citizens advice South Hams I report 2021 /22 2 ## **We are Citizens Advice South Hams** **We can all face problems that seem complicated or intimidating. At Citizens Advice South Hams, we believe no one should have to face these problems without good quality independent advice.** As a member of the national Citizens Advice service, we offer advice on the phone, face-to-face, via web chat, and by email. Our goal is to help people to find a way forward, whoever they are and whatever the problem. We also use our clients’ experiences, stories and evidence to research and campaign for positive change locally and nationally. Our goal is to help people find a way forward, whoever they are and whatever the problem. Most of our 75-strong team are trained volunteers. We are supported by local councils, a variety of specialist funders, and the public. We serve a population of 89,000 across the South Hams and handle thousands of enquiries each year. itizens advi i¥. 4 ## **Contents** **5** A welcome from the Chair **7** Chief Officer’s report ## **24** Our research and campaigns work ## **25** Treasurer’s report **27** Accounts **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Who we helped in 2021/22 **16** Our projects ## **33** Contact information **34** Volunteering information 5 ## **A welcome from the Chair** **I am pleased to welcome you to the Citizens Advice South Hams 2021-22 Annual Report.** In recent years the highest number of enquiries have been in welfare benefits and debt, however, the greatest increase in advice was in the areas of housing, energy, and legal issues. I write this at a turning point in our national leadership against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and a rise in the cost of living following two years of pandemic. The constant in this upheaval is an increasing need for our advice services. I am proud more than ever that we continue to deliver free, independent, confidential, and quality assured advice to our residents. We need to grow the number of volunteers and our broader capacity to meet the increase in demand for our services. This is our top priority for the next few months. Over the past year we have seen close collaboration with our neighbouring CA to deliver a more locally focused service. Our telephone advice service is now provided locally and serves more South Hams and Teignbridge residents than previously, and we hope this will encourage more volunteers from our community. We have also updated our web-based advice which is the preferred way of contacting us for many of our clients. The advent of a support and advice service to Ukrainian families living the South Hams is evidence of the way that we are reacting to our ever-changing society and reaching a new group of people. Our Empower project is now an established cornerstone of our work that is particularly significant when the demand for advice on energy issues is headline news. We continue to engage with our local MP to be a strong local voice on issues such as 6 housing. Our campaign to raise awareness and prevent scams has been particularly effective at reaching the most vulnerable. In 2021/22, the charity helped more than 4,700 clients with 12,270 issues. For these clients the charity recorded over £1.4m of financial gains. We also delivered over £50,000 worth of fuel vouchers to South Hams clients in fuel poverty through the Household Support Fund. We are hugely thankful for the grants we receive from Devon County Council, South Hams District Council, many of our local town and parish councils. This funding enables us to deliver an important proportion of our primary advice services. external kitemarks provide confidence to clients, volunteers, and donors that our organisation is in excellent management hands. I would especially like to thank Janie Moor, our Chief Officer, whose continual professionalism, dedication, and passion drives us all along. We have a full board of trustees with diverse skills and business backgrounds. I thank each of them and all our fantastic group of volunteers for their time and personal contribution supporting the Chief Officer in delivering our business plan during a challenging year. ## **Chris Peach** , Chair In 2021/22 the charity helped more than 4,700 clients with 12,270 issues. Following a visit by an external Citizens Advice assessor earlier this year, we were awarded the highest leadership assessment. This is clear testimony of the hard work and professional standards of the management team. In addition, we were awarded “Green” by National Citizens Advice for our quality of advice. Such 7 ## **Chief Officer’s report** Our volunteer and paid staff team worked relentlessly throughout the Covid pandemic providing essential support to those experiencing hardship, debt, anxiety, and money worries. We adapted incredibly well to home and hybrid working which enabled us to offer an uninterrupted service throughout this time. As the Spring of 2022 approached, our team had to adapt again – this time in response to surging living costs. The costof-living crisis was in its infancy but rising inflation and soaring fuel prices were unprecedented in recent times. The impact of rising costs on the challenges we have lived with for so long in the South Hams – those of low wages, short-term and insecure employment, a housing shortage, unaffordable rents, and a preponderance of poorly insulated homes means that demand for help began to skyrocket. In response our volunteers and staff have rolled up their sleeves again and set about helping people access food banks, charitable support, welfare support and supporting their housing needs. We have seen client numbers rise, the complexity of the cases increase coupled with a surge in mental health and safeguarding concerns. It is particularly at challenging times like these that the unswerving commitment of our frontline workers and support team inspires me the most. I’d like to personally thank every member of the team for their hard work, dedication, and contribution to ensuring our advice service is here for everyone, a trusted and reliable information source at times of need. Set at the heart of our community we are a local charity, dedicated to providing trusted information and advice to local people. ## **Janie Moor** , Chief Officer Who we helped in 202 -22 9 ## **Who we helped in 2021-22** **Our service is open to anyone. During 2021-2022 we helped 4,704 people with 12,270 issues.** **54% disabled or longterm health condition** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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10 ## **Top 5 issues people wanted advice on were:** **Benefits & tax credits** **2,854** ## **Universal Credit** **1,900** **Utilities & comms** **Debt Housing** **1,631 1,595 905** 11 ## **Advice trends** We have seen an increase in certain advice areas in the past year, mainly benefits & tax credits, health & community care, housing and utilities & communications. 12 The help I received from Citizens Advice has made a huge difference to my life. - Katie ## **How our advice helped *Katie** **Katie, a mum of two young children living in a housing association property, found herself struggling with water debt and juggling her cash flow with credit cards.** She was finding life more difficult since the additional £20/week extra Universal Credit allowed during the pandemic had been removed. With no savings, she was suffering with anxiety and was often skipping meals herself to ensure her children had enough to eat. Katie attended one of our drop-in advice events to help people with cost-of-living issues: she was now struggling to top up her prepayment electricity meter. Katie had a detailed energy assessment the next day, and our energy advice team identified several behavioural changes that will save her £100s a year. She was also referred to a local housing association damp/mould trial due to issues in the rental property. Katie received support from our debt team who helped her to apply for a social water tariff Watersure and referred her to Quids 4 Kids for benefit help. *Names and certain details have been changed or omitted to preserve client anonymity 13 ## **Our value to society** **We help thousands of people every year.** Our holistic approach to our clients means we ensure they receive all the help necessary and appropriate to their circumstances. From energy advice, to benefit checks for income maximisation, to referrals to other local agencies. It’s impossible to put a financial value on everything we do - but where we can, we have used a Treasury-approved model to demonstrate our local financial impact. **During 2021/22 Citizens Advice South Hams generated at least:** **£119,483** in savings to the local authority **£247,195** in savings to the NHS **£1.4 million** in financial gains for our clients 14 ## **Our volunteers** **Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our service - we wouldn’t exist without them. Here we talk our client support volunteer, Anne, about her volunteering experience.** ## **How long have you volunteered for Citizens Advice South Hams?** I've volunteered for just over two and a half years: starting just before lockdown in 2020 (I came into the office a couple of times to shadow etc. but had not finished my online training when the first lockdown started in March). ## **Why did you choose to volunteer for Citizens Advice?** Due to a random conversation with a friend whose partner is a member of staff at the charity. I had given up my job for family reasons, but a change of circumstances meant that I had spare time and was feeling directionless - he knew that volunteers were needed! I then looked at the website and read up about CA and thought it was worth investigating! ## **What do you like about volunteering?** I love working for Citizens Advice South Hams. It has given me a real sense of purpose and enhanced my self-esteem. I've been able to draw on experience, develop my skills and know that what I do, alongside all the staff and my fellow volunteers, genuinely makes a positive difference. I feel valued, confident, and part of the team. Anne, Client Support Volunteer, August 2022. Alongside our core advice service, we run several specialist projects. 16 ## **Our projects** **We run several specialist-advice projects. These are run in conjunction with our core service but give people more expert support and advice on certain subject areas.** **Our projects during 2021-22 included:** **Energy Advice –** helping people to save money on their bills and use energy more efficiently. **Debt Advice –** helping people to manage and deal with their debts and providing financial capability support. **Healthwatch –** the independent consumer champion for health and social care across Devon. - **Partnership with Totnes Caring** supporting elderly people within our community to access benefits and further support. 17 ## **Energy** **Our energy team continues to lead energy advice across the Southwest.** Over the last year we have seen a new term coined, ‘Cost of Living Crisis’, with unprecedented energy price rises a key element. This has plunged increasing numbers of people into fuel poverty and our vulnerable clients ever more in need of our help. This was well illustrated by the fuel voucher scheme that we coordinated across most of Devon last winter on behalf of Devon County Council, with about £220K issued to households struggling to afford to top up their prepayment meters. We continued to lead the two-year energy project, EmPOWER, where Energy Champions across Devon, Torbay and Cornwall provide specialist support to households in fuel poverty, particularly supporting vulnerable families and people living in all types of social housing. In the first year, the project recorded nearly £200k of financial gains, with a new emphasis on fuel vouchers rather than tariff switching and empowering clients to take their own actions to reduce energy use through behavioural changes. The South Hams energy team expanded to four energy advisers to meet the growing demand for energy advice. We supported a record number of clients through the national Citizens Advice energy project, ‘Energy Advice Programme’ with a focus on clients in fuel poverty. We also took on a new scheme under this project to provide clients with carbon monoxide advice and free alarms and monitors. Finally, we were involved for another year with the national Citizens Advice project, ‘Big Energy Saving Network’ (BESN), focussed on supporting clients in the community with simple interventions, such as signing up to the Priority Services Register. This was disrupted by the Covid 18 pandemic, but we found creative ways to work with community partners to help 150 clients, many of which were referred on for more detailed energy assessments by the team. Since March 2022, we have seen the ‘Energy Price Cap’ replaced by the Energy Price Guarantee’ - in effect a two-year price fix for most, with gas and electricity costs almost double last winter. The energy team will need to ‘double down’ their efforts in the coming months to help clients to keep warm and the power on. I found the support and advice incredibly helpful, and energy vouchers a life saver due to my physical need and disabilities. I will now be able to stay warm this winter. I cannot recommend and praise highly enough the Citizens Advice South Hams energy team for their knowledge, helpfulness, kindness and always going the extra mile (5 miles!) Thank you. – Maria, energy client 20 ## **Healthwatch** **Healthwatch assists clients across Devon with a variety of health and social care issues.** Throughout 2021-22 the Devon-wide Healthwatch Champions team have seen a rise in health and social care problems. The strong team has worked hard to provide quality advice and guidance to clients across the county. Some great outcomes have been achieved – from help with care needs to gaining access to a GP. Last year we adapted to a different way of working, taking on clients regardless of where in Devon they live. This has proved to be very successful, providing clients with a quick turn-around for expert specialist advice. Our Healthwatch team has been able to attend formal meetings and run caseloads with often very complex issues. Healthwatch Devon has played an important part in feeding back data to the overall health team in Plymouth and Torbay, providing many case studies to escalate problem areas within our health and social care sector. Healthwatch Champions have had a successful year assisting clients with over 618 issues ranging from care plans not met to hospital negligence cases. All of which have been achieved through supervision, support and a strong team spirit. None of which would have been possible without the essential role our volunteers played in referring cases to the project. As well as receiving referrals from the contact centre Healthwatch Devon deals with referrals from our own office. Advisers and assessors provide a valuable service to assess needs and make referrals as necessary. The hard work produced by our volunteers ensured that clients received the most valuable advice and guidance often at a time of despair. 21 ## **Debt** **Our specialist debt advisers provide debt and financial capability advice regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.** During 2021-22 our debt team has helped 469 clients and, in the process, achieved financial gains of £392,920 for the people we have helped. The team assist clients with managing priority debts, obtaining Debt Reduction Orders and Debt Management plans, communicating with bailiffs and creditors, and financial capability advice. Last year, we dealt with 1,252 debt issues, 14% of these related to council tax arrears and 12% to fuel debts. We are predicting a significant increase in those coming to us for help with debts as the cost-of-living crisis unfolds and pushes more people into financial difficulty. ## **How our advice helped Sarah** When Sarah contacted us, she had debts of around £26,000 and was considerably distressed. She was being pursued by enforcement agents looking to collect arrears on her debts. Our debt advice team got her into the into the Government’s debt respite scheme (Breathing Space) to give her time to deal with her financial situation. Sarah was also referred to our energy team to help her save money on her fuel costs and domestic energy usage. Working with Sarah, we helped her draw up a household budget and use an online budgeting tool. Due to her monthly deficit and inability to pay her debts we helped Sarah to apply for a Debt Relief Order. She now has a fresh start and can begin to live debt-free and manage her own finances. 22 ## **Totnes Caring Partnership** **We have partnered with local charity, Totnes Caring to provide advice and support to elderly people in and around Totnes.** Totnes Caring is a local charity that supports people to live as independently as possible, connecting to their community, to increase their health and wellbeing. We have been working in conjunction with them to ensure their elderly clients have direct access to our services via a dedicated support worker. During 2021/22 we visited, mostly in their homes, 80 people with an age range of between 50-100 years. Every client received a benefit check, some were also referred to the energy team. Through our holistic approach we also identified safeguarding and other serious issues. We made referrals to other agencies, such as Hoarders UK, Devon Fire and Rescue and Care Direct for a care needs assessment to take place. In the last year we have secured an estimated £60,000 of unclaimed benefits for those referred into the project. This figure is likely to double or even triple once all outcomes are known, as some applications can take months to decide. The main issues we assist with are Attendance Allowance claims and reviews, Pension Credit and Severe Disability Premium, Blue Badge entitlement, Council Tax Reduction, and exemption due to dementia (severe mental impairment). It is vital to me that 24 ## **Our Research and Campaigns work** **This year our research and campaigns work focused on the Keep the Lifeline campaign, exploring housing issues across the South Hams and the emerging cost of living crisis.** ## **Keep the Lifeline Campaign** Throughout the year we continued with the Keep the Lifeline campaign by contacting our local MPs asking them to keep the £20 weekly uplift of Universal Credit. We emphasised the coming storm of the culmination of events that were due in October 2021 - the end of the Job Retention Scheme and the end of the £20-aweek uplift. We have subsequently been monitoring the impact the cut has had on clients. ## **Housing crisis** In August 2021, South Hams District Council declared a housing emergency in the region. Our research and campaigns team investigated the issues we were seeing and reviewed the local policy actions to see what was being done to ameliorate the situation. We met with local MP Anthony Mangnall to discuss the issue and potential policy solutions. ## **National campaigns** The team took part in the three national campaigns. Big Energy Saving Winter – sharing energy saving tips via our community liaison and social media channels. National Consumer Week - raising awareness of how people can protect themselves from misleading energy efficiency and environmental claims. And Scams Awareness Week – focusing on financial scams. ## **Cost of Living crisis** In January we emailed our two local MPs regarding the emerging cost of living crisis. Our emails included the National Energy Policy teams recommendations of a four-part package of reform. This campaign and associated issues have since come to dominate our research and campaigns work, as we monitor how the crisis is affecting those living in the South Hams. 25 ## **Treasurer’s report** The 2021/2022 fiscal year certified accounts, summarised in this report, shows our income in the year was £412,262 with £75,089 paid directly to partner charities (£70,541 in the previous fiscal year). This income is sustained by our continued focus on securing project income to support and extend our free, core services and a necessary and elevated focus on the effects of the cost-of-living crisis. We launched a new project, EmPower, our largest energy project to date and delivered over £50,000 worth of fuel vouchers through our partner organisation, CAB Devon, using funds from the Household Support Fund. Our face-toface services also reopened in full following the lifting of lockdown restrictions. Our costs were £424,001 compared with £361,241 in the previous year 2020/21. This included the payments to our partners and continued investment in our service. Looking forward, we have budgeted for continued investment to allow us to support our workforce with hybrid working and to meet the growing needs of clients through the cost-of-living crisis. Our designated funds for Covid recovery (£26,000) and the IT/Innovation (£11,600) will enable us to do this. The projects outlined in the Funding Sources schedule, are aimed primarily for the benefit of the South Hams residents and enable us to support some of the costs of running our core advice services. Without these projects, that we compete to secure, we would not be able to sustain the level of free, core advice services provided to thousands of South Hams residents every year. In addition to the grants and project funds both our economical and high service level model would not be possible without the commitment of 50+ volunteers (excluding **We continue to invest in our workforce and infrastructure to allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients…** 26 trustees); a hidden financial gain that we are immensely grateful for. The trustees regularly review the level of unrestricted reserves and aim to deploy the maximum resources we can to our charitable objectives for South Hams residents. We presently hold £81,133 as unrestricted reserves (net of designated), which represents three months of the charity’s expenditure, and consider this level of reserves to be the minimum to cover any unforeseen swings in our funding sustainability, plus any future contingent costs. enhance the essential service breadth of our free advice offering in the district. We are confident that Citizens Advice South Hams, a local, independent charity, continues to deliver a highly efficient and effective service to those in need, which in turn represents good value for money for all the funding bodies who we remain extremely grateful to for their continued support. ## **Chris Mottram** , Treasurer The posted deficit this year is £11,739 covered by carry forwards in the restricted funding streams. In addition, we are carrying forward £67,422 in restricted funds for our ongoing projects. Looking ahead to 2022/23 and beyond, the funding environment remains competitive, but we continue to be conscious of any reduction in our core income and the need to secure more funded projects to both support our core operational costs and allow us to Notes to the Summary of Accounts shown on opposite page: 1. Full copies of the Certified Accounts and Trustees’ Report are available from the Manager at the Totnes office or the Companies House website. 2. Accountants: WR Frost & Co., Riverside, Ashburton Road, Totnes, TQ9 5JU 27 ## **Accounts – funding sources** |**Accounts – funding sources**|||| |---|---|---|---| |**Description**|**Core**|**Projects-restricted**|**Total**| |South Hams District Council (SHDC)|50,867||| |Devon County Council|35,432||| |Plymouth University|392||| |Town and parish councils|6,485||| |Fundraising events|1,446||| |Donations and misc income|3,493||| |Bank Interest|49||| |Gift Aid|865||| |Services to other Local Citizens Advice Offices||8,520|| |SHDC Outreaches||10,000|| |Specialist advice Dartmouth Charities||16,490|| |Energy Best Deal/Safe and Warm – several schemes||28,698|| |Healthwatch||66,082|| |Household Support Fund – fuel vouchers||2,060|| |Covid Outbreak Management Fund (COMF)||7,227|| |Help to Claim (Universal Credit) South Hams||25,545|| |Heat well for less||17,735|| |EmPower||86,340|| |Totnes Town Outreach||6,444|| |Devon Carers Covid support||4,587|| |Money Advice and Pensions Service||32,008|| |Victim Support||1,497|| |**TOTAL**|**99,029**|**313,233**|**412,262**| 28 ## **Accounts – expenditure** ||**Accounts – expenditure**||| |---|---|---|---| ||**Description**|**Total**|| ||Rent SHDC|25,056|| ||Util/Service charge SHDC|10,500|| ||Insurance|1,238|| ||Telephone & translation services|9,086|| ||Office expenses|6,442|| ||Travel & welfare - volunteers & staff|4,082|| ||Training|2,370|| ||Equipment/depreciation|764|| ||Professional fees - accountancy and legal|2,150|| ||Equipment & rental leases|1,593|| ||Salaries/ NHI/Pension- Charitable activities|268,667|| ||Other Expense- Postage/Stationery & misc|2,688|| ||IT/software/innovation|6,406|| ||Marketing - advertising and publicity|751|| ||Repairs and renewals|0|| ||Citizens Advice membership fees/ publications|7,010|| ||Conference and workshop costs|0|| ||Heat Well for less & Empower - CA Devon partner charity payments|75,089|| ||Trustee expenses|109|| ||**TOTAL**|**424,001**|| ||**INCOME LESS EXPENDITURE**
|**-11,739**|| ## Notes _1._ Restricted funds of £79,346 were brought forward from 2020-21 to cover project expenditure commitments for 2021/22. _2._ Restricted funds carried forward for 2022-23 are £67,423 _3._ The total Unrestricted funds carried forward are £81,133, excluding designated funds of £26,000 Covid support and recovery & £11,600 IT/ innovation 29 ## **Thank you to our funders** As a local charity we are reliant on external funding. We are incredibly grateful to our funders, supporters and donors that keep our service going. Thanks to their support and generous donations we can continue to help . people across the South Hams Totnes Town Mayor, Emily Price, and our Operations Manager, Emma Richards, marking the donation from Totnes Town Council to help fund our Totnes outreach at the Mansion. I found the staff very professional and caring. It was such a relief to talk to someone. 31 ## **Our volunteers** ## **and staff** A sincere thank you to all our volunteers and paid staff who contribute to making Citizens Advice South Hams so successful year upon year. Without you we would not be able to offer this . essential service to the local community **----- Start of picture text -----**
||||| |---|---|---|---| |Juliet C| |Robert S|Kimberley S-R|Pauline M| |Sharon H|Maggie K|Pamela L| |Tony L|Malcolm S|Hannah R| |Wim V|Pat K|Iris W| |Manu A|Richard L|Chris M| |Allison Q|Simon D|Chris P| |Barbara B|Ann C-H|Simon G|David S| |Carmen L|Barbara N|Pam D|Penny E| |Caroline H|Bridget D|Anne M|Katie P| |Graham C|Chris L|Rosemarie J|Denise D| |Jean C|Chryz C|Chris R|Steven F| |John M|Clare G|Jane M|Carole L| |Lesley T|Elly R|Hope F|Hilary F| |Matthew VDE|Frances A|Ruth H|Jennie H| |Mike K|Gill F|Melanie C|Nick W| |Pam T|Helen N|Simon G|Sophie E| **----- End of picture text -----**
Visit from Chief Executive Officer of National Citizens Advice, Dame Clare Moriarty, September 2022. 33 ## **Contact us** **0808 278 7948** (free from mobiles and landlines) Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm **Email us using the form on our website** southhamscab.org.uk Come and see us **Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, TQ9 5NE** Monday - Friday 10am - 1pm, 2pm - 4pm ## **Dartmouth** ## **Kingsbridge** ## **Ivybridge** The Community Corner Market Square Dartmouth TQ6 9SE Quay House Ilbert Road Kingsbridge TQ7 1DZ The Watermark Erme Court Leonards Road Ivybridge PL21 0SZ Every Monday 10am to 1.30pm Every Tuesday 9:30am to 12:30pm Every Monday 9:30am to 12:30pm ## **Totnes** The Mansion 36 Fore Street Totnes TQ9 5RP Every Wednesday 9:30am to 12:30pm 34 ## **Volunteer with us** **Volunteering with us is your chance to make an active difference to people’s lives in your community.** Volunteering with Citizens Advice South Hams offers you: - A chance to learn new skills – free training is provided - A way to meet new people - Enhanced employability skills - The ability to help others and give back to your community - Free travel expenses – we will reimburse you For more information and to apply visit our website – **southhamscab.org.uk/getinvolved** **“All sorts of people volunteer with us and for many different reasons, but one thing that unites them all is that they find it rewarding, challenging and varied.”** – Joanna, Volunteer Supervisor ## **Citizens Advice helps** ## **people find a way forward.** We provide free, confidential, impartial and independent advice to help people overcome their problems. We are a voice for our clients and consumers on the issues that matter to them. We value diversity, champion equality, and challenge discrimination and harassment. We’re here for everyone **southhamscab.org.uk** Citizens Advice South Hams October 2022 Citizens Advice South Hams is an operating name of South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd, company limited by guarantee (04349641) and registered charity (1091133). Registered address Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes TQ9 5NE REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER.. IM349641 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1091133 rtofth ￿￿teeS and dited F. cial carE for s Citiz￿5 Adv ureau R J Lewis ACA W R Fr05t & Co Limited Riv¢r5dale Ashburton Road Toth¢5 Devon TQ9 Stu South s Advi Contents of the Financial rate￿£￿ Pag¢ Report of the Trustees I to 3 Indq)endent Examinerfs Report Statem¢nt ofFinancial Activities Balan¢¢ Sheet 6 to 7 Notes to the Financial Stafrments 8 to 15 Detailed Stat¢ment of Financial Adivilies 16 to 17 South Hams Citizens Advice Bur¢au Re istered number: 04349641 rt of the Trustees for The Year Ended 3 1 Marth 2022 The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Comp4nies Aci 2006, present their report with the financial statelnents of the ¢harity for the Ye￿ ended 3 1 March 2022. The trLL%t¢¢s have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Clwities.. Statement of Recommended Pwtice applicable to charities preparing their a¢¢ounts in ae¢ordance with the Financial Reporting Standard appIl￿ble in the UK and Republlc of Ireland ￿Rs 102) (efft¢tive l January 2019). OBJEcrtVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims The company is a ¢harity and extsts to provide ]nforn￿tiOn and advi¢e to the general public.we hove ￿ferred io the guidance contatned in the Cbarity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our objectives. S*nificaot aetlvities The Charity operates from a centrdl base at Follaton House, Plymouth Road. Tothes, where it has 5 intetview rooms at)d 6 in¢oming telephone advice IiTtes. It ts open from 10am to Ipm and 2prn to 4prn Monday to Friday. Outrvdch services are available on a weekly basis in four market towns, those are Totnes. Dartmouth. Kingsbridge & Ivybridge. addilion, we support remote supervision to our teaTn of staff and volunteers to continue to operate on a hybrid basi4 both at home and in th¢ office. Telephone advi¢e is available through Citizens Advice partnerships with other local offic¢5 Monday-Friday 9.30am - 4.00pm. The eharity operates at'Advice only, level wtth tclephoTh¢ 5¢rvices. All clients re￿1ve a gateway ass¢ssment and the Charity also provides specialist advice around, debL benefits, health and energy efficiency. Main enquiry areas are welfare benefits, energy, debi, employment, housin& family is5u¢s, education and health¢&re. Fac¢ to face advice Tocommenced in all four outreach seTvi¢es following the Covid shutdown aIlowing South Hams residents who require a face to fa¢e serYrc¢ to access advice more easily. W¢ launched a new projeci called En)Pow¢r, our largest energy project to date, working with Local Citi7tns Advice to support clÈents across Devon 4nd Comwall. We a150 delivered over £50,000 worth of fvel vouchers to South Ham5 clients in fuel povety through the Household Support Fund. We've strengthen¢d our links with lool community groups and food banks to ensure those in need of our help were reached and improv¢d our professional referrals systems so parther agencies catt ref¢r people easily into our servi¢e. Volunteer$ Much of the ¢hatitys work is d¢liYeted by volunteer5 which number around 53. including 25 trained Gateway Assessor& 14 Generalist Advisors, 5 Specialist Advisors, and is also supported by volunteers in IT provisio￿ ree¢ption and social policy research. The trustces are a150 all Yoluiiteers. Thi5 year, our trained volunteers gav¢ £346,520 worth of volunteering hourg to help deliver our 5eryirx. ACHtEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitsbl¢ activllies The ¢harity has been delivering infonnation and advice to clients a¢r055 the South Hams since 2002. In recent years the highest nLllnb¢r of enquiries have been in welfare b￿tfits and debt although the greatcst increase in advice was in the are&4 of housing, energy and legat issues. In 2021122, the charity helped more than 4.700 clients with 12,270 issues. For these clients the charity recorded over £1.4m of fmancial gains. In addition. we secured fiTDding io continue and expand our projects and were aw#rded "Green" by National Cit17£ns Advice for our quality of advice. Iniernal and ¢x¢ernal f4Ctors The activities of the charity are subj￿1 ￿ the sustainability of contra¢ts and 5uc¢essful fi￿dIng appli¢ations to develop the work of the charity and sUPPOrt its core setvi¢¢. The succes5 of ihe fvnding applieations, beyond grants reeeived from County, Distri¢t and Town and Parish Coun¢i15 a significant Contribution to the capacity of th¢ operotion ¢0 provide the volumes of client activity outlined in the report. In the year we secured extra funding to support the technology investments to be ￿]lY home working alld offer new digital services to clients. We have designated some of thi5 thding io aid the charities full resumption of cli¢nl-facing services within all our offices and enhanced volunteer intakeltraining to eniwTrce our capaeity. Page I South Harns Citizen5 Advice Bureau Re ist¢red number.. 04349641 rt of the Tnistees for the Year Ended 3 1 March 2022 FTNANCIAL REVIEW Principal funding So￿r¢¢$ The County Council, District Council aDd the Town and Parish Councils of the district support th¢ major part of the core service. All other funders are short lern fixed period project contracts and represent significant additional publi benefit to our core services whilst also allowing sorne costs of the core WO￿ to be fiLlld¢d by these projects. We manage several Devon-wid¢ project5 i.¢. Healthwatch and Heat Well for Less which together with other proj¢cts are critical ttTr our financial sustainability through diversification of funding Streams. With the restrictions brought upon u5 by Covid-19. we have a8s¢ssed the risks of meeting the criteria of these projects and the funding through to the end of th¢ ext fi5￿ year and concluded ther¢ is no material risk to the cTrtariiy. Reserves pDliey Th¢ directors believe that it is necessary to maintain a level of Teserv¢s to mattage uncert&inty and ensur¢ that the service can conttnue to opernt¢ as planned on a day to day basi5. The retsined (unrestricted) reserves are iniend¢d to provide a buffer against future ¢ut-backs a contingency to meet ally unforeseen expenditure which may arise. In order to mitigate against the risk of futUTe funding cuts. it is th¢ ¢harity's policy lo retain an amount equivalent to a¢ l¢ast three tnonths COTe costs (i.e. those cost5 not expend¢d on proj¢¢ts under the Restricted fvnds). The Unr¢stricted reserves &$ at the 31 Mareh 2022 are £81,133 and represent over four month5 Otfftttng costs for the Cl)T¢ servA¢¢ of the charity. We also hold desigt]ated reserves to provide a buffer against any fiJDJre fundingle05t uDcertainty as a result of CoYid-19 and significant inflationary pressures which both our funder8 and we are suffering from. From March 2022 we recommenced faee to face acti￿11¢5 and plan to utilis¢ the designated funds for, enhanced IT infrastsThctyre to support the new home and office working approach eslablished during Covid lockdtswn. In addition, volunteer resour¢¢s have r¢duced by some 251/10 in the last year and the focus is rebuilding volunteer intake and wociated training and extendcd mentortng r￿UrceS to suppon th¢ volunteer intake. FUTURE PLANS The charity plan$ continuitig the activit1¢5 of advising the general publir of their rights and responsibilities and all setvices available to theTn, in order that they may resolve thelr issues effectively. The charity's Strdtegic plan is to ¢nsure that many people as possible are able to access the service. This will include building our workforce capactty to enable more demand to bE meL developing access in the outreaches and developing partnership working across th¢ di5tri¢t to improve the client journey and securing new funds to develop and strengthen partnership5. Looking forwar(L we already sec surging demand from clients and the complexity of tnulliple situations as they continue io address the fallout frtsrn Coyid and also contend with the dramatic change5 to energy and the cosi of living crisis. We are also looking to upskill our workfor¢e in IT skills and multi-skill parts of our workforce to perforni multiple roles. Our aim is io ensure long-terni sustainabiliry by investing in our current specialist teams wbftlst also identifjryng and developing new areas of growth. These will be bas¢d on ow research of the needs of the clients we supporL STRUCTURE, COVERNANCE AIYD MANAGEMENT Governing document The charity is controlled by lis governing documenL a deed of trust. and ConSti￿t¢S a limiteil ¢ompany, lirnit¢d by guarant¢¢, as defm¢d by the Companies Act 2006. Recryitment and app(trlntment of new trustee5 Trustees are recrnit¢d in line with the term5 and conditions of the MemoraDdum alld Anicles of A5swiation of the eharity. A terni of office is thr¢¢ years and th￿ceS may be elected at the anttual meeting. nominated by members or COknOPted by the trustee boariL Organisa¢ional $trueture Respthjsibility for the day-to-day n￿nagernent of the setvice is d¢legated to the Chief Executive Offi¢er. The trustee board seL3 th¢ strategic direction, is involv¢d with the ongoing plannin& makes financiat decisions and h¢lps to set th¢ framework for the application of all other poli¢ie5. Induetknn and traiming of new ¢￿stee$ All new tr￿steeS are given induction materia15 from Citizens Advice, are invited into the office to discuss and view the woik of the charity and are given details of how to access the governance materials from the Citizerts Advice intraneL Page 2 South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau Re ' tered number. 04349641 Re rt of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2 22 srRucrtJRE, COVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Wider Detwork The board can includ¢ representatives of the loc￿ government funders. As such each is entitled to sit on the board as representative memb¢r. This cornprises of th¢ District CounciL the County Council and each of the Town Councils. RelAted parti&$ No thjsttt, fimder, memb¢r. officeT or employee has undue control over, or significant interest in, the charity. Any related party transaction4 which require disclosure, are logged internally and reported appropriately as required under both Companies Act law and ChaJiry law. The (￿steeS, expenses for the cwrent year reported upon ere disclosed in the Notes to the Financiat Stal¢ments. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Cornpany Dumber 04349641 (England and Wales) Registered Cbarity ll￿Mber 1091133 Reglytsred office citj7.ens Advice South Hams Follaton House Plyrnouth Road Tothes Devon TQ9 SNE Trn5tees Mr C Moitram Treawrer Dr K Potkess Mr D J Sprent Ms PA Ewady Mr C Peach Chair Ms C Laithwaite Ms D Deane Mr S Fitw¢more Company Secretary MTS J Moor Independent Ex4miDer R J Lewis ACA W R Frost & Co Limited River5dale Ashburton Ro&J Tothe5 Devon TQ9 5JU Approved by order of th¢ board of trustees on and signed on its behalf by.. Mr C P¢ach- Trngtee Page 3 Inde endent Examiner's Re rt to the Tn]stees of South Hall￿ Citizens Advice Bureau Re Tistered number.. 04349641 Independent exarnlner's report ¢0 the tru$ttts of Soutk Ham5 Citizens Advice Bureau Cthe Company,) I report to th¢ charity tru5t¢es on my examination of the accounts of the Company foT the year ended 31 March 2022. Re5POllsibilities and b*sis ofreport As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its diEfCtors for the PUTP0S¢5 of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of th¢ accouDLs in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Aet 2006 {'the 2006 Act,). Having satisfied rnys¢lf that the accounts of the Company are Th)t r4uired to b¢ audited und¢r Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charitys accounts as ￿Trie41 out unde¥ section 145 of th¢ Charities Act 2011 Cthe 2011 ACV). In carrying out rny ¢xamIn￿l0￿ I have followed the Direaions given by the Charity Commission under seclion 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act. IndependeDt examiner's stalejnent Since your chgrity5 gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confir that l am qvalified tts undertake the examination because l am a registered member of ICAEW which is one of the listed bodie5. I have completed my examination. I confinn that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving m¢ ¢ause to believe.. accounting records were not kept in resp￿¢ of the Company &$ required by section 386 of the 2006 Act,. or the accounts do not a¢¢ord with those records; or the aceounts do not comply with the accounting reqUir￿nellts of section 390 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accourtts give a tru¢ and fatr view which 18 not a matter considered as part of an independent examinaiion. or the accounts have not been pr¢pared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Praeti¢e for accounting a[￿ reporting by charities (applicable to charities pr¢paring their ac¢ounts in ac¢ordance with the Fillan¢ial Reporting Stsndard applicable in the tIK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)). I have no ¢oncerns and have com¢ acro&s no otheT matters in conne¢tion with the examination io which attention should be drawn ia this repon in ordtt to enable a prop¢r understanding of the a￿Ollnts ¢0 be reached. ICAEW R J tKwis ACA W R Frost & Co Limited Riversdal¢ Ashburton Road Totnes Devon TQ9 5JU Date.. Page 4 South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau Statement ofFinancial Activities Inco oratin T an Income and Ex enditure Account for the Year Ended 31 March 2022 2022 Total fimds 2021 Total nds Unrestrithd nds Restricted funds INCOME AND ELYD0WME￿s FROM Donations and legacies 97.712 313234 410,946 423.234 Other trading athivities Investment income ,266 49 1,266 49 6,981 122 Totsl 313 412.261 430 337 EXPENDITURE ON Raising fijnds 1,866 1.004 2.870 1,964 Charitsb]e aetivities Charitable actiViti¢5 - advic¢ services 96,868 324,153 421,021 359,254 109 109 23 Total 325 157 424 000 361241 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (11.923) (11,739) 69,096 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Totsl brought forward 118,549 79.346 197.895 128,799 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 118,7J3 186,136 197 895 The J)otes fonll pth of these financial statements Page 5 South BAlancc She¢1 Imar 2022 Total funds 2021 Total nds UnTestric*d fimds Restri￿ed funds Notes FIXED ASSETS Tangible assets 313 313 1.077 CURRENT ASSETS Cash at bank and in hand 176,526 67,423 243.949 246.021 CREDITORS Amounts falling du¢ within one year io {58,106) {58,106) {49,203) NET CURRENT ASSETS 118.420 185 843 196,818 TOTAL ASSKTS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 118.733 67.423 186.156 197,895 NET ASSETS 118733 186 156 197.895 FUr￿S unrestrict￿ fiu]ds Resiricted funds 12 118,733 118.544 TOTAL FUNDS 186 156 197895 The charitable company 1$ entitled to exemption from audil under Se¢tion 477 of the Comp4nies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 Mar¢h 2022. The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022 in a￿OrdanCe with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006. The truste¢5 a¢knowl¢dge their r¢5ponstbilitl¢s for (a) ensuring that the charitsbl¢ company keeps ac¢ounting record5 that conwly with Sxtions 386 And 387 of th¢ Compallies Act 2006 and preparing fu]ancial statements which give & true and fair view of th¢ state of affairs of the chatitable company as at the end of each f]nancial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in a¢cordance with the reltuirements of Sectior15 394 and 395 and which othenvise comply with the requirements of th¢ Compani¢s Act 2006 relating to financial statement$, 50 far as applicable to the chartt&ble company. (b) The notes forni part of these financial statements Pag¢ 6 continued... South sci s Advice ureau isiered number. 349641 Balance Sheet- con 31 March2 ed These fEnancial statements have been prepared in aecordance w￿th the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime. The financial statements were approved by the Board of Tnwees and authorised for issue on . and were sigDed on its behalf by.. - TnLStec The notes fonn part of these fmancial statements Page 7 South Hams Citizens Advice Bureau Notes to the FÉnancial Ststements for the Year End¢d 31 March 2022 ACCOUNTING POLICIES B*sts Dfpreparing the fJn8nclAI stAtemeDts The f￿ancial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity utmjer FRS 102, have been prepared in ￿etsrdan￿ with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charitie5". Statemellt of Re¢ommended Practice applicabl¢ to charities pr¢p4ring their a¢¢ounls in accordance with the Finaucial Reptirti￿ Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (eff¢ctive l January 2019),. FiT)ancial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and the Companies Act 2006. The fujancial ststements have been prepared under the historical co$t Convention. Income All income is re¢ognised in th¢ Ststement of Financial A¢tiYilies once the ¢harity has entitlement to the fi]nd5, jt is probable that the i￿ome will be received and th¢ amount can b¢ measured reliably. Expendlture Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation commttting the hariry to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of ihe obligation ¢an be mea5ur¢d reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an a¢cnwls basis and ha5 been ¢lwified under headings that awegate all c05t related to the category. Where costs catmot be directly a￿ibuted to particular headings they have been allocated to a¢tivilies on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Allocatlon and ¥4PpOrtIo￿me￿¢ of costs All costs are allorated between the ¢xpenditure categories of the SOFA on a basis designed to refled the use of the r¢source. Costs rel￿1ng to a particular activity are allocated directly* others are apportioned on an appropriate basis. T#Mgible fixed *$sets Depre¢i4tion is provided at the following annual rntes in order to writ¢ off each osset over its estima*d use￿] lif¢. Plant and ma¢hinery 330/0 on cost T4xatioll The charity is exemp¢ from cory)orotion tax on its charitable activities. Fund aecountlng Unrestricted fi￿dS can be used in a¢cordance wirh the charitable obje¢tives at the discretion of the trust¢¢s. Restricted funds can only be used for partiCLtlar restricted purposes within the objects of the Charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes. Further explanation of the nattwe and purpos¢ of each fimd is included in the note5 to the financial statements. Hire purchase and leasiDg commltm¢nts Retttsls paid under operating le&8es are charged to lh¢ Statement of Financial Activities on a straight line basis over the period of the le&se. Penslon costs oth¢T Post-reti￿rne￿t benefits The charitsble company operates a defined Contribution p¢nsion sche]n¢. Contribution5 payable to the charitable compan￿5 pension 5ch¢me are charged to the s￿tt￿ent of Finan¢ial Activities in the period to which they relate. Pog¢ 8 contit)ued... South Hams CitiZa￿ Adv e BuTeau Noies t the Financial Statemeuts- continu En 31M OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES 2022 2021 Fundtaisillg events INVESTMEIYT INCOME 2022 2021 Deposit a¢count interest 49 122 RAISING FUNDS RAisillg don4¢ions and legacies 2022 2021 Support costs NET INCOMEI(EXPENDITURE) Net incomel(expenditure) is stated after chargingl(credittng): 2022 2021 Depre¢iation- owned assets Other operating leases tndep¢ndent examination 764 22,752 1.332 25,056 TRUSTEES, REMUNERA TION AND BENEFITS Ther¢ were no trLLSte¢s' remun¢ralion or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2022 JN)r for the year ended 31 March2021. Trustees, expe￿5¢8 2022 2021 Tntstee5' expenses 109 23 AFF COSTS The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows.. 2022 19 2021 19 Cl]aritable Aciivities No ¢rnploye¢s reccived emoluments in ex￿$ of £60,000. Page 9 continu¢d... South H Cilizens A Bureau Notes to the Financial Statem r the Year En ed31March2 ts- continue COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Unrestyicted funds Restricted funds Total fimds INCOME AIYD ENDOWMEI¥TS FROM Donations and lega¢ie5 99,719 323,515 423,234 Other trading activitie$ Inv¢stment income 5.086 122 1.895 6,981 122 Total 104.927 325410 430 337 EXPENDfTURE ON sing funds 772 1,192 1,964 Charitable activities Charitable ￿tiVItieS- advice $eThices 43.983 315,271 359.254 23 23 Total 361 NET INCOME 60,149 8.947 69,096 RECONCILIATtON OF FUNDS Tot41 fmnds brought forward 58.395 70.404 128.799 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 118.544 197.895 TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS Plant and machinery COST At l April 2021 and 31 March 2022 8,821 DEPRECIATION At l April 2021 Charge for year 7,744 764 Ai 31 March 2022 8.508 NET BOOK VALUE Ai 31 March 2022 313 At 31 March 2021 Pa8¢ 10 continued... South Hams Citt7¢ns Advi ¢ Bureau Notes to the Financial Statements- continu for the Year Ended 31 March 2 22 io. CREDITORS.. AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR 2022 2021 Social security and other taxes Accrued expenses 8,098 li. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS Net movement in fimds At 31.3.22 At 1.4.21 UDrestricted funds General Unrestricted Covid R¢8ponse lJJnovation 80.949 26,000 11,600 184 81,133 26,000 118,549 ReStr￿ted funds Healthwatch Specialist Advice tn Dartmouth 19120 Heat Well 4 Less Scottish Power Im)ovation Fund BESN 20121 MAPS Totne$ Support Services The Mansion Energy Advice Projeet Empower 118,733 2,425 13,487 4,000 31,335 15,181 2,054 3,031 7.833 (2,425) 2,313 (4,000) (1,045) 115,181) (2,054) (3,031) (4,000) 3,500 9.000 15,800 30,290 3,833 3,500 9,000 79.346 67,423 TOTAL FUNDS 197,895 11739) 186,156 Page 11 ontinued... South Harns Citizens Advice Bureau Note5 to th¢ Financial Statements - continue for the Year Ended 31 March 2022 ii. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- colltlaued Net movement in funds, includ¢d in the above are as follows.. Incoming resourc&8 Resources expended MoveTnent in funds UDrestrieted Gener81 Unrestricted 99,027 (98,843) 184 Restricted funds South Hams District Council (Outreach) Healthwatch Victim Supwrt Sp¢cialA8I Advice in Dartmouth 19120 Heat Well 4 Less Scottish Pow¢r Help to Claim Imiovati(m Fund BESN 20121 MAPS Devon Carers TottK5 Support Services The Mansion Energy Advice Project Empower HSF Fuel Vouchers Covid Outbreak ManageEnent Fund Fina]Ke Secondments Hrc Seeondrnent 10.o¢x> 66.082 1,497 16,490 17.735 (10.(KJo) (68,507) 11,497) (14,177) (21,735) 11,045) 125,545) (15,181) (6,992) (35,039) (4,587) (4.000) (2,944) (14,760) (81,339) {2.O60) (7.227) (6,033) (2.425) 2,313 (4.0001 (1,045) 25,545 (15,181) (2,054) (3,031) 4,938 32,008 4.587 {4,0(Kl) 3,500 9,000 5.000 6.444 23,760 86.339 2,060 7.227 6.033 2,487 313 232 325,155) 119231 TOTAL FUNDS 412259 423 998) Page 12 Continued... South Hams Citi7xns Advice B Notes to the Financial Statements - continue for the ye￿ Ended 31 March 2022 li. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS- ContIn￿ed Cornparatives for movement in thnds Net movement ￿n{L8 Trdll5fers tween funds At 31.321 At 1.4.20 L'nre5tricitd funds General Unrestricted Covid Response Innovatiou 58.395 60,154 (37.600) 26,000 11.600 80,949 26,000 11,600 58.395 60.154 118.549 Restricted Cuttds Awards For All Healthwateh Volunteer Training and Support EAP-2019-20 Specialisi Advi¢e in Darttnouth 19f20 Heat Well 4 Le%s Scottish Power BESN 19-20 Access to j￿tice Innovation Fund BESN 20121 MAPS TotDes Support Servi¢es 10.0 (10,000) 2.425 (211) {2.088) {748> (877) (5.372) 11,661) (625) 15,181 2.054 3,031 7,833 2.425 211 2,088 14,233 4,877 36,707 1.661 625 13,487 4.000 31.335 15,181 2,054 3,031 8,942 TOTAL Fuf4DS 197,895 Page 13 continued... South Hams Citi7A)s Advice Bureau Notes to th¢ Financial Statements- ¢ontinu¢d for ihe Year Ended 31 March 2022 MOVEMErfr IN FUNDS- contlnued Comparative net tnovement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming Re80urces ¢xpend¢d Movement in funds Unrutricted funds Generni Unrestricted 104,927 (44,773) 60,154 Rtstricttd lund$ Awards For All South Harns Distri¢t C