexterity or transport problems, living independently in their own homes, rather than sheltered housing or residential homes.
The services are supervised in Suffolk by Service Manager, Maria Waller, and in Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire by our Office Manager, Charlotte Spurway.
## _**HAS Postal Service**_
Our Postal Service, introduce during the pandemic and using pre-printed strong 'Send' and 'Return' envelopes, has become part of our regular service offer. 'Send' envelopes give simple to follow instructions, and the 'Return' envelopes publicise some of the services and volunteering opportunities available from the Charity.
## _**HAS Mobile Service**_
Halfway through the year, and eighteen months into the pandemic, the number of people
The mobile units in Suffolk and Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire also led to the recruitment of new staff, and the development of new roles in the Charity.
## _**Supporting NHS Audiology Services**_
The Charity delivers non-statutory services across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Suffolk. We work in partnership with the Heads of Audiology, (and co-operate with our Deaf/Hard of Hearing Charity colleagues), to serve our shared client group, particularly where Departmental catchment areas are not necessarily co-terminus with our county boundaries.
As the Charity looks ahead, we observe that the pathways to audiology services is also being considered. The ‘Fuller Stocktake – Next steps for integrating primary care’, NHSE 2022, notes primary care as including GP surgeries, Dentist, Optometry, and Audiology. Furthermore, the ‘2023/24 priorities and operational planning and guidance’ NHSE 2022, considering recovering core services and productivity, ‘…moving to self-referral for many community services where GP intervention is not clinically necessary…’ and ‘expand direct access and self-referral where GP is not clinically necessary…routes to audiology – including hearing aid provision’.
The Charity, benefitting from the diversity of income streams derived from countywide contracts, and specialist agreements. With the abolition of Clinical Commissioning Groups in June 2022, we have maintained our observation of and engagement with their successors, Integrated Care Boards, ICBs. This is an essential step if we are to work with our colleagues in primary care to:
- Reduce health inequalities
- Support audiology pathway development
- Develop social prescribing services with sensory support
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Making Assistive Technology accessible**_
Our core service provision has developed to support people and increase the confidence they have in using their own hearing aid. Maintaining aids, and offering support increases personal confidence and reduces the devastating social isolation that hearing loss can cause.
Our services are complimentary to statutory provision, we continue the important process of rehabilitation after hearing loss, started by our NHS Audiology colleagues.
The services offered include:
- Advice and information
- Battery exchange and replacement
- Cleaning and re-tubing of NHS hearing aids
- Demonstration of hearing aid functions
- Equipment demonstration or signposting
- Hearing Loop installation and information
## _**Technical Support Service – Our Equipment Specialists**_
Communication is vital to maintaining relationships, being understood, achieving success at work, maintaining our individual well-being and ability to reach our full potential. Without it, we become misunderstood, isolated, anxious and frustrated.
For many people, their listening experience and their lives can be transformed by a simple piece of technology, the Hearing Loop. It allows people who use hearing aids or cochlear implants to listen more easily, cutting out unwanted background noise, and creating a clearer sound. It enables them to participate in everyday activities with dignity and without stress.
Our Technical Support Service has for many years offered advice and information on useful equipment that support daily living. This activity was based around our equipment showroom, and the expertise of our Technical Volunteers.
The Charity is reviewing how we might continue the public-facing work of the Technical Support Service, given our smaller premises at Weltech Centre, and the expense of maintaining a range of hearing loops, personal amplifiers, alerting devices, mobile and landline telephony for people to try.
This service assists deaf and hard of hearing people in the home and workplace, supported by our trained staff and technical volunteers.
## _**Hearing Loop Information Service**_
Our ‘Hearing Loop Information Service’ provides loop installation advice for village halls, places of worship and community centres, and continued to provide a valuable specialist service to organizations, concerned with providing support for visitors, residents, and parishioners. We continue our efforts to publicise the benefits of hearing induction loop systems which can result in clearer hearing for hearing aid users.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Hearing Advisory Services in the East of England**_
The Charity continues to work with Audiology Department Heads across the East of England, and to seek additional resources from charitable trusts and others. Our intention is to continue piloting new services where invited by Audiology Departments and Local Authorities during 2023/25, to provide the evidence of need required by the Commissioners, and to support and cooperate with our neighbouring counterpart charities.
## _**Bedfordshire Hearing Advisory Service**_
The Bedfordshire Hearing Advisory Service extends our ‘Hearing Support Service’ provides consulation appointments in partnership with health centres, community venues and also some residential homes on an ad hoc basis. With rural areas to the North, a mobile service is ideal and saves long journeys into Bedford.
This service was made possible because of the support given by our colleagues at the Audiology Department of Bedford Hospital, and Bedfordshire Sensory Services.
## _**West Northamptonshire Hearing Advisory Service**_
The West Northamptonshire Hearing Advisory Service pilot, supported people with NHS hearing aids dispensed by Northampton Audiology, Horton Audiology, and Central Milton Keynes Audiology.
We were previously funded by the predecessor of West Northamptonshire Council, having gained the support and encouragement from the parish and town councils. We intend to apply for funding this small but valued service, when funding opportunities allow.
## **Norfolk Deaf Association, Cambridge Hearing Help** and **Hearing Help Essex**
We keep in touch with our friends in the East of England, at Norfolk Deaf Association, Cambridge Deaf Association, (who merged with Hearing Help Cambridge), and Hearing Help Essex. We continue to jointly promote our client services along county boundaries and continue to cooperate on matters of mutual interest and support.
## **Suffolk Hearing Advisory Service**
The Suffolk Hearing Advisory Service is staff led, and operates scheduled services across the county. It can be a real help for people who wear a hearing aid and have mobility or dexterity problems, and difficulty with transport. The service results are reported in more detail elsewhere in the annual report.
## _**Gibraltar Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus Association, GHITA**_
Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, with a population of over 34,000 people, and served by regular flights between the City and until recently, nearby London Luton Airport on the UK mainland. Our staff team have informally adopted Gibraltar and GHITA as part of our social responsibility, and we continued to offer practical support and advice during the year.
## _**Reducing Loneliness and Social Isolation**_
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Social Clubs, Self Help Groups**_
Everybody wants to live a happy and enjoyable life, reducing the effects of hearing loss and feeling positive. The Charity may provide or support social clubs for clients and their carers, something that will be explored as ‘production’ with our team, ‘co-production’ or ‘publicity’ with others.
## **Hand in Hand Social Clubs**
Mostly provided in Suffolk, Hand-In-Hand Clubs are social clubs for people with dual sensory loss, (hearing and sight loss). These clubs run every month and are subject to a small subscription charge. Our clubs encourage people to build relationships and enjoy learning new skills. There is a programme of various activities and social outings helping to develop confidence to allow individuals to have as much control over their lives as possible.
The programme of activities includes support that will help to promote positive health, social inclusion and strategies for living. The clubs are managed by qualified and trained staff supported by a team of trained volunteers.
## **Hard of Hearing Social Clubs, Self Help Groups**
We are looking forward to safely re-starting our Hard of Hearing Social Clubs and self-help groups, once the effects of the pandemic have subsided. We may try combinations of ‘Zooms’ and ‘Rooms’, as we all return to the new normal.
If you are interested in attending a Hard of Hearing Club, or starting one in your area, please call Maria Waller 01472-286060, text phone 07467 122766, or suffolkinfo@hhas.org.uk. Social Clubs are subject to a small annual subscription fee.
## _**Platinum Piano Day 2022**_
In June 2022, the Charity were delighted to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth the Second. We produced a day of piano playing on an outdoor and indoor stage, in Hemel Hempstead town centre, to raise everyone’s spirits in joyus, day-long celebration.
Our thanks go to our staff, volunteers and volunteered family members, our professional and amateur musicians and supporting commercial companies including:
Chiltern Pianos, Bovingdon Watford Jazz Festival Vanessa Hastings John Watson Marlowes Shopping Centre Hemel Business In Dacorum Watford Shadows Club Stage Two Equipment Alfreso Café, Marlowes Centre SignSmart BSL Hertfordshire Music Service Hertfordshire Music Centre
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**@accessherts - Introducing Deaf Services**_
@accessherts is the branding of our Deaf Services, and is also our new, accessible FaceBook Channel with BSL content.
The Charity welcomes the investment by Hertfordshire County Council and NHS partners, as we work towards reducing health inequalities and increasing access to information, by developing Deaf Services for people who rely on BSL as their main aid to communication in line with the sensory strategy.
## _**Deaf Clubs – at the heart of the community**_
The pandemic was difficult for Deaf Clubs - for committees, for members. Social events, revenue for costs, members isolating and shielding all affected individual clubs and for the wider club networks across the region. Clubs are at the heart of the Deaf Community.
During the year, we have maintained links with Ipswich Deaf Club, Welwyn Hatfield Deaf Club, Watford Deaf Club, Hemel Hempstead and Hertford. We continue to look at ways to support the Deaf Clubs, their Officers and Members.
## _**Deaf Patient Participation Groups**_
Local Authority and NHS commissioners rarely collaborate when it comes to Deaf Services. Consequently, in the past, each Clinical Commissioning Group, CCG, has a small Deaf population. Addressing the needs of Deaf people are not always taken into account because the numbers involved are so small compared to the whole population.
The Charity, working with partners at primary care level, we were able to hold one Deaf Patient Participation Group, D/PPG. This was associated with an existing PPG, that we believe is the first in England.
## _**Community Sensory Link Worker**_
The Charity worked with Hertfordshire Community Navigator Service, HCNS, to develop and recruit our first Community Sensory Link Worker. The main purpose of the post will be to work to support patients with sensory loss so that they can be discharged to home or respite care. The role, working with our Deaf Services Team, will also support improving the ongoing development of our Deaf Services.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Deaf Health Forum**_
The Deaf Services team worked with Officers from the local Hertfordshire Deaf Clubs, to develop a Deaf-led “Deaf Health Forum. We are enthusiastic and motivated to deliver this important new work to reduce health and social inequalities for Deaf people in Hertfordshire and beyond.
## **Proposed Aim**
The Aim of the Deaf Health Forum is to reduce the health and social care inequalities that create issues of concern to the Deaf Community.
## **Proposed Objectives**
The proposed objectives of the Deaf Health Forum are to provide a positive framework for analysing old problems and proposing new ways forward. In other words:
- Change problems into solutions
- Change negatives into positives
- Change barriers into bridges
The Deaf Health Forum will have address two main groups.
- The Deaf Community[i]
- Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Service, HWE ICS
## **The Deaf Community**
The Forum will be supported by the @accessherts team, link to the county’s two main Deaf Clubs, and two hospital trusts:
- Watford Deaf Club/West Herts Hospital Trust (WHHT)
- Welwyn Garden City Deaf Club/East & North Herts Hospital Trust (E&NHHT)
## **Membership**
The Forum is a community-based group with Officers from the Clubs and @accessherts working closely together, and always Deaf-led by someone who uses BSL as their main aid to communication, with the HAS CEO in attendance to advise on developing connections to the correct part of the emerging HWE ICS structure or existing network structures.
We are enthusiastic and motivated to deliver the Forum and other services. The format of the Forum has assisted with thanks to guidance from colleagues at Healthwatch Hertfordshire, HwH, and H&WE ICS.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Increasing awareness of Hearing Advisory Services**_
The Charity continues to raise awareness of our services, by modestly investing and improving our channels of communication. Awareness of the Charity was gauged as part of our Measuring Outcomes work, reported elsewhere. Being online is a great and inexpensive way to engage supporters and volunteers, and is an important way to reach service users. More people spend time online, so we need to be ready to meet them there.
## _**Hearing Helpline**_
Our aspiration is to ensure that the telephones are manned during office hours Monday – Thursday, with an answerphone at all other times.
## _**News and Views e-newsletter**_
‘News and Views’ is the Charity’s newsletter distributed free to our volunteers and available on subscription to our supporters, in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk. Publication was on-hold during the pandemic, but was restarted a much slimmed down e-newsletter during the year.
## _**HAS Website**_
The HAS website continues to be updated reflecting the changing services and activities of the Charity, including new ways of working, such as on-line appointment booking.
## _**Deaf Befriending, Deaf Services and SignVideo[TM]**_
SignVideo is the UK market leader in Video Remote Interpreting, VRi, and Video Relay Services, VRs. We continue to highlight the benefits of SignVideo, by arranging demonstrations of the platforms to colleagues in Local Authorities and NHS organisations.
As part of our Deaf Services, the SignVideo app on tablet devices will help us deliver our Deaf Services.
## _**Our Social Media - FaceBook**_
Social media is now a part of many charities’ communications channels. The challenge for many is to find a balance between providing an interesting news stream, and the cost of using existing staff to maintain coverage. Our solution was to work with Herts Vision Loss, and commission a FaceBook Editor to support both charities as we deliver the sensory strategy.
The FaceBook pages are:
- @hearingadvisoryservice1984
- @accessherts
- @hertsvisionloss2022
We are trying to get as many Likes as possible, so please send these links to any friends and colleagues to get them to Like the our Facebook pages!
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Measuring Achievement**_
For the voluntary sector in Britain, the ‘Social Return on Investment’, SROI, approach is steadily increasing to demonstrate to funding organisations a more rigorous approach to performance management, while attempting to capture the social impacts of public spending. The aim of the SROI approach is to maximise the value of social outcomes produced by a given level of expenditure.
However, outcomes need to be organised in a clear hierarchy, so that they are capable of driving a set of operational plans. The Government’s plans focus on creating the right conditions to secure desired outcomes, but do not clearly articulate the outcomes: Charities are expected to articulate the outcomes themselves.
The Charity’s Commissioning Managers require us to state how we have measure and monitored outcomes we have agreed to.
## **Outcome Measurement**
Outcome Measurement, with respect to post-hearing aid instrument fitting in a social care context, (as opposed to a clinical or health care context), is a new area of work within the hearing impairment field. The ‘Rapid Participatory Appraisal’ method, RPA, and questions asked, do appear to indicate whether outcomes have been achieved.
The Charity will need to move from not only measuring what we do, (outputs), to being clear about what it is trying to achieve, (outcomes). This is also consistent with the Charity Commission requirements to report on how our charitable purpose relates to our operational services and our financial activity.
## _**Surveying during the pandemic**_
The Charity would normally perform our annual client survey across all services during the spring. However, due to the pandemic last year, and changes to our operations during 2022/3, we now anticipate reintroducing our surveying during 2023/24.
## _**Survey 1 ‘Has our service met your needs?’**_
The Charity has shared the investment in research and development of our Outcome Measurement RPA model with other sensory impairment charities, in a spirit of open cooperation. The first stage, Survey 1, is a simple freepost postcard. Clients answer questions related to outcome measures and invited to share their more general thoughts and comments, too. They may also provide contact details, to take part in Survey 2.
## _**Survey 2 ‘How do you feel now..?’**_
Our second survey to clients up to 3 months later, identifies changes in behaviour after our service had been used. If clients reported an action as a result of our help or advice, it would be a successful outcome. A period of 3 months would be long enough for a change to be noticed, and short enough for the change to be attributed to the service.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **3 Our Structure and governance**
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service, HHAS,** helps people affected by hearing loss and associated conditions in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and is a charitable company, limited by guarantee. Originally established in 1982 as Hertfordshire Deafness Support Association, HeDSA, HHAS was incorporated in May 1997.
In November 2016, the Trustees passed a Special Resolution, changing the Objectives and Governing Document, to better reflect current best practice published by the Charity Commission and the Charity’s own operating requirements.
**Charity Registration No.** 1063430 **Company Registration No.** 3376847 **Company Secretary**
Mr Philip Linnegar*
## **Our Performance and Results**
The Board of Trustees Annual Report 2022/23 report connects the HHAS governing document and the Statement of Financial Activity. This is achieved by reporting the aim of the charity, our strategies, and how successfully our principal activities have been achieved using different strategies. Our main service activity is summarized elsewhere in this report.
## **Hearing Support Services**
Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire: Hearing Aids 1787; Batteries 1586 Suffolk: Hearing Aids 3250; Batteries 1350
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Our Vision**_
Smiles from ear to ear.
## _**Our Core Values**_
- _We like people with hearing loss and want to achieve the best life outcomes for them_
- _We like to support our Staff & Volunteers who work with passion, emotion, empathy_
- _We like to provide an oasis of calm_
- _We like people to feel that they are the centre of our attention_
- _We like people to feel their talents are useful_
- _We like people to feel they can stick with us_
## _**Our Mission**_
Hearing Advisory Service works to improve the health and well-being for people affected by hearing loss.
## _**Our Aim**_
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** is established to relieve those people suffering from hearing impairment, deafness, sight impairment, blindness, deafblindness (dual sensory loss), and associated conditions as well as their carers.
## _**Our Strategic Intent**_
The strategic intent of Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service is to sustain and extend as a charity that serves people, (clients) who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, in Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, in order to mitigate the effects of their Deafness or hearing loss.
## _**Our Strategies**_
During the second pandemic year, the Board considered how the Charity would be meet its strategic intent, by adapting our five charitable strategies:
- To maintain the volunteer base and service provision
- To provide postal and other services, and seek resources to sustain operations
- To increase awareness of HAS and gain publicity about its work
- To maintain close links with existing partner organisations
- To set and meet high standards of performance for trustees, staff and operations
- To maintain a process of performance goals and reviews with all HAS personnel
## _**Our Objectives**_
In furtherance of the Charity’s aim, the objectives were met by providing high quality local services set out in this annual report.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Our CSR policy**_
As a successful Investor In People organisation, the Charity adopted a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to attract some of the positive benefits possible for our people and clients. We worked with Gibraltar Hearing Impairment and Tinnitus Association, GHITA, to provide Hearing Aider[ TM] training, expertise and assistive equipment. We maintain contact with the GHITA Committee, and congratulate their chairman, Edgar Triay, on being awarded the Gibraltar Award, GA, in the 2023 New Years Honours.
## _**Our ESG Policy**_
The Charity is now looking at the Environmental, Social and Governance Agenda (ESG) to see whether further benefits are possible for the organisation.
## **Environmental View**
Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service and Herts Vision Loss are located in adjoining Head Offices to the WelTech Business Centre in Welwyn Garden City. These offices are more energy efficient, with arrangements for recycling. In Ipswich, we continue to be based at Suffolk House.
## **Widening Society**
The Charity are looking forward to forming new connections with the communities we serve. Social Prescribing is a significant development for public health and well-being.
The Charity continued to be supported by specialist providers and consultants, in keeping with our aspiration to use local businesses, and pay invoices within 30 days.
## **Governance**
The next 12 months are going to be difficult. This is a time for the Charity to reflect, in some areas strengthen, and develop support for service users.
The Charity has become a corporate member of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations to supplement support from our professional advisors, the Hertfordshire Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Network, Herts BAME, and the Hertfordshire Carers Group.
The Board had agreed to consider the formation of a Remuneration Sub-Committee of the Finance and General Purposes Committee. The Charity developed an appropriate Terms of Reference, and Pay Policy, so the Board subsequently agreed to put this on hold.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**The Trustees**_
The Members of the Board are the directors for the purposes of the Companies Act and the charity trustees for the purposes of the Charities Act. The Trustee Board members determine the general policy and ensure the governance of the Company.
**Tony Edwards** was formerly Managing Director of the Church Urban Fund. He has many years of experience having served as Deputy Director of Operations at The Papworth Trust, Director of Trading and Enterprise at Volunteering England, and CEO of Hertfordshire Society for the Blind.
**Dennis Furnell*** is a naturalist and broadcaster, who has been involved with national and international conservation projects. He has worked on BBC and Independent Radio, and BBC Television, Channel 4, Anglia TV and The Discovery Channel. He was also instrumental in helping to set up the Visual Language Media Group, a television training facility for people with hearing impairment.
**James Bole** is an experienced Rehabilitation Officer for people with visual impairment, working in the sensory community in North Lincolnshire. He worked across the country (particularly Hertfordshire) and lectured at Birmingham City University on implantable miniature telescopes and sensory adaptations. He is involved on a Dementia and Sensory loss project, that involves the Parliamentary committee on Dementia, headed by Sir George Howarth. James works in the veterans community, supporting people with complex sight loss.
**Claire Oliver** is Head of Group Assurance for M Group Services. With over 15 years of experience in the delivery assurance services, Claire now leads on internal audit, risk management, investigations and business continuity planning for the Group. Claire has been Hon. Treasurer of the Charity since 2016.
**John Stoker*** is an HHAS Volunteer, and Chair of Trustees. He was formerly a Regional Director with a large multi-national consulting firm having enjoyed a long career as a mechanical, electrical and environmental engineer, both in the UK and overseas. John’s leisure activities include motorcaravanning, singing and playing guitar.
**Susan Street*** is a former Head of Commissioning within Health and Social Care, leading on programmes to improve transformation, service integration, pathways, prevention and outcomes, with stakeholders from the public, private and charity sectors. Susan has held a number of trustee posts both locally and regionally including Chair of Governors, East Regional Playwork Sector and Watford Women’s Centre. Susan enjoys gardening, walking, and is an active member of her local U3A.
**Glyn Evans** is former Operations Director for Watford Football Club.
**Philip Linnegar** * is CEO of Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service. His former appointments include CEO for Middlesex Association for the Blind, CEO for Hertfordshire Society for the Blind, Interim CEO for the National Association for Patient Participation, and Head of Membership & Development at Hearing Concern.
He is Secretary of WFC ENABLES, the official Disabled Supporters Group of the county’s premier league Watford Football Club, Chairman of Hemel Aces Football Club and Vice Chairman of Friends of Bennetts End Surgery, FOBES.
* Indicates deafness or hearing impairment
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**The Board, Committees and Working Groups**_
During the 2022/23 financial year, John Stoker chaired the Board and the Annual General Meeting. John is chair of the Service Committee, and Claire Oliver is chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee.
Each Trustee has taken responsibility for monitoring our activities in specific operational areas. Through their chairman, each Committee or Group present their reports or recommendations for action to the Board.
Trustees are appointed where they have the necessary skills and experience to contribute to the charity’s development. Prospective Trustees are invited to attend HHAS Board meetings at least once, as a non-voting observer. This forms part of the Board co-option process. New Trustees are supported through an induction process, based on the NCVO Best Practice guidance.
We are grateful to all our Trustees and Committee Members for the commitment of time and consideration they have given towards the good governance of the Charity.
_**Finance and General Purposes Committee**_ Tony Edwards Trustee John Stoker Trustee Susan Street Trustee Claire Oliver Committee chair, Hon Treasurer Philip Linnegar* CEO _**Strategy and Governance Committee**_ John Stoker Committee chair Claire Oliver Trustee, Hon Treasurer Philip Linnegar CEO _**Service Committee Hertfordshire**_ Garnet Newman Service Co-ordinator Elaine Bond Audiology Manager, West Herts Hospital NHS Trust John Stoker HHAS Volunteer and Trustee, (Chair) Jenny Begg HHAS Volunteer Tom Lyon Audiologist, Royal Free London Hospital NHS Trust * Indicates deaf or hearing impaired members, volunteers or staff
## _**Service Committee Bedfordshire**_
Sarah Kelley Sensory Services, Twinwoods Resource Centre Anna Lazenby Head of Audiology, Bedford Hospital NHS Trust Alison Lowe Senior Practitioner, Bedford Sensory Services Carol O’Brien Project Manager, Sight Concern Bedfordshire Garnet Newman Hearing Advisor, Bedfordshire Hearing Advisory Service
_**Service Oversight Suffolk**_ Caroline Carr Managing Director, Sensing Change Suffolk Philip Linnegar Chief Executive Officer Maria Waller Service Manager, Suffolk
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Honorary Patron, Advisors and Officers**_
## **Hon President**
The Charity is supported by our Hon President, Sue Walter. Sue is a former Lip Reading Teacher, and is a prolific and long standing 'Hearing Aider' Volunteer.
Our first Hon President was Bert Chiswell.
## **Hon Patron**
Our patron is The Rt. Hon. Sir Mike Penning MP. During the year, the British Sign Language Bill, introduced by Rosie Cooper MP, supported by Sir Mike and The Minister for State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Chloe Smith MP. This Bill made significant progress through The Commons and The Lords, before receiving Royal Assent from HM The Queen Elizabeth.
The Charity is grateful to Sir Mike and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson for mentioning Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service during the debates. We congratulate Rosie Cooper, Sir Mike, Chloe Smith, and BDA Chairman, David Buxton on this historic Legislation.
## **Independent Examiner**
Last year, we changed arrangements for our independent examination in-line with with Charity Commission ‘Statement of Recommended Practice’, and formally agreed to the appointment of Stuart Cuzner, a partner at Menzies LLP, as the Charity’s Independent Examiner.
**Insurers** Arthur J Gallagher Insurance Limited Devonshire House, Riverside Park, Barnstaple EX31 1EY **Bankers** CAF Bank plc 25 Kings Hill Ave, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4TA
## **Public benefit**
In setting our objectives and planning our activities, our trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular to keeping our costs and charges for any services to a minimum.
Secondly we ensure the benefits we offer are either restricted to those with hearing impairment, affected by hearing impairment, or designed to encourage engagement by deaf people with the wider community. Thirdly, in providing our services and activities, we always show due commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our service users.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Our Benefactors and Supporters**_
We take this opportunity to record our grateful thanks to all our Benefactors and friends who have provided us with valuable support in many different ways during the past year.
## _**Our Corporate Benefactors**_
British Telecom Hearing Products International
Geemarc Telecom Hearing Healthcare Practice Sarabec Limited Hanover Housing
## _**Our Colleagues in the Public Sector**_
Bedford Council, Sensory Services Team Central Bedfordshire, Sensory Services Team Central Milton Keynes Sensory Advice Resource Centre Team Hertfordshire County Council, Sensory Services Team Suffolk County Council, Sensing Change Team NHS Commissioning in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk and Northamptonshire
South Northamptonshire Council, for providing a grant on behalf of: Blisworth Parish Council; Brackley Town Council; Deanshanger Parish Council; Grange Park Parish Council; Kings Sutton Parish Council; Middleton Cheney Parish Council; Towcester Town Council
## _**Our Colleagues in NHS Audiology Departments**_
|**Cambridgeshire**
|Addenbrookes Hospital|
|---|---|
|**Bedfordshire**
|Bedford General Hospital; Luton and Dunstable Hospital|
|**Milton Keynes UA**
|Central Milton Keynes Hospital|
|**Hertfordshire (West)**|Hemel Hempstead General Hospital; St Albans City Hospital|
||Watford General Hospital|
|**Hertfordshire (East)**|Lister Hospital, Stevenage, QE2 Hospital, Welwyn Garden City|
||Hertford County Hospital|
|**Essex (West)**
|St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping|
|**Middlesex**
|Royal Free London|
|**Northants**
|Northampton General Hospital, and Horton Hospital (N.Oxon)|
|**Suffolk**|James Paget Hospital|
||Ipswich General Hospital|
||West Suffolk Hospital|
|**Gibraltar**|Gibraltar Health Centre|
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Our Colleagues in the Charity Sector**_
The Charity continued to work and co-operate with other charities and organisations, in pursuit of our strategic and charitable objectives. We work closely with other countywide social care charities, and the county branches of national charities, such as Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, and Phoenix Group for Deaf Children.
The Charity maintains a dialogue with colleagues across the Eastern Region, (Essex Hearing Help, West Norfolk Deaf Association, Cambridge Hearing Help), through the Eastern Area Region Hearing Help Group, and similar organisations elsewhere in England and overseas.
Particular thanks go to: Fiona Kerr CEO, Cambridgeshire Hearing Help Sophie Ede CEO, Essex Hearing Help Carol O’Brien CEO, Sight Concern Bedfordshire Joanna Carter CEO, Hertfordshire Society for the Blind
## _**Our Facilities Teams**_
Weltech Centre Louise Levene and the Centre Management Team
## _**Our organisations and groups**_
## **Organisations and Groups**
Lowestoft Hand in Hand Club Ipswich Hand In Hand Club Bury St. Edmunds Hand in Hand Club Ipswich Lip Reading Group Felixstowe Hard of Hearing Club Martlesham Hard of Hearing Club Clothworkers' Foundation Danais Primary Care Network Bennetts End Surgery Team Everest House Surgery
And to all our voluntary helpers and all other voluntary societies with whom we have co-operated during the year.
## _**Our Consultants**_
We thank our consultants who assist the Charity in specialist operational support areas:
Emma Williams HR Initiatives, HR Consultants Beth Moore Social Media Editor, BM Services Vacant PR Consultants Jeff Wiblin Equity Services, IT Consultants
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Our Hearing Advisory Service Team**_
The Board of Trustees pay tribute to the staff for their commitment, hard work and dedication. The day to day management of the Company is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who is an ex officio member of all the committees and working groups. The CEO is supported by the Senior Management Team, SMT.
**Chief Executive Officer Philip Linnegar*[~]**
**Finance Manager Monica Ansbro[~]**
**Office Manager Charlotte Spurway *[~]**
Service Coordinator Garnet Newman Administrator Vacancy Hearing Advisor – Hertfordshire Bob Macdonald and Simon Windle Hearing Advisor – Bedfordshire Ruth Roberts Deafness Awareness Trainer Emma Caswell* Newsletter/Website Editor Charlotte Spurway Technical Support/Loop Installation Robert Guyver (Specialist Volunteer) Head Office LRC Volunteers John S*, Robert G, and Jenny B Dacorum LRC Volunteers John C, Mike L*, Bob*, Joe B, Jan and Joan*
**Deaf Service Manager Emma Caswell*~** Deaf Outreach Worker Golda Dahan* Community Sensory Link Worker Robert Hobbs
SP Link Workers Karen Simmons, Jenny Bowes
**Service Manager Maria Waller[~]** Hearing Advisors Maria Waller/Steph Daley Administrators Maria Waller/Steph Daley Lip-reading Teachers Maria Waller/Steph Daley Lip-reading Teacher (North) Lizzie Servant Hand In Hand Club Coordinators Christine Roe/Steph Daley Technical Support/Loop Installation Vacancy (Specialist Volunteer)
Other area LRC Volunteers
- Deaf or hearing impaired members of staff or volunteers.
- **~** Senior Management Team
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **4 Financial Reports**
## _**Hon Treasurer’s Report**_
The Balance Sheet (page 33) shows a cash balance, (cash at bank and in hand), of £26,517 a decrease of £20,844 from the previous year. There is a total deficit of £19,095 this year, (2021/22: £15,266 surplus), which includes depreciation of £8,203 (refer to page 34, Movement in Resources).
The Statement of Financial Activities (page 32), are in accordance with Charities SORP (FRS 102), and all gains and losses are recognized.
## _**Risk Management**_
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Charity, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate our exposure to major risks.
## _**Pension Statement**_
Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service introduced pension auto-enrolment, and adopted the Friends Provident/Friends Life Stakeholder Pension scheme, subsequently managed by Aviva. Pension provision is kept under review, and during the year it was decided to move our auto-enrolment scheme to The People’s Pension. The current scheme is available to all qualifying staff.
## _**Payments**_
The Trustees acknowledge the importance of maintaining goodwill, by meeting financial obligations to volunteers, staff and suppliers, in a timely manner. The Charity seeks to pay its bills within 30 days of receipt.
## **Financial scrutiny**
The Hon Treasurer takes the lead in supervising the charity’s financial affairs, and the maintenance of proper financial records and procedures, in order to ensure the Charity’s financial viability. The Finance and General Purposes Committee met twice during the year, to discuss and make recommendations on, amongst other matters, the budget for the next financial year and the Annual Report and Accounts respectively.
## **Going concern**
The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern. They have approved a break-even budget for 2022/23.
They are confident that, with appropriate budgetary controls and even in the current difficult economic climate, Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service will continue in operation and that it is appropriate to prepare these financial statements on a going concern basis.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Reserves Policy**_
The Trustees have reviewed and updated the Charity's reserves policy, to more explicitly articulate the links between the policy and the Charity's key risks and strategic objectives.
In doing so, Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service differentiates between short, medium, and long term risks as follows:
**1. Short Term:** Meeting working capital requirements and mitigating unbudgeted, in-year financial risks. In HHAS's situation, examples might be to manage the cash flow implications of contractual payments.
Reserves held to mitigate these short-term risks must be held as cash or short-term deposits immediate access as needed.
**2. Medium Term:** Mitigating the financial impact of changes foreseen over the next 1-3 year planning cycle, allowing sufficient time for the Charity to develop and meet these challenges whilst minimising the impact of any required changes. Examples would include managing the foreseeable impact of changes in public sector funding or benefits policy.
Reserves held to mitigate these medium-term risks can be held as long-term cash deposits or bonds, as their drawdown can be planned over a longer period of time.
**3. Longer term:** Ensuring the Charity can invest in planned renewal of infrastructure and intellectual property, so that its assets do not become outdated over time. This would include investment in property, IT and digital assets, and in the development of staff.
Reserves held to mitigate these long-term risks would be designated by the Board of Trustees against an agreed investment plan. Trustees will expect the Charity to build these reserves back up over time, in order to support ongoing investment.
**4. Supporting Innovation:** Having funds available to identify and act on opportunities to branch out into new activities that will achieve its charitable objectives, whilst minimizing risk and impact on the Charity's existing activities. This would include research and development of new services and policy areas.
Reserves held to support innovation will be designated by the Board of Trustees against a clear investment plan. These funds would be held to support explicitly high-risk activity, and as such there is less requirement of a financial return.
The Board of Trustees will review the level of reserves set against each risk category, regularly as part of the annual budgeting cycle, and immediately in the event of a significant change in the Charity's activities, size or risk profile.
Based on the Charity's current size and scope of activities, the Trustees consider that one month's operating expenditure is sufficient to cover short term risks; and a further two months operating expenditure is sufficient to mitigate medium terms risks.
At 31 March 2023, Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Services' total unrestricted funds were £61,153, which is in excess of one months' operating expenditure.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
The Trustees have prepared this report in accordance with the provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.
Signed on behalf of the Trustee Members
**Trustee**
Claire Oliver Date 22[nd] November 2023
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Independent Examiner’s Report**_
To the trustees of Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service ('the Company')
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31st March 2023.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity's 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 charity'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 your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a registered member of FCA 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:
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.
18-Mar-2024
Stuart Cuzner FCA ACCA Menzies LLP Richmond House Walkern Road Stevenage SG1 3QP
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **5 Financial Accounts**
## _**Statement of Financial Activities**_
For the period 1[st] April 2022 to 31[st] March 2023
|Note
**Incoming Resources**
Grants
1
Donations & Projects
Bank Interest
Net income from trading
Other
**Total Incoming Resources**
**Resources Expended**
Direct charitable expenditure
2
Fund Raising & publicity
3
Management & admin costs
4
**Total Resources**
**Expenses**
**Net Incoming (Outgoing)**
**Resources**
Balance
brought
forward
As at 1st April 2022
**Balance Carried Forward**
**As at 31st March 2023**|Unrestricted
Fund
£
174,589
5,524
412
9,405
11,445
**201,375**
106,139
29,392
84,939
**220,470**
**(19,095)**
80,248
**61,153**|Restricted
Fund
£
96,902
0
0
0
0
**96,902**
96,902
0
0
**96,902**
**0**
0
**0**|Year to
Total
31/3/2022
£
£
271,491
258,789
5,524
22,588
412
11
9,405
3,187
11,445
216
**298,277**
**284,791**
203,041
180,427
29,392
20,992
84,939
68,106
**317,372**
**269,525**
**(19,095)**
**15,266**
80,248
64,982
**61,153**
**80,248**|
|---|---|---|---|
The operating profit for the year arises from the company’s continuing operations. No separate Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses has been presented as all such gains and losses have been dealt with above.
The notes on pages 35 to 37 form part of these financial statements.
Page 32
DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
|**_Balance Sheet (Company Registered No. 3376847)_**
**As at 31st March 2023**
**Note**
**March**
**2023**
**Fixed Assets**
Tangible Assets
5
20,571
**Total Fixed Assets**
**20,571**
**Current Assets**
Debtors
60,551
Cash at Bank & in hand
6
26,517
Prepayments
4,923
**Total Current Assets**
**91,991**
**Liabilities:**
Amounts falling due within one year
Creditors
16,496
Barclaycard
301
Advance payments
34,612
**Total**
**51,409**
**Net Current Assets**
**40,582**
**Total Assets**
**61,153**
**Represented by:**
**Surplus from previous years**
**80,248**
**General Reserve**
**0**
**Surplus/Deficit for the year**
**(19,095)**
**Total**
**61,153**|**March**
**2022**
23,475
**23,475**|
|---|---|
||44,361
47,361
7,754
**99,476**|
||9,940
1,515
31,248
**42,703**|
||**56,773**|
||**80,248**|
||**64,982**
**0**
**15,266**|
||**80,248**|
For the year ended 31/03/2023 the company was entitled to exemption from the requirement to have an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006. The Members have not required the Company to obtain an audit of its accounts in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
## _**Responsibilities of the Directors**_
The Directors acknowledge their responsibility for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and for the preparation of the accounts.
The Directors acknowledge their responsibility for:
- i) Ensuring the Company keeps accounting records which comply with the Companies Act 2006 and;
- ii) Preparing accounts which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at the end of its financial year, and of its profit and loss for the financial year in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, and which otherwise comply with the requirement of the Act relating to accounts, so far as is applicable to this company.
Signed on behalf of the Trustee Members
## **Trustee**
Claire Oliver Date 22[nd] November 2023
The notes on pages 35 to 37 form part of these Financial Statements
Page 33
DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Movement in Resources**_
1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2023
|**Incoming resources**
Grants and contracts
1
Donations & Projects
2
Bank Interest
Net income from trading
Other
**Total Incoming Resources**
**Outgoing resources**
Staff Salaries & related costs
Staff Auto Enrolled Pension
Staff travel & expenses
Staff recruitment
Staff & Vol. Training
Trustees/Vol. travel & expenses
Postage
Property costs/rent
Venue Hire – Clubs and classes
Printing and Stationery
Trading Stock
Telephone & internet
Website & computer
Insurance & licenses
Legal & consultancy
Advertising & publicity
Events & catering
Subscriptions & membership
Vehicle Fuel & maintenance
Repair and maintenance
Depreciation
Payroll and Bank Charges
Other
**Total Outgoing**
**Net Incoming/Outgoing Resources**
**Balance Brought Forward as at 01/04/22**
**Balance Carried Forward as at 31/03/23**|Unrestricted
Fund
£
174,589
5,524
412
9,405
11,445
**201,375**
119,117
6,697
2,930
932
0
208
896
26,559
4,105
6,489
0
4,310
2,286
7,448
15,638
4,424
2,343
2,402
5,229
493
8,203
1,192
50
220,470
(19,095)
80,248
61,153|Restricted
Fund
£
96,902
0
0
0
0
**96,902**
90,456
0
4,703
0
0
1,743
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
96,902
0
0
0|Year to
Total
31/03/22
£
£
271,491
258,789
5,524
22,588
412
11
9,405
3,187
11,445
216
**298,277**
**284,791**
209,573
169,062
6,697
6,000
7,633
4,278
932
3,542
0
1,597
1,951
998
896
3,612
26,559
2,480
4,105
22,875
6,489
3,516
0
0
4,310
5,436
2,286
2,253
7,448
5,277
15,638
8,981
2,943
183
2,343
3,014
2,402
5,266
5,229
10,925
493
0
8,203
8,780
1,192
1,296
50
155
317,372
269,525
**(19,095)**
**15,266**
**80,248**
**64,982**
**61,153**
**80,248**|
|---|---|---|---|
The notes on pages 35 to 37 form part of these Financial Statements
Page 34
DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## _**Notes and policies to the accounts**_
## **Basis of Accounting**
The financial statements are prepared under historical cost convention as modified by the revaluation of certain assets and in accordance with Charities SORP (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) and the Companies Act 2006.
## **Income**
Grants, donations and legacies are taken to the statement of financial activities when there is a reasonable assurance of receipt. Grants relating to future period are deferred.
## **Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation**
Tangible assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at the following, which is rated in order to write each asset over its estimated useful life.
Furniture 10% on written down value Computer Equipment 25% on written down value Display Equipment 20% on written down value Motor Vehicle 25% on written down value
## **Stock**
Stock of equipment for on-sale and consumables are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.
## **Taxation**
The company is a registered charity and is exempt from tax on its income and gains applied to charitable purpose. The company is not registered for VAT.
## **Allocation**
Resources expended are allocated to the particular activity where the cost relates directly to that activity. However, the cost of overall direction and administration on each activity, comprising the salary and overhead costs of the central function, is apportioned on the following basis which is an estimate based on staff time, of the amount attributable to each activity:
Fund-raising and publicity 20% Management and administration of the charity 80%
## **Restricted, Unrestricted and Designated Funds**
Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure that meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs. Unrestricted funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds. Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the Board of Trustees for particular purposes.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
**Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
## **Notes to the accounts for the period 31[st] March 2023**
|**1. Grants**|Unrestricted|Unrestricted|Restricted||Year to|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Fund|Fund|Total|31/03/22|
|||£|£|£|£|
|NHS Hertfordshire||104,752|0|104,752|0|
|HCC Community Wellbeing||0|22,725|22,725|126,480|
|NHS Bedfordshire||17,462|0|17,462|17,170|
|NHS Suffolk/SCC||52,375|0|52,375|44,000|
|Suffolk Lip Reading Classes||0|22,500|22,500|30,000|
|Suffolk HIH Clubs||0|8,625|8,625|11,500|
|HVCCG Social Prescriber LW||0|43,052|43,052|29,639|
|**Total Grants**||**174,589**|**96,902**|**271,491**|**258,789**|
|**2. Direct Charitable Expenditure**||Unrestricted|Restricted|||
|||Fund|Fund|Total||
|||£|£|£||
|Vehicle expenditure||5,229|0|5,229||
|Volunteer expenses||1,951|0|1,951||
|Support officer salaries & expenses||84,182|96,902|181,084||
|Overheads||14,777|0|14,777||
|**Total Direct Charitable Expenditure**||**106,139**|**96,902**|**203,041**||
|**3. Fund Raising & Publicity**||Unrestricted|Restricted|||
|||Fund|Fund|Total||
|||£|£|£||
|Staff salaries and expenses||6,193|0|6,193||
|Publicity||22,623|0|22,623||
|Overheads||576|0|576||
|**Total Fund Raising & Publicity**||**29,392**|**0**|**29,392**||
|**4. Management & Administration**||Unrestricted|Restricted|||
|||Fund|Fund|Total||
|||£|£|£||
|Salaries & expenditure||38,255|0|38,255||
|Insurance & licenses||7,488|0|7,488||
|Office expenses||355|0|355||
|Consultancy and Legal expenses||15,638|0|15,638||
|Depreciation||8,203|0|8,203||
|**Total Management & Administration**||**84,939**|**0**|**84,939**||
Page 36
DocuSign Envelope ID: 57EB52E7-50FD-462E-A966-9AFCB6366AAA
## **Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service** Board of Trustees Annual Report For the year ended 31[st] March 2023
|**5. Fixed Assets**|Office||Office|Display|Display|Motor||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Equipment|Furniture||Equipment||Vehicle|Total|
||£||£|£||£|£|
|Costs at 01/04/22|24,953||14,689|7,885||29,584|77,111|
|Additions|14,143||0||0|3,000|17,143|
|Disposal|0||0||0|15,594|15,594|
|**Costs at 31/03/23**|**39,096**||**14,689**|**7,885**||**16,990**|**78,660**|
|Depreciation at 01/04/22|19,467||12,423|7,747||13,999|53,636|
|Charge for the year|2,111||453||44|5,595|8,203|
|Disposal|0||0||0|4,750|4,750|
|**Depreciation at 31/03/23**|**21,578**||**12,876**|**7,791**||**14,844**|**56,089**|
|**Net Book value at 31/03/23**|**17,518**||**1,813**||**94**|**2,146**|**21,571**|
|**Net Book value at 31/03/22**|**5,486**||**2,266**||**138**|**15,585**|**23,475**|
|**Fixed Assets Segregation**|**2022/23**||**2021/22**|||||
|||£||£||||
|Direct charitable purposes||13,167||14,085||||
|Indirect charitable purposes||8,778||9,390||||
|**Total**||**21,945**||**23,475**||||
|**6. Cash at Bank and in Hand**|**2022/23**||**2021/22**|||||
||**£**||**£**|||||
|Cash at hand|1,198|||4,269||||
|CAF Cash & CAF Gold A/C|22,234||42,381|||||
|Bank Account (Suffolk)|3,085|||711||||
|**Total Cash**|**26,517**||**47,361**|||||
|Number of Employees earning between £50,000 and £60,000 P/Annum||||was:|1|||
|Number of Employees earning between £20,000 and £30,000 P/Annum||||was:|2|||
|The average number of paid employees, analysed by||function and||||||
|Reported from this year as Full Time|Equivalent (FTE) at 31stMarch:|||||||
|||||**2023**|**2022**|||
|Direct services||||4.8|4.8|||
|Fundraising & Publicity (10% of CEO’s time)||||0.2|0.2|||
|Management & Administration||||4.0|4.0|||
|Total||||9.0|9.0|||
|Remuneration paid to Trustee members was:||||Nil|Nil|||
|Reimbursement of expenses paid to|Trustee Committee Members was:|||Nil|Nil|||
|Transactions with any members of the Trustees Board:||||Nil|Nil|||
## **Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service**
_**Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23**_
The Chairman and Board of Trustees thank you for your interest in the work of Hertfordshire Hearing Advisory Service
Weltech Centre, Ridgeway, Welwyn Garden City AL7 2AA www.hhas.org.uk
i The Deaf Community. People in and around Hertfordshire who use British Sign Language as their main aid to communication.
Page 37