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2021-03-31-accounts

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Company limited by guarantee No. 04283131 Registered Charity No. 1088844

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

CONTENTS

Page
Legal and administrative information 3
Foreword 4
Board of Trustees’ report 5
Independent Auditor's report 56
Statement of Financial Activities 59
Balance Sheet 60
Cash Flow Statement 61
Notes to the financial statements 62

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS For the year ended 31 March 2021

Board of Trustees K Patel Chair
A Corbett (resigned 20/10/20)
E Elkington
F Endersby (appointed 28/04/20)
R. Farrar (resigned 20/10/20)
C. Griffin Vice Chair
M Hill (appointed 29/07/21)
T Joseph (appointed 29/07/21)
S.Letchford (QPM) (resigned 20/10/20)
A. Macalpine (resigned 20/10/20)
M Latif (appointed 29/07/21)
A Patel (appointed 29/07/21)
L. Payne
P Price Treasurer
A Smith (appointed 29/07/21)
K Vernau (appointed 29/07/21)
A Wilkinson (resigned 20/10/20)
Company Registration No: 04283131
Charity Registration No: 1088844
Registered Office: The Polish Centre
Room 44D, 4thFloor
238 – 246 King Street
London
W6 0RF
Auditors: Knox Cropper LLP
65 Leadenhall Street
London
EC3A 2AD
Bankers: CAF Bank Limited
25 Kings Hill Avenue
Kings Hill
West Malling
Kent
ME19 4JQ

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

FOREWORD For the year ended 31 March 2021

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in Standing Together (ST). Our Trustees and staff team are extremely proud of the pioneering work of our organisation does to embed a coordinated community response (CCR) to domestic abuse in the UK. We remain inspired by the ambition of our founders over twenty years ago. We are proud of the depth and breadth of work to address and eradicate domestic abuse in such a range of areas. We are working in community-based settings, the criminal justice system and in a range of housing, health and faith settings. We are also integral to the strategic and operational response to domestic abuse in five London boroughs and in particular the bi-borough of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham. We are increasingly sharing our approach to the coordinated community response in a number of national programmes such as the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA), Whole Housing, Pathfinder (health), Faith and Communities and in our Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) work. We are very proud of the partnerships in these areas and are privileged to work alongside so many ambitious and talented charities, services and community groups.

2020 -2021 has been an extraordinary year with unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus pandemic. Despite these challenges the team has worked tirelessly to deliver our services, bring in additional funding and to continue to meet ST's objectives.

We are pleased that our annual audit highlights our sound management of Standing Together. We would very much like to thank the Standing Together trustees, the staff team, our partners and all of those who have supported our work this year.

Sincerely,

Kruti Patel Gudrun Burnet Chair of Board of Trustees Chief Executive

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Trustees, who are also directors of the Company for the purposes of the Companies Act, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2021.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in Note 1 to the accounts and comply with the governing documents, the Charities Act 2011 and 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).

1. Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 6[th ] September 2001 and registered as a charity in October 2001. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10. The Members of the Company comprise all and only the current serving Trustees.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law. At each Annual General Meeting, one third of trustees retire after which they may be be re-elected if they agree.

The Chair along with selected members of the Board and CEO are responsible for recruiting members of the Board of Trustees. Membership of the Board is reviewed annually to ensure that the broadest interests served by Standing Together are represented. Trustees are sought who have experience and influence in their field and are most appropriate to promote the success of the Charity. They bring great abilities to bear on their role and in the various offices they hold on the Board. Their roles as Trustees include human resources; implementation of equal opportunities; financial management, education and equalities, criminal justice, legal expertise, a strategic overview of fundraising and strategic planning.

Each year a planning and review day is held with trustees. During the year a Board evaluation assessment was carried out. This included a review of the Board composition, skills, knowledge, experience, diversity and culture. It was recommended that to exercise best practice and in line with Charity Governance Code Commission guidelines, that Trustees with 9 years or more service would be replaced. In February 2021 a recruitment drive was carried out which resulted in the appointment of 6 new Trustees on 29[th] July 2021.

At the Annual General Meeting held on 20[th] October 2020, Ann Corbett, Rosemary Farrar, Simon Letchford and Anne Wilkinson resigned. During the year Fiona Endersby was appointed on 28[th] April 2020. On 29[th] July 2021 Michelle Hill, Tracey Joseph, Rizwan Latif, Anisha Patel,Anne Smith and Kim Vernau were recruited to the Board of Trustees.

All trustees receive letters and an agreement confirming appointment, including a pack of key documents containing governing documents and information on the organisation, their role and responsibilities.

As part of their induction, Trustees are briefed on their duties and meet with line managers who outlined their specific projects. To support them in their roles each Trustee are offered a “Buddy”, an existing board member who can mentor them through the first few months.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Information on training for trustees of charities is offered to new trustees.

All Trustees have signed (a) a Declaration of Eligibility (b) Conflicts of Interest and Register of Interests and (c) a contract between Trustees and Standing Together and this is reviewed at each Trustee meeting. Trustees do not receive remuneration or derive any other personal benefit from the activities of the charity.

Management of the Charity

Standing Together is managed by this highly committed Board of Trustees which meets every quarter. The Board has maintained membership of nine to twelve trustees since registration in 2001 and makes every effort to ensure it is comprised of a mix of new and experience trustees who collectively provide the appropriate expertise and skills on the board. The principle remains that this structure safeguards that there is the appropriate expertise and skills on board to ensure that the charity is run in accordance with standard organisation practice, that ensure that activities undertaken are in line with the charitable objectives and aims of Standing Together.

The Board has fulfilled its role this year in being responsible for the strategic direction and the sound financial health of the company and for ensuring that the activities of the company meet its charitable objectives. The Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

The Chief Executive of Standing Together has overall responsibility for the running of the organisation and delivery of Standing Together's strategy, its development and achievements reporting directly to the Board, supported in financial matters by the Finance & HR Manager and in operational matters by the Partnership Manager and the wider management team. The salary for key management is decided by the Trustees taking into account the skills and experience required, the management responsibilities, the overall budget constraints and a view of what is appropriate as compared to similar roles in the sector in which we work. The level of salary bands is currently been reviewed by an independent human resource consultant, which will be presented in a pay policy to the Board for approval.

Financial Management

Standing Together has policies and procedures in place to carry out good financial management and clear audit trails to ensure that there are sufficient funds to maintain core services in the short and long term.

The Board of Trustees set up a Finance Committee which consists of Trustees Pat Price and Cynthia Griffin; plus Gudrun -Burnet, CEO and Caron Bailey the Finance & HR Manager. The Committee carries out detailed work on financial matters in connection with the budget, financial performance and funding of the organisation relating its findings at the Board of Trustees meeting. The Committee formally meets four times during the year.

Other policies and procedures include Finance Regulations; quarterly Finance Reports to Trustees; regular review of systems for supporting financial procedures; designated staff with clear roles & responsibilities and an Annual Audit.

In the up-and-coming financial year, the Finance Committee continues to focus on ways to increase the general reserves and monitor the organisation's performance against contingency plans. There is ongoing dialogue as we progress through and conclude the level of adequate general reserve. It has been recommended that by promoting Standing Together’s bespoke training and consultancy work, looking at alternative ways of fundraising and engaging in the support of philanthropists and champions these are key opportunities in adding to general reserve. The emphasis is on how the Charity is funded,

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

how the Trustee seeks to continue to make progress, the fundraising strategy and its management. As part of this, the Business Continuity Plan was reviewed and updated in the year.

Risk Management

Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Charity. Risks are considered in light of their likelihood and potential impact and the necessary steps to mitigate them. The risks are outlined in a risk register which is updated for each Trustee meeting. It sets out the process that we use to identify and manage risks in all our activities.

Throughout the year the Trustees completed an overall review of the risk register whereby the Board considered:

Securing future funding is the biggest risk for the charity and this challenge has been addressed in the Business Continuity Plan (2018-22). These are monitored by the Chief Executive and the Finance & HR Manager, with the Finance Committee, and assessed annually by the full Board. Standing Together has succeeded in diversifying its sources of funding by obtaining additional income raised from social enterprise and fundraising events. This undesignated income has assisted the process of forward planning; the management of cash flow and enabled the organisation to maintain and develop its activities to advance its charitable objectives.

Standing Together is satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to possible major risks.

Health and Safety

Standing Together maintains a Health & Safety policy committed to reducing the risks of hazards in the organisation workplace, making sure that premises, resources and working practices meet recognized standards for quality, security and safety. The Finance & HR Manager and Office Manager are trained First Aid Officer and Fire Marshals who are designated to ensure compliance with the company's policy and the landlord's responsibilities towards the organisation, especially regarding fire, safety and security precautions.

To maintain staff well being we continue to offer in addition to monthly supervisions, regular clinical supervisions which are delivered in a confidential manner to protect individuals’ privacy. We have an independent qualified counsellor who acts as a point of contact for both staff and volunteers who are experiencing emotional distress.

Premises

Standing Together has leased its offices from the Polish Centre since its formation and held a succession of leases with Polish Social and Cultural Association Ltd who run the Centre. The lease agreement expires on 31st March 2022. The rent is under review and work is being done on looking at alternative premises which may be more suitable considering staff mainly working from home due to COVID19 pandemic.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Data

All data and I.T. security systems are reviewed regularly for compliance with Standing Together policy, protocols and procedures, as data sharing is an important function of the organisation and the partnerships we facilitate. All systems are fully backed up and copies are kept separately and securely. The Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Confidentiality Agreement and Information Sharing Agreement, which governs all our MARACs, have been used as good practice models by other ' partnerships. Passwords are renewed regularly and revised. All staff have undertaken Methods of Protecting Sensitive Data' training including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) online training which was implemented on 25[th] May 2018.

Partners & Stakeholders

Standing Together is an independent charity. In so far as it is complementary to the charity's objectives, the charity works closely with other organisations and develops partnerships with voluntary and statutory bodies in support of local and national policies.

Standing Together supports the government's strategy to address 'Violence Against Women and Girls' and sits on the Home Office VAWG Stakeholder Group. ST also sits on the London Domestic Violence Coordinators Network at MOPAC and the MOPAC VAWG Expert Group, the ACPO Domestic Abuse Stakeholder meeting, the CPS External Consultation Group and the London Criminal Justice Board subgroup for Domestic Abuse. Standing Together coordinates the Domestic Violence Coordinators Network (DVCN) on behalf of their members.

The charity is a member of Women's Aid (England), a member of NCVO (National Council of Voluntary Organisations) and of EVAW (End Violence Against Women Coalition) and benefits from the information and services they provide.

2. Statement of Intent and Charitable Purposes

Standing Together's ambition is to promote a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to domestic abuse. To that end, Standing Together has created a Theory of Change to show how ST works to achieve its intermediate and longer-term outcomes. ST did this to:

Generate a shared understanding of aims and plans to achieve them.

Provide a simple and graphical description that will help to communicate about the aims of Standing Together.

Provide clarity about what data and evidence will be most important to collect as the organisation looks towards setting up its measurement framework.

It serves as a basis for a more persuasive argument that Standing Together impacts the lives of survivors, statutory agencies and local communities and it will help prepare Standing Together for further investment.

Following this work ST and with a final goal in mind that a coordinated community response model is embedded in the UK, ST set out to clarify and update our definition of the Coordinated Community Response and to set a new outcome measurement framework.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Coordinated Community Response Defined

The Coordinated Community Response to domestic abuse is a local, whole system approach to the issue.

Standing Together's Core Principles underpinning the CCR approach

Standing Together's CCR Approach

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Standing Together' s CCR Core Components

What every CCR will have, regardless of area or local structures; all components adhere to the principles listed above.

3. Achievements and Performance

We report below on our achievements in meeting the aims of our charitable company.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

A. Promoting the development of services to meet the needs of survivors of domestic abuse

The Coordinated Response in the Three Boroughs

In order to develop our local CCR, ST worked closely with the VAWG Strategic Partnership for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF), the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and the City of Westminster (WCC) to develop and implement a strategy for violence against women and girls (VAWG). The Strategy was written after considerable consultation with survivors, service users, stakeholders from a range of statutory and voluntary organisations as well as elected members across the three councils. The Strategy details how the Partnership will deliver a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to VAWG; it keeps survivors and children at the centre of its aims and objectives, whilst also holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. The Strategy is focused around the following seven strategic priorities:

  1. Access

  2. Response

  3. Community

  4. Practitioners

  5. Children and Young People

  6. Perpetrators

  7. Justice and Protection

It includes a 43-point action plan which provides the framework for the VAWG Partnership to deliver against its agreed objectives.

As of 27th March 2017, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster announced that they would withdraw from service sharing arrangements in Adult Social Care, Children's' Services and Public Health. With effect from 1st April 2018

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham was no longer be part of the shared services for these named services. However, all three boroughs have confirmed their commitment to work together and maintain a three borough VAWG Board. From April 2019, it was decided for 1 year to maintain the current strategy with a refresh that identified the following priorities:

The Partnership model and service delivery was due to be remodelled and recommissioned in 20/21 but due to the Covid 19 Pandemic it was decided to postpone that for 12 months as services were already stretched beyond capacity in working within the restrictions of lockdown. The commissioning process opened again in February 2021 with contracts extended until the end of September 2021 to allow for transition to the new contracts.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Three Borough VAWG Strategic Partnership

ST takes the operational lead in delivering the Strategy and is an integral part of the governance structure of the board. The VAWG Strategic Board is tasked to:

The Board is informed and influenced by six Operational Groups that each have a coordinator and a chair and work to detailed action plans based on the seven strategic commitments. The groups are:

These groups provide detailed feedback via coordinators to an Executive group, which meets regularly to monitor the action plans, share information across the Partnership and raise issues and trends to the Strategic Board which have developed in the three boroughs. Standing Together coordinate the first four of those operational groups.

2020/21 has been an exceptional year due to the pandemic and the oversight of the VAWG Partnership Board has been essential to maintain positive communication between agencies and ensure all partners are supported and held to account in providing for survivors, their children and perpetrators during such unprecedented times. The positive working relationships and mutual respect that has been built within our three Borough partnership has assisted in ensuring high quality provision was maintained.

As a result of COVID 19 Standing Together have been heavily involved in the response and ensure our services have remained business as usual. This has entailed meeting regularly with the strategic leads and our work in MARACs, courts, health, harmful practices, housing and of course our specialist services.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Angelou partnership:

Received 3,158 referrals in total during 20/21.

Headline Outcomes Performance Indicator Baseline
2012/13		 Achieved
2019/20		 Achieved
2020/21		 Rag
Status
Green
Amber
Red
Improved safety of victims
of VAWG and their children
Work as part of a Co-
ordinated Community
Response to tackling
VAWG in the Tri-B Area		 Women report
increased safety and
feelings of safety as
measured by exit surveys
Women report a reduction
in abuse due to support
and advice received from
service as measured by
closingassessments.		 65%
67%		 85%
94%		 85%
93%		 Green
Green
Repeat victimisation is
reduced and service users
are supported to live free of
violence
Greater access to justice
(both civil and criminal
systems) for all service
users		 Women are at reduced
risk at case closure
following the support of
the service as measured
by professional
judgement, risk and
needs assessment and
closing assessments.		 62% 92% 89% Green
Improved long-term
outcomes and well being
for service users and their
families;
Empower women and girls
who have experienced
violence to recover and
thrive in a future without
violence.		 Women and girls report
their quality of life has
improved as measured by
exit surveys.		 55% 80% 79% Green

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Angelou partnership:

Headline Outcomes Performance Indicator Baseline
2012/13		 Achieved
2019/20		 Achieved
2020/21		 Rag
Status
Green
Amber
Red
Increased number of
victims of VAWG
engaging in services and
improved access for BME
groups and young people;
Support for victims is
provided at the earliest
stage and is for as long as
they need to access
support		 Increased number of
women and girls
engaged in services as
measured by the
number/ percentage of
service users that have
been contacted and
engaged in services as
well as monitoring of
demographic data.		 70% 84% 80.5% Green
Young people have the
opportunity to explore
healthy and unhealthy
relationships and deepen
understandings of VAWG;
Community has greater
awareness of VAWG,
reduced tolerance for
VAWG and increased
awareness of avenues for
support.		 Women and girls report
improved confidence in
reporting abuse and/or
where to access help
and support as
measured by exit
interviews and
evaluations.
Young people report
improved confidence in
reporting abuse and/or
where to access help
and
support as measured
by exit interviews and
evaluations.		 72% 97%
100%		 97%
96%		 Green
Green

Standing Together maintains the Angelou partnership website over the year which helped facilitate access to the variety of services it provides.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Specialist Services Operational Group

The Specialist Services group only met twice during 20/21. Because of lockdown specialist services were at capacity in responding remotely to the increase of cases across the 3 boroughs. It met in November and surveyed the members as to how it could be most useful. Communication between services scored highly as did continuing an activist agenda. The group has a good representation of ‘by and for’ services so it was felt essential that their voices should be and how they could be accessed. amplified to the strategic group. The group continues to share information amongst members (and to the Board) on what services were available in each borough

Children and Health Operational Group

The Children and Health Operational Group (CHOG) encourages the implementation of the CCR model by improving responses to domestic abuse from health, statutory and non-statutory services who come into contact with children and young people. This is achieved through institutional advocacy, coordinating evidence-based interventions, promoting the voice of survivors and their children within meetings and forums and policy development and implementation.

The Children and Health Team Leader engages with a variety of stakeholders including GP practices, sexual health services, substance misuse services, health visitors, Children’s Social Care, Early Years and front-line domestic abuse service providers in the Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

The CHOG meetings take place on quarterly basis, with four being held in 2020-21. The following themes were explored:

Domestic Abuse in the Family Courts; Operation Encompass, Stalking and Domestic Abuse; Iris programme for GPs and findings from a local Domestic Homicide Review.

The Children and Health Team Leader coordinates the Hammersmith and Fulham co-location project, in partnership with Advance and DVIP. The steering group met four times in 2020-21, hearing case studies and positive impacts of the project at each meeting. Funding has been secured for this project to continue in 2021-22.

The Children and Health Team Leader has contributed to a range of training sessions and workshops across the Tri Borough to: Housing services; GPs, Community champions, Covid-19 helpline workers, Social Care staff and GPs.

Delivered training to 55 practitioners in health settings, from GPs to reception staff. She also trained 251 colleagues from social care, including Social Workers, CAFCASS officers, housing and support workers.

Feedback from training included:

“It was just really engaging. I think the Safe Together model was great and really got me thinking about best practice. Also the information about domestic homicide reviews and the 8 step domestic homicide model. I am fired up to advocate for clients in MARAC meetings and beyond”

“It was a very informative and enlightening session. Loved it”

“Nicola and Sarah you did a fantastic job today. Thank you so much”

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Children and Health Operational Group (continued)

Key achievements 2020-21:

Safe and Together

Following the Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership endorsing the Safe and Together model, work progressed significantly in 2020-21. We provided 15 Social Work managers with two 2 hour modules plus a 90 minute de-brief on the model. We also delivered the four day CORE training to 18 Social Workers from across the Three Boroughs and the feedback we received via the Safe and Together Institute was excellent;

We have a project group who are working on a delivery plan for the next financial year.

Acute Trust Project

The Acute Trust Project aims to develop and sustain a Trust-wide response to domestic abuse within CWFT; increasing Trusts’ and professionals’ capacity to identify, respond and appropriately refer domestic abuse cases through training, development of policy and referral pathways, creation of a network of DA champions and improved multi-agency engagement.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Acute Trust Project (continued)

A core focus of the project this year has been to develop policy/processes to support CWFT staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Whole Health Project

As a legacy of the national health work undertaken by the Pathfinder Project, the Mental Health Coordinator is now the Whole Health Coordinator working with a range of healthcare services across numerous locations. Funding in the year 2020-2021 focussed on using the learning and resources from the Pathfinder Project to embed the ‘Whole Health Model’ across NHS Trusts in England.

As part of this work the Coordinator has:

“I thought the training was really insightful and allowed us to have a greater understanding of how the system works and what we need to keep an eye out on. I enjoyed being able to see things from a different perspective this really helped me to enhance my own perspectives.

“I was able to have an open and honest discussion with both of the meeting hosts as well as my colleagues. It was a really informative session”

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Whole Health Project (continued)

Domestic Abuse Courts

Standing Together continue to coordinate the Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts (SDACs) at Westminster Magistrates Court to provide a specialist court facility to the boroughs of Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. The SDAC for Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea and the DDAC for Westminster have been running for nineteen and nine years respectively and continue to evolve good practice and improve the service to victims/survivors. The SDAC model ensures that the focus on victim/witness safety is maintained throughout the entire specialist court process which has become more important in this current financial climate where agency resources have been cut.

In late 2020, the CJ team secured Tampon Tax funding via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for a 2-year Mentor Court project starting in April 2021, which aims to reinvigorate the SDAC model nationally and in turn, improve the criminal justice response to domestic abuse. The project will enhance the existing SDAC’s at Westminster (London Mentor Court), recruit an Outer London court, and expand on the mapping work already being carried out within the team on a much wider scale. The London and Outer London Mentor Courts will offer stakeholders the opportunity to observe the SDAC in session and partake in learning sessions, so that they can take the SDAC model back to their local area.

This funding will allow the CJ team at STADA to grow by recruiting for additional posts including for the outer London court who will also form part of the wider CJ Team at STADA.

The anticipated large-scale review of SDACs on a national level is unprecedented and will build upon the work that has been carried out more recently funded by Treebeard. The Programme Manager who will be responsible for this element of the project, had previously started work to map and observe SDACs across the country, and this will continue via the Mentor Court project work on a much larger scale. Treebeard continues to support the CJ team with funding to support with the reinvigoration of the SDACs nationally.

During the pandemic, the CJ team adapted to the crisis by increasing their support to stakeholders and developing new processes to provide support for victims. The team maintained a presence in the police station where they continued to support officers in the CSU. The Impact Project continues to run in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham, working closely with ADVANCE. The funding from the Tampon Tax will enable us to recruit a part-time Impact Officer as the Programme Manager moves to focus on the Mentor Court project in April 2021.

The CJ Team continues to work with key stakeholders whilst we navigate the ever-changing terrain of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Programme Managers have furthered relationships with the CPS and the Police, which has enabled the CCR to continue working in the tri-borough, making sure that other agencies are able to provide and receive information allowing the safety and needs of victims to be maintained. The CJ team continue to provide subject matter expertise across many forums related to domestic abuse and the criminal justice system, and the CJ Programme Managers recently provided feedback on the Domestic Abuse Act whilst it was going through Parliament, drawing on this expertise.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Domestic Abuse Courts (continued)

The CJ Team remain valued members of CPS VAWG Scrutiny Panel, Police NFA Scrutiny Panel, LCJB Delivery Board, CPS External Consultation Group, BTP Public Protection Panel and Regional Stakeholders Meeting. The DA Court Management Groups to meet on a quarterly basis where operational feedback is provided to members to ensure consistency between the courts but to also hold the partner agencies to account regarding their commitment to the specialist courts. The DA Focus group also meets following the CMG meetings and the Court Led Meetings where the scrutiny of local data and outcomes is discussed.

The specialist courts at Westminster Magistrates Court continue to be acknowledged as best practice and the CJ team hope that the Mentor Court project will allow for this practice to be recognised and rolled out on a national basis.

Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC)

In 1999 Standing Together (ST) played a pioneering role in the development and implementation of MARACs. ST founded the MARAC in Hammersmith & Fulham (September 2007) and Kensington & Chelsea (January 2008) then adding Haringey (March 2013), Ealing (June 2013) and Westminster (September 2013). Some of SafeLives MARAC documentation was modelled on paperwork created by ST. Our MARACs have been visited by the Home Office and recommended by SafeLives as among the best in the country and at the forefront of championing survivor safety.

Aligning with SafeLives best practice guidance and the principles of an effective MARAC, all ST MARACs have run effectively and in line with SafeLives recommended practice in 2020-21. Our work includes close liaison with specialist agencies, bringing their expertise to MARAC meetings, helping inform practitioners, reducing barriers to support experienced by some communities and individuals with intersectional characteristics and complex needs, ensuring equality of access and inclusive action planning that recognises diversity. Through this process ST is committed to actively increasing MARAC referrals from all sections of the community.

We have a well-developed MARAC training package providing team briefings, representative inductions, and quarterly workshops to frontline staff on domestic abuse awareness, risk identification, SafeLives DASH RIC Checklist, MARAC processes and protocols, referral thresholds, and specialist services. At the start COVID19 Pandemic, the MARAC team adapted their training packages to be delivered virtually.

We pride ourselves on our uniquely robust team capacity consisting of a Team manager, FT support officer, PT Data officer and four Coordinators meaning we have built in resilience and are able to remain compliant with all contractual obligations in terms of service delivery. At each MARAC meeting we provide two staff; a MARAC Coordinator and a minute-taker which enhances quality and allows for more effective action planning and support for reps and chairs.

ST coordinates and administrates the London MARAC Coordinators Forum bringing together Coordinators to share best practice, learn from each other, discuss challenges and explore innovation in the MARAC field. Throughout the year we held three meetings.

Underpinning our MARAC work is the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) model. This provides us unrivalled expertise in developing partnerships and multi-agency working. Our Coordinators benefit from organisational learning and best practice knowledge enriching each MARAC we coordinate and ensuring that

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

our MARAC team has considerable influence and in roads amongst a wide variety of practitioners in the DA field sharing good practice and encouraging appropriate interventions. All MARAC Coordinators at ST bring a background of frontline or other relevant experience.

The following data breakdowns indicate high performance when compared to SafeLives recommended target figures in all areas of provision and particularly in comparison to other London region MARACs.

Hammersmith & Fulham

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 13
Cases heard (N) 320 419
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 32.2
% Repeat 28% - 40% 30.3%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 2.6%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 9.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 47.7%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 17.9%
Number of children N/A 320

Hammersmith & Fulham MARAC has heard 419 cases during 2020-2021, 10 cases less than 2019-2020. SafeLives recommends that 320 cases are heard per 12-months period, Hammersmith & Fulham MARAC has heard 130.9% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting for 2019-2020 was 35.8, while during 2020-2021 it has been 32.2, with an average fluctuation of 3.7 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases including the top four referring agencies as Police (27.3%), IDVA service (23.3%), Children Social Care (10.6%) and Secondary Care Acute Trust (10.3%).

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

Kensington & Chelsea

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 12
Cases heard (N) 270 329
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 27.4
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 28.0%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 3.6%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 6.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 49.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 18.8%
Number of children in household N/A 215

Kensington & Chelsea MARAC has heard 329 cases during 2020-2021, 4 cases more than 2019-2020 and has met 12 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 270 cases are heard per 12-months period, Kensington & Chelsea MARAC has heard 121.9% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting during 2019-2020 was 27.1, while during 2020-2021 it has been 27.4, with an average fluctuation of 5.6 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (30.2%), IDVA service (21.3%), Secondary Care Acute Trust (11.1%), and MARAC transfers (10.7%).

Westminster

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 13
Cases heard (N) 370 557
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 42.8
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 22.6%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 6.6%

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

Westminster

% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 8.4%
% BME Referrals 55% 58.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 16%
Number of children in household N/A 384

Westminster MARAC has heard 557 cases during 2020-2021, 111 cases more than 2019-2020. Westminster MARAC met 13 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 370 cases are heard per 12months period, Westminster MARAC has heard 150.5% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting for 2019-2020 was 31.9, while during 2020-2021 it has been 42.8, with an average fluctuation of 7.4 cases. Westminster MARAC has seen the biggest increase from all the MARACs Standing Together coordinates; out of 13 meetings held this year, 8 of them heard over 40 cases, which has had a significant impact on the workload of the coordinator and partner agencies. Three meetings in Quarter 4 had to be held across two days due to the caseload exceeding 40 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (24.2%), IDVA service (18.0%), Housing (13%) and Voluntary.

Ealing

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 17
Cases heard (N) 540 584
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 34.4
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 17.5%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 1.2%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 5.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 64.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 11.3%
Number of children in household N/A 592

Ealing MARAC heard 584 cases during 2020-2021, 132 more cases than the previous year with 452 cases heard. Ealing MARAC met 17 times this year SafeLives recommends that 540 cases are heard per 12 month period, Ealing MARAC has heard 108.1% of the expected volume The average number of cases per meeting was 34.4 between April 2020- March 2021, and 26.6 between April 2019-March 2020.

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

The average fluctuation of cases between April 2020 – March 2021 was 6.6 cases. On four occasions the caseload exceeded 40. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (31.3%), IDVA service (20.5%), Children Social Care (10.4%) and Other/MARAC transfers (9.1%).

Haringey
SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 17
Cases heard (N) 410 534
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 32
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 22.6%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 5.0%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 6.9%
% BME Referrals 55% 67.9%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 12.6%
Number of children in household N/A 410

Haringey MARAC heard 534 cases during 2020-2021, 27 more cases than the previous year with 507 cases heard. Haringey MARAC met 17 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 410 cases are heard per 12 month period, Haringey MARAC has heard 130.2% of the expected volume. The average number of cases per meeting was 32 between April 2020- March 2021, and 28 between April 2019-March 2020. We have observed an average fluctuation of 4 cases per meeting, same as the last year. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (30%), IDVA service (19%), Children Social Care (17%) and Voluntary Sector (10%).

Performance Highlights for the MARAC Team in 2019-20

All MARACs performing above SafeLives recommended volume

This indicator of good quality MARAC provision is measured by the volume of referrals (best practice is meeting 80-100% of SafeLives recommended volume.) From the table below, volume in 2020-21 across all five MARACs were above best practice. This is a very positive year on year achievement accomplished through our work in raising awareness with MARAC agencies ensuring high risk victim/survivors are not being missed.

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

From 1st April 2020 to 31[st] March 2021 the following volumes have been seen in the Five MARAC Boroughs:

YEAR LBHF RBKC WCC Ealing Haringey
SafeLives
Recommendation		 320 270 370 540 410
Volume 2020-21
(12 months)		 419 329 557 584 534

(MARACs should only see the top 10% of highest risk Victim/ Survivors going forward those Boroughs where over-referring might be occurring more targeted training and development work on thresholds will be required.)

National lockdown

National lockdown

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

National lockdown

Ealing

Haringey

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

COVID-19 & MARAC

As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, MARAC meetings were adapted to be held online. As the months progressed, it became clear that the landscape of MARACs had changed for the foreseeable and it was unlikely that face to face meetings could resume within this financial year. Standing Together introduced an interim plan in March 2020 to ensure MARACs continued at the beginning of the pandemic. Agencies sent in their research ahead of the meetings and reviewed and the virtual call focused on action planning. Standing Together monitored and reviewed the interim process both in steering group and within the organisation and proposed changes in commence in Quarter 4. The proposal was to resume MARAC meetings for full case discussion and action planning via Microsoft Teams. All MARAC reps core and non-core are required to attend and proactively engage in the meeting including preparing with research, focusing on what is being shared and sharing only what is relevant and proportionate information, avoiding repetition. These changes were agreed with commissioners and partners at the interim steering groups in December 2020. Coordinators held briefings with all MARAC representatives on this change in process in January 2021. By adjusting the approach, Standing Together hope that this will continue to ensure that the victim/survivor’s voice is heard throughout, thorough action planning and ensure a coordinated community response to domestic abuse. This process is being monitored at interim steering groups, Risk and Review and internally at Standing Together. Observations have seen more thorough case discussion and action planning with the victim/survivors voice being heard.

Across 2020-21, the MARAC team have been working tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure there was minimal disruption to the MARAC process and all deadlines were met without fail. This is a huge achievement given the high volume of cases and associated increased workload, particularly in Westminster and Ealing boroughs when compared to the previous financial year. To cope with the demand, Standing Together was successful in obtaining two FT posts (x 1 administrator and x 1 data analyst) via the Home Office and London Community Fund COVID Relief in January 2021 until 31[st] March 2021. The support from these two roles within a short space of time made a huge impact to the team and bolstered the resources to cope with the increased demand. We were able to demonstrate the need for these posts and were granted an extension of this funding until 30[th] September 2021 from Westminster City Council.

London MARACs and COVID-19 Review Paper

Due to our established strong partnership created across London with the MARAC Coordinators Forum, our MARAC team manager was able to utilise this and gain valuable feedback across London for a solid understanding of MARAC’s response to COVID-19. We consolidated the feedback efficiently and effectively on trends, approaches and apply our own knowledge delivering best practice MARACs and relevant research to produce a review paper in August 2020. This paper not only highlighted different approaches across London, but

platformed best practice, complimented by practical tools MARACs could use to improve their practice. We presented this paper at the Risk and Review meeting in October 2020.

London MARAC Coordinators Forum

Standing Together continues to host, chair, and administrate the London wide MARAC Coordinators forum every quarter. The meetings have covered a range of topics with guest speakers from a variety of specialist DA organisations. We held three meeting virtually across the year to share best practice, discuss challenges, and explore innovation in the MARAC field. There was a particular focus on how MARACs have adapted and 27 | P a g e

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

responded to the pandemic. Other topics included harmful practices and MARAC responses and MOPACs pilot for GPS monitoring of domestic abuse perpetrators.

MARAC Health ChelWest & ICHT Referral distribution point

Standing Together has continued to be the centralised referral point for all MARAC referrals originating from Imperial College Health Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation NHS Trust. ICHT and ChelWest have their own MARAC referral form and all staff send this to the secure Health MARAC inbox at Standing Together for distribution onwards to the appropriate MARAC (if not Tri-Borough). This saves busy medical staff time providing a simplified system increasing the likelihood of professionals referring to MARAC. In 2020-21, the team have processed 179 referrals (ICHT = 87; ChelWest = 92) on behalf of these NHS trusts.

MARAC Awareness Raising

Standing Together works closely with partner agencies to ensure that all relevant members of staff are familiar with the MARAC process, and their role and responsibilities within it by providing MARAC briefings, inductions, and workshops. In 2020-21, MARAC Coordinators in the service area completed 130 sessions with partner agencies across all boroughs reaching 808 partners. As a result of Standing Together’s MARAC workshops, professionals have improved knowledge and confidence in referring to MARAC as measured by evaluations.

April 2020 -March Number of Total
2021 sessions attendees
Briefings 25 443
Inductions 93 122
Workshops 12 243
Total 130 808

Best Practice For Immigration Matters

Ealing MARAC has been recognised by SafeLives as having best practices when dealing with victim/survivors who have insecure immigration status. The Ealing coordinator has been working with SafeLives on their best practice guidance and Ealing MARAC will be recognised within that guidance. This will be shared with stakeholders when published.

MARAC Team Forward Plan Priorities 2021-2022

MARAC & COVID-19

The impact of the pandemic on the MARAC process continues into the next financial year. Coordinators continue to work remotely as do most of our partner agencies. Due to current guidelines and restrictions, it is not possible to resume to meetings in person currently. Standing Together will continue to ensure a coordinated community response to domestic abuse by internal monitoring and consultation with partners and front-line services working directly with victim/survivors. Our data analysts will provide insight into the process across the previous year and how this will inform out practices moving forward.

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MARAC Training Packages

The Team manager will focus on refining the MARAC representatives training package that Standing Together offers to other areas to raise the profile of Standing Together. Sessions have been delivered to Kingston MARAC and Camden MARAC in recent months which have been well received. The aim will be to advertise this package on our website to increase funds for the MARAC team.

MARAC Operating and Information Sharing Protocol (MOISP)

MOISPs across all MARAC will be requiring review during this financial year. The MOISPs will be updated to include security of MARAC information in a virtual setting.

Service Continuity

During the next financial year, all MARAC contracts will be requiring renewal. The Team manager will be prioritising these tenders to ensure continuity of service.

MOPAC London MARAC Review

ST bid for the MOPAC London MARAC Review and have been successful. The objectives of the review are to provide an overview of the performance of London MARACs and the partner agencies involved in the MARAC to understand their effectiveness; how MARACs are resourced; effective communication; an overview of victim/survivors experiences of MARAC and highlight examples of best practice including recommendations for embedding this across London.

Housing Operational Group

The role of the Housing Operational Group is to ensure that victim/survivors (with or without children) receive consistent, appropriate, and professional support when approaching housing services and housing providers in Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. Effective interventions will include early identification and intervention and crisis and emergency assistance that increase safety and reduce risk as well as improved access to resettlement services, on-going or long-term and housing options that enable survivors to access safe and secure housing.

It also encourages housing providers to consider the delivering of their services within a Whole Housing Approach framework that brings together under one umbrella all of the main tenure types, housing options and initiatives and specialist domestic abuse services needed in a local area to help survivors of domestic abuse access safe and stable housing. The Whole Housing Approach currently includes 12 components, which applied concurrently will enhance collaborative working, that will in turn create earlier intervention, reduce homelessness, and enable tenancy sustainment.

The HOG meetings take place on quarterly basis, with four being held in 2020-21.

The following themes were explored:

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Housing Operational Group (continued)

The group is chaired by a member of the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings in 2020-21 were held via video conference with an average of 15 members attending each meeting. We also now have representatives from all three local authority Housing Solution Services attending and sharing best practice.

The Whole Housing Coordinator facilitates the Housing Operational Group and offers coordination support for the Sanctuary Scheme for LBHF and Flexible Funding pot (part of Whole Housing) for the three boroughs.

Sanctuary Scheme

In 2020/21, we spent £17,658to secure 50 homes in LBHF through the Sanctuary scheme with Safe Partnership, at an average cost of £353 per household. This is an increase by 10 from the previous year. Continuous improvements to the scheme were made based on survivor feedback and requests for additional security measures, which Safe Partnership do not provide. The Whole Housing Coordinator met with partners / funders from LBHF Council who agreed to expand the offer. As a result, a survivor at high risk of harm from their perpetrator had CCTV installed and another had fencing installed, which helped them feel safer to remain in their home.

In April 2020, Safe Partnership closed their service due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Whole Housing Programme Lead was able to quickly establish an arrangement with a new provider Crawfords through a contact shared by the Sanctuary Scheme lead at RBKC, who also use Crawfords as a Sanctuary provider. This resulted in only a 3-week gap in service delivery. A partnership agreement was drawn up. The Sanctuary Scheme referral form was updated to include considerations on COVID-19 and safe access to people’s homes. Crawfords covered a three-month period while Safe Partnership’s services were ceased and our relationship with them continues as they installed the fencing mentioned above for a survivor.

In 2020/21, the Whole Housing Coordinator continued facilitating a working group with Sanctuary leads from the three boroughs to address operational issues with the scheme. This group was initially set up to create more consistency across the three schemes. The working group met every 2 months and reviewed local data and shared challenges encountered as a result of COVID-19. Despite the pandemic, all three schemes were able to maintain operations and offer this vital service to survivors, enabling them to be safe at home. discussed how to remove barriers. Improvements were noted across the three schemes. Since Westminster appointed a Sanctuary Coordinator, they installed 50 schemes whereas the year before it had only been 8. RBKC continued to offer examples of best practice and also increased the number of Sanctuary referrals installed, with an increase of 16 from the previous year. Improved coordination and networking resulted in LBHF being able to identify a new provider so their service could remain operational during the pandemic.

Flexible Funding

The Whole Housing Coordinator also administered the Flexible Funding pot, which was introduced as part of the Whole Housing project. It is a designated pot that survivors can access easily and quickly to retain or secure safe and stable housing. There is no set list of what will be funded. It exists to fund whatever will help survivors access the best housing outcome possible for them in the short and long term.

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Flexible Funding (continued)

The following table shows the number of survivors supported by the scheme in the last two years:

2019 – 2020 2020 - 2021 Total
London boroughs of
Westminster, Kensington
& Chelsea and
Hammersmith		 48 survivors and
39 dependent children
Total amount issued:
£26,186		 18 survivors and 24
dependent children
Total allocated:
£10,596		 66 survivors and 63
dependent children.
Total allocated:
£36,782
Average sized grant
was £560 (range £13
to £2,123)

Of the grants issued,

The following quotes are from survivors accessing the fund:

‘I had been with my husband for years, just putting up with the abuse. My Mobile Advocate found me a house to move to. I had nothing. With Flexible Funding I was able to buy beds for my children, a cooker and a sofa. Without this fund, I may not be here now.’

‘I really didn’t want to leave my home. I was so scared he would turn up at my door. Flexible Funding paid for a ring doorbell. Now at least I can see who is there. I feel much safer now’.

‘My Mobile Advocate had found me a flat to rent privately. I had all my things and I was ready to go but I just didn’t have the money for a deposit. Flexible Funding allowed me to put a deposit down and I moved into my new flat with my new baby. I am so happy’.

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) was formed in 2014, in partnership with two of the U.K.s leading Housing Associations, Gentoo, based in Sunderland and Peabody based in London. DAHA offers a comprehensive accreditation process for housing providers to improve individual organisation responses and promote engagement in a coordinated community response. A team of DAHA Development Managers drives this work forward and is comprised of the following team:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

DAHA’s mission is to improve the Housing Sector’s response to domestic abuse and one of the ways it achieves this is through an accreditation process that includes 8 priority areas to ensure that housing providers and services offer a consistent, effective and appropriate response to anyone experiencing domestic abuse in their homes.

The 8 priority standards provide a framework for housing providers to:

Key achievements and developments of the year 20120/21

We adapted services at record speed in April in response to lockdown to be delivered virtually in order to keep DAHA‘s core services going – this included online workshop deliveries, steering group attendance and accreditation assessments.

In recognition that lockdown meant that many survivors were now trapped at home with their perpetrator and that housing offered a key point of access, we published guidance for housing providers that assisted them in creating a plan of action for reaching out to known survivors and procedures for how to respond to new cases. We hosted this on a COVID-19 resource page on our website. This page was visited 4000 times in the first 6 weeks of lockdown. We received a lot of positive feedback from numerous providers indicating that they had used this to develop and adapt their protocols and procedures. The team worked tirelessly to respond to numerous enquiries from providers asking for advice on what they could do to help.

We recruited and inducted a team of 10 associate trainers and 8 accreditation assessors to support the team in carrying out these activities and meet an increase in demand for training.

We were successful in a Comic relief COVID-19 fund, which enabled us to revise our existing Safe at Home awareness course and develop new courses including a Safe at Home Skills course, DAHA Champions Course and DAHA Accreditation Leads course. The latter will be delivered for the first time to a cohort of DAHA leads in May 2021.

The ‘National Domestic Abuse and Housing Policy and Practice Group’ continued to meet despite COVID19, bringing together all key stakeholders from homelessness and VAWG sectors with an aim to ensure coordination exists. This year, the group responded to the following government consultations, which mainly lobbied government ministers to offer better protections to survivors in light of COVID-19:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

The DAHA team set up 9 regional groups; 8 in England and 1 in Wales which brings together local housing providers and services to share national policy and practice updates, consider implementation implications and focus on the implementation of DAHA, the Whole Housing Approach and the CCR. These groups are connected to the national group, sharing updates and issues between them.

DAHA chairs the Perpetrator sub-group, another offshoot of the national group that brings together a range of leading services to look at effective responses for perpetrators and options for housing them where this will benefit the survivor including any children’s safety.

The Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator with input from the DAHA Team initiated work to adapt our accreditation assessment standards and criteria for homelessness provider services. They held a series of round tables with a handful of stakeholders and providers. By March 2021, they were in the process of producing a draft to present to the DAHA team. A further round table will be held in 202122 to help finalise these standards.

DAHA launched as a membership body on 1st April 2021. The DAHA founders met regularly to update the business plan in line with this new part of the service and offered a strategic steer to the DAHA team who led on the development of this work. We now offer the following three levels of membership:

The membership was launched to generate a steady and forecastable funding stream that will make the team less reliant on short term, inconsistent grant funding. This will help sustain the core team and its activities while expanding it to meet growth in demand. The team’s priorities for 2021/22 is to secure funds to support our start up. This would include a Membership Officer and Comms Officer posts to help with managing members and

with marketing and branding Funds are also needed for a CRM to provide a robust database to manage contacts, relationships, and track provider behaviour.

An interim evaluation report by York University was published and launched at a virtual webinar in January 2020. The findings show that DAHA works. Our accreditation process enables housing providers to respond more effectively. It produces positive benefits for tenants/customers, for staff supporting and for the overall operations of the organisation while also yielding cost savings. The final report will be published in July 2021.

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

Accreditations and Supporting Work

This year, we accredited 7 new providers, including the following:

This now brings us to a total of 26 providers accredited.

We received commitments from 69 providers who signed up for accreditation, representing an increase of 48 from last year’s 21 providers who signed up. We now have approximately 120 providers working towards accreditation or reaccreditation.

In London, 66% of local authorities are working towards accreditation. The London Development Manager is working towards a 100% sign up, which would make London the first city with all boroughs DAHA Accredited.

Nationally, the DAHA Development Manager has worked with Leicestershire to sign up their 11 district councils, which is the first time that a full county has signed up for accreditation.

We delivered 30 virtual workshops nationally with approx. 700 participants attending. Virtual delivery resulted in reaching our biggest audience yet.

We initiated a new project with Morgan Sindall, a property management company and this year saw us preparing for this and recruiting a seconded post that will base with Morgan Sindall 2 days a week. The post holder is our very own DAHA Project and Training Officer who has taken the role as part of her continuing professional development. This project will include working with Morgan Sindall to adapt the existing DAHA accreditation standards for this type of service. Through this process, we will support the organisation to become the first property management company to be accredited.

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS)

Our new DAHA PRS Lead started in August 2020, following a gap in post since December 2019. Our new postholder has made significant advancements with this project. The aim of this project is for survivors of domestic abuse living in the private rented sector to be able to achieve safety and secure housing and to receive a safe and consistent response from landlords and letting agents, local authorities and specialist domestic abuse services.

The PRS Lead has mapped the key stakeholders required to achieve this aim:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS) (continued)

1. Policy and Public Affairs : To build on DAHA’s partnerships, influence, and expertise in housing and domestic abuse, to influence changes in policy and legalisation that may impact the economic and housing options of survivors living in the private rented sector.

2. Standardised best practice : To develop a ‘gold standard’ of best practice for how PRS landlords, letting agents and local authority PRS, Environmental Health Teams should respond to domestic abuse, which will be formalised into a set of DAHA Accreditation Standards. These will be developed, piloted and disseminated and promoted nationally.

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS) (continued)

3. Education and resource development : For PRS landlords/letting agents, tenant/survivors, and DA specialists to access training, information, and resources regarding their role in the PRS response to domestic abuse, and the options and needs of survivors living in PRS.

4. Survivor led approaches: To amplify the voices of survivors living in the PRS, so that their experiences and needs are central to developing a safe and supportive response. This includes both engaging with individual survivors who wish to share their experience and influence change, but to also promote the development of research that will give a bigger picture of survivors’ needs and experiences.

5. Partnerships: To continue to build relationships with national and local stakeholders in domestic abuse and housing who we will partner with to influence and promote change in policy and practice at a national and local level.

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Whole Housing Approach

The Whole Housing Approach (WHA) was first conceptualised in 2018 by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) in collaboration with the National Housing and Domestic Abuse Policy and Practice Group. The MHCLG extended the 18-month pilot with funding for an additional year 202021 with continued delivery of in the following three local areas:

The project delivery team included six specialist domestic abuse organisations and ten local authority areas. The funding focused on delivering activities for the following 7 components, a reduction of 1 from the previous year (minus the Sanctuary Scheme):

Component Delivery Partner
Private Rented Sector DAHA hosted byStandingTogether
PrivatelyOwned SurvivingEconomic Abuse
Managed Reciprocals Safer London
Component Delivery Partner
Mobile Advocacy Cambridgeshire Women’s Aid
Refuge Cambridgeshire
Advance
Co-located HousingAdvocacy Advance
Flexible Funding Standing Together (London and
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)
DAHA for social housing Cambridgeshire only DAHA hosted by
StandingTogether

A mix of direct services to survivors was delivered alongside second tier work with professionals and organisations to help improve how they respond to DA and embed within the local Coordinated Community Response to domestic abuse.

Our main delivery outputs for activities delivered between April 2020 and March 2021 includes:

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Whole Housing Approach (continued)

any given year, representing a total of 66% of boroughs now working towards accreditation.

The group produced and published a WHA toolkit in March 2020. Three launch events were also due to take place that month but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A virtual launch event took place in November 2021 and was attended by 350 participants. It included over 10 speakers, mainly our delivery partners updating on their work and the voice of three survivors sharing the impact the project had on them and their housing circumstances.

A year 1 report was published in November 2021 and was launched as part of this event.

Despite COVID-19, the WHA project delivery partners continued attending monthly board meetings, where

partner updates were shared and programme developments were made. The DA Bill/Act played a big role in our thinking

about the WHA model this year. The Act received royal assent in April 2021 with the WHA partnership considering the new duties / laws being introduced in relation to housing and how a WHA could support and complement this.

There are three new pieces of legislation that relate to housing with links to WHA explained:

In Feb 2021, the Government announced new burdens funds for each local authority to help prepare for the new duty along with £125 million towards delivering part 4 safe accommodation provision. This resulted in the team expanding into consultancy work with local authorities (LA) to help them prepare for this duty, which includes all LA’s submitting a Safe Accommodation strategy by August 2021.

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Whole Housing Approach (continued)

By March 2021, we had been commissioned by the five following areas to support the development of the Needs Assessment and strategy and other responsibilities accompanying this new duty:

We are also part of an evaluation project led by Huddersfield University that will produce the first evaluation of its kind reviewing 15 Sanctuary Schemes in England. This will support the WHA team to develop minimum standards for the scheme, which will be made available on the WHA online toolkit.

An outstanding piece of work is to create two new components for WHA, including one on Move On Accommodation (now that this is included as a definition of safe accommodation) and on WHA Coordination.

A bid was submitted to The National Lottery in December 2020 with a proposal for a 3-year, multi-agency, one-site project. Our initial MHCLG 30-month pilot focused on testing and developing the WHA’s 12 individual components. Project resources enabled us to focus on what good looks for each of the 12 components. We did this in our first pilot by partnering with national and local experts from across the three sites and focused our development on where good practice was emerging.

Now that we have defined what good looks like for each 12 components, we now need to focus our delivery on a one-site pilot that will enable us to deliver and coordinate all 12 components in one locality, while developing the 2 new components mentioned above and ideally updating the existing 12. The new project proposal includes testing new ideas to create a WHA partnership, coordinated by a WHA Coordinator employed by the local authority who will bring together stakeholders from across all 12 components at a strategic level. It will also produce for the first time a WHA Hub where the idea is to create a streamlined referral pathway for survivors in need of safe accommodation and stable housing. It will take inspiration from The Clearing House model used for finding homes for rough sleepers and move on accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse. At the very least, this hub will help establish a central database for recording housing need, uptake of local housing options and ideally will help inform the requirement under Part 4 to produce a Needs Assessment to inform a Safe Accommodation Strategy. The offer of Mobile Advocacy support and Flexible Funding could be offered via this mechanism.

Housing First and Homelessness

The Housing First and Homelessness project was set up in 2017 in response to the need to strengthen and build partnerships across the homelessness and VAWG sectors. The project focus is on women and survivors experiencing homelessness, VAWG and other forms of multiple disadvantage, whether they are sleeping rough, living in supported accommodation, or in any other unsafe and informal housing situation. Research and experience have shown that this group face multiple barriers to accessing safe accommodation and appropriate support. The project employs a Homelessness and Housing First Coordinator who works with local authorities, homelessness support services, specialist women’s services and a raft of other agencies to ensure that this group of women have better access to safe accommodation, and support that meets their needs. Key project outcomes over the course of the past year include:

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Housing First and Homelessness (continued)

The new Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator role

We successfully applied for MHCLG emergency COVID 19 domestic abuse funding to fund a new Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator post. Natalie Wong came into post as Housing First and Homelessness coordinator in August 2020 and Louisa Steele moved into a management role. Natalie now oversees the Housing First housing coordination work and provides project officer support to the Safety by Experience project.

Housing First

The Westminster VAWG Housing First project provides permanent, independent housing and intensive support for 20 women experiencing long term homelessness, any form of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and multiple disadvantage. The support element of the project is delivered by Solace Women’s Aid who work to build relationships with the women and provide intensive ‘woman led’ support to help them maintain a tenancy and improve physical and mental wellbeing. The housing element of the project is coordinated by Standing Together who manage partnerships with a coalition of housing partners who provide units for the project.

Safety by Experience Project

The Housing First and Homelessness project has been working in partnership with homelessness organisation St Mungo’s to deliver the ‘Safety by Experience’ project. This project has been funded by the Homeless Link Ending Women’s Homelessness Fund from November 2019 and will end in June 2021. The Safety by Experience projects aims to:

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Housing First and Homelessness (continued)

Outcomes so far:

From March to June 2021 we will consult with staff to get feedback on the guidance, re-draft it and then launch the approach at an event at the end of June.

Homeless Perpetrator work:

We worked with SHP service Fulfilling Lives Islington and Camden to create practical guidance for professionals in homelessness settings around ‘Working Effectively with Perpetrators and Survivors of ’ Domestic Abuse in Homelessness Settings . This was launched at an event in December attended by 150+ professionals from across the homelessness and women’s sectors.

Supporting homeless survivors of abuse during Covid 19 and beyond:

Standing Together was funded by Westminster Council’s Community Contribution Fund COVID-19 grant from May – October 20 to deliver a short project in response to COVID 19 ‘Supporting homeless survivors of abuse during Covid 19 and beyond’. The aim was to provide additional, specialist support for homelessness practitioners working with this group of women in outreach, supported accommodation, and emergency hotel accommodation settings in Westminster during the ‘Everybody in’ initiative.

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

B. Educating agencies and the public in all aspects of domestic violence

Standing Together carries out a variety of activities to fulfil its educative role, all with the aim of improving practice amongst helping agencies. This in turn benefits survivors in terms of access to services, the improved skills and awareness of the professionals who deal with them, the consistency of the standards applied by agencies and the safe options available to them and to their children.

Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities Project

Standing Together’s Faith and Community Programme incorporates the Safety Across Faith & Ethnic (SAFE) Communities project and the Faith and VAWG Coalition as well as Co-ordinating the Harmful Practices Operational Group. The aim is to ensure that domestic abuse and violence against women and girls are tackled holistically by targeting support to and building trust with communities facing barriers to support and tackling intersecting oppressions.

We are a team of various but interlinked work strands that was formed into a programme in May 2020.

SAFE Communities Project

This started as a three-year project run by Standing Together, seeking to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls by working with and learning from grassroots Black, minorities and faith communities. Building the capacity of institutions, communities and women means these groups could become better equipped and more effective in tackling domestic violence and abuse (DVA). The only staff member until May 2020 was Huda Jawad, the project founder. She was joined in 2019 by part time administrative support from Sandra Madej.

The Project was born out of the belief that a coordinated multi-agency response to domestic abuse is the only effective way to support survivors and hold perpetrators to account. This model is known as the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) This method of working with local specialists and statutory agencies is spearheaded in the UK by Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (STADA). The faith and grassroots community (as opposed to the professional community) was a missing component of the CCR model.

It has brought together groups who would not otherwise meet and is the primary source of expertise on the interconnections between VAWG, faith and ethnicity in London. It has carried out bespoke training and capacity building to grassroots community groups and faith organisations. We also provided access to influential networks. SAFE Communities is now entering a transition as it matures and seeks followon funding

Faith & VAWG Coalition

The Faith and VAWG Coalition is a partnership of organisations lead by the Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities project at Standing Together. The Coalition brings together a range of organisations ( Standing Together - SAFE Communities Project, Restored, Respect, Muslim Youth Helpline, Jewish Women's Aid, Forward UK, Latin American Women's Rights Service, Muslim Women’s Network UK, the Black Churches Domestic Abuse Forum and Welsh Woman’s Aid ) and activists (Sara Hyde, Natalie Collins, Marwa Belgazi and Nikki Dhillon-Keane).

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Faith & VAWG Coalition (continued)

The Coalition was launched on 5 March 2020 and seeks to build bridges between members of Faith Communities or Faith-centric organisations and domestic abuse specialists and organisations within the VAWG-sector.

Many survivors with a faith feel that some specialist services and society, in general, are unable to understand their experiences of abuse, and their barriers to accessing support due to their religious identity, their faith community and any spiritual abuse that they may experience at the hands of their perpetrator.

Since Mach 2020 we launched a report into the experiences of survivors from faith backgrounds during the Covid-19 Pandemic in December, We have partnered with a number of faith organisations and leaders to raise awareness on supporting survivors of domestic abuse during these testing times. We have worked with campaigners on influencing and representing the voices of survivors from faith and minoritised backgrounds on the domestic abuse bill which has now become an Act. We have also produced guidance on spiritual abuse for the Home Office and have spent the year working on our governances and decision-making processes. We have recruited a project officer and in the process of recruiting a membership coordinator. We hope to be launching a website and a conference in the next 6 months.

Harmful Practices

Initially started as Huda Jawad co-chairing the Harmful Practices Operational Group for the Tri-borough in 2018 that met once a quarter. It was previously coordinated by the VAWG lead at Kensington and ChelseaShabana Kauser. Standing Together was given funding to lead its data collection efforts and the role has now developed to a part time coordinator role. The work is led by Fran Richards who spent the majority of 2020 holding space for members of the forum who were mostly front line ‘by and for organisations’; building trust and building a data collection agreement and protocol that supported the vital work the organisations do with survivors with multiple barriers to support. We are now in the process of fundraising for more strategic and CCR focused work that will enable partnerships across sectors and locations to take place to evidence, map and support survivors of harmful practices be better served by statutory and specialist agencies.

Events

The Blooming Strong Campaign was created by ST, it is the way we engage with partners to mark November 25[th] as the UN Day for the elimination of violence against women and as part of our 16 days of activism. This year we expanded the project and sent a campaign

packs out to other areas as well as across London. In total we had 171 nominations for a Blooming Strong Flower, all of which were delivered during the 16 days. We also ran a virtual coffee morning introduced by survivor and Britain’s got Talent star Becky O'Brien and joined by Nicole Jacobs the Domestic Abuse Commissioner followed by a positive discussion of some of the inspirational women in attendees’ lives

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CCR Leaders Course

The Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Leaders Course aims to increase the skills and expertise of professionals, including statutory commissioners and policy makers, who are responsible for leading and coordinating responses to domestic abuse (DA) and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The course was developed following a 24 month European project between Standing Together, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and European partners. The Domestic Violence: Coordinating the Intervention (DVCI) project developed, tested and implemented innovative, work-based Continuing Education and Training (CVET) to support the crucial role of DA Strategic Coordination.

Currently, job descriptions and levels of skills and influence differ vastly, and there is no standard training that focuses on strengthening competencies and skills to support the role of DA Strategic Coordination. The CCR Leaders course addresses this gap. Crucially this course provides a space for strategic leads, commissioners and policy officers with responsibility for DA/VAWG to connect, share best practice and learning.

Following the successful delivery of this pilot course in 2017/2018 and increasing demand from local authorities, Standing together decided to re-run it in January 2020. The course comprises of 6 days of training delivered over 3 months. The critical need for this course was highlighted by the fact that within a couple of weeks of promoting new rates for the course, all places were fully booked up.

Unfortunately, due to COVID19, the last module of the course which was due to take place at the end of March 2020 was postponed until February 2021 when it was converted to a virtual course so that learners could complete the training. All participants passed the accredited learning course which was evaluated well and participants have been in touch to let us know that they are implementing learning from the course in their daily work.

European Project: CQ4 DVCI

Standing Together was successful in applying for further European funding to work on a second place of the DVCI project.

This second phase of the “Certificate and Qualification: Coordinators for Domestic Violence Strategic Intervention” project involves the following partners – Apostoli Katharsis (Romania), Dimitra (Greece), Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (UK), Aristoteleies Katartiseis (Greece) and Diakonija (Latvia) and Standing Together (UK).

This work commenced in January 2020 and has been interrupted by the Pandemic, we have not been able to complete any learning visits but have met virtually with partners throughout the year and developed an e- learning course curriculum and materials. The next stage will develop the assessment criteria.

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Domestic Homicide Reviews

Standing Together has been involved in the Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) process from its inception in 2011 and has built a body of knowledge and skills that is invaluable. We offer a complete and inclusive approach that delivers high quality overview reports and independent chairing. Our team consists of a DHR Manager, two dedicated DHR Support Officers based in the Standing Together offices as well as our pool of Associates who act as Chairs for the DHR's. Our team of Associates are highly skilled and experienced and are experts in the field of domestic abuse. Our experience of a coordinated community response and domestic abuse partnerships ensures we balance the needs of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), panel agencies with the sensitivities of the victim's and perpetrator's families. We believe in DHRs and feel they can deliver change in an area where change is needed.

Key achievements during the year were:

Recruitment :

Active DHRs :

Training & Learning Dissemination

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Domestic Homicide Reviews (continued)

National Work

Internal Developments

Strategic Influence

Standing Together serves on the following boards, panels, working groups and networks, sharing experience and expertise to our mutual benefit with:

The ST CEO and staff speak at numerous international, national, regional and local conferences about our strategic and operational approach to the coordinated community response and often particular aspects of work.

Financial Review

Overview

Standing Together’s work in Year 2020 - 2021 continued along the strategically planned paths of making a difference in raising awareness and making changes to the response to domestic violence.

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Financial Review (continued)

Standing Together was strongly reliant on government funding and assessing alternative funding opportunities during the year had changed due to the impact of COVID 19 pandemic.

The challenges in funding for certain areas were mitigated by the successful applications of £373k COVID 19 emergency funding.

The charity is successful in recruiting experienced staff against this background in maintaining skilled and qualified staff to new posts created this year. The Chief Executive concentrates on local, national and European work along with the Standing Together team via shared goals, policies to strengthen our position with existing

contracts and future proposals to extend our work around domestic violence. Their work is supported by the finance and administration team ensuring that good financial management continues to be the key to achieving stability and ensuring a sound future for the organisation.

Following the announcement of a lockdown in March 2020 due to COVID19 pandemic, Standing Together initiated its Business Continuity arrangements, which saw swift changes in the way that staff worked. Our IT infrastructure was upgraded and staff were supplied with individual laptops to work from home. Despite the current COVID19 there is no expectation or evidence in the forecasts or the financial performance of the year to date that would suggest the pandemic would have a significant impact on the financial position of the charity.ST has been undertaking regular forecast updates to help mitigate unexpected risks. Although the long-term effects of the pandemic are still largely uncertain, adding in this additional exercise allows the Board to identify any potential future changes to the business.

In the financial year ended 31[st] March 2021 total incoming resources decreased by 35.1% from £3.2m to £2.1m. The decline in income was primarily due to funding of £1.1m for the Pathfinder Health project coming to an end. This was more than matched by a decrease in charitable expenditure of 45.3% from £3.1m to £1.7m. At the year end the net increase in funds was £410.8k (2020: £138.2k).

Principal Funding Sources in 2020 - 2021

Our main principal funding sources are from local government

During 2020 – 2021 the total funding generated was £2.1m, which consisted primarily of income from local authorities in London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF), Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC), Westminster County Council (WCC), Haringey Council, London Borough of Ealing. Other grants were awarded by the central government including Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and London Councils. There were further sources of income from Oak Foundation and City Bridge trust funders

Additional income from charitable grants (see note 4), European Commission, training and consultancy has been crucial this year. Standing Together is very grateful for the support of grant making bodies and individual donations from the public.

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

Income Resources: £2,133,244

----- Start of picture text -----
Criminal Justice
System,
Donations,
£112,202
£49,135
Faith & VAWG
Housing & Communities,
Homelessness, £200,490
£564,803
Health,
£235,527
Fee Earning
Income,
£399,506 MARAC,
£284,848
Other Income,
£286,733
----- End of picture text -----

Income funded the following projects:

• Housing & Homelessness

Income received included funds from London Councils (£81k) for Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) to establish a set of housing standards through DAHA accreditation process; £270k from Comic Relief and Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) to support the Whole Housing Approach project; £134k to tackle irrelated issues of homelessness and improve housing pathways for women with multiple needs, £36k from LB of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) and MHCLG to coordinate the sanctuary and flexi fund scheme to provide provision for improved home security and essential needs and £38k received from Comic Relief to recruit an expert trainer to develop training packages for DAHA.

• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC)

Bi Borough (includes Westminster City Council and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea) and LBHF collectively contributed £127k, Haringey £50k and Ealing £56k to support the work around information sharing on the highest risk domestic abuse cases to ensure that all parties put in place a plan for safety of domestic violence survivors. In addition to this MOPAC/MOJ and the Home Office through COVID 19 emergency funding provided £24k and £28k respectively.

• Criminal Justice

As part of the contract with Bi Borough and LBHF provision of Shared Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) coordination services included £41k plus £26k from MOPAC/MOJ and £15k from Treebeard assist to facilitate the court process and experience of domestic abuse cases within the criminal system with the aim of increasing the proportion of successful outcomes.

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

LBHF via the MOPAC London Crime Prevention Fund allocated £25k to the role of the Criminal Justice Programme Manager who support victims and witnesses. A further £5k received form Inner London Magistrates Poor Box to purchase low cost items to victim/survivors of domestic abuse who have had contact with the Criminal Justice System.

• Health

A total of £235k was awarded to support the Health Team projects. Inclusive of £66k from Public Health to continue the support of the Children & Health Coordinator role reflecting the view we share of the essential role which health professionals have in identifying and supporting survivors of domestic violence; Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation awarded £49k to fund the significant Domestic Abuse Coordinator post in developing and embedding a Trust wide holistic domestic abuse training package; £57k from National Lottery COVID 19 emergency fund and £63k remaining from Pathfinder project to coordinate and cover the evaluation of the project.

• Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities

The SAFE Communities project brought together leaders, pooled expertise and people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and faith communities with the aim to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women. As well as £25k received from Esmee Fairburn to extend the project for 6 months, there was the underspend of £30k from Maidenhead Malachi Trust and additional funding of £77k from Oak Foundation and £68k from City Bridge Trust.

• Fee Earning Income

Standing Together generated a total of £399k from fee earning activities. This included 146k from Domestic Homicide Reviews; £71k from educative consultancy and training courses; £151k consultancy work. The Home Office awarded £31k from COVID 19 emergency funding to cover shortfall as a result of the pandemic.

• Other Income:

i. Shared VAWG Operations Management

LBHF, Westminster City Council and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea granted £40k for the role of Partnership Operational Manager to oversee and support the development of the Shared VAWG strategy services operational groups

ii. Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)

iii. National Lottery Community Fund

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

iv. Home Office / MOPAC/MOH

COVID 19 emergency funding of £53k awarded to cover shortfall in income generating income.

v. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

vi. Angelou

vii. Other income

• Donations

We are incredibly grateful for the generous donations and support we receive from individuals and organisations. The donations totalling £49k this year are a valuable contribution to our objective to alleviate domestic abuse. This does not include contributions from DAHA Partners of £83k which is included in note 2.

• In Kind

We have benefitted from volunteers who have assisted on the various projects depending on their area of interest. We are committed to offering an opportunity to individuals to boost their employability skills and enhance their personal development.

Charitable Expenditure: £1,722,492

----- Start of picture text -----
Support Costs,
£126,054
Other direct
costs,
£304,810
Staff costs,
£1,291,628
----- End of picture text -----

Charitable expenditure comprised staff costs of £1,291,628 (out of total costs of £1,722,492) which accounted for 75% of total costs. Support cost, £126,054 included costs for information technology (IT), other professional fees, office and premise costs. Other direct costs of £304,810 were for consultant fees, onward cost to partners and general direct costs (insurance, memberships, travel and depreciation).

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Financial Results

The Income and Expenditure Accounts showed incoming resources for the year of £2.1m (2020: £3.2m) and expenditure of £1.7m (2020: £3.1m). The total reserves stand at £802k (2020: £390k) of which £323k is restricted and £479k is unrestricted. Of the unrestricted fund, £352k has been designated for contractual liabilities, leaving a balance of £127k as unrestricted free reserves.

Standing Together receives most of its funding in the form of grants directly in support for specific projects. We have increased our core funding by attracting flexible and diverse sources within our mission and expertise, ensuring that when submitting funding proposals full recovery cost is included in total costs. At present, the core funding is sufficient to cover Standing Together's overheads and administration costs.

Investments

Apart from maintaining a prudent amount in reserves each year most of the charity's funds are to be spent in the short term leaving few funds for long term investment. We maintain our good management of funds between the current and deposit accounts which has seen the rate of interest remain the same in this year. To ensure security of our deposits under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the Trustees are carrying out a review to establish the best institutions to invest designated funds and surplus monies.

Reserves Policy

The Board of Trustees has examined the charity's requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. The Trustees recognise that it must manage its affairs to ensure that the level of reserves and associated cash balances remain sufficient such that Standing Together will continue to operate on a sustainable basis. It is the Trustees objective that in the event that Standing together faces difficult financial circumstances, these reserves would allow us to both meet our responsibilities to grant holders and for operations to continue during a period of managed adjustment to these new circumstances.

Having assessed the current risks, the Trustees has established a policy to increase the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity. Trustees have decided that, after an allowance for future income expectations, Standing Together should maintain cash and realisable assets sufficient to fund three months of operation costs.

Based on the current grants position, the reserve represents the minimum level of funds required to protect Standing Together from the potential financial impact of known business risks. In the event of Standing Together facing difficult financial circumstances these reserves would allow us to both meet our responsibilities to grant holders and for operations to continue during a period of managed adjustment to these new circumstances.

Based on the current position the policy requires us to hold £350k in liquid and realisable assets. The Trustees will monitor and review the level of reserves annually, in line with Charity Commission guidance.

4. Plans for the Future

Each year, Standing Together Staff and Trustees meet to review our objectives and priorities for achieving our charitable aims and to refresh our Theory of Change.

In 2021-22 Standing Together set out to:

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4. Plans for the Future (continued)

5. Conclusion

Standing Together are proud of the way we work in partnerships to embed and model the coordinated community response to domestic abuse. The Coordinated Community Response provides a framework by which we organise, plan and prioritise our work.

Year on year, we build a more robust program of work locally and nationally to both undertake and model the breadth of systemic work that is required to promote safety for survivors of domestic abuse and to hold perpetrators to account.

Our challenge has always been to maintain the partnership work that we do in central London while promoting the best of what we are learning to our wider national networks. Our CCR network has traditionally provided us with that opportunity however this year we have embraced other ways to do this through our national networks like the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA), MARAC work, Whole Housing, Faith and VAWG Coalition, In Search of Excellence, DHRs, Mentor Court Project and Pathfinder.

Expansion comes with both challenges and opportunities. Both are easier for Standing Together as our work is firmly grounded and the principles and components of the coordinated community response which remain touch stone to all we do and how we develop.

6. Impact of Coronavirus

Subsequent to the financial year end, the scale and spread of Covid 19 (Coronavirus) virus worldwide and the actions taken by local authority, central governments and organisations affected, has caused and will continue to cause disruption to almost all sectors and the way that Standing Together operates.

The Trustees entered 2020 in a cautious position with a well-diversified funding portfolio which was aided by extension of existing grants and new successful bids to continue current projects.

The CEO and management team continue to monitor the situation closely, reporting regularly to Trustess and consider how best to respond to any emerging issues. Standing Together has taken steps such as furloughing staff and applying for government emergency funds to mitigate the increase in costs of staff working from home and the loss of fee earning contracts.

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7. Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The Trustees, who are also directors of the Company for the purposes of the Companies Act, are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law and the law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Charity 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 its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:-

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees confirm that, in the case of each of the persons who are Trustees at the date of this report, the following applies:

Relationship with Funders

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This Report is agreed and signed at the AGM by the Chair of Standing Together Kruti Patel, on behalf of the Board of Trustees on 2 November 2021.

Kruti Patel

Trustee/Director

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

We have audited the financial statements of Standing Together against Domestic Abuse (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, 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, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

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 Auditor's 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 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 charity’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 other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information.

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

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

(Continued)

whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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 directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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 directors' report included within the trustees' report.

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

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees' responsibilities statement in the Trustees' Report, 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 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 company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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(Continued)

Auditor's 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 an auditor’s report 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:

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 auditor's report

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 auditor s 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.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

(Continued)

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 auditor s 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.

Shoaib Arshad (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of: Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditors 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD

6 December 2021

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(incorporating the Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2021

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
Note 2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies 2 131,727 - 131,727 26,267 - 26,267
Charitable activities 4 834,593 1,166,675 2,001,268 750,884 2,510,191 3,261,075
Investments 3 249 - 249 1,256 - 1,256
TOTAL INCOME £ 966,569
 £ 1,166,675
 £ 2,133,244
 £ 778,407
 £ 2,510,191
 £ 3,288,598
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities 5 (741,627) (980,865) (1,722,492) (739,981) (2,410,415) (3,150,396)
TOTAL EXPENDITURE (741,627) (980,865) (1,722,492) (739,981) (2,410,415) (3,150,396)
NET MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS 224,942 185,810 410,752 38,426 99,776 138,202
TOTAL FUNDS AS AT 1 APRIL 253,350 137,100 390,450 214,924 37,324 252,248
TOTAL FUNDS AS AT 31 MARCH 2021 £ 478,292
 £ 322,910
 £ 801,202
 £ 253,350
 £ 137,100
 £ 390,450

All income and expenditure have arisen from continuing activities. None of the Charity's activities were acquired or discontinued during the above two financial years.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

BALANCE SHEET

As at 31 March 2021 (Registered Company No. 04283131)

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Furniture & Equipment
10
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS: amounts falling due
within one year
12
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds
14
General fund
14
Restricted Funds
14		 2021
£
3,365
354,853
1,057,661
1,412,514
(614,677)
797,837
801,202
801,202
£
351,643
126,649
478,292
322,910
**801,202 **		 2020
£
4,486
275,464
616,463
891,927
(505,964)
385,963
390,449
390,449
£
201,448
51,902
253,350
137,100
390,450

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and the Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The financial statements were approved, and authorised for issue, by the Board of Trustees on 2 November 2021 and signed on their behalf by: -

Kruti Patel Trustee/Director

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

CASH FLOW STATEMENT

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Cash flows from operating activities
(Deficit)/Surplus for the financial year
Adjustments for:
Depreciation
(Decrease)/increase in Debtors
Increase/(Decrease) in Creditors
Investment income
Cash flows from investing activities
Returns on investment – interest receivable
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents as at 1st April 2020
Cash and cash equivalents as at 31st March 2021
Components of cash and cash equivalents
April 2020
£
Cash at bank and in hand
616,464
£		 2021
£
410,752
1121
(79,389)
108,713
(249)
440,948
249
-
441,197
616,464
1,057,661
£
Cashflow
£
441,197
£		 2020
£
138,202
1,121
128,592
(357,811)
(1,256)
(91,152)
1,256
(5,607)
(95,503)
711,967
616,464
£
April 2021
£
1,057,661
£

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102 have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities' (FRS 102), and the Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Trust's ability to continue as a going concern.

Company status

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse is a company limited by guarantee. 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.

Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Statutory grants which are given as contributions towards the Charity's core services are treated as unrestricted.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the note 14.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) which the charity is legally entitled to the income, it is probable that the amount will be received, and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Grants and donation received are deferred when conditions are attached, for example when they relate to a specific future period.

Resources Expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Support costs, which cannot be directly attributed to particular activities, have been apportioned proportionately to the direct staff costs allocated to the activities.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.

Tangible fixed assets

All tangible assets costing more than £5,000 are capitalised and stated at cost less depreciation.

Furniture and equipment 5 years on straight line

Operating leases

Rentals applicable to operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities over the period in which the cost is incurred.

Pensions

The company is part of a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Donations 131,727 - 131,727 26,267 - 26,267
£ 131,727
 £ -
 £ 131,727
 £ 26,267
 £ -
 £ 26,267
3. INVESTMENT INCOME Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Interest receivable from
Bank interest 249 - 249 1,256 - 1,256
£ 249
 £ -
 £ 249
 £ 1,256
 £ -
 £ 1,256
4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Grants & contracts for services:
Support & education to prevent domestic
violence 605,893 1,166,675 1,772,568 492,222 2,510,191 3,002,413
Membership fees - - - 1,425 - 1,425
Fee income 228,700 - 228,700 257,237 - 257,237
£ 834,593
 £ 1,166,675
 £ 2,001,268
 £ 750,884
 £ 2,510,191
 £ 3,261,075

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES (continued)

Analysis of grants & contracts for services

Calypso Browning
Chelwest NHS
City Bridge Trust
City of Westminster Charitable Trust
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
Comic Relief - Recovery Fund
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Domestic Homicide Reviews
Ealing Council
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Haringey Council
Home Office - Emergency Fund
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
Inner London Magistrates Courts
Job Retention Scheme
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
Maidenhead Malachi Trust
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
MOJ/MOPAC - Emergency Fund
National Lottery Community Fund
Oak Foundation
RBKC - CSE Priorities Fund
Treebeard Trust
Tri Borough Funding
Westminster City Council
Winston Churchill Memorial		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2021
2021
2021
2020
2020
2020
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
5,000
5,000
-
-
-
-
49,000
49,000
-
49,000
49,000
-
68,490
68,490
-
-
-
-
12,690
12,690
-
-
-
-
35,000
35,000
-
40,000
40,000
-
38,200
38,200
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
322,500
322,500
-
58,664
58,664
-
1,147,596
1,147,596
146,372
-
146,372
186,834
-
186,834
55,655
-
55,655
53,655
-
53,655
-
-
-
-
12,743
12,743
-
25,000
25,000
-
50,000
50,000
-
66,000
66,000
-
66,000
66,000
49,855
-
49,855
49,858
-
49,858
112,134
-
112,134
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25,000
25,000
-
-
-
-
25,000
25,000
-
48,375
48,375
-
48,375
48,375
-
5,000
5,000
-
-
-
33,600
-
33,600
-
-
-
-
51,000
51,000
-
51,000
51,000
-
80,565
80,565
-
86,477
86,477
-
30,000
30,000
-
-
-
-
245,000
245,000
-
507,500
507,500
-
69,711
69,711
-
49,000
49,000
-
51,418
51,418
-
-
-
-
120,329
120,329
-
-
-
-
77,000
77,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15,000
15,000
-
15,000
15,000
-
15,000
15,000
208,277
2,160
210,437
201,875
-
201,875
-
3,173
3,173
-
-
-
-
9,900
9,900
-
-
-
605,893
£
1,166,675
£
1,772,568
£
492,222
£
2,510,191
£
3,002,413
£

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

5. RESOURCES EXPENDED

5a. Cost of charitable activities (current year)

5a. Cost of charitable activities (current year)
Projects:
Community
Criminal Justice
DHRs
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Training
Other charitable projects
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Staff
Other direct
Support
Total
costs
costs
costs
2021
£
£
£
£
62,493
3,114
6,208
71,815
104,439
760
2,076
107,275
107,462
56,809
4,694
168,965
236,860
5,381
22,033
264,274
348,418
175,850
35,028
559,296
261,957
1,063
19,668
282,688
1,507
11,156
1,854
14,517
168,492
50,677
34,493
253,662
1,291,628
£
304,810
£
126,054
£
1,722,492
£

5b. Cost of charitable activities (prior year as at 31st March 2020)

Projects:
Community
Criminal Justice
DHRs
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Training
Other charitable projects
Total as at 31 March 2020
Resources expended include:
Auditors’ remuneration:		 Staff
costs
£
44,549
91,543
99,677
389,672
300,942
231,635
13,358
81,080		 Other direct
Support
costs
costs
£
£
6,671
1,604
3,372
2,836
79,387
10,764
1,158,855
36,568
462,757
26,676
2,435
16,570
6,257
2,135
39,750
41,303		 Total
2019
£
52,824
97,751
189,828
1,585,095
790,375
250,640
21,750
162,133
1,252,456
£		 1,759,484
£
138,456
£		 3,150,396
£
2021
5,000
£		 2020
4,500
£

Details of resources expended are given in notes 6, 7 and 8

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

6. OTHER DIRECT COSTS

6. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
Partner and stakeholder costs
Consultancy and Domestic Homicide Review Associate costs
Training and learning services
External evaluation
Other direct costs		 Total
2021
£
122,589
103,295
33,573
24,983
20,370
304,810
£		 Total
2020
£
1,348,694
117,789
23,757
13,713
255,532
1,759,485
£

Included in other direct costs is expenditure of £Nil (2020: £129,861) incurred on data collection, sharing learning and national good practice and dissemination relating to the Pathfinder Heath Project.

6a. Payments to Partners and Stakeholders:

6a. Payments to Partners and Stakeholders:
(i) Pathfinder Health Project
Consortium partners:
Against Violence & Abuse (AVA)
SafeLives
IRISi Interventions
Imkaan
Health Sites:
NHS Blackpool CCG
North Devon Against DA (NDADA)
London Borough of Haringey
Somerset Partnership NHS
RB of Kensington & Chelsea
London Borough of Camden
Arch (North Staffordshire) Ltd
NHS Southampton CCG
Evaluation by Cardiff University
(ii) Whole Housing Approach Programme
Partners:
Cambridge Shrievalty Trust
Cambridge Women’s Aid
Refuge
(iii) Domestic Abuse Housing Association
Partners:
Peabody
Gentoo
(iv) Homeless Link
(V) Solace Women's Aid
Total partners and stakeholder costs		 2021
2021
2020
£
£
£
-
107,602
-
115,407
-
79,904
-
63,920
-
-
60,000
-
55,563
-
60,000
-
72,638
-
69,761
-
67,500
-
67,688
-
72,500
-
-
-
-
40,000
-
108,000
-
132,500
-
37,500
31,167
37,500
31,167
75,000
15,877
31,711
122,588
£		 2020
£
366,833
525,650
97,500
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 60,000
55,563
60,000
72,638
69,761
67,500
67,688
72,500
-
-
-		 40,000
108,000
132,500
- 989,983
-
75,000
15,877
31,711		 280,500
62,334
15,877
-
37,500
37,500		 31,167
31,167
122,588
£		 1,348,694
£

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

7. SUPPORT COSTS

Premises and Office costs
Communication & IT
Legal & professional fees
Auditor’s fee
8. STAFF COSTS AND NUMBERS
Gross salaries
Social security
Pension costs
Other staff costs		 Total
2021
£
91,063
17,726
12,267
5,000
126,056
£
Total
2021
£
1,117,123
108,292
44,615
21,599
1,291,629
£		 Total
2020
£
93,174
25,339
15,442
4,500
138,455
£
Total
2020
£
1,087,155
105,833
44,585
14,885
1,252,458
£

The average weekly number of employees calculated as full time equivalents during the period was:

Key Management Team
Community project
Criminal Justice project
Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Other Projects
The average number of employees (head counts) during the period was:		 Number
2
1.5
2.6
2
5.1
8.4
8
2
31.6
34.6		 Number
2
1
2.5
3
7
7
6
3
31.5
32

One employee (2020: Nil) received remuneration of more than £60,000; between £60,001 to £70,000.

During the year, key management received an aggregate salary and benefits of £125,674 (2020: £144,391)

9. TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

During the year, no members of the Board of Trustees received any remuneration (2020 : £NIL) No members of the Board of Trustees received reimbursement of expenses (2020 : £NIL)

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

10. FIXED ASSETS

Cost
At 1 April 2020
At 31 March 2021
Depreciation
At 1 April 2020
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2021
Net book value
At 31 March 2021
At 31 March 2020
11. DEBTORS
Due within one year
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other debtors
12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Due within one year
Deferred income
VAT creditors
Social security and other taxes
Accruals & creditors		 Furniture and
equipment
£
5,607
5,607
1,121
1,121
2,242
3,365
£
4,486
£
Total
2021
£
246,653
4,088
90,531
13,581
354,853
£
Total
2021
£
286,586
93,303
26,200
208,588
614,677
£		 Total
£
5,607
5,607
1,121
1,121
2,242
3,365
**£ **
4,486
_£ _
Total
2020
£
181,160
4,233
75,233
14,838
275,464
£
Total
2020
£
102,390
83,576
29,594
290,404
505,964
£

13. TAXATION

The Charity is a registered charity, and therefore is not liable for income tax or corporation tax on income derived from its charitable activities, as it falls within the various exemptions available, to registered charities.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

14. STATEMENT OF FUNDS

14a Statement of Funds (current year as at 31 March 2021)

DESIGNATED FUNDS
Designated Fund
DVCN Funds
Total as at 31 March 2021
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Calypso Browning
Chelwest NHS
City Bridge Trust
City of Westminster Charitable Trust
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
Comic Relief - Recovery Fund
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Home Office - Emergency Fund
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
Inner London Magistrates Courts
LB of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
Maidenhead Malachi Trust
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
MOJ/MOPAC - Emergency Fund
National Lottery Community Fund
Oak Foundation
RBKC - CSE
Tri Borough
Treebeard Trust
Westminster City Council
Winston Churchill
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,000
-
-
150,215
350,215
1,448
-
20
-
-
1,428
201,448
£
-
£
20
-£
150,215
£
351,643
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
5,000
-
-
5,000
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
68,490
(61,054)
-
7,436
-
12,690
(12,690)
-
-
12,551
35,000
(40,784)
-
6,767
-
38,200
(38,200)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
58,664
(58,664)
-
-
12,062
-
(12,015)
-
47
-
25,000
(25,000)
-
-
-
66,000
(61,420)
-
4,580
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20,438
-
(20,438)
-
-
32,241
48,375
(62,000)
-
18,616
-
5,000
(72)
-
4,928
11,869
51,000
(49,070)
-
13,799
3,412
80,565
(80,000)
-
3,977
-
30,000
(1,922)
-
28,078
33,307
245,000
(153,884)
-
124,424
-
69,711
(69,711)
-
-
51,418
(51,418)
-
-
120,329
(93,958)
-
26,371
77,000
(22,328)
-
54,672
11,220
-
938
-
12,158
-
2,160
-
-
2,160
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
3,173
(3,173)
-
-
-
9,900
-
9,900
137,100
£
1,166,675
£
980,865
-£
-
£
322,910
£
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
Designated Funds
General Funds
Restricted Funds
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
201,448
-
(20)
150,215
351,643
51,902
966,569
(741,607)
(150,215)
126,649
253,350
966,569
(741,627)
-
478,292
137,100
1,166,675
(980,865)
-
322,910
390,450
£
2,133,244
£
£ (1,722,492)
-
£
801,202
£

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Designated funds are intended to enable the charity and its partners to conduct their activities fully, in the event of a loss of funding, so that an orderly winding up of its projects may be achieved.

14. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

14b Statement of Funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)

14b Statement of Funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)
DESIGNATED FUNDS
Designated Fund
DVCN Funds
Total as at 31 March 2020
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Chelwest NHS
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
LB of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
RBKC - CSE Priorities Fund
Treebeard Trust
Total as at 31 March 2020		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended
Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,000
-
-
-
200,000
23
1,425
-
-
1,448
200,023
£
1,425
£
-
£
-
£
201,448
£
Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended
Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
40,000
(27,449)
-
12,551
-
322,500
(322,500)
-
-
-
1,147,596
(1,147,596)
-
-
-
12,743
(681)
-
12,062
-
50,000
(50,000)
-
-
-
66,000
(66,000)
-
-
-
25,000
(25,000)
-
-
-
25,000
(4,562)
-
20,438
-
48,375
(16,134)
-
32,241
8,114
51,000
(47,245)
-
11,869
-
86,477
(83,065)
-
3,412
29,210
507,500
(503,403)
-
33,307
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
15,000
(3,780)
-
11,220
-
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
37,324
£
2,510,191
£
£(2,410,415)
-
£
137,100
£
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
Designated Funds
General Funds
Restricted Funds
Total as at 31 March 2020		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,023
1,425
-
-
201,448
14,901
776,982
(739,981)
-
51,902
214,924
778,407
(739,981)
-
253,350
37,324
2,510,191
(2,410,415)
-
137,100
252,248
£
3,288,598
£
£(3,150,396)
-
£
390,450
£

The Designated funds are intended to enable the charity and its partners to conduct their activities fully, in the event of a loss of funding, so that an orderly winding up of its projects may be achieved.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

15. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

15a. Analysis of net assets between funds (current year as at 31 March 2021)

Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds
Designated General Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets - 3,365 - 3,365
Net Current assets 351,643 123,284 322,910 797,837
Total as at 31 March 2021 £ 351,643
 £ 126,649
 £ 322,910
 £ 801,202

15b. Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)

Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds
Designated General Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets - 4,486 - 4,486
Net Current assets 201,448 47,416 137,100 385,964
Total as at 31 March 2020 £ 201,448
 £ 51,902
 £ 137,100
 £ 390,450

16. OTHER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

At 31 March 2021 the Company had commitments under non-cancellable operating leases (all for land and buildings) as set out below:

Operating leases which expire:
within one year
within two to five years
The cost of operating lease during the year was as follows:
Office lease charges for the year		 Total
2021
£
44,631
-
44,631
£
44,631
£		 Total
2020
£
44,631
44,631
89,262
£
44,631
£

17. PENSION COMMITMENTS

Pension costs in note 8 relate to payments made to a defined contribution scheme. The charitable company's liability is limited to making the payments due to scheme on timely basis. The liability as at 31 March 2021 is £7,484 (2020: £6,797)

18. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURE

There were no related party transactions, other than those disclosed in note 8 and 9.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

19. SECTION 37 STATEMENT

Grant aid of £83,977 was received from London Councils in the financial year ended 31st March 2021. The purpose of the grant is to introduce and adopt established set of standards and an accreditation process in response to domestic abuse within housing.

The following table illustrates what the money was awarded for and that it has been used for these purposes:

Grant Awarded
Costs
Staff Costs
Rent
Running costs
Total Costs
Underspent in the year
Underspent from last year
Total underspent at the year end
Other Direct Costs (consultancy & evaluation)		 2021
£
80,565
£
55,000
20,023
2,000
2,977
80,000
£
565
3,412
3,977
£		 2020
£
86,477
£
55,000
23,088
2,000
2,977
83,065
£
3,412
-
3,412
£

The sum of £5,000 was withheld in respect of the evaluation which was delayed as shown accrued costs that were paid after 31 March 2021; and there was an underspend on travel expenses of £3,977 (2020: £3,412).

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REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Company limited by guarantee No. 04283131 Registered Charity No. 1088844

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

CONTENTS

Page
Legal and administrative information 3
Foreword 4
Board of Trustees’ report 5
Independent Auditor's report 56
Statement of Financial Activities 59
Balance Sheet 60
Cash Flow Statement 61
Notes to the financial statements 62

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE CHARITY TRUSTEES AND ADVISERS For the year ended 31 March 2021

Board of Trustees K Patel Chair
A Corbett (resigned 20/10/20)
E Elkington
F Endersby (appointed 28/04/20)
R. Farrar (resigned 20/10/20)
C. Griffin Vice Chair
M Hill (appointed 29/07/21)
T Joseph (appointed 29/07/21)
S.Letchford (QPM) (resigned 20/10/20)
A. Macalpine (resigned 20/10/20)
M Latif (appointed 29/07/21)
A Patel (appointed 29/07/21)
L. Payne
P Price Treasurer
A Smith (appointed 29/07/21)
K Vernau (appointed 29/07/21)
A Wilkinson (resigned 20/10/20)
Company Registration No: 04283131
Charity Registration No: 1088844
Registered Office: The Polish Centre
Room 44D, 4thFloor
238 – 246 King Street
London
W6 0RF
Auditors: Knox Cropper LLP
65 Leadenhall Street
London
EC3A 2AD
Bankers: CAF Bank Limited
25 Kings Hill Avenue
Kings Hill
West Malling
Kent
ME19 4JQ

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

FOREWORD For the year ended 31 March 2021

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your interest in Standing Together (ST). Our Trustees and staff team are extremely proud of the pioneering work of our organisation does to embed a coordinated community response (CCR) to domestic abuse in the UK. We remain inspired by the ambition of our founders over twenty years ago. We are proud of the depth and breadth of work to address and eradicate domestic abuse in such a range of areas. We are working in community-based settings, the criminal justice system and in a range of housing, health and faith settings. We are also integral to the strategic and operational response to domestic abuse in five London boroughs and in particular the bi-borough of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith and Fulham. We are increasingly sharing our approach to the coordinated community response in a number of national programmes such as the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA), Whole Housing, Pathfinder (health), Faith and Communities and in our Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) work. We are very proud of the partnerships in these areas and are privileged to work alongside so many ambitious and talented charities, services and community groups.

2020 -2021 has been an extraordinary year with unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus pandemic. Despite these challenges the team has worked tirelessly to deliver our services, bring in additional funding and to continue to meet ST's objectives.

We are pleased that our annual audit highlights our sound management of Standing Together. We would very much like to thank the Standing Together trustees, the staff team, our partners and all of those who have supported our work this year.

Sincerely,

Kruti Patel Gudrun Burnet Chair of Board of Trustees Chief Executive

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Trustees, who are also directors of the Company for the purposes of the Companies Act, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2021.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in Note 1 to the accounts and comply with the governing documents, the Charities Act 2011 and 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).

1. Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 6[th ] September 2001 and registered as a charity in October 2001. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. In the event of the company being wound up members are required to contribute an amount not exceeding £10. The Members of the Company comprise all and only the current serving Trustees.

Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees

The directors of the company are also charity trustees for the purposes of charity law. At each Annual General Meeting, one third of trustees retire after which they may be be re-elected if they agree.

The Chair along with selected members of the Board and CEO are responsible for recruiting members of the Board of Trustees. Membership of the Board is reviewed annually to ensure that the broadest interests served by Standing Together are represented. Trustees are sought who have experience and influence in their field and are most appropriate to promote the success of the Charity. They bring great abilities to bear on their role and in the various offices they hold on the Board. Their roles as Trustees include human resources; implementation of equal opportunities; financial management, education and equalities, criminal justice, legal expertise, a strategic overview of fundraising and strategic planning.

Each year a planning and review day is held with trustees. During the year a Board evaluation assessment was carried out. This included a review of the Board composition, skills, knowledge, experience, diversity and culture. It was recommended that to exercise best practice and in line with Charity Governance Code Commission guidelines, that Trustees with 9 years or more service would be replaced. In February 2021 a recruitment drive was carried out which resulted in the appointment of 6 new Trustees on 29[th] July 2021.

At the Annual General Meeting held on 20[th] October 2020, Ann Corbett, Rosemary Farrar, Simon Letchford and Anne Wilkinson resigned. During the year Fiona Endersby was appointed on 28[th] April 2020. On 29[th] July 2021 Michelle Hill, Tracey Joseph, Rizwan Latif, Anisha Patel,Anne Smith and Kim Vernau were recruited to the Board of Trustees.

All trustees receive letters and an agreement confirming appointment, including a pack of key documents containing governing documents and information on the organisation, their role and responsibilities.

As part of their induction, Trustees are briefed on their duties and meet with line managers who outlined their specific projects. To support them in their roles each Trustee are offered a “Buddy”, an existing board member who can mentor them through the first few months.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Information on training for trustees of charities is offered to new trustees.

All Trustees have signed (a) a Declaration of Eligibility (b) Conflicts of Interest and Register of Interests and (c) a contract between Trustees and Standing Together and this is reviewed at each Trustee meeting. Trustees do not receive remuneration or derive any other personal benefit from the activities of the charity.

Management of the Charity

Standing Together is managed by this highly committed Board of Trustees which meets every quarter. The Board has maintained membership of nine to twelve trustees since registration in 2001 and makes every effort to ensure it is comprised of a mix of new and experience trustees who collectively provide the appropriate expertise and skills on the board. The principle remains that this structure safeguards that there is the appropriate expertise and skills on board to ensure that the charity is run in accordance with standard organisation practice, that ensure that activities undertaken are in line with the charitable objectives and aims of Standing Together.

The Board has fulfilled its role this year in being responsible for the strategic direction and the sound financial health of the company and for ensuring that the activities of the company meet its charitable objectives. The Trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the aims and objectives and in planning future activities.

The Chief Executive of Standing Together has overall responsibility for the running of the organisation and delivery of Standing Together's strategy, its development and achievements reporting directly to the Board, supported in financial matters by the Finance & HR Manager and in operational matters by the Partnership Manager and the wider management team. The salary for key management is decided by the Trustees taking into account the skills and experience required, the management responsibilities, the overall budget constraints and a view of what is appropriate as compared to similar roles in the sector in which we work. The level of salary bands is currently been reviewed by an independent human resource consultant, which will be presented in a pay policy to the Board for approval.

Financial Management

Standing Together has policies and procedures in place to carry out good financial management and clear audit trails to ensure that there are sufficient funds to maintain core services in the short and long term.

The Board of Trustees set up a Finance Committee which consists of Trustees Pat Price and Cynthia Griffin; plus Gudrun -Burnet, CEO and Caron Bailey the Finance & HR Manager. The Committee carries out detailed work on financial matters in connection with the budget, financial performance and funding of the organisation relating its findings at the Board of Trustees meeting. The Committee formally meets four times during the year.

Other policies and procedures include Finance Regulations; quarterly Finance Reports to Trustees; regular review of systems for supporting financial procedures; designated staff with clear roles & responsibilities and an Annual Audit.

In the up-and-coming financial year, the Finance Committee continues to focus on ways to increase the general reserves and monitor the organisation's performance against contingency plans. There is ongoing dialogue as we progress through and conclude the level of adequate general reserve. It has been recommended that by promoting Standing Together’s bespoke training and consultancy work, looking at alternative ways of fundraising and engaging in the support of philanthropists and champions these are key opportunities in adding to general reserve. The emphasis is on how the Charity is funded,

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

how the Trustee seeks to continue to make progress, the fundraising strategy and its management. As part of this, the Business Continuity Plan was reviewed and updated in the year.

Risk Management

Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Charity. Risks are considered in light of their likelihood and potential impact and the necessary steps to mitigate them. The risks are outlined in a risk register which is updated for each Trustee meeting. It sets out the process that we use to identify and manage risks in all our activities.

Throughout the year the Trustees completed an overall review of the risk register whereby the Board considered:

Securing future funding is the biggest risk for the charity and this challenge has been addressed in the Business Continuity Plan (2018-22). These are monitored by the Chief Executive and the Finance & HR Manager, with the Finance Committee, and assessed annually by the full Board. Standing Together has succeeded in diversifying its sources of funding by obtaining additional income raised from social enterprise and fundraising events. This undesignated income has assisted the process of forward planning; the management of cash flow and enabled the organisation to maintain and develop its activities to advance its charitable objectives.

Standing Together is satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to possible major risks.

Health and Safety

Standing Together maintains a Health & Safety policy committed to reducing the risks of hazards in the organisation workplace, making sure that premises, resources and working practices meet recognized standards for quality, security and safety. The Finance & HR Manager and Office Manager are trained First Aid Officer and Fire Marshals who are designated to ensure compliance with the company's policy and the landlord's responsibilities towards the organisation, especially regarding fire, safety and security precautions.

To maintain staff well being we continue to offer in addition to monthly supervisions, regular clinical supervisions which are delivered in a confidential manner to protect individuals’ privacy. We have an independent qualified counsellor who acts as a point of contact for both staff and volunteers who are experiencing emotional distress.

Premises

Standing Together has leased its offices from the Polish Centre since its formation and held a succession of leases with Polish Social and Cultural Association Ltd who run the Centre. The lease agreement expires on 31st March 2022. The rent is under review and work is being done on looking at alternative premises which may be more suitable considering staff mainly working from home due to COVID19 pandemic.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Data

All data and I.T. security systems are reviewed regularly for compliance with Standing Together policy, protocols and procedures, as data sharing is an important function of the organisation and the partnerships we facilitate. All systems are fully backed up and copies are kept separately and securely. The Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Confidentiality Agreement and Information Sharing Agreement, which governs all our MARACs, have been used as good practice models by other ' partnerships. Passwords are renewed regularly and revised. All staff have undertaken Methods of Protecting Sensitive Data' training including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) online training which was implemented on 25[th] May 2018.

Partners & Stakeholders

Standing Together is an independent charity. In so far as it is complementary to the charity's objectives, the charity works closely with other organisations and develops partnerships with voluntary and statutory bodies in support of local and national policies.

Standing Together supports the government's strategy to address 'Violence Against Women and Girls' and sits on the Home Office VAWG Stakeholder Group. ST also sits on the London Domestic Violence Coordinators Network at MOPAC and the MOPAC VAWG Expert Group, the ACPO Domestic Abuse Stakeholder meeting, the CPS External Consultation Group and the London Criminal Justice Board subgroup for Domestic Abuse. Standing Together coordinates the Domestic Violence Coordinators Network (DVCN) on behalf of their members.

The charity is a member of Women's Aid (England), a member of NCVO (National Council of Voluntary Organisations) and of EVAW (End Violence Against Women Coalition) and benefits from the information and services they provide.

2. Statement of Intent and Charitable Purposes

Standing Together's ambition is to promote a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to domestic abuse. To that end, Standing Together has created a Theory of Change to show how ST works to achieve its intermediate and longer-term outcomes. ST did this to:

Generate a shared understanding of aims and plans to achieve them.

Provide a simple and graphical description that will help to communicate about the aims of Standing Together.

Provide clarity about what data and evidence will be most important to collect as the organisation looks towards setting up its measurement framework.

It serves as a basis for a more persuasive argument that Standing Together impacts the lives of survivors, statutory agencies and local communities and it will help prepare Standing Together for further investment.

Following this work ST and with a final goal in mind that a coordinated community response model is embedded in the UK, ST set out to clarify and update our definition of the Coordinated Community Response and to set a new outcome measurement framework.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Coordinated Community Response Defined

The Coordinated Community Response to domestic abuse is a local, whole system approach to the issue.

Standing Together's Core Principles underpinning the CCR approach

Standing Together's CCR Approach

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Standing Together' s CCR Core Components

What every CCR will have, regardless of area or local structures; all components adhere to the principles listed above.

3. Achievements and Performance

We report below on our achievements in meeting the aims of our charitable company.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

A. Promoting the development of services to meet the needs of survivors of domestic abuse

The Coordinated Response in the Three Boroughs

In order to develop our local CCR, ST worked closely with the VAWG Strategic Partnership for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF), the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and the City of Westminster (WCC) to develop and implement a strategy for violence against women and girls (VAWG). The Strategy was written after considerable consultation with survivors, service users, stakeholders from a range of statutory and voluntary organisations as well as elected members across the three councils. The Strategy details how the Partnership will deliver a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) to VAWG; it keeps survivors and children at the centre of its aims and objectives, whilst also holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. The Strategy is focused around the following seven strategic priorities:

  1. Access

  2. Response

  3. Community

  4. Practitioners

  5. Children and Young People

  6. Perpetrators

  7. Justice and Protection

It includes a 43-point action plan which provides the framework for the VAWG Partnership to deliver against its agreed objectives.

As of 27th March 2017, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster announced that they would withdraw from service sharing arrangements in Adult Social Care, Children's' Services and Public Health. With effect from 1st April 2018

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham was no longer be part of the shared services for these named services. However, all three boroughs have confirmed their commitment to work together and maintain a three borough VAWG Board. From April 2019, it was decided for 1 year to maintain the current strategy with a refresh that identified the following priorities:

The Partnership model and service delivery was due to be remodelled and recommissioned in 20/21 but due to the Covid 19 Pandemic it was decided to postpone that for 12 months as services were already stretched beyond capacity in working within the restrictions of lockdown. The commissioning process opened again in February 2021 with contracts extended until the end of September 2021 to allow for transition to the new contracts.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Three Borough VAWG Strategic Partnership

ST takes the operational lead in delivering the Strategy and is an integral part of the governance structure of the board. The VAWG Strategic Board is tasked to:

The Board is informed and influenced by six Operational Groups that each have a coordinator and a chair and work to detailed action plans based on the seven strategic commitments. The groups are:

These groups provide detailed feedback via coordinators to an Executive group, which meets regularly to monitor the action plans, share information across the Partnership and raise issues and trends to the Strategic Board which have developed in the three boroughs. Standing Together coordinate the first four of those operational groups.

2020/21 has been an exceptional year due to the pandemic and the oversight of the VAWG Partnership Board has been essential to maintain positive communication between agencies and ensure all partners are supported and held to account in providing for survivors, their children and perpetrators during such unprecedented times. The positive working relationships and mutual respect that has been built within our three Borough partnership has assisted in ensuring high quality provision was maintained.

As a result of COVID 19 Standing Together have been heavily involved in the response and ensure our services have remained business as usual. This has entailed meeting regularly with the strategic leads and our work in MARACs, courts, health, harmful practices, housing and of course our specialist services.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Angelou partnership:

Received 3,158 referrals in total during 20/21.

Headline Outcomes Performance Indicator Baseline
2012/13		 Achieved
2019/20		 Achieved
2020/21		 Rag
Status
Green
Amber
Red
Improved safety of victims
of VAWG and their children
Work as part of a Co-
ordinated Community
Response to tackling
VAWG in the Tri-B Area		 Women report
increased safety and
feelings of safety as
measured by exit surveys
Women report a reduction
in abuse due to support
and advice received from
service as measured by
closingassessments.		 65%
67%		 85%
94%		 85%
93%		 Green
Green
Repeat victimisation is
reduced and service users
are supported to live free of
violence
Greater access to justice
(both civil and criminal
systems) for all service
users		 Women are at reduced
risk at case closure
following the support of
the service as measured
by professional
judgement, risk and
needs assessment and
closing assessments.		 62% 92% 89% Green
Improved long-term
outcomes and well being
for service users and their
families;
Empower women and girls
who have experienced
violence to recover and
thrive in a future without
violence.		 Women and girls report
their quality of life has
improved as measured by
exit surveys.		 55% 80% 79% Green

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Angelou partnership:

Headline Outcomes Performance Indicator Baseline
2012/13		 Achieved
2019/20		 Achieved
2020/21		 Rag
Status
Green
Amber
Red
Increased number of
victims of VAWG
engaging in services and
improved access for BME
groups and young people;
Support for victims is
provided at the earliest
stage and is for as long as
they need to access
support		 Increased number of
women and girls
engaged in services as
measured by the
number/ percentage of
service users that have
been contacted and
engaged in services as
well as monitoring of
demographic data.		 70% 84% 80.5% Green
Young people have the
opportunity to explore
healthy and unhealthy
relationships and deepen
understandings of VAWG;
Community has greater
awareness of VAWG,
reduced tolerance for
VAWG and increased
awareness of avenues for
support.		 Women and girls report
improved confidence in
reporting abuse and/or
where to access help
and support as
measured by exit
interviews and
evaluations.
Young people report
improved confidence in
reporting abuse and/or
where to access help
and
support as measured
by exit interviews and
evaluations.		 72% 97%
100%		 97%
96%		 Green
Green

Standing Together maintains the Angelou partnership website over the year which helped facilitate access to the variety of services it provides.

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Specialist Services Operational Group

The Specialist Services group only met twice during 20/21. Because of lockdown specialist services were at capacity in responding remotely to the increase of cases across the 3 boroughs. It met in November and surveyed the members as to how it could be most useful. Communication between services scored highly as did continuing an activist agenda. The group has a good representation of ‘by and for’ services so it was felt essential that their voices should be and how they could be accessed. amplified to the strategic group. The group continues to share information amongst members (and to the Board) on what services were available in each borough

Children and Health Operational Group

The Children and Health Operational Group (CHOG) encourages the implementation of the CCR model by improving responses to domestic abuse from health, statutory and non-statutory services who come into contact with children and young people. This is achieved through institutional advocacy, coordinating evidence-based interventions, promoting the voice of survivors and their children within meetings and forums and policy development and implementation.

The Children and Health Team Leader engages with a variety of stakeholders including GP practices, sexual health services, substance misuse services, health visitors, Children’s Social Care, Early Years and front-line domestic abuse service providers in the Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

The CHOG meetings take place on quarterly basis, with four being held in 2020-21. The following themes were explored:

Domestic Abuse in the Family Courts; Operation Encompass, Stalking and Domestic Abuse; Iris programme for GPs and findings from a local Domestic Homicide Review.

The Children and Health Team Leader coordinates the Hammersmith and Fulham co-location project, in partnership with Advance and DVIP. The steering group met four times in 2020-21, hearing case studies and positive impacts of the project at each meeting. Funding has been secured for this project to continue in 2021-22.

The Children and Health Team Leader has contributed to a range of training sessions and workshops across the Tri Borough to: Housing services; GPs, Community champions, Covid-19 helpline workers, Social Care staff and GPs.

Delivered training to 55 practitioners in health settings, from GPs to reception staff. She also trained 251 colleagues from social care, including Social Workers, CAFCASS officers, housing and support workers.

Feedback from training included:

“It was just really engaging. I think the Safe Together model was great and really got me thinking about best practice. Also the information about domestic homicide reviews and the 8 step domestic homicide model. I am fired up to advocate for clients in MARAC meetings and beyond”

“It was a very informative and enlightening session. Loved it”

“Nicola and Sarah you did a fantastic job today. Thank you so much”

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Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Children and Health Operational Group (continued)

Key achievements 2020-21:

Safe and Together

Following the Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership endorsing the Safe and Together model, work progressed significantly in 2020-21. We provided 15 Social Work managers with two 2 hour modules plus a 90 minute de-brief on the model. We also delivered the four day CORE training to 18 Social Workers from across the Three Boroughs and the feedback we received via the Safe and Together Institute was excellent;

We have a project group who are working on a delivery plan for the next financial year.

Acute Trust Project

The Acute Trust Project aims to develop and sustain a Trust-wide response to domestic abuse within CWFT; increasing Trusts’ and professionals’ capacity to identify, respond and appropriately refer domestic abuse cases through training, development of policy and referral pathways, creation of a network of DA champions and improved multi-agency engagement.

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Acute Trust Project (continued)

A core focus of the project this year has been to develop policy/processes to support CWFT staff who are experiencing domestic abuse.

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Whole Health Project

As a legacy of the national health work undertaken by the Pathfinder Project, the Mental Health Coordinator is now the Whole Health Coordinator working with a range of healthcare services across numerous locations. Funding in the year 2020-2021 focussed on using the learning and resources from the Pathfinder Project to embed the ‘Whole Health Model’ across NHS Trusts in England.

As part of this work the Coordinator has:

“I thought the training was really insightful and allowed us to have a greater understanding of how the system works and what we need to keep an eye out on. I enjoyed being able to see things from a different perspective this really helped me to enhance my own perspectives.

“I was able to have an open and honest discussion with both of the meeting hosts as well as my colleagues. It was a really informative session”

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Whole Health Project (continued)

Domestic Abuse Courts

Standing Together continue to coordinate the Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts (SDACs) at Westminster Magistrates Court to provide a specialist court facility to the boroughs of Westminster, Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. The SDAC for Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea and the DDAC for Westminster have been running for nineteen and nine years respectively and continue to evolve good practice and improve the service to victims/survivors. The SDAC model ensures that the focus on victim/witness safety is maintained throughout the entire specialist court process which has become more important in this current financial climate where agency resources have been cut.

In late 2020, the CJ team secured Tampon Tax funding via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for a 2-year Mentor Court project starting in April 2021, which aims to reinvigorate the SDAC model nationally and in turn, improve the criminal justice response to domestic abuse. The project will enhance the existing SDAC’s at Westminster (London Mentor Court), recruit an Outer London court, and expand on the mapping work already being carried out within the team on a much wider scale. The London and Outer London Mentor Courts will offer stakeholders the opportunity to observe the SDAC in session and partake in learning sessions, so that they can take the SDAC model back to their local area.

This funding will allow the CJ team at STADA to grow by recruiting for additional posts including for the outer London court who will also form part of the wider CJ Team at STADA.

The anticipated large-scale review of SDACs on a national level is unprecedented and will build upon the work that has been carried out more recently funded by Treebeard. The Programme Manager who will be responsible for this element of the project, had previously started work to map and observe SDACs across the country, and this will continue via the Mentor Court project work on a much larger scale. Treebeard continues to support the CJ team with funding to support with the reinvigoration of the SDACs nationally.

During the pandemic, the CJ team adapted to the crisis by increasing their support to stakeholders and developing new processes to provide support for victims. The team maintained a presence in the police station where they continued to support officers in the CSU. The Impact Project continues to run in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham, working closely with ADVANCE. The funding from the Tampon Tax will enable us to recruit a part-time Impact Officer as the Programme Manager moves to focus on the Mentor Court project in April 2021.

The CJ Team continues to work with key stakeholders whilst we navigate the ever-changing terrain of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Programme Managers have furthered relationships with the CPS and the Police, which has enabled the CCR to continue working in the tri-borough, making sure that other agencies are able to provide and receive information allowing the safety and needs of victims to be maintained. The CJ team continue to provide subject matter expertise across many forums related to domestic abuse and the criminal justice system, and the CJ Programme Managers recently provided feedback on the Domestic Abuse Act whilst it was going through Parliament, drawing on this expertise.

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Domestic Abuse Courts (continued)

The CJ Team remain valued members of CPS VAWG Scrutiny Panel, Police NFA Scrutiny Panel, LCJB Delivery Board, CPS External Consultation Group, BTP Public Protection Panel and Regional Stakeholders Meeting. The DA Court Management Groups to meet on a quarterly basis where operational feedback is provided to members to ensure consistency between the courts but to also hold the partner agencies to account regarding their commitment to the specialist courts. The DA Focus group also meets following the CMG meetings and the Court Led Meetings where the scrutiny of local data and outcomes is discussed.

The specialist courts at Westminster Magistrates Court continue to be acknowledged as best practice and the CJ team hope that the Mentor Court project will allow for this practice to be recognised and rolled out on a national basis.

Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC)

In 1999 Standing Together (ST) played a pioneering role in the development and implementation of MARACs. ST founded the MARAC in Hammersmith & Fulham (September 2007) and Kensington & Chelsea (January 2008) then adding Haringey (March 2013), Ealing (June 2013) and Westminster (September 2013). Some of SafeLives MARAC documentation was modelled on paperwork created by ST. Our MARACs have been visited by the Home Office and recommended by SafeLives as among the best in the country and at the forefront of championing survivor safety.

Aligning with SafeLives best practice guidance and the principles of an effective MARAC, all ST MARACs have run effectively and in line with SafeLives recommended practice in 2020-21. Our work includes close liaison with specialist agencies, bringing their expertise to MARAC meetings, helping inform practitioners, reducing barriers to support experienced by some communities and individuals with intersectional characteristics and complex needs, ensuring equality of access and inclusive action planning that recognises diversity. Through this process ST is committed to actively increasing MARAC referrals from all sections of the community.

We have a well-developed MARAC training package providing team briefings, representative inductions, and quarterly workshops to frontline staff on domestic abuse awareness, risk identification, SafeLives DASH RIC Checklist, MARAC processes and protocols, referral thresholds, and specialist services. At the start COVID19 Pandemic, the MARAC team adapted their training packages to be delivered virtually.

We pride ourselves on our uniquely robust team capacity consisting of a Team manager, FT support officer, PT Data officer and four Coordinators meaning we have built in resilience and are able to remain compliant with all contractual obligations in terms of service delivery. At each MARAC meeting we provide two staff; a MARAC Coordinator and a minute-taker which enhances quality and allows for more effective action planning and support for reps and chairs.

ST coordinates and administrates the London MARAC Coordinators Forum bringing together Coordinators to share best practice, learn from each other, discuss challenges and explore innovation in the MARAC field. Throughout the year we held three meetings.

Underpinning our MARAC work is the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) model. This provides us unrivalled expertise in developing partnerships and multi-agency working. Our Coordinators benefit from organisational learning and best practice knowledge enriching each MARAC we coordinate and ensuring that

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

our MARAC team has considerable influence and in roads amongst a wide variety of practitioners in the DA field sharing good practice and encouraging appropriate interventions. All MARAC Coordinators at ST bring a background of frontline or other relevant experience.

The following data breakdowns indicate high performance when compared to SafeLives recommended target figures in all areas of provision and particularly in comparison to other London region MARACs.

Hammersmith & Fulham

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 13
Cases heard (N) 320 419
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 32.2
% Repeat 28% - 40% 30.3%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 2.6%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 9.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 47.7%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 17.9%
Number of children N/A 320

Hammersmith & Fulham MARAC has heard 419 cases during 2020-2021, 10 cases less than 2019-2020. SafeLives recommends that 320 cases are heard per 12-months period, Hammersmith & Fulham MARAC has heard 130.9% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting for 2019-2020 was 35.8, while during 2020-2021 it has been 32.2, with an average fluctuation of 3.7 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases including the top four referring agencies as Police (27.3%), IDVA service (23.3%), Children Social Care (10.6%) and Secondary Care Acute Trust (10.3%).

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

Kensington & Chelsea

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 12
Cases heard (N) 270 329
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 27.4
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 28.0%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 3.6%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 6.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 49.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 18.8%
Number of children in household N/A 215

Kensington & Chelsea MARAC has heard 329 cases during 2020-2021, 4 cases more than 2019-2020 and has met 12 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 270 cases are heard per 12-months period, Kensington & Chelsea MARAC has heard 121.9% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting during 2019-2020 was 27.1, while during 2020-2021 it has been 27.4, with an average fluctuation of 5.6 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (30.2%), IDVA service (21.3%), Secondary Care Acute Trust (11.1%), and MARAC transfers (10.7%).

Westminster

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 13
Cases heard (N) 370 557
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 42.8
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 22.6%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 6.6%

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

Westminster

% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 8.4%
% BME Referrals 55% 58.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 16%
Number of children in household N/A 384

Westminster MARAC has heard 557 cases during 2020-2021, 111 cases more than 2019-2020. Westminster MARAC met 13 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 370 cases are heard per 12months period, Westminster MARAC has heard 150.5% of the recommended volume. The average number of cases per meeting for 2019-2020 was 31.9, while during 2020-2021 it has been 42.8, with an average fluctuation of 7.4 cases. Westminster MARAC has seen the biggest increase from all the MARACs Standing Together coordinates; out of 13 meetings held this year, 8 of them heard over 40 cases, which has had a significant impact on the workload of the coordinator and partner agencies. Three meetings in Quarter 4 had to be held across two days due to the caseload exceeding 40 cases. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (24.2%), IDVA service (18.0%), Housing (13%) and Voluntary.

Ealing

SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 17
Cases heard (N) 540 584
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 34.4
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 17.5%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 1.2%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 5.1%
% BME Referrals 55% 64.2%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 11.3%
Number of children in household N/A 592

Ealing MARAC heard 584 cases during 2020-2021, 132 more cases than the previous year with 452 cases heard. Ealing MARAC met 17 times this year SafeLives recommends that 540 cases are heard per 12 month period, Ealing MARAC has heard 108.1% of the expected volume The average number of cases per meeting was 34.4 between April 2020- March 2021, and 26.6 between April 2019-March 2020.

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

The average fluctuation of cases between April 2020 – March 2021 was 6.6 cases. On four occasions the caseload exceeded 40. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (31.3%), IDVA service (20.5%), Children Social Care (10.4%) and Other/MARAC transfers (9.1%).

Haringey
SafeLives
Recommends		 2020-21
Number of meetings (N) N/A 17
Cases heard (N) 410 534
Average no. cases per meeting N/A 32
% Repeat Cases 28% - 40% 22.6%
% LGBT Referrals 2.5% - 5.8% 5.0%
% Male Referrals 5% - 10% 6.9%
% BME Referrals 55% 67.9%
% Disability Referrals 19%+ 12.6%
Number of children in household N/A 410

Haringey MARAC heard 534 cases during 2020-2021, 27 more cases than the previous year with 507 cases heard. Haringey MARAC met 17 times this year. SafeLives recommends that 410 cases are heard per 12 month period, Haringey MARAC has heard 130.2% of the expected volume. The average number of cases per meeting was 32 between April 2020- March 2021, and 28 between April 2019-March 2020. We have observed an average fluctuation of 4 cases per meeting, same as the last year. There was a broad range of 12 referring agencies to the MARAC cases. The top four referring agencies were Police (30%), IDVA service (19%), Children Social Care (17%) and Voluntary Sector (10%).

Performance Highlights for the MARAC Team in 2019-20

All MARACs performing above SafeLives recommended volume

This indicator of good quality MARAC provision is measured by the volume of referrals (best practice is meeting 80-100% of SafeLives recommended volume.) From the table below, volume in 2020-21 across all five MARACs were above best practice. This is a very positive year on year achievement accomplished through our work in raising awareness with MARAC agencies ensuring high risk victim/survivors are not being missed.

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

From 1st April 2020 to 31[st] March 2021 the following volumes have been seen in the Five MARAC Boroughs:

YEAR LBHF RBKC WCC Ealing Haringey
SafeLives
Recommendation		 320 270 370 540 410
Volume 2020-21
(12 months)		 419 329 557 584 534

(MARACs should only see the top 10% of highest risk Victim/ Survivors going forward those Boroughs where over-referring might be occurring more targeted training and development work on thresholds will be required.)

National lockdown

National lockdown

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

National lockdown

Ealing

Haringey

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

COVID-19 & MARAC

As a result of COVID-19 pandemic, MARAC meetings were adapted to be held online. As the months progressed, it became clear that the landscape of MARACs had changed for the foreseeable and it was unlikely that face to face meetings could resume within this financial year. Standing Together introduced an interim plan in March 2020 to ensure MARACs continued at the beginning of the pandemic. Agencies sent in their research ahead of the meetings and reviewed and the virtual call focused on action planning. Standing Together monitored and reviewed the interim process both in steering group and within the organisation and proposed changes in commence in Quarter 4. The proposal was to resume MARAC meetings for full case discussion and action planning via Microsoft Teams. All MARAC reps core and non-core are required to attend and proactively engage in the meeting including preparing with research, focusing on what is being shared and sharing only what is relevant and proportionate information, avoiding repetition. These changes were agreed with commissioners and partners at the interim steering groups in December 2020. Coordinators held briefings with all MARAC representatives on this change in process in January 2021. By adjusting the approach, Standing Together hope that this will continue to ensure that the victim/survivor’s voice is heard throughout, thorough action planning and ensure a coordinated community response to domestic abuse. This process is being monitored at interim steering groups, Risk and Review and internally at Standing Together. Observations have seen more thorough case discussion and action planning with the victim/survivors voice being heard.

Across 2020-21, the MARAC team have been working tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure there was minimal disruption to the MARAC process and all deadlines were met without fail. This is a huge achievement given the high volume of cases and associated increased workload, particularly in Westminster and Ealing boroughs when compared to the previous financial year. To cope with the demand, Standing Together was successful in obtaining two FT posts (x 1 administrator and x 1 data analyst) via the Home Office and London Community Fund COVID Relief in January 2021 until 31[st] March 2021. The support from these two roles within a short space of time made a huge impact to the team and bolstered the resources to cope with the increased demand. We were able to demonstrate the need for these posts and were granted an extension of this funding until 30[th] September 2021 from Westminster City Council.

London MARACs and COVID-19 Review Paper

Due to our established strong partnership created across London with the MARAC Coordinators Forum, our MARAC team manager was able to utilise this and gain valuable feedback across London for a solid understanding of MARAC’s response to COVID-19. We consolidated the feedback efficiently and effectively on trends, approaches and apply our own knowledge delivering best practice MARACs and relevant research to produce a review paper in August 2020. This paper not only highlighted different approaches across London, but

platformed best practice, complimented by practical tools MARACs could use to improve their practice. We presented this paper at the Risk and Review meeting in October 2020.

London MARAC Coordinators Forum

Standing Together continues to host, chair, and administrate the London wide MARAC Coordinators forum every quarter. The meetings have covered a range of topics with guest speakers from a variety of specialist DA organisations. We held three meeting virtually across the year to share best practice, discuss challenges, and explore innovation in the MARAC field. There was a particular focus on how MARACs have adapted and 27 | P a g e

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Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences {MARAC) (continued)

responded to the pandemic. Other topics included harmful practices and MARAC responses and MOPACs pilot for GPS monitoring of domestic abuse perpetrators.

MARAC Health ChelWest & ICHT Referral distribution point

Standing Together has continued to be the centralised referral point for all MARAC referrals originating from Imperial College Health Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation NHS Trust. ICHT and ChelWest have their own MARAC referral form and all staff send this to the secure Health MARAC inbox at Standing Together for distribution onwards to the appropriate MARAC (if not Tri-Borough). This saves busy medical staff time providing a simplified system increasing the likelihood of professionals referring to MARAC. In 2020-21, the team have processed 179 referrals (ICHT = 87; ChelWest = 92) on behalf of these NHS trusts.

MARAC Awareness Raising

Standing Together works closely with partner agencies to ensure that all relevant members of staff are familiar with the MARAC process, and their role and responsibilities within it by providing MARAC briefings, inductions, and workshops. In 2020-21, MARAC Coordinators in the service area completed 130 sessions with partner agencies across all boroughs reaching 808 partners. As a result of Standing Together’s MARAC workshops, professionals have improved knowledge and confidence in referring to MARAC as measured by evaluations.

April 2020 -March Number of Total
2021 sessions attendees
Briefings 25 443
Inductions 93 122
Workshops 12 243
Total 130 808

Best Practice For Immigration Matters

Ealing MARAC has been recognised by SafeLives as having best practices when dealing with victim/survivors who have insecure immigration status. The Ealing coordinator has been working with SafeLives on their best practice guidance and Ealing MARAC will be recognised within that guidance. This will be shared with stakeholders when published.

MARAC Team Forward Plan Priorities 2021-2022

MARAC & COVID-19

The impact of the pandemic on the MARAC process continues into the next financial year. Coordinators continue to work remotely as do most of our partner agencies. Due to current guidelines and restrictions, it is not possible to resume to meetings in person currently. Standing Together will continue to ensure a coordinated community response to domestic abuse by internal monitoring and consultation with partners and front-line services working directly with victim/survivors. Our data analysts will provide insight into the process across the previous year and how this will inform out practices moving forward.

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MARAC Training Packages

The Team manager will focus on refining the MARAC representatives training package that Standing Together offers to other areas to raise the profile of Standing Together. Sessions have been delivered to Kingston MARAC and Camden MARAC in recent months which have been well received. The aim will be to advertise this package on our website to increase funds for the MARAC team.

MARAC Operating and Information Sharing Protocol (MOISP)

MOISPs across all MARAC will be requiring review during this financial year. The MOISPs will be updated to include security of MARAC information in a virtual setting.

Service Continuity

During the next financial year, all MARAC contracts will be requiring renewal. The Team manager will be prioritising these tenders to ensure continuity of service.

MOPAC London MARAC Review

ST bid for the MOPAC London MARAC Review and have been successful. The objectives of the review are to provide an overview of the performance of London MARACs and the partner agencies involved in the MARAC to understand their effectiveness; how MARACs are resourced; effective communication; an overview of victim/survivors experiences of MARAC and highlight examples of best practice including recommendations for embedding this across London.

Housing Operational Group

The role of the Housing Operational Group is to ensure that victim/survivors (with or without children) receive consistent, appropriate, and professional support when approaching housing services and housing providers in Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. Effective interventions will include early identification and intervention and crisis and emergency assistance that increase safety and reduce risk as well as improved access to resettlement services, on-going or long-term and housing options that enable survivors to access safe and secure housing.

It also encourages housing providers to consider the delivering of their services within a Whole Housing Approach framework that brings together under one umbrella all of the main tenure types, housing options and initiatives and specialist domestic abuse services needed in a local area to help survivors of domestic abuse access safe and stable housing. The Whole Housing Approach currently includes 12 components, which applied concurrently will enhance collaborative working, that will in turn create earlier intervention, reduce homelessness, and enable tenancy sustainment.

The HOG meetings take place on quarterly basis, with four being held in 2020-21.

The following themes were explored:

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Housing Operational Group (continued)

The group is chaired by a member of the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings in 2020-21 were held via video conference with an average of 15 members attending each meeting. We also now have representatives from all three local authority Housing Solution Services attending and sharing best practice.

The Whole Housing Coordinator facilitates the Housing Operational Group and offers coordination support for the Sanctuary Scheme for LBHF and Flexible Funding pot (part of Whole Housing) for the three boroughs.

Sanctuary Scheme

In 2020/21, we spent £17,658to secure 50 homes in LBHF through the Sanctuary scheme with Safe Partnership, at an average cost of £353 per household. This is an increase by 10 from the previous year. Continuous improvements to the scheme were made based on survivor feedback and requests for additional security measures, which Safe Partnership do not provide. The Whole Housing Coordinator met with partners / funders from LBHF Council who agreed to expand the offer. As a result, a survivor at high risk of harm from their perpetrator had CCTV installed and another had fencing installed, which helped them feel safer to remain in their home.

In April 2020, Safe Partnership closed their service due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Whole Housing Programme Lead was able to quickly establish an arrangement with a new provider Crawfords through a contact shared by the Sanctuary Scheme lead at RBKC, who also use Crawfords as a Sanctuary provider. This resulted in only a 3-week gap in service delivery. A partnership agreement was drawn up. The Sanctuary Scheme referral form was updated to include considerations on COVID-19 and safe access to people’s homes. Crawfords covered a three-month period while Safe Partnership’s services were ceased and our relationship with them continues as they installed the fencing mentioned above for a survivor.

In 2020/21, the Whole Housing Coordinator continued facilitating a working group with Sanctuary leads from the three boroughs to address operational issues with the scheme. This group was initially set up to create more consistency across the three schemes. The working group met every 2 months and reviewed local data and shared challenges encountered as a result of COVID-19. Despite the pandemic, all three schemes were able to maintain operations and offer this vital service to survivors, enabling them to be safe at home. discussed how to remove barriers. Improvements were noted across the three schemes. Since Westminster appointed a Sanctuary Coordinator, they installed 50 schemes whereas the year before it had only been 8. RBKC continued to offer examples of best practice and also increased the number of Sanctuary referrals installed, with an increase of 16 from the previous year. Improved coordination and networking resulted in LBHF being able to identify a new provider so their service could remain operational during the pandemic.

Flexible Funding

The Whole Housing Coordinator also administered the Flexible Funding pot, which was introduced as part of the Whole Housing project. It is a designated pot that survivors can access easily and quickly to retain or secure safe and stable housing. There is no set list of what will be funded. It exists to fund whatever will help survivors access the best housing outcome possible for them in the short and long term.

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Flexible Funding (continued)

The following table shows the number of survivors supported by the scheme in the last two years:

2019 – 2020 2020 - 2021 Total
London boroughs of
Westminster, Kensington
& Chelsea and
Hammersmith		 48 survivors and
39 dependent children
Total amount issued:
£26,186		 18 survivors and 24
dependent children
Total allocated:
£10,596		 66 survivors and 63
dependent children.
Total allocated:
£36,782
Average sized grant
was £560 (range £13
to £2,123)

Of the grants issued,

The following quotes are from survivors accessing the fund:

‘I had been with my husband for years, just putting up with the abuse. My Mobile Advocate found me a house to move to. I had nothing. With Flexible Funding I was able to buy beds for my children, a cooker and a sofa. Without this fund, I may not be here now.’

‘I really didn’t want to leave my home. I was so scared he would turn up at my door. Flexible Funding paid for a ring doorbell. Now at least I can see who is there. I feel much safer now’.

‘My Mobile Advocate had found me a flat to rent privately. I had all my things and I was ready to go but I just didn’t have the money for a deposit. Flexible Funding allowed me to put a deposit down and I moved into my new flat with my new baby. I am so happy’.

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) was formed in 2014, in partnership with two of the U.K.s leading Housing Associations, Gentoo, based in Sunderland and Peabody based in London. DAHA offers a comprehensive accreditation process for housing providers to improve individual organisation responses and promote engagement in a coordinated community response. A team of DAHA Development Managers drives this work forward and is comprised of the following team:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

DAHA’s mission is to improve the Housing Sector’s response to domestic abuse and one of the ways it achieves this is through an accreditation process that includes 8 priority areas to ensure that housing providers and services offer a consistent, effective and appropriate response to anyone experiencing domestic abuse in their homes.

The 8 priority standards provide a framework for housing providers to:

Key achievements and developments of the year 20120/21

We adapted services at record speed in April in response to lockdown to be delivered virtually in order to keep DAHA‘s core services going – this included online workshop deliveries, steering group attendance and accreditation assessments.

In recognition that lockdown meant that many survivors were now trapped at home with their perpetrator and that housing offered a key point of access, we published guidance for housing providers that assisted them in creating a plan of action for reaching out to known survivors and procedures for how to respond to new cases. We hosted this on a COVID-19 resource page on our website. This page was visited 4000 times in the first 6 weeks of lockdown. We received a lot of positive feedback from numerous providers indicating that they had used this to develop and adapt their protocols and procedures. The team worked tirelessly to respond to numerous enquiries from providers asking for advice on what they could do to help.

We recruited and inducted a team of 10 associate trainers and 8 accreditation assessors to support the team in carrying out these activities and meet an increase in demand for training.

We were successful in a Comic relief COVID-19 fund, which enabled us to revise our existing Safe at Home awareness course and develop new courses including a Safe at Home Skills course, DAHA Champions Course and DAHA Accreditation Leads course. The latter will be delivered for the first time to a cohort of DAHA leads in May 2021.

The ‘National Domestic Abuse and Housing Policy and Practice Group’ continued to meet despite COVID19, bringing together all key stakeholders from homelessness and VAWG sectors with an aim to ensure coordination exists. This year, the group responded to the following government consultations, which mainly lobbied government ministers to offer better protections to survivors in light of COVID-19:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

The DAHA team set up 9 regional groups; 8 in England and 1 in Wales which brings together local housing providers and services to share national policy and practice updates, consider implementation implications and focus on the implementation of DAHA, the Whole Housing Approach and the CCR. These groups are connected to the national group, sharing updates and issues between them.

DAHA chairs the Perpetrator sub-group, another offshoot of the national group that brings together a range of leading services to look at effective responses for perpetrators and options for housing them where this will benefit the survivor including any children’s safety.

The Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator with input from the DAHA Team initiated work to adapt our accreditation assessment standards and criteria for homelessness provider services. They held a series of round tables with a handful of stakeholders and providers. By March 2021, they were in the process of producing a draft to present to the DAHA team. A further round table will be held in 202122 to help finalise these standards.

DAHA launched as a membership body on 1st April 2021. The DAHA founders met regularly to update the business plan in line with this new part of the service and offered a strategic steer to the DAHA team who led on the development of this work. We now offer the following three levels of membership:

The membership was launched to generate a steady and forecastable funding stream that will make the team less reliant on short term, inconsistent grant funding. This will help sustain the core team and its activities while expanding it to meet growth in demand. The team’s priorities for 2021/22 is to secure funds to support our start up. This would include a Membership Officer and Comms Officer posts to help with managing members and

with marketing and branding Funds are also needed for a CRM to provide a robust database to manage contacts, relationships, and track provider behaviour.

An interim evaluation report by York University was published and launched at a virtual webinar in January 2020. The findings show that DAHA works. Our accreditation process enables housing providers to respond more effectively. It produces positive benefits for tenants/customers, for staff supporting and for the overall operations of the organisation while also yielding cost savings. The final report will be published in July 2021.

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) (continued)

Accreditations and Supporting Work

This year, we accredited 7 new providers, including the following:

This now brings us to a total of 26 providers accredited.

We received commitments from 69 providers who signed up for accreditation, representing an increase of 48 from last year’s 21 providers who signed up. We now have approximately 120 providers working towards accreditation or reaccreditation.

In London, 66% of local authorities are working towards accreditation. The London Development Manager is working towards a 100% sign up, which would make London the first city with all boroughs DAHA Accredited.

Nationally, the DAHA Development Manager has worked with Leicestershire to sign up their 11 district councils, which is the first time that a full county has signed up for accreditation.

We delivered 30 virtual workshops nationally with approx. 700 participants attending. Virtual delivery resulted in reaching our biggest audience yet.

We initiated a new project with Morgan Sindall, a property management company and this year saw us preparing for this and recruiting a seconded post that will base with Morgan Sindall 2 days a week. The post holder is our very own DAHA Project and Training Officer who has taken the role as part of her continuing professional development. This project will include working with Morgan Sindall to adapt the existing DAHA accreditation standards for this type of service. Through this process, we will support the organisation to become the first property management company to be accredited.

Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS)

Our new DAHA PRS Lead started in August 2020, following a gap in post since December 2019. Our new postholder has made significant advancements with this project. The aim of this project is for survivors of domestic abuse living in the private rented sector to be able to achieve safety and secure housing and to receive a safe and consistent response from landlords and letting agents, local authorities and specialist domestic abuse services.

The PRS Lead has mapped the key stakeholders required to achieve this aim:

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS) (continued)

1. Policy and Public Affairs : To build on DAHA’s partnerships, influence, and expertise in housing and domestic abuse, to influence changes in policy and legalisation that may impact the economic and housing options of survivors living in the private rented sector.

2. Standardised best practice : To develop a ‘gold standard’ of best practice for how PRS landlords, letting agents and local authority PRS, Environmental Health Teams should respond to domestic abuse, which will be formalised into a set of DAHA Accreditation Standards. These will be developed, piloted and disseminated and promoted nationally.

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Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) - Private Rented Sector (PRS) (continued)

3. Education and resource development : For PRS landlords/letting agents, tenant/survivors, and DA specialists to access training, information, and resources regarding their role in the PRS response to domestic abuse, and the options and needs of survivors living in PRS.

4. Survivor led approaches: To amplify the voices of survivors living in the PRS, so that their experiences and needs are central to developing a safe and supportive response. This includes both engaging with individual survivors who wish to share their experience and influence change, but to also promote the development of research that will give a bigger picture of survivors’ needs and experiences.

5. Partnerships: To continue to build relationships with national and local stakeholders in domestic abuse and housing who we will partner with to influence and promote change in policy and practice at a national and local level.

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Whole Housing Approach

The Whole Housing Approach (WHA) was first conceptualised in 2018 by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) in collaboration with the National Housing and Domestic Abuse Policy and Practice Group. The MHCLG extended the 18-month pilot with funding for an additional year 202021 with continued delivery of in the following three local areas:

The project delivery team included six specialist domestic abuse organisations and ten local authority areas. The funding focused on delivering activities for the following 7 components, a reduction of 1 from the previous year (minus the Sanctuary Scheme):

Component Delivery Partner
Private Rented Sector DAHA hosted byStandingTogether
PrivatelyOwned SurvivingEconomic Abuse
Managed Reciprocals Safer London
Component Delivery Partner
Mobile Advocacy Cambridgeshire Women’s Aid
Refuge Cambridgeshire
Advance
Co-located HousingAdvocacy Advance
Flexible Funding Standing Together (London and
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough)
DAHA for social housing Cambridgeshire only DAHA hosted by
StandingTogether

A mix of direct services to survivors was delivered alongside second tier work with professionals and organisations to help improve how they respond to DA and embed within the local Coordinated Community Response to domestic abuse.

Our main delivery outputs for activities delivered between April 2020 and March 2021 includes:

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Whole Housing Approach (continued)

any given year, representing a total of 66% of boroughs now working towards accreditation.

The group produced and published a WHA toolkit in March 2020. Three launch events were also due to take place that month but were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A virtual launch event took place in November 2021 and was attended by 350 participants. It included over 10 speakers, mainly our delivery partners updating on their work and the voice of three survivors sharing the impact the project had on them and their housing circumstances.

A year 1 report was published in November 2021 and was launched as part of this event.

Despite COVID-19, the WHA project delivery partners continued attending monthly board meetings, where

partner updates were shared and programme developments were made. The DA Bill/Act played a big role in our thinking

about the WHA model this year. The Act received royal assent in April 2021 with the WHA partnership considering the new duties / laws being introduced in relation to housing and how a WHA could support and complement this.

There are three new pieces of legislation that relate to housing with links to WHA explained:

In Feb 2021, the Government announced new burdens funds for each local authority to help prepare for the new duty along with £125 million towards delivering part 4 safe accommodation provision. This resulted in the team expanding into consultancy work with local authorities (LA) to help them prepare for this duty, which includes all LA’s submitting a Safe Accommodation strategy by August 2021.

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Whole Housing Approach (continued)

By March 2021, we had been commissioned by the five following areas to support the development of the Needs Assessment and strategy and other responsibilities accompanying this new duty:

We are also part of an evaluation project led by Huddersfield University that will produce the first evaluation of its kind reviewing 15 Sanctuary Schemes in England. This will support the WHA team to develop minimum standards for the scheme, which will be made available on the WHA online toolkit.

An outstanding piece of work is to create two new components for WHA, including one on Move On Accommodation (now that this is included as a definition of safe accommodation) and on WHA Coordination.

A bid was submitted to The National Lottery in December 2020 with a proposal for a 3-year, multi-agency, one-site project. Our initial MHCLG 30-month pilot focused on testing and developing the WHA’s 12 individual components. Project resources enabled us to focus on what good looks for each of the 12 components. We did this in our first pilot by partnering with national and local experts from across the three sites and focused our development on where good practice was emerging.

Now that we have defined what good looks like for each 12 components, we now need to focus our delivery on a one-site pilot that will enable us to deliver and coordinate all 12 components in one locality, while developing the 2 new components mentioned above and ideally updating the existing 12. The new project proposal includes testing new ideas to create a WHA partnership, coordinated by a WHA Coordinator employed by the local authority who will bring together stakeholders from across all 12 components at a strategic level. It will also produce for the first time a WHA Hub where the idea is to create a streamlined referral pathway for survivors in need of safe accommodation and stable housing. It will take inspiration from The Clearing House model used for finding homes for rough sleepers and move on accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse. At the very least, this hub will help establish a central database for recording housing need, uptake of local housing options and ideally will help inform the requirement under Part 4 to produce a Needs Assessment to inform a Safe Accommodation Strategy. The offer of Mobile Advocacy support and Flexible Funding could be offered via this mechanism.

Housing First and Homelessness

The Housing First and Homelessness project was set up in 2017 in response to the need to strengthen and build partnerships across the homelessness and VAWG sectors. The project focus is on women and survivors experiencing homelessness, VAWG and other forms of multiple disadvantage, whether they are sleeping rough, living in supported accommodation, or in any other unsafe and informal housing situation. Research and experience have shown that this group face multiple barriers to accessing safe accommodation and appropriate support. The project employs a Homelessness and Housing First Coordinator who works with local authorities, homelessness support services, specialist women’s services and a raft of other agencies to ensure that this group of women have better access to safe accommodation, and support that meets their needs. Key project outcomes over the course of the past year include:

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Housing First and Homelessness (continued)

The new Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator role

We successfully applied for MHCLG emergency COVID 19 domestic abuse funding to fund a new Housing First and Homelessness Coordinator post. Natalie Wong came into post as Housing First and Homelessness coordinator in August 2020 and Louisa Steele moved into a management role. Natalie now oversees the Housing First housing coordination work and provides project officer support to the Safety by Experience project.

Housing First

The Westminster VAWG Housing First project provides permanent, independent housing and intensive support for 20 women experiencing long term homelessness, any form of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and multiple disadvantage. The support element of the project is delivered by Solace Women’s Aid who work to build relationships with the women and provide intensive ‘woman led’ support to help them maintain a tenancy and improve physical and mental wellbeing. The housing element of the project is coordinated by Standing Together who manage partnerships with a coalition of housing partners who provide units for the project.

Safety by Experience Project

The Housing First and Homelessness project has been working in partnership with homelessness organisation St Mungo’s to deliver the ‘Safety by Experience’ project. This project has been funded by the Homeless Link Ending Women’s Homelessness Fund from November 2019 and will end in June 2021. The Safety by Experience projects aims to:

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

Housing First and Homelessness (continued)

Outcomes so far:

From March to June 2021 we will consult with staff to get feedback on the guidance, re-draft it and then launch the approach at an event at the end of June.

Homeless Perpetrator work:

We worked with SHP service Fulfilling Lives Islington and Camden to create practical guidance for professionals in homelessness settings around ‘Working Effectively with Perpetrators and Survivors of ’ Domestic Abuse in Homelessness Settings . This was launched at an event in December attended by 150+ professionals from across the homelessness and women’s sectors.

Supporting homeless survivors of abuse during Covid 19 and beyond:

Standing Together was funded by Westminster Council’s Community Contribution Fund COVID-19 grant from May – October 20 to deliver a short project in response to COVID 19 ‘Supporting homeless survivors of abuse during Covid 19 and beyond’. The aim was to provide additional, specialist support for homelessness practitioners working with this group of women in outreach, supported accommodation, and emergency hotel accommodation settings in Westminster during the ‘Everybody in’ initiative.

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

B. Educating agencies and the public in all aspects of domestic violence

Standing Together carries out a variety of activities to fulfil its educative role, all with the aim of improving practice amongst helping agencies. This in turn benefits survivors in terms of access to services, the improved skills and awareness of the professionals who deal with them, the consistency of the standards applied by agencies and the safe options available to them and to their children.

Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities Project

Standing Together’s Faith and Community Programme incorporates the Safety Across Faith & Ethnic (SAFE) Communities project and the Faith and VAWG Coalition as well as Co-ordinating the Harmful Practices Operational Group. The aim is to ensure that domestic abuse and violence against women and girls are tackled holistically by targeting support to and building trust with communities facing barriers to support and tackling intersecting oppressions.

We are a team of various but interlinked work strands that was formed into a programme in May 2020.

SAFE Communities Project

This started as a three-year project run by Standing Together, seeking to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls by working with and learning from grassroots Black, minorities and faith communities. Building the capacity of institutions, communities and women means these groups could become better equipped and more effective in tackling domestic violence and abuse (DVA). The only staff member until May 2020 was Huda Jawad, the project founder. She was joined in 2019 by part time administrative support from Sandra Madej.

The Project was born out of the belief that a coordinated multi-agency response to domestic abuse is the only effective way to support survivors and hold perpetrators to account. This model is known as the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) This method of working with local specialists and statutory agencies is spearheaded in the UK by Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (STADA). The faith and grassroots community (as opposed to the professional community) was a missing component of the CCR model.

It has brought together groups who would not otherwise meet and is the primary source of expertise on the interconnections between VAWG, faith and ethnicity in London. It has carried out bespoke training and capacity building to grassroots community groups and faith organisations. We also provided access to influential networks. SAFE Communities is now entering a transition as it matures and seeks followon funding

Faith & VAWG Coalition

The Faith and VAWG Coalition is a partnership of organisations lead by the Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities project at Standing Together. The Coalition brings together a range of organisations ( Standing Together - SAFE Communities Project, Restored, Respect, Muslim Youth Helpline, Jewish Women's Aid, Forward UK, Latin American Women's Rights Service, Muslim Women’s Network UK, the Black Churches Domestic Abuse Forum and Welsh Woman’s Aid ) and activists (Sara Hyde, Natalie Collins, Marwa Belgazi and Nikki Dhillon-Keane).

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Faith & VAWG Coalition (continued)

The Coalition was launched on 5 March 2020 and seeks to build bridges between members of Faith Communities or Faith-centric organisations and domestic abuse specialists and organisations within the VAWG-sector.

Many survivors with a faith feel that some specialist services and society, in general, are unable to understand their experiences of abuse, and their barriers to accessing support due to their religious identity, their faith community and any spiritual abuse that they may experience at the hands of their perpetrator.

Since Mach 2020 we launched a report into the experiences of survivors from faith backgrounds during the Covid-19 Pandemic in December, We have partnered with a number of faith organisations and leaders to raise awareness on supporting survivors of domestic abuse during these testing times. We have worked with campaigners on influencing and representing the voices of survivors from faith and minoritised backgrounds on the domestic abuse bill which has now become an Act. We have also produced guidance on spiritual abuse for the Home Office and have spent the year working on our governances and decision-making processes. We have recruited a project officer and in the process of recruiting a membership coordinator. We hope to be launching a website and a conference in the next 6 months.

Harmful Practices

Initially started as Huda Jawad co-chairing the Harmful Practices Operational Group for the Tri-borough in 2018 that met once a quarter. It was previously coordinated by the VAWG lead at Kensington and ChelseaShabana Kauser. Standing Together was given funding to lead its data collection efforts and the role has now developed to a part time coordinator role. The work is led by Fran Richards who spent the majority of 2020 holding space for members of the forum who were mostly front line ‘by and for organisations’; building trust and building a data collection agreement and protocol that supported the vital work the organisations do with survivors with multiple barriers to support. We are now in the process of fundraising for more strategic and CCR focused work that will enable partnerships across sectors and locations to take place to evidence, map and support survivors of harmful practices be better served by statutory and specialist agencies.

Events

The Blooming Strong Campaign was created by ST, it is the way we engage with partners to mark November 25[th] as the UN Day for the elimination of violence against women and as part of our 16 days of activism. This year we expanded the project and sent a campaign

packs out to other areas as well as across London. In total we had 171 nominations for a Blooming Strong Flower, all of which were delivered during the 16 days. We also ran a virtual coffee morning introduced by survivor and Britain’s got Talent star Becky O'Brien and joined by Nicole Jacobs the Domestic Abuse Commissioner followed by a positive discussion of some of the inspirational women in attendees’ lives

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CCR Leaders Course

The Coordinated Community Response (CCR) Leaders Course aims to increase the skills and expertise of professionals, including statutory commissioners and policy makers, who are responsible for leading and coordinating responses to domestic abuse (DA) and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The course was developed following a 24 month European project between Standing Together, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and European partners. The Domestic Violence: Coordinating the Intervention (DVCI) project developed, tested and implemented innovative, work-based Continuing Education and Training (CVET) to support the crucial role of DA Strategic Coordination.

Currently, job descriptions and levels of skills and influence differ vastly, and there is no standard training that focuses on strengthening competencies and skills to support the role of DA Strategic Coordination. The CCR Leaders course addresses this gap. Crucially this course provides a space for strategic leads, commissioners and policy officers with responsibility for DA/VAWG to connect, share best practice and learning.

Following the successful delivery of this pilot course in 2017/2018 and increasing demand from local authorities, Standing together decided to re-run it in January 2020. The course comprises of 6 days of training delivered over 3 months. The critical need for this course was highlighted by the fact that within a couple of weeks of promoting new rates for the course, all places were fully booked up.

Unfortunately, due to COVID19, the last module of the course which was due to take place at the end of March 2020 was postponed until February 2021 when it was converted to a virtual course so that learners could complete the training. All participants passed the accredited learning course which was evaluated well and participants have been in touch to let us know that they are implementing learning from the course in their daily work.

European Project: CQ4 DVCI

Standing Together was successful in applying for further European funding to work on a second place of the DVCI project.

This second phase of the “Certificate and Qualification: Coordinators for Domestic Violence Strategic Intervention” project involves the following partners – Apostoli Katharsis (Romania), Dimitra (Greece), Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (UK), Aristoteleies Katartiseis (Greece) and Diakonija (Latvia) and Standing Together (UK).

This work commenced in January 2020 and has been interrupted by the Pandemic, we have not been able to complete any learning visits but have met virtually with partners throughout the year and developed an e- learning course curriculum and materials. The next stage will develop the assessment criteria.

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Domestic Homicide Reviews

Standing Together has been involved in the Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) process from its inception in 2011 and has built a body of knowledge and skills that is invaluable. We offer a complete and inclusive approach that delivers high quality overview reports and independent chairing. Our team consists of a DHR Manager, two dedicated DHR Support Officers based in the Standing Together offices as well as our pool of Associates who act as Chairs for the DHR's. Our team of Associates are highly skilled and experienced and are experts in the field of domestic abuse. Our experience of a coordinated community response and domestic abuse partnerships ensures we balance the needs of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), panel agencies with the sensitivities of the victim's and perpetrator's families. We believe in DHRs and feel they can deliver change in an area where change is needed.

Key achievements during the year were:

Recruitment :

Active DHRs :

Training & Learning Dissemination

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Domestic Homicide Reviews (continued)

National Work

Internal Developments

Strategic Influence

Standing Together serves on the following boards, panels, working groups and networks, sharing experience and expertise to our mutual benefit with:

The ST CEO and staff speak at numerous international, national, regional and local conferences about our strategic and operational approach to the coordinated community response and often particular aspects of work.

Financial Review

Overview

Standing Together’s work in Year 2020 - 2021 continued along the strategically planned paths of making a difference in raising awareness and making changes to the response to domestic violence.

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Financial Review (continued)

Standing Together was strongly reliant on government funding and assessing alternative funding opportunities during the year had changed due to the impact of COVID 19 pandemic.

The challenges in funding for certain areas were mitigated by the successful applications of £373k COVID 19 emergency funding.

The charity is successful in recruiting experienced staff against this background in maintaining skilled and qualified staff to new posts created this year. The Chief Executive concentrates on local, national and European work along with the Standing Together team via shared goals, policies to strengthen our position with existing

contracts and future proposals to extend our work around domestic violence. Their work is supported by the finance and administration team ensuring that good financial management continues to be the key to achieving stability and ensuring a sound future for the organisation.

Following the announcement of a lockdown in March 2020 due to COVID19 pandemic, Standing Together initiated its Business Continuity arrangements, which saw swift changes in the way that staff worked. Our IT infrastructure was upgraded and staff were supplied with individual laptops to work from home. Despite the current COVID19 there is no expectation or evidence in the forecasts or the financial performance of the year to date that would suggest the pandemic would have a significant impact on the financial position of the charity.ST has been undertaking regular forecast updates to help mitigate unexpected risks. Although the long-term effects of the pandemic are still largely uncertain, adding in this additional exercise allows the Board to identify any potential future changes to the business.

In the financial year ended 31[st] March 2021 total incoming resources decreased by 35.1% from £3.2m to £2.1m. The decline in income was primarily due to funding of £1.1m for the Pathfinder Health project coming to an end. This was more than matched by a decrease in charitable expenditure of 45.3% from £3.1m to £1.7m. At the year end the net increase in funds was £410.8k (2020: £138.2k).

Principal Funding Sources in 2020 - 2021

Our main principal funding sources are from local government

During 2020 – 2021 the total funding generated was £2.1m, which consisted primarily of income from local authorities in London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF), Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC), Westminster County Council (WCC), Haringey Council, London Borough of Ealing. Other grants were awarded by the central government including Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and London Councils. There were further sources of income from Oak Foundation and City Bridge trust funders

Additional income from charitable grants (see note 4), European Commission, training and consultancy has been crucial this year. Standing Together is very grateful for the support of grant making bodies and individual donations from the public.

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

Income Resources: £2,133,244

----- Start of picture text -----
Criminal Justice
System,
Donations,
£112,202
£49,135
Faith & VAWG
Housing & Communities,
Homelessness, £200,490
£564,803
Health,
£235,527
Fee Earning
Income,
£399,506 MARAC,
£284,848
Other Income,
£286,733
----- End of picture text -----

Income funded the following projects:

• Housing & Homelessness

Income received included funds from London Councils (£81k) for Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) to establish a set of housing standards through DAHA accreditation process; £270k from Comic Relief and Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) to support the Whole Housing Approach project; £134k to tackle irrelated issues of homelessness and improve housing pathways for women with multiple needs, £36k from LB of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) and MHCLG to coordinate the sanctuary and flexi fund scheme to provide provision for improved home security and essential needs and £38k received from Comic Relief to recruit an expert trainer to develop training packages for DAHA.

• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC)

Bi Borough (includes Westminster City Council and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea) and LBHF collectively contributed £127k, Haringey £50k and Ealing £56k to support the work around information sharing on the highest risk domestic abuse cases to ensure that all parties put in place a plan for safety of domestic violence survivors. In addition to this MOPAC/MOJ and the Home Office through COVID 19 emergency funding provided £24k and £28k respectively.

• Criminal Justice

As part of the contract with Bi Borough and LBHF provision of Shared Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) coordination services included £41k plus £26k from MOPAC/MOJ and £15k from Treebeard assist to facilitate the court process and experience of domestic abuse cases within the criminal system with the aim of increasing the proportion of successful outcomes.

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

LBHF via the MOPAC London Crime Prevention Fund allocated £25k to the role of the Criminal Justice Programme Manager who support victims and witnesses. A further £5k received form Inner London Magistrates Poor Box to purchase low cost items to victim/survivors of domestic abuse who have had contact with the Criminal Justice System.

• Health

A total of £235k was awarded to support the Health Team projects. Inclusive of £66k from Public Health to continue the support of the Children & Health Coordinator role reflecting the view we share of the essential role which health professionals have in identifying and supporting survivors of domestic violence; Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation awarded £49k to fund the significant Domestic Abuse Coordinator post in developing and embedding a Trust wide holistic domestic abuse training package; £57k from National Lottery COVID 19 emergency fund and £63k remaining from Pathfinder project to coordinate and cover the evaluation of the project.

• Safety Across Faith and Ethnic (SAFE) Communities

The SAFE Communities project brought together leaders, pooled expertise and people from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and faith communities with the aim to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women. As well as £25k received from Esmee Fairburn to extend the project for 6 months, there was the underspend of £30k from Maidenhead Malachi Trust and additional funding of £77k from Oak Foundation and £68k from City Bridge Trust.

• Fee Earning Income

Standing Together generated a total of £399k from fee earning activities. This included 146k from Domestic Homicide Reviews; £71k from educative consultancy and training courses; £151k consultancy work. The Home Office awarded £31k from COVID 19 emergency funding to cover shortfall as a result of the pandemic.

• Other Income:

i. Shared VAWG Operations Management

LBHF, Westminster City Council and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea granted £40k for the role of Partnership Operational Manager to oversee and support the development of the Shared VAWG strategy services operational groups

ii. Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)

iii. National Lottery Community Fund

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Principal Funding Sources in 2020 – 2021 (continued)

iv. Home Office / MOPAC/MOH

COVID 19 emergency funding of £53k awarded to cover shortfall in income generating income.

v. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

vi. Angelou

vii. Other income

• Donations

We are incredibly grateful for the generous donations and support we receive from individuals and organisations. The donations totalling £49k this year are a valuable contribution to our objective to alleviate domestic abuse. This does not include contributions from DAHA Partners of £83k which is included in note 2.

• In Kind

We have benefitted from volunteers who have assisted on the various projects depending on their area of interest. We are committed to offering an opportunity to individuals to boost their employability skills and enhance their personal development.

Charitable Expenditure: £1,722,492

----- Start of picture text -----
Support Costs,
£126,054
Other direct
costs,
£304,810
Staff costs,
£1,291,628
----- End of picture text -----

Charitable expenditure comprised staff costs of £1,291,628 (out of total costs of £1,722,492) which accounted for 75% of total costs. Support cost, £126,054 included costs for information technology (IT), other professional fees, office and premise costs. Other direct costs of £304,810 were for consultant fees, onward cost to partners and general direct costs (insurance, memberships, travel and depreciation).

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Financial Results

The Income and Expenditure Accounts showed incoming resources for the year of £2.1m (2020: £3.2m) and expenditure of £1.7m (2020: £3.1m). The total reserves stand at £802k (2020: £390k) of which £323k is restricted and £479k is unrestricted. Of the unrestricted fund, £352k has been designated for contractual liabilities, leaving a balance of £127k as unrestricted free reserves.

Standing Together receives most of its funding in the form of grants directly in support for specific projects. We have increased our core funding by attracting flexible and diverse sources within our mission and expertise, ensuring that when submitting funding proposals full recovery cost is included in total costs. At present, the core funding is sufficient to cover Standing Together's overheads and administration costs.

Investments

Apart from maintaining a prudent amount in reserves each year most of the charity's funds are to be spent in the short term leaving few funds for long term investment. We maintain our good management of funds between the current and deposit accounts which has seen the rate of interest remain the same in this year. To ensure security of our deposits under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the Trustees are carrying out a review to establish the best institutions to invest designated funds and surplus monies.

Reserves Policy

The Board of Trustees has examined the charity's requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation. The Trustees recognise that it must manage its affairs to ensure that the level of reserves and associated cash balances remain sufficient such that Standing Together will continue to operate on a sustainable basis. It is the Trustees objective that in the event that Standing together faces difficult financial circumstances, these reserves would allow us to both meet our responsibilities to grant holders and for operations to continue during a period of managed adjustment to these new circumstances.

Having assessed the current risks, the Trustees has established a policy to increase the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity. Trustees have decided that, after an allowance for future income expectations, Standing Together should maintain cash and realisable assets sufficient to fund three months of operation costs.

Based on the current grants position, the reserve represents the minimum level of funds required to protect Standing Together from the potential financial impact of known business risks. In the event of Standing Together facing difficult financial circumstances these reserves would allow us to both meet our responsibilities to grant holders and for operations to continue during a period of managed adjustment to these new circumstances.

Based on the current position the policy requires us to hold £350k in liquid and realisable assets. The Trustees will monitor and review the level of reserves annually, in line with Charity Commission guidance.

4. Plans for the Future

Each year, Standing Together Staff and Trustees meet to review our objectives and priorities for achieving our charitable aims and to refresh our Theory of Change.

In 2021-22 Standing Together set out to:

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

4. Plans for the Future (continued)

5. Conclusion

Standing Together are proud of the way we work in partnerships to embed and model the coordinated community response to domestic abuse. The Coordinated Community Response provides a framework by which we organise, plan and prioritise our work.

Year on year, we build a more robust program of work locally and nationally to both undertake and model the breadth of systemic work that is required to promote safety for survivors of domestic abuse and to hold perpetrators to account.

Our challenge has always been to maintain the partnership work that we do in central London while promoting the best of what we are learning to our wider national networks. Our CCR network has traditionally provided us with that opportunity however this year we have embraced other ways to do this through our national networks like the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA), MARAC work, Whole Housing, Faith and VAWG Coalition, In Search of Excellence, DHRs, Mentor Court Project and Pathfinder.

Expansion comes with both challenges and opportunities. Both are easier for Standing Together as our work is firmly grounded and the principles and components of the coordinated community response which remain touch stone to all we do and how we develop.

6. Impact of Coronavirus

Subsequent to the financial year end, the scale and spread of Covid 19 (Coronavirus) virus worldwide and the actions taken by local authority, central governments and organisations affected, has caused and will continue to cause disruption to almost all sectors and the way that Standing Together operates.

The Trustees entered 2020 in a cautious position with a well-diversified funding portfolio which was aided by extension of existing grants and new successful bids to continue current projects.

The CEO and management team continue to monitor the situation closely, reporting regularly to Trustess and consider how best to respond to any emerging issues. Standing Together has taken steps such as furloughing staff and applying for government emergency funds to mitigate the increase in costs of staff working from home and the loss of fee earning contracts.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

7. Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities

The Trustees, who are also directors of the Company for the purposes of the Companies Act, are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law and the law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Charity 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 its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:-

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the trust deed. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Trustees confirm that, in the case of each of the persons who are Trustees at the date of this report, the following applies:

Relationship with Funders

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES' REPORT For the year ended 31 March 2021

This Report is agreed and signed at the AGM by the Chair of Standing Together Kruti Patel, on behalf of the Board of Trustees on 2 November 2021.

Kruti Patel

Trustee/Director

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

We have audited the financial statements of Standing Together against Domestic Abuse (the 'charitable company') for the year ended 31 March 2021 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, 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, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

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 Auditor's 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 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 charity’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 other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information.

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

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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

(Continued)

whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information. 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 directors' report included within the trustees' report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

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 directors' report included within the trustees' report.

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

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees' responsibilities statement in the Trustees' Report, 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 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 company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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(Continued)

Auditor's 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 an auditor’s report 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:

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 auditor's report

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 auditor s 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.

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(Continued)

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 auditor s 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.

Shoaib Arshad (Senior Statutory Auditor)

For and on behalf of: Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants & Statutory Auditors 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD

6 December 2021

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

(incorporating the Income and Expenditure Account) For the year ended 31 March 2021

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
Note 2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM:
Donations and legacies 2 131,727 - 131,727 26,267 - 26,267
Charitable activities 4 834,593 1,166,675 2,001,268 750,884 2,510,191 3,261,075
Investments 3 249 - 249 1,256 - 1,256
TOTAL INCOME £ 966,569
 £ 1,166,675
 £ 2,133,244
 £ 778,407
 £ 2,510,191
 £ 3,288,598
EXPENDITURE ON:
Charitable activities 5 (741,627) (980,865) (1,722,492) (739,981) (2,410,415) (3,150,396)
TOTAL EXPENDITURE (741,627) (980,865) (1,722,492) (739,981) (2,410,415) (3,150,396)
NET MOVEMENTS IN FUNDS 224,942 185,810 410,752 38,426 99,776 138,202
TOTAL FUNDS AS AT 1 APRIL 253,350 137,100 390,450 214,924 37,324 252,248
TOTAL FUNDS AS AT 31 MARCH 2021 £ 478,292
 £ 322,910
 £ 801,202
 £ 253,350
 £ 137,100
 £ 390,450

All income and expenditure have arisen from continuing activities. None of the Charity's activities were acquired or discontinued during the above two financial years.

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BALANCE SHEET

As at 31 March 2021 (Registered Company No. 04283131)

Notes
FIXED ASSETS
Furniture & Equipment
10
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors
11
Cash at bank and in hand
CREDITORS: amounts falling due
within one year
12
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
FUNDS
Unrestricted funds:
Designated funds
14
General fund
14
Restricted Funds
14		 2021
£
3,365
354,853
1,057,661
1,412,514
(614,677)
797,837
801,202
801,202
£
351,643
126,649
478,292
322,910
**801,202 **		 2020
£
4,486
275,464
616,463
891,927
(505,964)
385,963
390,449
390,449
£
201,448
51,902
253,350
137,100
390,450

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and the Financial Reporting Standard 102.

The financial statements were approved, and authorised for issue, by the Board of Trustees on 2 November 2021 and signed on their behalf by: -

Kruti Patel Trustee/Director

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CASH FLOW STATEMENT

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Cash flows from operating activities
(Deficit)/Surplus for the financial year
Adjustments for:
Depreciation
(Decrease)/increase in Debtors
Increase/(Decrease) in Creditors
Investment income
Cash flows from investing activities
Returns on investment – interest receivable
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents as at 1st April 2020
Cash and cash equivalents as at 31st March 2021
Components of cash and cash equivalents
April 2020
£
Cash at bank and in hand
616,464
£		 2021
£
410,752
1121
(79,389)
108,713
(249)
440,948
249
-
441,197
616,464
1,057,661
£
Cashflow
£
441,197
£		 2020
£
138,202
1,121
128,592
(357,811)
(1,256)
(91,152)
1,256
(5,607)
(95,503)
711,967
616,464
£
April 2021
£
1,057,661
£

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102 have been prepared under the historical cost convention, and in accordance with applicable United Kingdom accounting standards and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities' (FRS 102), and the Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Trust's ability to continue as a going concern.

Company status

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse is a company limited by guarantee. 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.

Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objects of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the Trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of each designated fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Statutory grants which are given as contributions towards the Charity's core services are treated as unrestricted.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the note 14.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) which the charity is legally entitled to the income, it is probable that the amount will be received, and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.

Grants and donation received are deferred when conditions are attached, for example when they relate to a specific future period.

Resources Expended

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Support costs, which cannot be directly attributed to particular activities, have been apportioned proportionately to the direct staff costs allocated to the activities.

Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of resources expended for which it was incurred.

Tangible fixed assets

All tangible assets costing more than £5,000 are capitalised and stated at cost less depreciation.

Furniture and equipment 5 years on straight line

Operating leases

Rentals applicable to operating leases are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities over the period in which the cost is incurred.

Pensions

The company is part of a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Donations 131,727 - 131,727 26,267 - 26,267
£ 131,727
 £ -
 £ 131,727
 £ 26,267
 £ -
 £ 26,267
3. INVESTMENT INCOME Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Interest receivable from
Bank interest 249 - 249 1,256 - 1,256
£ 249
 £ -
 £ 249
 £ 1,256
 £ -
 £ 1,256
4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020 2020 2020
£ £ £ £ £ £
Grants & contracts for services:
Support & education to prevent domestic
violence 605,893 1,166,675 1,772,568 492,222 2,510,191 3,002,413
Membership fees - - - 1,425 - 1,425
Fee income 228,700 - 228,700 257,237 - 257,237
£ 834,593
 £ 1,166,675
 £ 2,001,268
 £ 750,884
 £ 2,510,191
 £ 3,261,075

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES (continued)

Analysis of grants & contracts for services

Calypso Browning
Chelwest NHS
City Bridge Trust
City of Westminster Charitable Trust
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
Comic Relief - Recovery Fund
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Domestic Homicide Reviews
Ealing Council
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Haringey Council
Home Office - Emergency Fund
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
Inner London Magistrates Courts
Job Retention Scheme
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
Maidenhead Malachi Trust
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
MOJ/MOPAC - Emergency Fund
National Lottery Community Fund
Oak Foundation
RBKC - CSE Priorities Fund
Treebeard Trust
Tri Borough Funding
Westminster City Council
Winston Churchill Memorial		 Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Unrestricted
Restricted
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2021
2021
2021
2020
2020
2020
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
5,000
5,000
-
-
-
-
49,000
49,000
-
49,000
49,000
-
68,490
68,490
-
-
-
-
12,690
12,690
-
-
-
-
35,000
35,000
-
40,000
40,000
-
38,200
38,200
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
322,500
322,500
-
58,664
58,664
-
1,147,596
1,147,596
146,372
-
146,372
186,834
-
186,834
55,655
-
55,655
53,655
-
53,655
-
-
-
-
12,743
12,743
-
25,000
25,000
-
50,000
50,000
-
66,000
66,000
-
66,000
66,000
49,855
-
49,855
49,858
-
49,858
112,134
-
112,134
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25,000
25,000
-
-
-
-
25,000
25,000
-
48,375
48,375
-
48,375
48,375
-
5,000
5,000
-
-
-
33,600
-
33,600
-
-
-
-
51,000
51,000
-
51,000
51,000
-
80,565
80,565
-
86,477
86,477
-
30,000
30,000
-
-
-
-
245,000
245,000
-
507,500
507,500
-
69,711
69,711
-
49,000
49,000
-
51,418
51,418
-
-
-
-
120,329
120,329
-
-
-
-
77,000
77,000
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
15,000
15,000
-
15,000
15,000
-
15,000
15,000
208,277
2,160
210,437
201,875
-
201,875
-
3,173
3,173
-
-
-
-
9,900
9,900
-
-
-
605,893
£
1,166,675
£
1,772,568
£
492,222
£
2,510,191
£
3,002,413
£

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

5. RESOURCES EXPENDED

5a. Cost of charitable activities (current year)

5a. Cost of charitable activities (current year)
Projects:
Community
Criminal Justice
DHRs
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Training
Other charitable projects
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Staff
Other direct
Support
Total
costs
costs
costs
2021
£
£
£
£
62,493
3,114
6,208
71,815
104,439
760
2,076
107,275
107,462
56,809
4,694
168,965
236,860
5,381
22,033
264,274
348,418
175,850
35,028
559,296
261,957
1,063
19,668
282,688
1,507
11,156
1,854
14,517
168,492
50,677
34,493
253,662
1,291,628
£
304,810
£
126,054
£
1,722,492
£

5b. Cost of charitable activities (prior year as at 31st March 2020)

Projects:
Community
Criminal Justice
DHRs
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Training
Other charitable projects
Total as at 31 March 2020
Resources expended include:
Auditors’ remuneration:		 Staff
costs
£
44,549
91,543
99,677
389,672
300,942
231,635
13,358
81,080		 Other direct
Support
costs
costs
£
£
6,671
1,604
3,372
2,836
79,387
10,764
1,158,855
36,568
462,757
26,676
2,435
16,570
6,257
2,135
39,750
41,303		 Total
2019
£
52,824
97,751
189,828
1,585,095
790,375
250,640
21,750
162,133
1,252,456
£		 1,759,484
£
138,456
£		 3,150,396
£
2021
5,000
£		 2020
4,500
£

Details of resources expended are given in notes 6, 7 and 8

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

6. OTHER DIRECT COSTS

6. OTHER DIRECT COSTS
Partner and stakeholder costs
Consultancy and Domestic Homicide Review Associate costs
Training and learning services
External evaluation
Other direct costs		 Total
2021
£
122,589
103,295
33,573
24,983
20,370
304,810
£		 Total
2020
£
1,348,694
117,789
23,757
13,713
255,532
1,759,485
£

Included in other direct costs is expenditure of £Nil (2020: £129,861) incurred on data collection, sharing learning and national good practice and dissemination relating to the Pathfinder Heath Project.

6a. Payments to Partners and Stakeholders:

6a. Payments to Partners and Stakeholders:
(i) Pathfinder Health Project
Consortium partners:
Against Violence & Abuse (AVA)
SafeLives
IRISi Interventions
Imkaan
Health Sites:
NHS Blackpool CCG
North Devon Against DA (NDADA)
London Borough of Haringey
Somerset Partnership NHS
RB of Kensington & Chelsea
London Borough of Camden
Arch (North Staffordshire) Ltd
NHS Southampton CCG
Evaluation by Cardiff University
(ii) Whole Housing Approach Programme
Partners:
Cambridge Shrievalty Trust
Cambridge Women’s Aid
Refuge
(iii) Domestic Abuse Housing Association
Partners:
Peabody
Gentoo
(iv) Homeless Link
(V) Solace Women's Aid
Total partners and stakeholder costs		 2021
2021
2020
£
£
£
-
107,602
-
115,407
-
79,904
-
63,920
-
-
60,000
-
55,563
-
60,000
-
72,638
-
69,761
-
67,500
-
67,688
-
72,500
-
-
-
-
40,000
-
108,000
-
132,500
-
37,500
31,167
37,500
31,167
75,000
15,877
31,711
122,588
£		 2020
£
366,833
525,650
97,500
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 60,000
55,563
60,000
72,638
69,761
67,500
67,688
72,500
-
-
-		 40,000
108,000
132,500
- 989,983
-
75,000
15,877
31,711		 280,500
62,334
15,877
-
37,500
37,500		 31,167
31,167
122,588
£		 1,348,694
£

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

7. SUPPORT COSTS

Premises and Office costs
Communication & IT
Legal & professional fees
Auditor’s fee
8. STAFF COSTS AND NUMBERS
Gross salaries
Social security
Pension costs
Other staff costs		 Total
2021
£
91,063
17,726
12,267
5,000
126,056
£
Total
2021
£
1,117,123
108,292
44,615
21,599
1,291,629
£		 Total
2020
£
93,174
25,339
15,442
4,500
138,455
£
Total
2020
£
1,087,155
105,833
44,585
14,885
1,252,458
£

The average weekly number of employees calculated as full time equivalents during the period was:

Key Management Team
Community project
Criminal Justice project
Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)
Health
Housing & Homelessness
MARAC
Other Projects
The average number of employees (head counts) during the period was:		 Number
2
1.5
2.6
2
5.1
8.4
8
2
31.6
34.6		 Number
2
1
2.5
3
7
7
6
3
31.5
32

One employee (2020: Nil) received remuneration of more than £60,000; between £60,001 to £70,000.

During the year, key management received an aggregate salary and benefits of £125,674 (2020: £144,391)

9. TRUSTEES REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

During the year, no members of the Board of Trustees received any remuneration (2020 : £NIL) No members of the Board of Trustees received reimbursement of expenses (2020 : £NIL)

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

10. FIXED ASSETS

Cost
At 1 April 2020
At 31 March 2021
Depreciation
At 1 April 2020
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2021
Net book value
At 31 March 2021
At 31 March 2020
11. DEBTORS
Due within one year
Trade debtors
Prepayments
Accrued income
Other debtors
12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR
Due within one year
Deferred income
VAT creditors
Social security and other taxes
Accruals & creditors		 Furniture and
equipment
£
5,607
5,607
1,121
1,121
2,242
3,365
£
4,486
£
Total
2021
£
246,653
4,088
90,531
13,581
354,853
£
Total
2021
£
286,586
93,303
26,200
208,588
614,677
£		 Total
£
5,607
5,607
1,121
1,121
2,242
3,365
**£ **
4,486
_£ _
Total
2020
£
181,160
4,233
75,233
14,838
275,464
£
Total
2020
£
102,390
83,576
29,594
290,404
505,964
£

13. TAXATION

The Charity is a registered charity, and therefore is not liable for income tax or corporation tax on income derived from its charitable activities, as it falls within the various exemptions available, to registered charities.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

14. STATEMENT OF FUNDS

14a Statement of Funds (current year as at 31 March 2021)

DESIGNATED FUNDS
Designated Fund
DVCN Funds
Total as at 31 March 2021
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Calypso Browning
Chelwest NHS
City Bridge Trust
City of Westminster Charitable Trust
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
Comic Relief - Recovery Fund
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Home Office - Emergency Fund
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
Inner London Magistrates Courts
LB of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
Maidenhead Malachi Trust
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
MOJ/MOPAC - Emergency Fund
National Lottery Community Fund
Oak Foundation
RBKC - CSE
Tri Borough
Treebeard Trust
Westminster City Council
Winston Churchill
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,000
-
-
150,215
350,215
1,448
-
20
-
-
1,428
201,448
£
-
£
20
-£
150,215
£
351,643
£
£
£
£
£
£
-
5,000
-
-
5,000
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
68,490
(61,054)
-
7,436
-
12,690
(12,690)
-
-
12,551
35,000
(40,784)
-
6,767
-
38,200
(38,200)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
58,664
(58,664)
-
-
12,062
-
(12,015)
-
47
-
25,000
(25,000)
-
-
-
66,000
(61,420)
-
4,580
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
20,438
-
(20,438)
-
-
32,241
48,375
(62,000)
-
18,616
-
5,000
(72)
-
4,928
11,869
51,000
(49,070)
-
13,799
3,412
80,565
(80,000)
-
3,977
-
30,000
(1,922)
-
28,078
33,307
245,000
(153,884)
-
124,424
-
69,711
(69,711)
-
-
51,418
(51,418)
-
-
120,329
(93,958)
-
26,371
77,000
(22,328)
-
54,672
11,220
-
938
-
12,158
-
2,160
-
-
2,160
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
3,173
(3,173)
-
-
-
9,900
-
9,900
137,100
£
1,166,675
£
980,865
-£
-
£
322,910
£
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
Designated Funds
General Funds
Restricted Funds
Total as at 31 March 2021		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
201,448
-
(20)
150,215
351,643
51,902
966,569
(741,607)
(150,215)
126,649
253,350
966,569
(741,627)
-
478,292
137,100
1,166,675
(980,865)
-
322,910
390,450
£
2,133,244
£
£ (1,722,492)
-
£
801,202
£

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

The Designated funds are intended to enable the charity and its partners to conduct their activities fully, in the event of a loss of funding, so that an orderly winding up of its projects may be achieved.

14. STATEMENT OF FUNDS (continued)

14b Statement of Funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)

14b Statement of Funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)
DESIGNATED FUNDS
Designated Fund
DVCN Funds
Total as at 31 March 2020
RESTRICTED FUNDS
Chelwest NHS
Comic Relief - Whole Housing
DCMS – Pathfinder Health Project
DOHSC – Pathfinder Health Project
Erasmus (EU)
Esmee Fairburn
Hammersmith & Fulham NHS
Home Office – MSWTA
Home Office - Harmful Practice
Homeless Link
LB of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Councils
MHCLG – Whole Housing Approach
MHCLG – Housing First & Homelessness
RBKC - CSE Priorities Fund
Treebeard Trust
Total as at 31 March 2020		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended
Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,000
-
-
-
200,000
23
1,425
-
-
1,448
200,023
£
1,425
£
-
£
-
£
201,448
£
Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended
Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
40,000
(27,449)
-
12,551
-
322,500
(322,500)
-
-
-
1,147,596
(1,147,596)
-
-
-
12,743
(681)
-
12,062
-
50,000
(50,000)
-
-
-
66,000
(66,000)
-
-
-
25,000
(25,000)
-
-
-
25,000
(4,562)
-
20,438
-
48,375
(16,134)
-
32,241
8,114
51,000
(47,245)
-
11,869
-
86,477
(83,065)
-
3,412
29,210
507,500
(503,403)
-
33,307
-
49,000
(49,000)
-
-
-
15,000
(3,780)
-
11,220
-
15,000
(15,000)
-
-
37,324
£
2,510,191
£
£(2,410,415)
-
£
137,100
£
SUMMARY OF FUNDS
Designated Funds
General Funds
Restricted Funds
Total as at 31 March 2020		 Transfers and
Brought
Incoming
Resources
Investment
Carried
Forward
Resources
Expended Gains/(losses)
Forward
£
£
£
£
£
200,023
1,425
-
-
201,448
14,901
776,982
(739,981)
-
51,902
214,924
778,407
(739,981)
-
253,350
37,324
2,510,191
(2,410,415)
-
137,100
252,248
£
3,288,598
£
£(3,150,396)
-
£
390,450
£

The Designated funds are intended to enable the charity and its partners to conduct their activities fully, in the event of a loss of funding, so that an orderly winding up of its projects may be achieved.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

15. ANALYSIS OF NET ASSETS BETWEEN FUNDS

15a. Analysis of net assets between funds (current year as at 31 March 2021)

Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds
Designated General Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets - 3,365 - 3,365
Net Current assets 351,643 123,284 322,910 797,837
Total as at 31 March 2021 £ 351,643
 £ 126,649
 £ 322,910
 £ 801,202

15b. Analysis of net assets between funds (prior year as at 31 March 2020)

Unrestricted Funds Unrestricted Funds
Designated General Restricted Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
£ £ £ £
Fixed assets - 4,486 - 4,486
Net Current assets 201,448 47,416 137,100 385,964
Total as at 31 March 2020 £ 201,448
 £ 51,902
 £ 137,100
 £ 390,450

16. OTHER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

At 31 March 2021 the Company had commitments under non-cancellable operating leases (all for land and buildings) as set out below:

Operating leases which expire:
within one year
within two to five years
The cost of operating lease during the year was as follows:
Office lease charges for the year		 Total
2021
£
44,631
-
44,631
£
44,631
£		 Total
2020
£
44,631
44,631
89,262
£
44,631
£

17. PENSION COMMITMENTS

Pension costs in note 8 relate to payments made to a defined contribution scheme. The charitable company's liability is limited to making the payments due to scheme on timely basis. The liability as at 31 March 2021 is £7,484 (2020: £6,797)

18. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURE

There were no related party transactions, other than those disclosed in note 8 and 9.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

For the year ended 31 March 2021

19. SECTION 37 STATEMENT

Grant aid of £83,977 was received from London Councils in the financial year ended 31st March 2021. The purpose of the grant is to introduce and adopt established set of standards and an accreditation process in response to domestic abuse within housing.

The following table illustrates what the money was awarded for and that it has been used for these purposes:

Grant Awarded
Costs
Staff Costs
Rent
Running costs
Total Costs
Underspent in the year
Underspent from last year
Total underspent at the year end
Other Direct Costs (consultancy & evaluation)		 2021
£
80,565
£
55,000
20,023
2,000
2,977
80,000
£
565
3,412
3,977
£		 2020
£
86,477
£
55,000
23,088
2,000
2,977
83,065
£
3,412
-
3,412
£

The sum of £5,000 was withheld in respect of the evaluation which was delayed as shown accrued costs that were paid after 31 March 2021; and there was an underspend on travel expenses of £3,977 (2020: £3,412).

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AUDIT MANAGEMENT LETTER FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

The Trustees Our ref: SA/C185801 Standing Together against Domestic Abuse 4th Floor, The Polish Centre 238‐246 King Street W6 0RF Date: 21 October 2021

Dear Trustees

This audit management letter relates to our audit of Standing Together against Domestic Abuse for the year ended 31 March 2021. We have set out in section 1 of this report, the principal matters arising from our audit, including those prescribed by International Auditing Standard 260. In section 2 we have set out emerging issues. In section 3 we have set out the Trustees’ representations on which we have placed reliance for the purpose of our audit.

As you will appreciate, our audit procedures are designed primarily to enable us to form an opinion on the accounts as a whole. Our procedures include such tests of the accounting records and internal control systems as are, in our opinion, necessary for audit purposes. Consequently, whilst our procedures may identify certain weaknesses which may exist, the audit procedures in themselves should not be relied upon to reveal all the weaknesses which may exist in the system.

This report has been prepared for your sole use and we assume no responsibility to any other party in respect of its contents. The report should not be disclosed to any third party without our prior written consent.

This report is not exhaustive and deals with only the more significant matters which came to our attention during the audit. Other matters of lesser significance have been discussed with the relevant staff during the course of our audit work.

In conclusion, we would like to take this opportunity of expressing our appreciation to management and staff for their assistance and co‐operation during the course of our audit.

If you have any queries on any of the points in this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Knox Cropper LLP

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE

Section 1 Matters Arising from the Audit Section 2 Emerging issues Section 3 Trustees’ Representations

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE SECTION 1 ‐ MATTERS ARISING FROM THE AUDIT

General

The purpose of our audit is to gather sufficient evidence to allow us to conclude that the transactions and balances disclosed in the accounts are unlikely to be materially misstated, to establish that disclosures reflected in the accounts comply with the requirements of legislation and relevant accounting standards and to assess whether the accounting policies adopted are appropriate and consistently applied and to assess whether estimates made and judgements exercised in the preparation of the financial statements are both prudent and even‐handed.

Audit Report

We have completed the audit to our satisfaction and confirm that we will issue an unqualified audit opinion on the accounts. The text of the audit report is in accordance with the standard text for unqualified audit reports issued by the Financial Reporting Council, which has been revised for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2020.

International Auditing Standards

International auditing standards have been revised for accounting periods commencing on or after 1 January 2020. One impact of this has been changes to the standard unqualified audit report as referred to above.

Another change is to our responsibilities in respect of going concern. Under the revised standard a more formal procedure is required for consideration of going concern. The Board is required to assess the going concern status of the charity supported by a financial forecast that looks forward 12 months from the date at which the accounts are to be approved i.e. to July 2022.

Audit Adjustments

All material adjustments arising from our audit work have been discussed with management and appropriately reflected in the financial statements. We confirm that no misstatements were detected during the audit which remain uncorrected in the financial statements other than matters which are both individually and cumulatively clearly trivial.

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STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE SECTION 1 ‐ MATTERS ARISING FROM THE AUDIT

Accounting Policies and Disclosures

The accounting policies adopted by the Charity are consistent with the previous year and are, in all material respects, appropriate to its operations.

We also report that adequate consideration was given to the potential impact of changes in legislation and accounting standards which arose during the year. No changes arose during the current year which affected the accounts and therefore the form and content of the accounts are consistent with the preceding year.

Accounting Systems and Internal Controls

We confirm that the accounting records were well maintained during the year and that no significant weaknesses were identified during the audit.

Internal controls were generally appropriate for the size of the organisation and our compliance testing indicated that they were operating effectively in practice.

Under the Charities SORP, income should be recognised when receipt is probable or more likely than not to be received. This means that the grant income should be recognised when these are agreed even if the instalments are not falling due until after the year‐end or the costs have not been incurred in the reporting period. However, where meeting the conditions of performance‐related grants are beyond management control, the income may be deferred in line with agreed budgets. We have discussed with the management to set out a cover sheet for each grant specifying the income for the financial periods at the outset of the grant. The cover sheet could also state the VAT considerations and whether the grant is restricted or unrestricted.

Professional Ethics and Independence

We confirm our compliance with Ethical Standards issued by the Financial Reporting Council and there are no matters in relation to our audit engagement which we consider should be brought to your attention.

2

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE SECTION 2 – EMERGING ISSUES

Charity Commission guidance on Responsible Investment

The Charity Commission is in a process of updating its guidance on responsible investment. By responsible investment, the Charity Commission means investing in a way that aligns with the charity’s mission and purposes. The current guidance is set out in CC14 which deals with both financial investment and programme related investment.

Charity Governance Code Update

The Charity Governance Code has been refreshed in December 2020. The code, which is endorsed by the charity commission although not compulsory, sets out the seven principles of good governance, with separate versions for small and large charities.

The main changes relate to the Diversity principle and to the Integrity principle:

Business Rates Review

The government is due to publish its fundamental review of business rates in the Autumn of 2021 with an interim update of its progress to be issued on 23 March 2021. Rates relief is significant for charities, with a net worth of over £2 billion per year.

Engaging workers who are not employees – New IR35 rules

Where workers are engaged to carry out specific projects or functions for an organisation, they are often not treated as employees and they are not paid through the payroll (off‐ payroll working). Where the worker is engaged as an individual, it is the responsibility of the organisation to assess whether the worker is self‐employed, and this has not changed. However, where the worker is engaged through an intermediary (usually a personal service company), prior to 6th April 2021 it has been the responsibility of the intermediary to make the assessment as to whether the worker is effectively an employee of the organisation. From 6th April 2021, for medium‐sized and large organisations (including charities), responsibility for making this assessment shifts to the organisation engaging the worker. This change brings the private sector into line with Public Bodies which have been required to do this since 2017.

Timeline for updating the Charity SORP

The next update of the charity SORP is expected to be published in Autumn 2023, coming into effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2024. A new framework for consultation is now in place with the SORP making body and the SORP Committee engaging with stakeholders through the recruitment of volunteer engagement partners representing various strands of the consultation.

3

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE SECTION 3 – LETTER OF REPRESENTATION

Standing Together against Domestic Abuse 4th Floor, The Polish Centre 238‐246 King Street W6 0RF Registered Company No: 04283131 (England & Wales) Registered Charity No: 1088844

Messrs. Knox Cropper LLP Chartered Accountants 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD

We confirm, to the best of our knowledge and belief, and having made appropriate enquiries of other trustees and officials of the Charity, the following representations given to you in connection with your audit of the Charity’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021.

1. GENERAL

We acknowledge as trustees our responsibility under the Companies Act for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view and for making accurate representations to you. We also acknowledge our responsibility for the design and implementation of internal controls to prevent and detect error and fraud.

2. RECORDS

All the accounting records have been made available to you for the purpose of your audit and all the transactions undertaken by the Charity have been properly reflected in the accounting records. All other records and related information, including minutes of meetings, have been made available to you. We confirm that, so far as each trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which you have not been made aware.

3. GOING CONCERN

We believe that the Charity’s financial statements should be prepared on a going concern basis because the trustees are of the opinion that adequate sources of funding will be forthcoming to allow the Charity to continue in operation. In making this statement, the trustees have considered projections for at least the next twelve months from the date of approval of the accounts.

4. LAWS AND REGULATIONS

We confirm that we are not aware of any possible or actual instance of non‐ compliance with those laws and regulations which provide a legal framework within which the Charity conducts its operations. The Charity has complied with all aspects of contractual and other agreements that could have a material effect on the financial statements in the event of non‐compliance. There has been no communication with Regulatory Authorities during the year or subsequently concerning non‐compliance with financial and regulatory matters.

4

STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST DOMESTIC ABUSE SECTION 3 – LETTER OF REPRESENTATION

5. INTERNAL CONTROL

There have been no irregularities or allegations thereof involving trustees or officials who have a significant role in internal control or others that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

6. POST‐BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

There have been no events since the balance sheet date which necessitate revision of the figures included in the financial statements or inclusion of a note thereto. Should further material events occur, which may necessitate revision of the figures included in the financial statements or inclusion of a note thereto, we will advise you accordingly.

7. CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

We are not aware of any litigation pending at 31 March 2021 or other matters giving rise to potential liabilities or guarantees.

8. LOANS AND ARRANGEMENTS

The Charity has not had, nor entered into at any time during the year, any arrangement, transaction or agreement to provide credit facilities for trustees nor to guarantee or provide security for such matters. No remuneration or reimbursement for expenses was paid to the trustees except as disclosed in the financial statements.

9. TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES

We confirm that we have disclosed to you all related party transactions relevant to the Charity and that we are not aware of any related party matters that require disclosure

Yours faithfully

02/11/2021 ............................................................. …………………………. Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees Date

5