2021-03-31-accounts

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REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 04135225 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1086151

Report of the Trustees and

Financial Statements

for the Year Ended 31 March 2021

for

Advocacy Focus

Mayes Business Partnership Ltd 22-28 Willow Street

Accrington Lancashire BB5 1LP

Advocacy Focus

Contents of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021

		Page
Reference and Administrative Details		1
Chairman's Report		2
Chief Executive's Report		3
Report of the Trustees	4	to	14
Trustees' Responsibility Statement		15
Report of the Independent Auditors	16	to	19
Statement of Financial Activities		20
Statement of Financial Position		21
Statement of Cash Flows		22
Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows		23
Notes to the Financial Statements	24	to	32
Detailed Statement of Financial Activities	33	to	34

Advocacy Focus

Reference and Administrative Details for the year ended 31 March 2021

TRUSTEES	Denise Bond Solicitor
	Simon Paul Burrows Barrister (resigned 15/6/20)
	Christine Marie Southworth CQC inspector/Social Worker
	(resigned 23/1/21)
	Alan George Clarkin Director (resigned 15/6/20)
	Anita Lindon Retired (resigned 4/1/21)
	Darcey Parr Fitness Instructor
	Dean Rodgers Treasurer
	Zabeda Khatoon Maqsood Solicitor
	William Gareth Shepherd Lecturer
	Diane Burridge (appointed 4/1/21)
	Christopher Bryan Lintern (appointed 2/10/20)
	Anne Phillips (appointed 2/10/20)
	Linda Stewart (appointed 4/1/21)
	Emma Yates (appointed 2/10/20)
COMPANY SECRETARY	Denise Bond
REGISTERED OFFICE	The Old Tannery
	Eastgate
	Accrington
	Lancashire
	BB5 6PW
REGISTERED COMPANY	04135225 (England and Wales)
NUMBER
REGISTERED CHARITY	1086151
NUMBER
AUDITORS	Mayes Business Partnership Ltd
	22-28 Willow Street
	Accrington
	Lancashire
	BB5 1LP

Page 1

Advocacy Focus

Chairman's Report for the year ended 31 March 2021

I joined as Chair of Trustees at the height of the pandemic. It has been challenging to learn about the organisation and the people within it virtually and without that real life connection that is central to the work that takes place within Advocacy Focus. It was immediately apparent that the team remained determined to continue providing the service in the best way possible under difficult circumstances and pushed forward with new and creative ways of engaging both with each other and within the communities they served.

The Board of Trustees worked closely with the senior leadership team to ensure that our charity was governed effectively through such challenging times and that operational cost savings, and any reserve spend was allocated to best effect, alongside safeguarding the wellbeing of our team and beneficiaries.

The outcome was that our charity supported over 7,000 children, young people, and adults directly during the pandemic , continuing to deliver high quality statutory advocacy and helping to reduce isolation and loneliness via our volunteers and our community advocacy approach.

This is a significant achievement delivered by the collective efforts of every single member of our Advocacy Focus team and as a Board of trustees we are immensely proud of how hard they have worked to represent our charity and the individuals in desperate need of our services.

The team was faced with no option but to adapt to new working practices and for most of the year like many other charities operated in survival mode. However, we have set new priorities for our organisation and have agreed a measured and sustainable approach to our charity's growth over the next year. A covid recovery strategy, developed to ensure that our team comes back stronger, capitalises on the work we deliver within our communities and seeks new opportunities and creative ways to develop and improve our organisation.

As we take stock of significant changes in the advocacy sector, including the anticipated Liberty Protection Safeguards and the impact this will have both on organisations and budgets, we must not lose sight of the job in hand. Statistics from the health and social care sector tell us that the pandemic has led to a general decrease in referrals, a reduction in care and a shortfall in personnel. This in turn will have an impact on the population's mental and physical health over the next few years and we must be prepared for these challenges.

Over the next 12 months we will be considering what skills we need at board level and within our organisation to future proof our charity and build back stronger from the impact of Covid-19. Our team and Board are keen to get started on this challenge and welcome collaborations and partnerships with organisations that share our values and determination to robustly tackle whatever issues our communities may face.

Diane Burridge

Chair of Trustees

Page 2

Advocacy Focus

Chief Executive's Report for the year ended 31 March 2021

The last reporting period was a year like no other as our charity navigated its way through a pandemic, restrictions of movement and an increased need for health and social care advocacy. At the start of the year, our first significant task was to shift our entire base of operations to home working within a week. We achieved this due to our robust business continuity plan and the sheer determination of our team. As it became apparent that new ways of working were here to stay, we reviewed our services and operations and scaled down two of our offices, saving significant overheads which were diverted back into our charity for our covid response. This additional investment ensured our communities remained connected and gave a clear message that we were open for business. Our team now work remotely or via a hybrid model, which has made further savings for our charity, at a time when funding proved ever more evasive.

Our team quickly adapted to the pace of working and embraced the digital approach to relationship management and team cohesion. Our emerging mental health training offer gathered momentum as we worked closely with the business world to help them develop and sustain mentally healthy workplaces. During the year we linked in with over 100 businesses across the North West and ran free training courses in partnership, to help employers recognise the signs of mental ill health and develop strategies to keep their people safe. We will build on this offer over the next 12 months and have targets in place to increase our training revenue, which we will reinvest in our charity's infrastructure and services.

The pandemic didn't stop us from recruiting. In fact, we took on three additional members of staff and one Kickstart apprentice. Our retention rate was high and absenteeism low, due to the way we focused on our team's health and wellbeing and offered a far more flexible way of working. And whilst we supported our team's wellbeing, we pushed out a significant number of free and accessible resources to help our communities navigate through challenging times. Social media and visits to our website increased significantly, as people were looking for help and support whilst isolated from friends, family and their way of life.

As services and businesses shut their doors and furloughed staff, we stayed open and were there to support and represent people. Our team stayed focused on the bigger picture and the issues and challenges impacting on people beyond Covid. Funding opportunities shifted considerably, many grants and trusts either closed their funds or it was reassigned to the covid response. Local authority tenders were few and far between, but we successfully secured a Children and Young People's advocacy contract in St Helens during the height of the pandemic and onboarded the new contract seamlessly. However, the advocacy sector, which is notoriously competitive, became even more so at a time when local authority budgets were either reducing or non-existent. Bidding for work and our charity's sustainability became a full-time activity, which added additional pressure on a small charity with limited internal bid writing resource. And yet we survived, and arguably thrived. Our team of keyworkers achieved tangible outcomes for our beneficiaries and left no stone unturned in helping people to live the lives they wanted to live. They donned and doffed their PPE, took hundreds of LFTs and queued up for their vaccinations, so determined were they to remain connected to our communities. Our team were there for the checks and balances in the health and social care sector.

The way we responded to the pandemic as a team, in our twenty third year of operations, was reflected in Mind's Workplace Wellbeing Index. Which for the second year running our team anonymously told the charity Mind, that they felt valued and respected at a time when this was in short supply in some organisations. We are in a good position to come back even stronger in 2021-22, and that is our focus as a charity and our ambition for health and social care advocacy.

I would like to take the time to thank our team, our Board and our volunteers for their unwavering support and commitment to our charity's mission and vision at a time when it was never needed more. Advocacy Focus will continue to make advocacy available to all who may need it and help people to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their lives by providing high quality advocacy. A pandemic tried and failed to stop us. So here's to the next twelve months and here's to a team that amaze me year on year with their selfless commitment and real desire to improve outcomes for all.

Justine Hodgkinson Chief Executive Officer

Page 3

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims

The objects of the charity as set out in the Memorandum and Articles of Association are:

The charity has been set up for general charitable purposes within the meaning of English law with the overarching aim being to relieve people in need with learning difficulties or physical, sensory or other disabilities, mental health problems or people who are aged in particular, but not exclusively, by the provision of an advocacy service which will directly relieve the need of the beneficiaries.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The increase in activity by the charity requires a sensible approach to setting its reserves policy. At 31 March 2021, the estimated redundancy/closure costs for the organisation amounted to £280,000 (2020: £280,000), and this is set aside as a designated fund to provide cash flow so that service delivery could be continued or redundancy/closure costs met whilst further funds were sought or the organisation wound up.

At 31 March 2021, this leaves £548,427 available to increase advocacy provision, ensure readiness for the external legislative changes in advocacy and the implementation of measures to increase advocacy accessibility within other minority and rural communities.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

Recruitment of Trustees is an open process with applications welcomed at all times from any sector of the community. An annual review of the Board is completed and targeted recruitment is undertaken if the Board identifies gaps in skills or representation. Appointments are made by the Board and are subject to confirmation at the Annual General Meeting. There is a rolling programme of election periods to ensure continuity.

Induction and training of new trustees

Trustees are inducted by the Chair and Chief Executive. All Trustees are encouraged to undertake advocacy training and are offered access to other relevant training to support them in their role as well as peer support through fellow Trustees. A job description detailing levels of responsibility is provided during induction. All Trustees are subject to DBS clearance.

Page 4

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Training and Development

Investing in our team

Training

Our training portfolio focused on upskilling our team and members of the public in advocacy, mental health and self-advocacy skills. We recognised the need for virtual training in response to the effects of the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing, and as well as offering free resources and information, it helped us to generate a new and steady income stream for our charity that we could reinvest in our advocacy and advocacy related services. We delivered mental health in the workplace training to businesses across the North West, to help support their employees through the pandemic and develop a sustainable employee engagement response.

We developed a major internal and external training plan and connected with over 100 Lancashire businesses and generated a further £25k worth of revenue for our charity, working with the likes of Footasylum and Citizen's Advice to help train their employees in mental health and wellbeing.

We delivered free webinars on mental health in the workplace and upskilled health and social care students in relation to advocacy. We will continue with this activity moving forward and hope to scale up our training offer over the next three years.

"Carolina and John delivered a well-run and interesting course. I learnt a lot in what was an interactive, yet safe, environment. I would recommend this course for anyone, particularly those who deal with vulnerable people in their work...in fact I have recommended it already to the rest of my team."

"Carolina was very honest and open, non-judgemental and extremely easy to listen to/keep engaged with the topic. It really normalises mental health (and so it should be) and it made me feel so much better and happier after having this session. There were some very useful tips and important comments/phrases in relation to supporting each other and what it means to truly listen to someone which I hope to remember to not only help others but also to help myself."

Employee Health & Wellbeing

With care homes shutting their doors to prevent or delay the transmission of Covid-19, our team were struggling to meet with people they supported and offer them crucial advocacy during unprecedented times. Our team who were used to visiting people and working peripatetically, found themselves working from home, feeling powerless in the face of the pandemic and with their hands tied in relation to how they would normally work. Knowing the impact this would have on a team who were committed to helping people in the community, it was important that we had a robust response to supporting their mental health and wellbeing, whilst ensuring that they had the equipment, knowledge and skills to face an ever changing work landscape.

We reviewed the situation regularly and immediately enhanced our wellbeing approach, to help our team ease into home working and navigate through the pandemic and constant unsettling change. The management team re-focused much of their efforts on ensuring the wellbeing of their teams and introduced such things as regular updates and communications to keep the team informed and updated. We continued with our 'All Fine Helpline' - ensuring all of our team had access to a manager for timely support when they needed it and continued to work with Westfield Health and their Employee Assistance programme, which offered free counselling and wellbeing services. We introduced 'Active Focus', a weekly remote exercise programme run by a physical trainer (and invited other local businesses to join us) and we gave our team a weekly wellbeing hour to spend on self-care away from work. A comprehensive approach to enabling our team to turn up to work as the best versions of themselves and be fit and well for their challenging role in health and social care. We continued with peer support online via MS Teams, and introduced bi-monthly team huddles with a focus on mental and physical wellness. Our quarterly team meetings continued virtually and our training team ensured that professional development continued, with a mix of mandatory training such as safeguarding and advocacy refresher courses to ensure that best practice was adhered to and new legislation was fully understood and adapted into practice. Our approach to how we responded to the pandemic and how we looked after our team generally, resulted in us taking 2nd place in the charity Mind's national Workplace Wellbeing Index 2021, where we achieved the top accolade of 'Gold Award' status. The Index is a celebration of businesses across the UK who put staff wellbeing at the forefront of their organisation. We were delighted with the outcome, particularly when our health and wellbeing budget was less than £10k during this period, as it clearly showed that a value based approach to leadership is not just the right thing to do, but it reaps dividends that ripple across our service areas and communities.

Volunteers

Page 5

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Over the last year, the community spirit for volunteering increased as a result of the pandemic and we saw a 50% increase in volunteer applications. We overhauled our approach to training and development, which included a new online training model split into five sections: An Information Session; Application; Interview; Safeguarding Training; Role Development. We were able to increase our training group sizes from 15-20 and ensured that our volunteers felt connected to each other and the wider team as they were developing in their volunteer role.

Our Independent Visitor (IV) service experienced significant challenges when they were unable to support the children in care they regularly visited pre-pandemic, and had to come up with new, creative activities that ranged from baking a cake together via Zoom, online Quizzes and sending arts and crafts through the post. The IV service volunteers and volunteer team introduced 'walk and talks' when restrictions were eased so that the IV volunteers could meet children and young people out of their homes/placements for much needed support, whilst still adhering to government guidelines. This approach provided much needed respite for the children and young people, especially in the absence of school and their peer support networks.

Our ongoing volunteer development and training programme led to us gaining the Investors in Volunteers award in December 2020. This was in some part down to our proactive response to the pandemic and new services we introduced to help our communities feel less isolated. A new befriending service and 'Pendemic Pals', a letter writing project for the most isolated children, young people and adults in our communities being just two examples of how our volunteers rose to the challenge.

Our volunteers donated over 1,400 hours of their free time and supported over 900 people during 2020-21 and rated volunteering at Advocacy Focus 8.8 out of 10 in our annual volunteer feedback survey.

"I am proud to be part of an organisation that not only cares about people but also recognises the efforts and commitments of service providers. From my personal experience, I strongly believe the advocacy group is most competent in maintaining its services and continues to grow from strength to strength with their valuable investments in service delivery and future commitments to its volunteers. I am pleased to be a volunteer under your supervision and guidance. Congratulations to all members of staff upon their achievement".

- Mrs M , volunteer

"Since I have become a volunteer at Advocacy Focus, I feel more confident, have a purpose and look forward to getting involved and giving back to the community. Most importantly, I feel that I am valued and no longer feel alone as I am making a positive impact on other people's lives."

- Volunteer feedback 2020

Marketing

We continued to develop our digital and web presence, which attracted viewers from all over the world. We ramped up our use of digital channels, becoming one of the leading advocacy websites in the UK and shared free content to improve the sector and make self-advocacy skills accessible to all who needed them. Our number one position in search engines showed that we had content that people utilised and valued. We regularly tracked and reported on visits to our website and social media channels and our content over the last 12 months resulted in 114,000 views to our website. When the pandemic hit, we focused on creating informative, helpful content for those struggling with lockdowns, including infographics, self-help booklets and more. Our Becoming Your Healthy Self self-help series, led by our Wellbeing Champions, was developed further to help people who were feeling stressed or grieving for loved ones and attracted more visitors to our site.

During 2020/21 our traffic uplifted around the time of the pandemic. We started the year with over 7,000 visitors, compared to the 2000-3000 we averaged in 2019-2020.

Operations

Although we had planned to move our team towards remote and hybrid working, the pandemic forced us to implement this much sooner. We moved our team to remote working within a matter of days, purchased new IT equipment and ensured that the team had access to training on how to productively work remotely, MS Teams software and wellbeing resources. The move to remote working allowed us to review our property portfolio towards the end of the year and we were able to close or scale down office premises which resulted in essential cost savings for our charity.

In 2020 we migrated our IT infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure cloud-based platform. This provided Advocacy Focus with increased flexibility and scalability, enhanced security and compliance (as part of our Business Continuity Plan) and simplified management and monitoring processes.

Page 6

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

We updated our Health and Safety Policies to ensure a healthy workplace and Covid-safe environment for employees who had to spend some time working from the office, as we understood that not everyone had a safe or productive home environment to operate from. We introduced a 'domestic abuse' policy and in response to world events we set up an 'equality, diversity and inclusion' task and finish group who delivered EDI training and awareness sessions to our team. We signed up to the government's Kickstart scheme (a scheme to help 16-24 year olds on universal credit back into the workplace) and welcomed a new trainee Independent Advocate via this scheme.

Page 7

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees

for the year ended 31 March 2021

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES Our Vision and Values

VISION:

Ensuring that advocacy is available to all who may need it in our community.

As a team, we are passionate about what we do, and we actively encourage our people to fully embrace our shared core values with all those that they come into contact with.

VALUES:

Our values were co-produced with our team to create new values that reflect who we are as a growing organisation. The decisions we make are a reflection of our values and beliefs, and they are always directed towards a specific purpose.

o Quality

We deliver high quality advocacy - we have over 20 years' experience of providing expert, person-led advocacy. o People

We put people at the heart of everything we do and want to enable them to make positive change in their lives. o Respectful

We are a respectful team - we treat everyone equally and make sure everyone feels valued, respected and listened to. o Trust

You can trust us and know that we will keep your information confidential and safe.

o Independent

We are independent of councils and health services and we are on your side. o Learning

We never stop learning - we learn from the people we support, our partners and each other.

Service Delivery

The last reporting period proved to be our busiest and most challenging ever, due to the arrival of a global pandemic and the impact it had on our team and communities. As always, however, our team rose to the challenge and new service and wellness initiatives were introduced to ensure a robust response to Covid-19. This enabled us to support more people than ever, at a time when people's human rights and basic freedom of movement was brought into keen focus.

With care homes on lockdown, freedoms restricted, new emergency legislation and unlawful practices such as blanket 'Do not attempt cardio-pulmonary resuscitation' (DNACPRs) being implemented, all aspects of our service delivery were affected and we had to ensure that our team were there for the checks and balances. Particularly when the communities we worked within saw essential services reduce access or close the doors altogether. Our charity had to rethink our approach, adapt to new ways of working and support people directly and indirectly affected by the pandemic. As lockdown restrictions came into force, we moved our entire base of operations from an office based approach to working from home within the week and came up with creative ways to support people using our services. We used video conferencing technology and trained people accessing our services to use a more digital access route. We initiated three way calls with interpreters so that our deaf and BME communities were still able to receive the service they needed. We challenged DNACPRs, and challenged the health and social care sector, reminding them of their duty of care, and raising issues directly with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when things went awry.

Despite challenges, we secured a new contract delivering Children's Advocacy in St Helens, and continued to uphold the rights of all those who needed us in Lancashire, Trafford, Rochdale and Bradford, all of particular importance when basic rights and freedoms were restricted.

Feedback from the last year indicates that:

• 100% of people we supported said they found advocacy useful

• 100% said their Advocate listened to them

• 96.9% of professionals said that our Advocates ensured a person's views, wishes and feelings were heard

• 100% agreed Advocacy Focus provided a professional service.

We supported 3,429 people with their health and social care advocacy needs, compared to 2,816 in the previous year. Our advocacy provision enabled all who accessed our service to be central to the decision making process and have their voices heard. We asked people who used our services if they would recommend us to family and friends on a scale of 1-10, 90% of people scored this question at a 9 or 10.

Page 8

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

During 2020-2021 we also carried out a Service Development review across our contract areas to look for innovative ways of working, accessibility and cost saving efficiencies. All of which will feed into our charity's 'post-covid' recovery strategy and ongoing workforce development in 2021-22.

Community Initiatives

The pandemic offered an opportunity to look into new ways of reaching people and enabled us to come up with more creative ways of supporting people in our communities.

As we took up a more virtual presence, investing and embracing technology and helping people who used our services to do the same, we also started to produce regular digital content to help people navigate their way through the pandemic, including our free self-help advocacy toolkit and mental health toolkit series, 'Becoming Your Healthy Self'. We introduced a letter writing project, "Pendemic Pals", to show people in our service areas that they were not alone and in turn help to reduce feelings of isolation. We teamed up with webuybooks.com to give free books to children in care and to send them messages of hope in the absence of school and their peer networks. All in addition to our funded advocacy provision, and in an attempt to stay in touch with our communities and help them feel connected during such challenging times.

Community Book Project

We gave away free books to children in care and isolated members of our community in direct response to the pandemic. The project was a great success and well received by people that needed reassurance and additional input as the pandemic took hold. Our project resulted in us gifting:

• 111 books to looked after children in residential children's units

• 101 books to people via our befriending services and Pendemic Pals

• 342 books to people on mental health wards in Lancashire

"I've received a book through the post called Freedoms Child by Jax Miller with a card from Advocacy Focus. I must say I'm very touched. The title looks like you picked it with me in mind...yet I don't think you know about some parts of my life. I wouldn't have looked for a book like this, but I think you've done me a favour. It looks like it could be empowering. How thoughtful and kind of you".

- Sarah, (accessing Befriending Service)

Befriending Service

We made 960 phone or video calls to isolated and lonely people via our Befriending project:

• "I started to make befriending calls to Susan during the pandemic and I found it incredibly humbling to recognise that a simple weekly phone call could offer someone support and comfort during such a challenging and uncertain time. I think that we have both enjoyed our chats about a variety of topics including Susan's husband, and reminiscing about pets. Susan has also given me some top gardening tips. I have felt very privileged to realise that Susan has come to trust me despite us never meeting face to face. I have noticed that although she is often tearful and breathless, there are times during our chats when her voice sounds stronger and her breathing seems to ease a little."

• "John has times when he doesn't have the energy to ask for extra help and says it isn't worth talking to his family about his struggles, despite his significant level of need. I have found it very rewarding to realise that by offering a listening ear, I have hopefully helped to validate his feelings of loneliness and anxiety. I believe at times I have enabled him to focus on taking steps to request more help. Equally, it has been a privilege to advocate on John's behalf, including arranging health related home visits and liaising with social care services to ensure his voice was heard regarding his support. John always thanks me for making calls on his behalf, and his feedback is that he enjoys our chats."

Service feedback

Below is just some of the feedback our organisation received from stakeholders, professionals and adults and young people that used our services:

"[The Advocate] kept in regular contact with me via email and telephone, and I feel [they have] adapted brilliantly during the COVID-19 pandemic by modifying the ways of working to ensure that the service user's views, wishes and feelings were still heard throughout the assessment process. The [Advocate] ensured the person's views, wishes and feelings were heard."

Page 9

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

"During COVID-19 restrictions, [the Advocate] moved forward with [their] role in making the practicable steps to ensure that [they] maximised [their] ability to gain [the person's] wishes and feelings. [The Advocate] remained professional at all times and offered me feedback when required."

"Jan was an absolute pleasure to work with. She maintained regular communication with me and the client and worked in a collaborative way in order to achieve the best outcomes for the client. Jan and I worked together tirelessly to support the client to be discharged from his DoLS and move out of residential care and into supported living. This has made a tremendous difference to the quality of the client's life. Jan is the best advocate that I have worked with and the best interests of the client were at the centre of her intervention. It is evident from conversations with the client, that he has developed a good working relationship with Jan and that he can trust her to act in his best interests. Overall excellent service."

"Talika has helped me in all situations. She helped me with issues I had at school, financial problems at home, problems with social workers not listening to me and helping me with what my rights are as a young person in care. I will definitely miss Talika, she has been amazing and I'm so glad she has been there to support me and make sure I was listened to. It was a pleasure to have Talika as my Advocate."

"It's so sad that your role is now complete. Had it not been for all your help and advice, I have no doubt that Joan* would still be living in [the care home] void of any human interaction or stimulus. No-one else showed the unwavering commitment to protect Joan's safety and wellbeing. I am forever grateful for all you have done for us. It was a life-changer and the transformation has been incredible."

"Advocacy Focus is an excellent service and I would have been lost without them. Massive thank you to Maureen - she has been my rock!"

Case Studies

Helping Bill

Bill is Deaf and communicates with British Sign language. His wife is also deaf and partially blind. They live independently in their own home with some support from the Deaf Link Worker.

In 2020, Bill was admitted to hospital suddenly after becoming ill. He was frightened and confused because he did not know what was wrong. He asked for a BSL interpreter on several occasions, but this request was denied. The reason given on all occasions was that staff believed that his understanding was sufficient when they communicated information by other means, such as writing things down for him, or giving him leaflets.

Bill was asked to consent to some serious heart surgery, which he did not fully understand, but felt he had to consent to. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, an additional stress was that he was not able to inform his wife where he was or what was happening to him. He tried to send her a text message, but the signal on the ward was poor and he could not send or receive messages. Consequently, his wife was very anxious and worried.

After he was discharged from hospital, the Deaf Link worker initially sent a written complaint to the hospital on his behalf. Bill could not do this himself as there was no way for Deaf people to submit a complaint by BSL, and his written English skills were not sufficient due to BSL being his first language.

The hospital sent their response which Bill was not happy with. The Deaf Link Worker referred Bill for an Advocate from Advocacy Focus to help him pursue his complaint further.

How did we help?

Our Advocate discussed with the Deaf Link Worker the best way to arrange her first meeting with Bill. She advised the Advocate that she could use text messages or email with Bill if she used plain English and kept the number and complexity of words to a minimum. This is because English is not his primary language. He is culturally deaf and uses British Sign Language which is often grammatically different.

Our Advocate arranged a British Sign language interpreter to support Bill through their first meeting. She also obtained a clear visor as an alternative to our usual COVID face masks so that Bill would be able to read her lips.

It was clear that despite it being several months since Bill had been in hospital, he was still very angry about his experience of being denied a BSL interpreter. Our Advocate asked Bill what outcome he would like from his complaint. He said that he did not want other deaf people to go through what he went through. He also said that it was important for him to be able to see the people responsible face to face and tell them how it felt to be denied his means of communication.

Our Advocate explained to Bill that it may be difficult to arrange a face to face meeting with the hospital due to restrictions, but she would do her best to explain how important this was to him. Bill said that he didn't mind if he had to wait until restrictions were eased, but he did not want another written response or a virtual meeting.

Page 10

Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

With the support of the BSL interpreter, our Advocate went through the initial response of the hospital point by point and wrote down everything Bill was not happy with. He emphasised how at every stage, it was the staff who decided Bill did not need an interpreter, despite Bill stating that he did need one and that it was his right to have one. When Bill was happy with what we had written, we submitted his response to the hospital. He concluded the response with the following:

"Finally, I would like to say again that I would very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with someone face to face from the investigating team, with the support of an interpreter. I want to feel that someone is really listening to me and understanding how it feels to be a Deaf person in hospital without an interpreter to help them communicate" Bill's response was submitted in December 2020. In the following months, our Advocate sent several emails asking for a face to face meeting for Bill, explaining how important it was to Bill to feel he had his voice heard. The hospital initially said that they did not feel they could add anything further by having a face to face meeting, but she continued to pursue this, as it was what Bill needed to be able to put the experience behind him and move on with his life. At last, the hospital agreed and in June 2021 Bill attended the hospital - with our Advocate for support - for a face to face meeting.

What was the outcome?

Bill and our Advocate met before the planned meeting to discuss how Bill wanted to conduct the meeting. It was important that Bill did not go away from the meeting feeling that anything had missed. Bill wanted his Advocate to read out his complaints, and then he would add anything else he wanted to and state how the experience had affected him personally.

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half. Bill and his Advocate were able to cover everything he wanted. Bill spoke confidently about how the experience had made him 'feel small' and that he did not want others to feel the same way. The matron listened and responded sensitively to Bill's concerns. He apologised unreservedly on several occasions and said that the hospital had fallen short. He was honest and open in explaining that the hospital's treatment of Bill was in no way intentional and they had genuinely felt they were doing well to communicate with Bill.

The Matron said that he had done a lot of reading for Bill's meeting and had not been aware of a Deaf person's right to an interpreter. He said that he believed that lack of awareness was at the root of the problem. He said that he had therefore secured the funding and was in the process of arranging mandatory deaf awareness training for all hospital staff.

In addition, he was arranging systems so that all deaf patients in future would have access to a BSL interpreter either remotely or in person. He told Bill that his complaint was responsible for significant changes to the way Deaf people were supported in hospital.

Why was advocacy support so important?

In this instance, Bill was able to put his experience behind him after being able to properly communicate to the hospital about his experience. Our Advocate supported Bill to bring about changes to the way deaf people were treated in this particular hospital.

Our Advocate said:

"I pushed very hard for Bill to have his face to face meeting, because I knew how important it was for a person who usually has decisions made for him without his proper understanding, to have his voice really heard. Although we had to wait several months to achieve his preferred outcome, he will hopefully now be able to move on from his experience. "I was just one cog in Bill's wheel of support but by working together with the same aim in mind, we achieved a good result which will hopefully help many others in the future.

Helping Andy

Andy developed mental health problems following a brain injury several years before. He had several admissions to hospital and unsuccessful placements in the community before being admitted to a residential care home. He was placed under a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisation and Advocacy Focus was allocated as his Relevant Person's Representative (RPR) part way through a S21a Challenge.

Andy was struggling with the S21a process. He did not have a positive relationship with his then social worker, and now had to contend with a new RPR.

How did we help?

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Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

Our Advocate tried to engage with Andy to support him through the S21a process. Andy was in a highly anxious state and could not sit or stand still to have a conversation. He would pace around the building and garden perspiring heavily and running his hands through his hair. He was very defensive and frustrated. He said that he didn't want to challenge his DoLS anymore as he was sick of doctors and social workers who didn't know him, asking him questions. He said he wanted to stay where he was in the care home. Our Advocate was concerned that he had changed his mind and visited him several times to make sure his views around the S21a process were consistent. The court challenge was subsequently withdrawn.

Our Advocate then gradually began to work on building a relationship with Andy. This was difficult due to his extreme anxiety. They would walk around the building and garden talking as he was unable to stay still. He loved talking about his past lifestyle before his injury, when he had a wife, children, a job, a house and a car. He was unable to look forward, as he was too angry and upset about everything that had happened. It was in many ways a grieving process for Andy. During this period, he was permitted to go out without staff support three times a week. However, he would drink excessively on these trips out, and would be verbally intimidating to staff and residents on his return.

As time went on, Andy and his Advocate developed a more trusting relationship. Our Advocate found that he was increasingly able to sit down and have a rational conversation with her. He eventually began to believe that she really was on his side, and that if they worked together it could work towards achieving his goal of a more independent life. When the COVID pandemic hit, Andy was no longer permitted to go out unescorted, which he found very difficult. He began to talk about wanting to leave the care home again but was reluctant to go back to the Court of Protection due to his experience last time. He agreed that our Advocate could ask a social worker to look at alternative accommodation options for him. However, the social worker said that this would not be possible until after the pandemic. Andy accepted this initially as there were signs that restrictions would soon be lifted. However, when the care home went back into lockdown, Andy phoned his Advocate and said he needed to get out. He felt that being trapped in a care home 24 hours a day with residents with more complex needs than his own was becoming too much for him. He agreed that his Advocate could initiate another S21a Challenge on his behalf.

What was the outcome?

A new social worker was allocated for the S21a Challenge. Our Advocate was concerned about this initially as she knew that Andy did not respond well to new professionals. So she spent a lot of time talking to Andy and explaining why different parts of the process were necessary if he was going to achieve his dream of a new start and a more independent life. She explained that the court had asked the social worker to carry out mental capacity assessments regarding his ability to make decisions about his care and treatment. Andy was angry about this at first, but she explained that he would be able to leave the care home if he was able to understand and make his own decisions.

The new social worker turned out to be very positive for Andy and they worked closely from the start. Our Advocate had known Andy for two years by this time and was able to explain to his new social worker how Andy disliked feeling that he was being patronised or questioned for no good reason. By using a very skilled and sensitive approach, Andy accepted her involvement and was able to be honest and open with her.

She assessed Andy as having capacity to make decisions about his care and treatment and therefore his DoLS was lifted and the court challenge vacated. Our Advocate remained involved as his Care Act Advocate while the social worker searched for appropriate accommodation. This was a stressful time for Andy. Now that his DoLS was lifted, he wanted to experience more freedom, but the care home was still adhering to strict COVID restrictions.

Eventually, Andy was offered his own supported flat. Our Advocate had been working towards this with him for three years. All he was asking for was his own front door and peace and quiet. He wanted to be able to do the things that most people take for granted; shopping for his own food and cooking the meals he chose.

Why was advocacy support so effective?

It was very important for Andy to have a consistent presence in his life, as he had so many professionals and carers come and go. He often referred to people coming into his life and making decisions about him after 'only knowing him for two minutes.' He would often say 'you know me now because you've been coming for a long time.' He just wanted to be treated with respect and listened to.

Andy's Advocate said:

Andy had grown and developed in the three years I had known him and I encouraged him to take credit for that. He had previously felt quite 'stuck' and hopeless. He was 58 years old and felt that he would never have the freedom to live an ordinary life in the community again but he worked hard to get there.

"I visited him at the care home on the day he was due to pick up the keys to his new flat. We were sitting side by side on a bench in the garden and Andy said, 'I've come on a lot, haven't I?' It was the first time he had taken any credit for the progress he had made."

Helping James

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Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

James was 81 years of age and had been diagnosed with cancer. After his package of care had broken down at home, he was moved into residential care. Shortly afterwards his physical health suffered and he needed to stay in a hospital for a long time. He became increasingly dependent on other people. When he returned to the residential home his frailty and condition lead to a decision to consider a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) order.

What did you do to help the person?

We spoke with the decision-maker and carers at the home to find out why this decision was being made and reviewed related documentation to get an overview of his current presentation, physical health and circumstances. James had expressed his wish to implement a DNACPR.

We provided James and the residential home with an easy read formatted Patient Information leaflet and asked carers to spend time with James to discuss his wishes, thoughts and feelings about the DNACPR in between our visits to find out if his views were consistent

The first time we met James he appeared to understand the DNACPR decision and felt strongly that he 'did not want Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) under any circumstances and wanted to die in peace.' But the second and third meetings we were unable to engage in meaningful conversation with him as his mental health had deteriorated significantly.

Although his mental health had deteriorated, his physical health had significantly improved. James was mobile, had gained weight and was less frail. He was able to walk with our Advocate up and down the corridors. When they stopped to look out the window at a beautiful sunset - James beamed a great big smile.

We attended a 'Best Interest Meeting' with his GP (decision maker) and the care staff at the residential home. Our report, which highlighted his physical improvement, was taken into consideration by his GP the care staff. But his GP advised us that he was unlikely to recover from his mental health condition. We discussed the benefits and burdens of CPR being carried out for James; should this ever be necessary. We highlighted that in our first meeting, James had made it clear he did not want to have CPR. His wish to 'die in peace' held weight in this important decision.

What was the outcome?

A DNACPR was implemented and deemed in James best interest, however, it would be reviewed in 12 months, because of James's physical improvement. We had supported him through the process.

The DNACPR decision was not indefinite, as the decision-maker had originally considered a review in 12 months. This provides additional safeguards for James as he will be able to access advocacy again to help him understand his rights and express his views in future.

Helping Joe

Joe is 16yrs old. Joe's social worker made the initial referral to advocacy with his permission. In the referral the social worker stated "I want him to have the opportunity to formalise his views, so they could feed into planning. To strengthen his voice really".

At the point of referral, Joe's placement had broken down, new placements had been identified in neighbouring boroughs whilst a family placement was being assessed. Joe was asked to choose which one he wanted to move to.

One placement was in a neighbouring borough, Joe informed his Advocate that he felt very strongly that he didn't want to move there and that his life would be at risk. Joe identifies as transgender and felt that there was a very low tolerance within the neighbouring borough. Joe raised that he wouldn't be able to dress in the way that he wanted to and felt that he would be targeted. During the conversation, Joe disclosed to his Advocate that the situation was having an impact on his mental health and that he was having suicidal thoughts because he was so worried and unhappy.

The Advocate spoke with Joe and discussed all the issues and how he was feeling. The Advocate was able to talk through the different options with Joe about what he could do to get his voice heard and be taken seriously. Joe asked his Advocate to contact his Social Worker and Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) to make them aware of his feelings. Through the discussion Joe also felt comfortable to speak to the Advocate about other issues he was unhappy with. These were around the "drift" of plans that had been talked about at his last Looked After Child review. Joe raised an additional nine issues he felt were important to him.

What was the outcome?

After one week, the Advocate received an email from Joe's Social Worker. All the issues that Joe raised had been actioned with deadlines of when they would begin, be reviewed, and end. Joe wasn't moving to the placement in the next borough and is now living back with his nan which Joe felt was truly where they belonged and that was their home.

AUDITORS

The auditors, Mayes Business Partnership Ltd, will be proposed for re-appointment at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

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Advocacy Focus

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2021

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 26 July 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

Diane Burridge - Trustee

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Advocacy Focus

Trustees' Responsibility Statement for the year ended 31 March 2021

The trustees (who are also the directors of Advocacy Focus for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) including Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland"

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the trustees are aware:

• there is no relevant audit information of which the charitable company's auditors are unaware; and

• the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company's website.

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Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Advocacy Focus

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Advocacy Focus (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Statement of Financial Position, the Statement of Cash Flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'.

In our opinion the financial statements:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company's affairs as at 31 March 2021 and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'; and

• have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditors' responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard, and the provisions available for small entities, in the circumstances set out in note 19 to the financial statements, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The trustees are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Annual Report, other than the financial statements and our Report of the Independent Auditors thereon.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

• the information given in the Report of the Trustees for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the Report of the Trustees has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Advocacy Focus

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the Report of the Trustees.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• adequate accounting records have not been kept or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• certain disclosures of trustees' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

• the trustees were not entitled to take advantage of the small companies exemption from the requirement to prepare a Strategic Report or in preparing the Report of the Trustees.

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the Trustees' Responsibilities Statement, the trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Advocacy Focus

Our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a Report of the Independent Auditors that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

(i) Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

(ii) Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the company's internal control.

(iii) Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the directors.

(iv) Conclude on the appropriateness of the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the company to cease to continue as a going concern.

(v) Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our Report of the Independent Auditors.

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Report of the Independent Auditors to the Members of Advocacy Focus

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charitable company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors' report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Craig Peter Fishwick FCCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Mayes Business Partnership Ltd 22-28 Willow Street Accrington Lancashire BB5 1LP

26 July 2021

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Advocacy Focus

Statement of Financial Activities (Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account) for the year ended 31 March 2021

Notes INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Charitable activities 4 Provision of advocacy services Investment income 3 Total EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 5 Charitable activities 6 Provision of advocacy services Total Net gains/(losses) on investments NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD	Unrestricted funds £ 1,691,772 10,254 1,702,026 (33) 1,749,843 1,749,810 (1,945) (49,729) 878,156 828,427	Restricted fund £ - - - - - - - - - -	31/3/21 Total funds £ 1,691,772 10,254 1,702,026 (33) 1,749,843 1,749,810 (1,945) (49,729) 878,156 828,427	31/3/20 Total funds £ 1,678,858 11,124 1,689,982 8,870 1,808,171 1,817,041 (3,071) (130,130) 1,008,286 878,156

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Advocacy Focus

Statement of Financial Position 31 March 2021

Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 12 Investments 13 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 14 Cash at bank and in hand CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 15 NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES NET ASSETS FUNDS 17 Unrestricted funds TOTAL FUNDS	Unrestricted funds £ 35,990 200,561 236,551 225,112 472,788 697,900 (106,024) 591,876 828,427 828,427	Restricted fund £ - - - - - - - - - -	31/3/21 Total funds £ 35,990 200,561 236,551 225,112 472,788 697,900 (106,024) 591,876 828,427 828,427 828,427 828,427	31/3/20 Total funds £ 18,524 117,507 136,031 89,471 711,304 800,775 (58,650) 742,125 878,156 878,156 878,156 878,156

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 26 July 2021 and were signed on its behalf by:

Dean Rodgers - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Advocacy Focus

Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 March 2021

Notes Cash flows from operating activities Cash generated from operations 1 Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible fixed assets Purchase of fixed asset investments Interest received Dividends received Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities Change in cash and cash equivalents in the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the reporting period Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the reporting period	31/3/21 £ (139,385) (139,385) (24,386) (84,999) 5,703 4,551 (99,131) (238,516) 711,304 472,788	31/3/20 £ 16,798 16,798 (4,078) - 6,204 4,920 7,046 23,844 687,460 711,304

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. RECONCILIATION OF NET EXPENDITURE TO NET CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

RECONCILIATION OF NET EXPENDITURE TO NET CASH FLOW FROM ACTIVITIES	OPERATING
Net expenditure for the reporting period (as per the Statement of Financial Activities) Adjustments for: Depreciation charges Losses on investments Interest received Dividends received (Increase)/decrease in debtors Increase in creditors Net cash (used in)/provided by operations	31/3/21 £ (49,729) 6,920 1,945 (5,703) (4,551) (135,641) 47,374 (139,385)	31/3/20 £ (130,130) 6,076 3,071 (6,204) (4,920) 139,220 9,685
		16,798

2. ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN NET FUNDS

	At 1/4/20	Cash flow	At 31/3/21
	£	£	£
Net cash
Cash at bank and in hand	711,304	(238,516)	472,788
	711,304	(238,516)	472,788
Total	711,304	(238,516)	472,788

The notes form part of these financial statements

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021

1. LEGAL STATUS OF THE CHARITY

The charity is a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital, registered in England and Wales. The charity's registered number and registered address can be found on the Charity Information page. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £10 per member of the charity.

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention, with the exception of investments which are included at market value, as modified by the revaluation of certain assets.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Allocation and apportionment of costs

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the Trusts advocacy services and activities. These costs have been allocated to other resources expended. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 5.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Improvements to property - 20% on cost Fixtures and fittings - 25% on cost

Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

continued...

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

2. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Financial instruments

Basic financial assets, including trade and other receivables, cash and bank balances and investments in commercial paper, are initially recognised at transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.

Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables, bank loans, loans from any fellow group charities and any preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest.

Fixed asset investments

Fixed asset investments are initially recorded at cost and reviewed annually with an adjustment to the current market value being passed through the Statement of Financial Activities.

Government Grants

Covid-19 grants provided by central government (even if administered by local government) are revenue-based grants and have been accounted for using the Accrual model. The grant has been recognised as income on a systematic basis over the period in which the entity recognises the related loss for which the grant is intended to compensate.

3. INVESTMENT INCOME

INVESTMENT INCOME
	31/3/21	31/3/20
	£	£
Other fixed asset invest - FII	4,551	4,920
Deposit account interest	5,703	6,204
	10,254	11,124

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Activity Service level agreements Provision of advocacy services Training and private contracts Provision of advocacy services Other income Provision of advocacy services Grants Provision of advocacy services Grants received, included in the above, are as follows: CJRS Grants Coronavirus lockdown support grant 5. RAISING FUNDS Raising donations and legacies Support costs Other trading activities Purchases Aggregate amounts 6. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS Direct Costs £ Provision of advocacy services 1,295,758	31/3/21 £ 1,604,670 3,995 69,040 14,067 1,691,772 31/3/21 £ 9,846 4,221 14,067 31/3/21 £ 162 31/3/21 £ (195) (33) Support costs (see note 7) £ 454,085	31/3/20 £ 1,632,015 5,505 41,338 -
		1,678,858
		31/3/20 £ - - - 31/3/20 £ - 31/3/20 £ 8,870 8,870 Totals £ 1,749,843

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

7. SUPPORT COSTS

SUPPORT COSTS
Governance Management costs £ £ Raising donations and legacies - 162 Provision of advocacy services 450,335 3,750 450,335 3,912 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting): 31/3/21 £ Auditors' remuneration 3,750 Depreciation - owned assets 6,920 Other operating leases 48,185	Totals £ 162 454,085
	454,247
	31/3/20 £ 3,600 6,076 49,630

8. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

9. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2021 nor for the year ended 31 March 2020.

Trustees' expenses

Trustees' expenses 10. STAFF COSTS Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows: Charitable Support	31/3/21 £ 162 31/3/21 £ 1,310,671 98,804 61,652 1,471,127 31/3/21 44 14 58	31/3/20 £ 578 31/3/20 £ 1,286,379 104,626 58,236
		1,449,241
		31/3/20 51 12 63

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

11. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Unrestricted funds £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Charitable activities Provision of advocacy services 1,678,858 Investment income 11,124 Total 1,689,982 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 8,870 Charitable activities Provision of advocacy services 1,808,171 Total 1,817,041 Net gains/(losses) on investments (3,071) NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (130,130) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 1,008,286 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 878,156 12. TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Improvements to property £ COST At 1 April 2020 3,084 Additions - At 31 March 2021 3,084 DEPRECIATION At 1 April 2020 1,899 Charge for year 237 At 31 March 2021 2,136 NET BOOK VALUE At 31 March 2021 948 At 31 March 2020 1,185

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

13. FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS

13.	FIXED ASSET INVESTMENTS
			Listed
			investments
			£
	MARKET VALUE
	At 1 April 2020		117,507
	Additions		84,999
	Revaluations		(1,945)
	At 31 March 2021		200,561
	NET BOOK VALUE
	At 31 March 2021		200,561
	At 31 March 2020		117,507
	There were no investment assets outside the UK.
	Cost or valuation at 31 March 2021 is represented by:
			Listed
			investments
			£
	Valuation in 2021		15,561
	Cost		185,000
			200,561
	If fixed asset investments had not been revalued they would have been included at the following		historical cost:
		31/3/21	31/3/20
		£	£
	Cost	185,000	-
	Fixed asset investments were valued on an open market basis on 31 March 2021 by the Trustees.
14.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
		31/3/21	31/3/20
		£	£
	Trade debtors	166,305	45,919
	Prepayments and accrued income	58,807	43,552
		225,112	89,471

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

15. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Trade creditors Social security and other taxes Other creditors Accrued expenses	31/3/21 £ 18,523 26,649 22,672 38,180 106,024	31/3/20 £ 14,750 24,011 8,411 11,478
		58,650

16. LEASING AGREEMENTS

Minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases fall due as follows:

Between one and five years MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Unrestricted funds General fund Running costs TOTAL FUNDS	At 1/4/20 £ 598,156 280,000 878,156 878,156	31/3/21 £ - Net movement in funds £ (49,729) - (49,729) (49,729)	31/3/20 £ 37,400 At 31/3/21 £ 548,427 280,000
			828,427
			828,427

17. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted funds General fund TOTAL FUNDS	Incoming resources £ 1,702,026 1,702,026	Resources expended £ (1,749,810 ) (1,749,810 )	Gains and losses £ (1,945) (1,945)	Movement in funds £ (49,729
				(49,729

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

17. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

Unrestricted funds General fund Running costs TOTAL FUNDS	At 1/4/19 £ 738,286 270,000 1,008,286 1,008,286	Net movement in funds £ (140,130) 10,000 (130,130) (130,130)	At 31/3/20 £ 598,156 280,000
			878,156
			878,156

Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted funds General fund Running costs TOTAL FUNDS	Incoming resources £ 1,679,982 10,000 1,689,982 1,689,982	Resources expended £ (1,817,041 ) - (1,817,041 ) (1,817,041 )	Gains and losses £ (3,071) - (3,071) (3,071)	Movement in funds £ (140,130 10,000
				(130,130
				(130,130

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined position is as follows:

At 1/4/19 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 738,286 Running costs 270,000 1,008,286 TOTAL FUNDS 1,008,286	Net movement in funds £ (189,859) 10,000 (179,859) (179,859)	At 31/3/21 £ 548,427 280,000
		828,427
		828,427

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Advocacy Focus

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the year ended 31 March 2021

17. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

A current year 12 months and prior year 12 months combined net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Unrestricted funds General fund Running costs TOTAL FUNDS	Incoming resources £ 3,382,008 10,000 3,392,008 3,392,008	Resources expended £ (3,566,851 ) - (3,566,851 ) (3,566,851 )	Gains and losses £ (5,016) - (5,016) (5,016)	Movement in funds £ (189,859) 10,000 (179,859) (179,859)

18. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2021.

19. FRC ETHICAL STANDARD - PROVISIONS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL ENTITIES

In common with many other businesses of our size and nature we use our auditors to prepare and submit returns to the tax authorities and assist with the preparation of the financial statements.

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Advocacy Focus

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2021

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Investment income Other fixed asset invest - FII Deposit account interest Charitable activities Service level agreements Training and private contracts Other income Grants Total incoming resources EXPENDITURE Other trading activities MHFA training costs Self Advocacy project Charitable activities Wages Social security Pensions Other operating leases Rates and water Insurance Light and heat Telephone Postage and stationery Advertising Sundries Repairs and maintenance Volunteer expenses IT costs Staff training Travel and subsistence Employment law consultants Legal and professional fees Bank charges Professional subscriptions Health insurance Improvements to property Carried forward	31/3/21 £ 4,551 5,703 10,254 1,604,670 3,995 69,040 14,067 1,691,772 1,702,026 (195) - (195) 918,165 62,394 44,301 48,185 716 2,829 3,916 55,819 1,621 8,901 15,317 4,457 858 33,551 12,095 18,942 11,251 34,690 461 3,695 6,674 237 1,289,075	31/3/20 £ 4,920 6,204
		11,124 1,632,015 5,505 41,338 -
		1,678,858
		1,689,982 4,646 4,224
		8,870 904,534 70,229 42,242 49,630 899 2,140 6,036 46,228 10,963 2,982 13,023 2,673 7,082 21,911 24,495 105,293 7,408 32,630 278 3,745 7,523 296 1,362,240

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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Advocacy Focus

Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2021

Charitable activities Brought forward Fixtures and fittings Support costs Management Wages Social security Pensions Bookkeeping support Governance costs Trustees' expenses Auditors' remuneration Total resources expended Net expenditure	31/3/21 £ 1,289,075 6,683 1,295,758 392,506 36,410 17,351 4,068 450,335 162 3,750 3,912 1,749,810 (47,784)	31/3/20 £ 1,362,240 5,780 1,368,020 381,845 34,397 15,994 3,737 435,973 578 3,600 4,178 1,817,041 (127,059)

This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements

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