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2023-03-31-accounts

Company Registration Number 04296856

SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE (CHARITY NO. 1089995)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE (CHARITY NO. 1089995)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

CONTENTS

Page
Trustees’ report 1 - 8
Independent Examiners Report 9 - 10
Statement of financial activities 11
Balance sheet 12
Notes to the financial statements 13 - 15

SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Status Speak Out In Hounslow has charitable status and is a
company limited by guarantee.
Trustees Joe Johnson (Chairperson)
Anthony Power
Sarah Ann Miller
Sean Douglas Wienand (Treasurer)
Punam Sharma
Jatinder Chohan (Appointed 4 August 2022)
Ramandeep Mann (Appointed 4 August 2022)
Ali Shah (Appointed 4 August 2022)
Directors Nicholas Benjamin
Sally Malit
Company Secretary Nicholas Benjamin
Company registration number 04296856
Charity registration number 1089995
Registered office Suite 2-03 Qwest
1110 Great West Road
Brentford
TW8 0GP
Bankers HSBC Bank Plc
127 High Street
Hounslow
TW3 1QP

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

The Trustees of the charity, who are also Directors of the company, present their report and the audited financial statements of Speak Out in Hounslow for the year ending 31st March 2023.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Speak Out in Hounslow is a registered charity. It is also constituted as a company limited by guarantee and is therefore governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association. Members of the charity elect trustees annually, who are then given induction training and access to further development opportunities including Safeguarding Adults training.

The staff team in the 2022-3 period comprised of:

Nick Benjamin and Sally Malit as part-time Co Directors with additional responsibilities in sharing the Strengthening Our Community Project Manager’s role. Sarfraz Kherdin as Campaigns Consultation and Partnership/Campaigns and Advice Coordinator with Jaspaul Vilkhu supporting as Project Worker. Rebecca Driver as Empowerment/Manage Your Life Coordinator. Jeff Munday the Outings and Taster Project/Express Yourself and Keeping Safe coordinator. Laura-May Hassan as Drama coordinator along with Jo Chapman and Steve Joyce as project workers.

The majority of Speak Out employees work on a part-time basis and are employed due to the wide range of skills and expertise they can draw from.

MISSION STATEMENT

Speak Out in Hounslow works to support and empower adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in Hounslow to speak up, be heard and listened to, affect change, and have real life and social opportunities.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Overall Aim

The overall aim of Speak Out in Hounslow is to improve the lives of adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in the London Borough of Hounslow.

Specific Aims

Speak Out in Hounslow seeks to achieve this overall aim through:

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

OBJECTIVES

Speak Out tries to achieve these aims by doing the following things:

As of 31st March 2023, Speak Out has 9 paid staff, and in the last year have worked with 2 sessional staff members and 31 volunteers. The Trustees wish to thank all of them for their commitment and achievement during the year. Speak Out would also like to thank all of its members with learning disabled and/or autism for their invaluable additional contribution to Speak Out’s work – without which the key aims and objectives of the organisation could not have been achieved.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

At the beginning of 2020 Speak Out reconfigured the project delivery to ensure that it reflected the changing needs of our members and ran 4 main projects. Therefore, the Campaigns Consultation and Partnership Project was expanded to include advice and was renamed Campaigns and Advice, Empowerment project was divided into Express Yourself and Manage Your Life, Travel Training was expanded to Keeping Safe. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic other projects were put on hold.

Speak Out currently has 700 members and continues to produce well-regarded printed information in Easy Read.

The Campaign Project - Campaigns and Advice (C&A) This project is a user led campaign group that was identified by its learning disabled members, who wanted to make real and lasting change in Hounslow.

This project supports members to: Ensure people have an influence on what happens in their lives and in their community by raising the profile of people with learning disabilities and/or autism in the borough and working against changes in both mainstream and specialist services that exacerbate or do not aim to alleviate poverty, exclusion and disadvantage experienced by people with learning disabilities.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The project achieves this by:

C&A has 27 members and held 12 monthly meetings with the project's volunteers in addition to 5 mystery shops, 9 drop in Advice Shops and 19 Advocacy engagements.

Example of project outcomes:

Individual: A close friend of a Speak Out member SH approached Sarfraz Kherdin - Project coordinator following a Blue badge refusal. Sarfraz looked at the refusal letter, the application that was sent and the documents provided as evidence for the Blue Badge application. He then contacted the Blue Badge Team and Adults with Learning Disabilities and Autism Team (ALDAS) at Hounslow Council and requested an extension for SH’s appeal. Sarfraz also picked up that SH needs a reassessment on his disability benefits - Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The last time he was assessed was in 2006 and his needs have changed considerably since then. From Sarfraz’s email involving the ALDAS Team, SH has been referred to Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. His benefits were reassessed and a Blue Badge awarded.

Group: A C&A meeting was held with James Hearn, Senior Joint Commissioning Manager for Hounslow Council. James attended to speak to members about the floating support service currently provided by Hestia and the Council’s recommissioning of the contract. He explained to members what the floating support service is and how it fits within the wider proposed Sunflower Project. Members were keen to give their views as part of the consultation. Some of the main points that members raised about the floating support service were; that the service should be more accessible and the referral process should be made easier with shorter timeframes. Have paid floating support workers, instead of relying on volunteers. Raising more awareness of the actual provision the service provides and what the service users can expect. James thanked members for their feedback and will incorporate this as part of the consultation responses.

Everyone: Speak Out in Hounslow are working on a campaign to reduce the costs of GP letters confirming a person's health condition or disability. These letters are deemed private work and not covered under their NHS contract. The Team have found that people need these letters as proof when submitting applications for various benefits and transport concessions, which they are entitled to. The letters confirming a health condition or a disability can be quite expensive, ranging between £0 and £75 (across different GP surgeries) and the people who need these are often vulnerable and/or on a low income. The Team carried out a survey in April and May 2022 and had 37 respondents. The data gathered provided a compelling reason for the campaign. Sarfraz contacted NHS Hounslow to

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

enquire if they can work together, along with GP surgeries. They advised that as GP surgeries are private businesses, they cannot ask them to provide exemptions or concessions. The Team met with Ruth Cadbury, MP for Brentford and Isleworth. She kindly agreed to work with Speak Out and raise this on a local and national level. This campaign is on-going and the Speak Out team will provide updates as it progresses.

Speak Out would like to thank the London Borough of Hounslow, the National Lottery and the Mayor of London for their generous and vital support.

The Empowerment Project - Express Yourself and Manage Your Own Life

The project supports adults with a learning disability in Hounslow to live more independently and have more choice and control over their lives.

This project supports members to:

The project achieves this by:

● The co-production of activities with members of Speak Out’s community.

● Increased participation and engagement with activities, community resources and building independence.

Since April 2022, The Empowerment project activities hosted 481 active engagements sessions with 3521 attendees with learning disabilities and/or autism. The activities included arts and crafts, cooking, tennis and walks and other health and wellbeing interactions. The Empowerment Project worked in partnership during 2022/23 Let’s Go Outside and Learn, The London Museum of Water and Steam and Will to Win Chiswick as well as many professionals from both mainstream and specialist services. Speak Out would like to thank all of these partners for their time, expertise and contributions towards helping Speak Out meet its aims.

Examples of project outcomes:

Individual : TH has a visual impairment but manages the weeding really well at the garden group at the London Museum of Water and Steam. She really enjoys the sweeping up at the end also. She enjoys these as she can do them independently without support. RS has developed a strong friendship with TH so they often spend time together. The garden offers a safe space for RS to wander around independently and she always chooses to follow TH.

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Group: Tennis has a steady core group of people that attend even when the weather is getting really cold. A few of them arrange to meet each other beforehand and go for a coffee first. This is great to show how relationships are formed, developed and strengthened over a shared interest. They also go for lunch together afterwards. The members are not only improving their physical strength and skills, which helps with their overall health, but also mental wellbeing. Members have reported feeling energised and less stressed after the tennis session as well as having a lot of fun.

Everyone : The cooking group were asked by the Creative People and Places project based at Watermans Arts Centre if they could share some recipes for a new book they were collating called 55 Dishes for Hounslow. The group shared two plant based recipes that they enjoyed cooking, tasted delicious and had nutritional value. The proceeds of the book are divided between the Creative People Places initiative and Hounslow Community Foodbox. To ensure that both organisations community work is ongoing and financially supported.

Speak Out would like to thank the Champniss Foundation, the Co-op, and the National Lottery for their generous and vital support.

The Keeping Safe project

This project started in January 2020 due to funding from The National Lottery.

This project supports members to:

Due to the mental health consequences of the Covid- 19 pandemic and cost of living crisis it was decided that the project should focus on building confidence of Speak Out members to be part of society again. Between April 2022 and March 2023 the Keeping Safe project had 207 individual engagements that took place in 45 1:1 Confidence Building sessions and 24 Group Confidence sessions. Information was also shared on Speak Out’s Facebook group and page that had 300 group members and 653 followers.

Individual: JV, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, has now moved on from being independent in her forays towards Hounslow and Staines by bus to concentrate on getting to Richmond Adult Community College by train. She has made great progress in her train travel, learning how and where to access trains, how to interact with railway staff, making her needs for ramps known and memorising the short journey from Richmond railway station to her college. We expect that she will be making this journey on her own really soon which is a real achievement.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Community: Our Keeping Safe group activities included a three week-long Money Management course at which Speak Out members have learned how to assess and track what money they have coming in and going out. We have explored ways of keeping records of what we do with our finances and polished off the course by looking at keeping a weekly diary of what we earn, collect in benefits and spend. Members were also keen in these sessions to look into what items they were buying and to decide whether or not they needed a lot of the things they purchased. In these times of economic hardship it was decided that some cutting back might be appropriate – items such as chocolate, nonessential clothes and shoes were all put on the ‘I can do without these at the moment’ list.

Everyone: The Keeping Safe Project was extremely proud to see the outcome of our work with the London Museum of Water and Steam’s (LMWS) video promoting the museum to the learning disability community. JV, SW and RM all played key roles in the film we designed in partnership with LMWS. The final edits of this were done in November and the video posted on both the Speak Out and LMWS web sites to great acclaim. Big thanks here to Gemma from LMWS and of course to our star performers, JV, SW and RM.

Speak Out would like to thank the National Lottery for their generous and vital support.

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

RESERVES POLICY

This policy outlines the total reserves we allow Speak out in Hounslow to have and their purpose. We recognise that if we ended our support it would be particularly hard for our users to understand and come to terms with, as all of them are adults with a learning disability. So we aim to have enough money to wind down over 3 months. In addition to this, a redundancy reserve is to be allocated to provide each affected staff member with a lump sum. This will cover them if, for any reason beyond their control, their post was ended prior to the end of their contract or the expected funding period of that post.

The maximum total reserves allowed will be one week’s pay per years’ service for each staff member, plus three months running costs for each project. Our redundancy reserve will be calculated on the salary costs only.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRUSTEES

Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its results at the end of the year. In preparing those accounts, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable it to ensure that the financial statements comply with appropriate legislation. 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.

TRUSTEES

The Trustees, who are also Directors of the company, serving during the year are listed on page 1. This report was approved by the Trustees on 18 December 2023.

For and on behalf of the Trustees

Joe Johnson - Chair

Sean Wienand - Treasurer

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

I report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 11 to 15.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner's report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner's statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

and

have not been met; or

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

A and C Services Flat 68 Ranton House 1B Commerce Road Brentford TW8 8FU

18 December 2023

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Unrestricted Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Year ended Year ended Year ended Year ended
Funds Funds 31 March 31 March
2023 2022
Charitable Activities £ £ £ £
Big Lottery Funds 118,173 10,000 128,173 118,173
London Borough of Hounslow 49,459 20,150 69,609 69,459
Co-op Funds - 2,676 2,676 843
GLA - 4,500 4,500 -
Champniss Foundation - 1,750 1,750 -
Other Grants and Donations 1,976 897 2,873 726
Investment Income 322 - 322 9
Total incoming resources 169,930 39,973 209,903 189,210
Charitable activities
Directors’ remuneration 35,788 27,638 63,426 60,148
Salaries and wages 52,523 40,562 93,085 88,454
Employer’s NIC 5,552 2,166 7,718 7,097
Pension 2,165 624 2,789 2,907
Staff training 1,270 36 1,306 1,386
Project costs 199 1,317 1,516 839
Event and running expenses 5,034 13,279 18,313 10,919
Computer running expenses 228 - 228 711
Equipment - 214 214 325
Rent and rates 12,600 - 12,600 12,000
Travel 272 157 429 255
Postage, printing, stationery and 2,777 - 2,777 2,309
publications
Subscriptions 1,550 - 1,550 737
Telephone & Internet 2,601 792 3,393 4,292
Insurance 535 249 784 936
Tutor - 7,344 7,344 3,741
Payroll costs 1,293 - 1,293 1,013
Independent examiner’s fee 800 - 800 800
Miscellaneous expenses, AGM and 851 - 851 698
annual report
Total resources expended 126,038 94,378 220,416 199,567
Movement of funds 43,892 (54,405) (10,513) (10,357)

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2023

Notes 2023 2022
£ £
Current assets
Debtors 3 1,932 1,932
Cash at bank and in hand
128,885 139,415
__ __
130,817 141,347
Creditors: Amounts falling due
within one year 4 (1,338) (1,355)
__ __
Net current assets 129,479 139,992
======= =======
The funds of the charity:
Unrestricted funds 6 126,234 133,470
Restricted funds 6 3,245 6,522
__ __
129,479 139,992
======= =======

For the financial year ending 31 March 2023 the company was entitled to exemption from audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Trustees/Directors’ responsibilities:

These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime.

Approved by the Trustees and authorised for issue on 18 December 2023.

Joe Johnson - Chair Sean Wienand - Treasurer

Company Registration No. 04296856

The notes on pages 13 to 15 form part of these financial statements.

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

1. Accounting policies

The following accounting policies have been used consistently in dealing with items which are considered material in relation to the financial statements.

a) Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and on a going concern basis, which is dependent upon the availability of adequate continued funding. The nature of the charity’s funding is inherently uncertain as it is only agreed by the funding bodies every one to three years. Should grant funding be discontinued in future years, the charity would have to find other sources of funding or significantly curtail its activities.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102), and the Charities Act 2011 and applicable regulations.

b) Incoming resources

Grants and other funds receivable are included in full in the Statement of Financial Activities as they are received.

c) Resources expended

Expenditure is charged to the Statement of Financial Activities on an accruals basis. Resources expended include VAT which cannot be recovered.

d) Taxation

Subject to agreement with HM Revenue and Customs, the company is exempt from the payment of any taxes to the extent it is a registered charity and therefore is not liable for Income Tax or Corporation Tax on income derived from charitable activities. The company does not have a liability to register for VAT.

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

1. Accounting policies (continued)

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity. Restricted funds are subjected to restriction on the expenditure imposed by the donor or through the terms of appeal.

Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them. Governance costs included those costs associated with the meeting the constitutional and statutory requirements of the charity and include the fees and costs linked to the strategic management of the charity.

f) Equipment

Purchases of equipment are expensed off in full in the year in which it is acquired.

g) Pension costs

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity. Pension costs are assessed in accordance with actuarial advice and based on the most recent valuation of the scheme. These costs are accounted for on the basis of charging the cost of providing pensions over the period during which the charity benefits from the employees’ services.

2. Directors’ remuneration

The remunerations for the directors for the year were as follows:

3.

Gross
Salary
Employer’s
Pension
2023
Total
£
£
£
N Benjamin
29,640
702
30,342
S Malit
33,786
826
34,612
Total
63,426
1,528
64,954
Debtors
2023
£
Other debtors
1,932
=======
==		 2022
Total
£
28,870
32,710
61,580
2022
£
1,932
=====

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SPEAK OUT IN HOUNSLOW

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

4. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

2023 2022
£ £
Accruals 1,338 1,355
======= =======
5. Analysis of Net Assets between funds
Unrestricted Restricted 2023 Total
Funds Funds
£ £ £
Funds 126,234 3,245 129,479
Debtors 1,932 - 1,932
Creditors (1,338) - (1,338)
126,828 3,245 130,073
6. Statement of Funds
Balance at Incoming Resources Balance at
01/04/2022 Resources Expended Transfer 31/03/2023
Restricted Funds £ £ £ £ £
CCP 6,522 24,500 (35,825)
4,803		 -
Drama - 10,000 (6,755)
-		 3,245
Empowerment Project - 5,473 (47,129)
41,656		 -
Total Restricted Funds 6,522 39,973 (89,709)
46,459		 3,245
Unrestricted Funds 133,470 169,930 (130,707)
(46,459)		 126,234
Total Funds as at 31 139,992 209,903 (220,416)
-		 129,479
March

7. Operating lease commitment

At the report end date, the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payment under non-cancellable operating lease, which fall due as follows:

Within one year
Between 1 – 2 years		 2023
£
-
-
-		 2022
£
10,000
-
10,000

8. Related party transaction

There were no Trustees’ expenses paid during the year.

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