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2022-03-31-accounts

Charity Registration No. 1097772

Company Registration No. 04478819 (England and Wales)

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Trustees Mr D Millar
Ms N Sarlaka
Ms J Laing
Mr C McClellan
Miss J Beer
Ms V Allen (Appointed 21 September
2022)
Secretary Mr M Taylor
Charity number 1097772
Company number 04478819
Registered office 28-42 Harwell Court
Western Approach
PLYMOUTH
Devon
PL1 1PY
Auditor Old Mill Audit Limited
Bishopbrook House
Cathedral Avenue
WELLS
Somerset
BA5 1FD

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

CONTENTS

Page
Trustees report 1 - 17
Executive director's report 18
Independent auditor's report 19 - 21
Statement of financial activities 22
Balance sheet 23 - 24
Statement of cash flows 25
Notes to the financial statements 26 - 41

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 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) (effective 1 January 2019)".

Objectives and activities

Path is an independent charity supporting people who are vulnerable to homelessness in Plymouth, Devon. We do this by offering a range of advice and support services, from help for rough sleepers on the street through to enabling people to set up and maintain tenancies.

Path’s charitable objectives are that of relieving poverty within the City of Plymouth and beyond, by providing assistance to those in housing need. Ultimately, we want to minimise the impact of homelessness on people’s lives and, where possible, prevent it.

Governance

Path has a clear structure, with a board of trustees overseeing the charity and a Director, service managers and operational workers. We constantly look to enhance how we run Path: from improving policies and planning to reviewing services; updating job descriptions and reviewing Path’s public benefit, ensuring that we contribute fully to the communities in which we work and stay relevant and effective.

The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

Achievements and performance

Key Statistics 2021/2022

Number of people

Services Review

April 2021 to March 2022

1. Rough Sleeper Support

Rough Sleeper Team

The Rough Sleeper (RS) outreach team works to reduce and prevent rough sleeping across the city in partnership with other housing and support providers. For us, the work is funded within the Plymouth Alliance contract and partnership.

The team carries out early morning outreach sessions, where workers find and engage with those on the street. Our initial aim is to ensure the person’s welfare, alongside supporting them to come indoors. This work entails supporting people directly and linking them with other agencies for support and access to accommodation.

In 2021/22 our team evidenced 335 people sleeping rough in Plymouth, a 9.5% increase on the previous year.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

We have been able to participate in additional Saturday sessions for rough sleepers held at Shekinah since October 2021 as an offshoot of the Plymouth Soup Run. This was made possible due to funding via The Higher Education Innovation Fund to support client welfare and activities. It also included funding for clients for funding for board games, cooking activities, fishing rods, day trips and for transport to attend appointments.

The severe weather protocol (SWEP) was activated twice during the year, providing emergency indoor overnight space for people who were out. Both occasions were for low temperatures, once in November for 2 nights and once in February for 1 night. This proved challenging, as we were not able to use communal spaces. Jointly working with Shekinah and other partners, we were able to ensure anyone who was at risk of rough sleeping, had an offer of accommodation. We are grateful to the Plymouth Soup Run for continuing to being such a vital partner in that and more besides.

In terms of Covid, the Protect and Vaccinate scheme was aimed to increase vaccine uptake among people who are homeless and sleeping rough. A homeless event was held to support the scheme as an opportunity to encourage rough sleepers to get vaccinated, with access to other health services. In March 2021 a total of 262 people attended the event. Services present included: food provided by The Plymouth Soup Run, Dental Team, Blood Borne Viruses support, STI Screening, Livewell Complex Lives Team, Housing Advice and for the dogs there was the Street Vet.

Case Study

We had a referral for a gent sleeping in some bushes on the coast in January this year. After several visits, we managed to find his spot, a place you can’t get in or out without being attacked by brambles and stinging nettles. He was clearly not wanting to be seen or engage with services. The team took out food and drinks over a long period of time and tried to build a relationship. His name is R, he is over 55 and he explained that he has lived like this for many years and often spends months on end up and down the SW coastal path.

R was not keen on accommodation despite multiple different offers including B&Bs and Path houses. He had real anxiety about fixing himself into a tenancy after so long out and had plenty of discussions around wanting somewhere selfcontained and on a license. A year later R has viewed, accepted, moved in and settled incredibly well into a CC Housing property.

Feedback

A Text Message from a Rough Sleeper: Hello…..I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate the support over the time I was at Shekinah. I was worried for a moment but it was worth the wait as my room is fantastic. The landlord seems okay too. My dog is in a safe place having medication to support his brain, so hopefully on the up. If it wasn’t for you guys there would be a lot of distressed people. So than you and I hope you all have a great day!

MARS

The MARS (Multi-Agency Rough Sleeper) team is the intensive support part of the Rough Sleeper team. It’s a government funded initiative that was established in July 2018, with Shekinah contributing a member of staff.

Each worker is allocated a small case load of people to work with one-to-one, to provide ongoing support to rough sleeping clients, ideally moving into their own accommodation. Workers continue to support them to address any additional needs that may otherwise cause the client to return to the streets. The luxury we have with this service is there is no ‘end date’ for our clients: we understand this work will not be a quick or easy process so we work with clients at their pace.

During 2021/2022, 66 people received ongoing support.

The MARS House continues to offer accommodation with one to one support for those rough sleepers with limited housing options, giving people a place to stay, be safe and engage with support. We have seen a lot of move on from the MARS House into both private rented accommodation and social housing.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Case Studies

A. 41 Year old male entrenched rough sleeper who had spent 10 years rough sleeping on the streets as a result of his acute emotional pain and inability to engage effectively with the usual housing pathways. Suffering various physical and mental health conditions.

Attended drop in centre but would not engage with any organised activities. He was always sitting in a corner far away from others and mentally unable to join in. Despite refusing to accept any help or support we continued to offer. Eventually and due to extreme weather conditions he accepted bed and breakfast accommodation on the Hoe. I would check on him each morning and more times than once he would tell me to leave him alone. It took many, many months to build up a trusting relationship. He tends to express himself through long pages of texts and how angry he is with the world.

We secured a 1 bed flat and supported the move in. Everything went well to start with. He then started having problems with his neighbours and after a couple of months we negotiated a move him into another private tenancy.

He has maintained the private rented flat for some time now and makes contact when he’s struggling. I am able to respond quickly and offer support due to the MARS Service having no particular end date.

B. N has been using homeless services and hostels for the last 20 years. For the majority of that time she lived either in hostels or spent many years sofa surfing with family and friends. The sofa surfing arrangements were hugely damaging and dysfunctional. They were linked to challenging and unhealthy relationships where power and control were fought over.

N has been in prison and arrested multiple times for alcohol fuelled behaviour. But we supported N to break the endless cycle of homelessness by first offering a place in our MARS House, accommodation based around individual needs. Here we were able to encourage small steps towards progress, using positive reinforcement. Despite her many hiccups we were able to guide and nudge her along and she was open to developing positive working relationships with staff and other professionals.

From her period at the MARS house we were able to put her forward for our Housing First scheme in partnership with PCH and N is now a very proud 'homeowner' in a social housing tenancy.

N’s willingness to attend appointments with us has enabled us to work with her to establish her forever home.

2. Housing advice and support

The Housing Information, Signposting and Support Service (HISS) provides support to single people in Plymouth who are vulnerable to homelessness, especially people with complex needs such as health issues and offending histories. We work in partnership with BCHA, in particular, to provide individual support to people who are marginalised and / or vulnerable to homelessness with the aim to enable them to live independently; which is the goal we want for as many people as possible.

HISS support is more than just help to keep or gain housing, it includes an understanding that housing is vital for people to be safe and well; and also that being safe and well is vital for people living independently. The support therefore tends to be provided by staff members working one to one with the person, looking not just at how they keep or secure their home (income, budgeting, advocacy, furniture/furnishings, bills, responsibilities and rights etc) but motivational work too; how they spend their time, what they aspire to and their health and their social links.

We have a fantastic team of housing support workers who all have good housing knowledge as well as knowledge of other areas such as offending, DV/DA and drug/alcohol recovery. We try to allocate people who require support with the support worker who has the most relevant experience and training background.

One of the HISS Workers sits with the Integrated Offender Management (IOM) team which consists of Police, Probation, Path and Harbour. IOM is a programme to facilitate team working to deliver a local response to persistent and problematic offending. It provides an enhanced level of monitoring of those individuals identified locally as priority cases, while offering enhanced help with offending-related needs.

This year, people could access HISS support via a phone line, or via a referral from another agency.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Referrals for support

We continued with the HISS advice line this year, with the Harwell Centre at times being closed to people due to Covid restrictions. The advice phone line continued to prove extremely popular, enabling people to get immediate advice and/or referrals to other Path services and agencies. The advice line is available 5 days a week.

Advice line case study: H

H called the advice line and told me he had been asked to leave his family home and was rough sleeping in the woods. H told me he had never used Path services before and he was very afraid to go into places like Shekinah Mission, as he was transitioning from female to male and felt that people might stare at him. I took his location, contact details, and asked H to keep his phone on for the Rough Sleeper Team to come and find him. I forwarded on his contact details and location to Path colleagues. The RST found him, completed an A2A and H was referred into Resettlement for temporary accommodation. The Path Resettlement Team accommodated H shortly after.

Housing Support Workers

Some thanks from Clients

“It’s A’s girlfriend I just wanted to say so much to you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts of all the time and effort you have put into helping him to get his flat. He is so over the moon it’s the first home he is properly had from living in a shared house. It’s so greatly appreciated all the time and effort you have put in during this tough time thank you once again lots of love”

“Hi T. Thank you again for all of your support. I'd like to thank everyone at PATH involved in helping me get a new property. The advice and support from first point of contact was so reassuring to me at a time when I felt very vulnerable because of my housing situation”

“The staff members D and T in particular provided so much support when I needed it the most and went above and beyond to ensure I received the care and support needed to find myself a lovely home. I cannot thank PATH enough for their holistic support, financial, emotional and administrative. I honestly don't know what I would have done without their continued support. Thank you so much PATH”

“Thank you so much to everyone at PATH but especially to T whom has shown me nothing but kindness and sensitivity from the first time of meeting with her. She has been extremely helpful and supportive and I really appreciate all the help I've been given. For me there's nothing I can think of that would make PATH any better as at every stage of change that's happened to me over the past few months they've been there to help”

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

HISS Case Study: A

A was referred into HISS by The Stroke Association. He had recently had a stroke which affected his mobility. He was in a shared house on the 3[rd] floor however his mobility issues had made the stairs impossible.

A was already a C band for social housing – however I completed an H&W form and had an increase to B, making him more of a priority.

A also suffers with his mental health (anxiety and stress); I had to be mindful of this throughout the whole process, his understanding was a little impaired due to recent stroke. I continually worked in partnership with the referrer, updating at every stage so the transition from his shared accommodation into his new home was made as simple as possible.

As I got to know A a little more that he disclosed he is alcohol dependant – I was able to signpost and inform of available services if he ever wanted any support in that area.

As this was when CV19 was at its highest level, we were not carrying out face to face contact therefore everything had to be addressed via email. A was not very tech savvy so most docs were sent via his partner.

I was bidding for A weekly – A was offered a wonderful flat appropriate to his needs with PCH. A had help from his partner and family to move in to his new home, I carried out a home visit and set up utilities, changing addresses and setting up plans. A is overjoyed with his new home.

HISS Case Study; R

R was referred into the service by Harbour, as her private rented property was not up to standard. PCC had offered a B band until all repairs were completed, once completed she would be reduced down to a D band.

It wasn’t until my initial assessment I found out it was much more than this. R was being subjected to mental and emotional abuse from her partner who was using substances and R was engaged in a reduction plan with Harbour. R was on a low income, we completed PIP forms to maximise her income. R bid weekly on properties but due to past substance misuse some housing providers declined accommodation. I advocated and explained about the DA and reduction on her prescription, they then decided to give her a chance.

Eventually, she was offered a 1 bed property with Livewest. R had to sign an ABC to say she would not have her ex-partner at the house and not take any substances.

I applied for RIA through DHP and to several charities as R had to flee her accommodation with only the clothes she had on her back and her cat. I was able to get a single bed, small sofa and a few other things from the Path furniture lock up and we gave bedding and other household goods from our store. I applied to the Path Hardship Fund for the delivery costs. A TV was donated from Harbour. Once charity money was confirmed we went out together and purchased household goods and appliances.

We also worked on her benefits, access to a dentist, counselling and recovery groups.

Path AST Support

Path received some funding from central government as part of the national Rough Sleeper Accommodation (RSAP) Scheme. There are two aspects to the RSAP funding that Path’s receiving. One is for purchasing and repairing 2 selfcontained flats and a 5 bed HMO, all providing tenancies (ASTs) for people facing homelessness. The other is for support for people moving into these 7 rooms and 2 other Path HMOs. Together this means that Path is able to provide an AST Support Scheme, moving homeless people into tenancies with support. The support may therefore be provided to anyone in Path AST accommodation.

The Path AST Support Service started in January 2022 and the support workers have been working with the tenants of the 2 tenanted HMOs that Path owns and another 2 tenanted HMOs that Path leases. They have also linked in with Path’s temporary accommodation to support people moving on from there into the Path AST houses.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

The support provided is:

Ten Homes Scheme with PCH

In April 2022 the Ten Homes Scheme was launched. Ten Homes is a partnership between Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) and Path, as part of The Plymouth Alliance, where PCH offers to provide 10 properties at a time for single homeless households.

PCH has a Tenancy Support Officer who works alongside our dedicated Ten Homes worker to support single homeless people through a nomination process into their properties.

The Alliance nominates households and pays an extra 15% on top of the rent for the additional support PCH provides. Nominations can come from Alliance colleagues for people they are working with who are ready to move on from temporary accommodation, for whom this is the right option. Support is offered from PCH and Path through the nomination process and for move in, setting up, stability and success. When someone is settled and no longer requires support, another property is brought onto the scheme for the next person.

Ten Homes Case Study

M is an amiable gentleman who is extremely well travelled and has enjoyed his past of working and living abroad. After being hospitalised after an accident, he returned back to England in July 2020. His parents had passed away and he had no other family support, so found himself homeless and was referred and moved into Path Resettlement (temporary) accommodation.

M has historic injuries which affect his balance and mobility. The only room available with ensuite shower cubicle and toilet was on the top floor; however M wanted to stay there as it was easier for him to manage his toileting and personal care needs safely and PCC arranged for a shower chair to be fitted. I supported him to secure a fridge for his room, which Path purchased, and the British Legion provided a microwave. M was then able to manage his daily food preparation and meals.

I initially supported M to apply for a review of his universal credit and secured the health related component. Due to his declining mobility, finding a suitable private rented property with a wet room and level access would have been pretty much impossible. I supported M to complete his Devon Home Choice application and referred him into Adult Social Care for an Occupational Therapist environmental assessment.

As M has a military history, he was awarded a Band B; however due to his age he did not meet the threshold for some of the adapted flats/bungalows available. We agreed it would be safer for M to remain in Resettlement for now, where he would have staff checking his welfare and access to a shower cubicle to manage his daily personal care needs.

In April 2021 I started work on the Ten Homes Scheme alongside Plymouth Community Homes (PCH). As M had been in temporary accommodation for a year and was struggling to move on due to his needs he was nominated onto the scheme, securing a property with PCH. I applied for rent in advance via DHP which was awarded.

He moved into his new home in September 2021. It is level access with a wet room. The Path Hardship fund was used to fund a removals van. To furnish and carpet his flat, he had financial support from PCH, British Legion and benevolent funds: Plymouth Public Dispensary and Northcott. M has managed his utility bills and I supported him with his Council Tax Benefit application. The British Legion provided all of his white goods. They have also sent an Occupational Therapist to assess him for a mobility scooter which will dramatically improve his quality of life, ensuring that he can mobilise safely within the community and maintain his independence.

M is really happy to be in his new home and it has been so wonderful, as a worker to have been able to see him through this transition. M is overwhelmed and grateful for all the support he has had.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

3. Resettlement

Resettlement is made up of houses with 115 rooms providing temporary accommodation for single people who are homeless. These houses are for people needing low support, not those requiring 24 hour monitoring and support. Typical stay is between 3 – 6 months and referrals are accessed via Plymouth’s Access to Accommodation (A2A) system.

For this period we received 335 referrals and assessed 264 people, leading to:

We have also had two Support Workers from Shekinah, on behalf of The Plymouth Alliance, working alongside the Resettlement Team to support clients with complex needs. We are happy to see some of our more complex clients move on into either private or supported accommodation.

Resettlement has 2 houses that has now been modelled into all female houses consisting of 5 bedrooms each. This has become a safe space for vulnerable women fleeing domestic abuse and trauma and are being supported by complex needs workers with their mental health, benefit support and move on.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Case Studies

He was depressed and suffered with anxiety. He had 3 cats. These were all that he had left of the family he once knew and they were his life. The cats had to be placed in a cat shelter and this cost money, which was slowly running out. The cats were now going to be put down due to the length of stay they had been at the shelter and affordability and they didn't have long left. This made his depression worse and life for him was getting worse. Westward Housing stepped in when his circumstances were explained and he was accepted for a ground floor flat. He is now settled and the cats are happy.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

4. Refugee Integration Service (RIS)

RIS is a multi-agency partnership formed of Path, START, ODILS and PDREC to support refugees in Plymouth. This contract is funded under the Home Office Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme (VPR) and supports:

Path’s work in 2021/22:

5. Private Rented Access Service (PRAS)

The Private Rented Access Service (previously the Plymouth Renting Support Service) aims to assist those that are vulnerable to homelessness or homeless, such as living in temporary accommodation, to access accommodation in the private sector.

Referrals

We received 540 referrals to the service over the year.

Move-ins

Our biggest challenge over the last year has been a reduced supply of available rental properties and an increase in rents (with no corresponding increase in Local Housing Allowance). However, we have still been able to assist 161 households to access privately rented accommodation over the year.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Feedback:

‘I cannot thank you enough for your work, and your help. I really appreciate this, and for helping through this morning’

Case study from PRAS Offender Service

N was living in approved premises at Lawson House, Plymouth, following release from prison in August 2021. There was a limited time scale to find him appropriate self-contained accommodation as he had not been able to find it in Cornwall where he had secured work as a licensed HGC driver there (subject to potential restriction).

Bloom Housing was contacted by Path worker as a possible source of accommodation as it has properties open to veterans, although the majority of these were communal and N needed one which was self-contained.

There was a shortfall between N’s Local Housing Allowance and his rent top-up. As someone with a local connection to Cornwall, N was supported by a Casework Officer from Cornwall Housing Options Directorate Prevention & Engagement Team to secure his Rent In Advance and also his first six months’ rent top-up.

I supported N with sourcing furniture through Path’s furniture store and liaising with other teams internally who had access to furniture items. Removal costs were sourced by Path’s Hardship Fund. The Household fund covered the cost of a washing machine, oven and fridge-freezer. Plymouth Furniture Re-Use was accessed to source other items.

I supported N to register with utilities and apply for council tax support. We also engaged with the vulnerable leads team at Old Tree Court Job Centre for support with arranging Universal Credit payments direct to the landlord. N is now managing a tenancy for the first time independently.

Claims

We have paid £8,115 to landlords/agents following claims on the deposit guarantee.

Savings

We have started to use a new credit union this year, Westcountry Savings and Loans, following The City of Plymouth Credit Union going in to administration. Tenants have saved £44,954 over the year. We have opened 102 new savings accounts.

Extras

‘Thank you for providing the training this has helped me when advising some of my new support workers on what to expect for the young people and especially where they can get assistance with funding for furniture etc.’

‘Thank you so much for the training on Thursday, I found it really useful and will be really good pointers for supporting clients who are going into tenancies who have no previous experience of this, Many thanks and kind regards'

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

6. Easylet

The Easylet service is all about helping accommodation providers take and provide tenancies for people vulnerable to homelessness. A key aim is to recruit landlords and their properties on to the scheme so that the properties can be specifically used to house vulnerable homeless households approaching through PCC Housing Options and the Home Office.

Landlords can opt to sign up and have their property full managed by PH4L, manage their property themselves through our ‘tenant find service’, be part of the Syrian Scheme or (if capacity allows) be leased by Path.

We also aim to help raise property standards across the city, by ensuring all properties meet the Decent Homes standard and are free from Category 1 Hazards.

Year Overview

During this year there have been continued restrictions due to Covid 19 and also the ending of the majority of restrictions in January. During this time, the housing market, to buy and to rent, has changed dramatically. House prices and rent levels have shot up due to demand in this area of the country. This has resulted in some landlords wanting to sell their properties to capitalise on prices, put their rents higher or change the use of their accommodation to holiday rentals.

This has made our work much harder as our Easylet Scheme encourages landlords to charge rent levels that are now well below market rents in order for them to be affordable for our clients.

Despite this, we have secured 21 new properties for the scheme made up of:

These add to our existing properties that are signed up to the scheme. At the end of the year we had:

We moved:

Key Outcomes for the Year

Other Outcomes

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Service Promotion

We received 81 enquiries during the year despite huge changes to the housing market. We did a lot of advertising before Christmas to try and secure more properties for people in B&B over the festive period. Amongst other things, we:

The Easylet Team regularly check property sites and send information to landlords advertising their properties to rent to see if they are interested in signing up to Easylet / housing tenants coming through PCC.

We continue to promote Easylet on the Path Website.

Notes from an Easylet Worker!

Looking after 9 Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a hard task. It only takes 1 tenant in any house to upset the dynamics. By having a commitment to fortnightly communal checks, we are able to report any issues as well as make positive relationships with tenants. Then when there is an issue, the tenant is able to discuss with us, in confidence, knowing we will do our best to resolve it before any escalation.

One of the most reported issues is the cleanliness of HMOs, usually, a couple of tenants keep the property clean while the others don’t tidy up after themselves. This causes friction and by the time we are informed, tenant relationships are splintered.

This happened in a larger HMO with 8 rooms. Once it was brought to our attention, we were able to talk to tenants individually about what they would like me and PH4L to do to resolve this. One issue was the tenants didn’t want to individually buy cleaning products, all 8 tenants were on benefits, and they asked if we could supply a range of products to assist them to begin with. We could see the benefit this would be to all tenants and purchased some cleaning products for the house. Once the products were purchased, a house meeting of all tenants was called to discuss a cleaning rota. The tenants were asked what duty they were able to perform, at least one tenant had a disability and on what day they would be available. The tenants bought into this rota as they could see the benefits for all, and they could see that we were listening to their concerns and working with them to resolve the issues. When cleaning products needed replacing, the tenants bought new supplies. The cleanliness of this HMO continued to be one of the cleanest of the 9.

Path ASTs

As well as Path leasing properties from owners to let as temporary accommodation, Path also runs accommodation to let under Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) as settled accommodation for those moving on from temporary accommodation.

During 2021/2022 Path created 18 tenancies for people looking for settled accommodation in accommodation we directly manage. We’ve a further 14/16 units of accommodation that’s in the process of being refurbished prior to being let in 2022.

7. Plymouth Frontline Network: 2021/22

We have continued to run the Plymouth Frontline Network (PFN), supported by and linked to St Martin-In-the-Fields. The Frontline Network links and listens to workers, helping identify and respond to priorities, issues and training. Key links for Plymouth include the Alliance Workforce Development Group (subsequently merging with the Changing Futures WFD) and Trauma Informed Plymouth Network.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

A crucial aspect of our work has been the production of a newsletter, being sent directly to over 150 staff members across many organisations and sectors. The newsletter grew in importance & relevance during Covid. It was & often still is an important to the community of frontline workers that was available:

There are 2 very important pieces of training that were made possible this year due to newsletter surveys & partly funded by St Martin’s Training Fund (& also included funding from Devon Community Foundation & Changing Futures)

  1. We asked Plymouth’s frontline staff if they would like to receive training on preventing sexual harm (in partnership with Together4Childhood’s work with the Stop It Now campaign). This informed the PFN, alongside the Trauma Informed Plymouth Network & Together 4 Childhood, as to how many sessions we may need to source for the City. Through joint efforts & commitment we raised enough funding for 5 sessions.

  2. We asked staff if they would like to receive Personality Disorder training. We received a resounding ‘yes’ & with joint funding between St Martin’s training fund & Changing Futures, we have 4 sessions available, fully booked & with a waiting list.

Financial review

The reserves of the charity that are freely available for use at the year end are a deficit of £345,037 (2021:£332,874). PATH are committed to being financially prudent and stable. This policy notes PATH's specific stance on having designated 'reserve' funds to fulfil specific needs. Designated funds at year end are £296,554, without these funds designated, the level of free reserves would be at a deficit of £48,483. PATH has an obligation to set aside funds to meet possible redundancy obligations; also to allow for contingencies, such as delays in and/or withdrawal of funding. The aim of this is to minimise distress and disruption for staff and clients, as well as to meet any legal obligations.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Income

Plymouth City Council (PCC) funds several of Path’s services, some now via the Alliance contract. We also receive Rough Sleeper Initiative funding, money from central government, again via PCC.

We also received funding from the Probation service, supporting our private rented work for offenders. Charitable funders in this period included: Crisis and St Martins in the Field.

We greatly appreciate all the support and funding that we receive.

As we are an accommodation provider, we also receive income from rents, enabling us to provide accommodation for people most in need, both temporary and now tenancies.

Fundraising

With fund-raising, we are lucky and grateful to have the support of various individuals, community groups and enterprises, who voluntarily raise or donate funds to help our clients.

We do not employ fund-raisers, contact individual members of the public or have any agreements; and we have had no complaints related to fund-raising.

Website

Our website is used as a source of information for landlords and other agencies as to what we do, and also for staff recruitment. We now also have a section for articles we write, to share with others: https://www.pathdevon.org/latest-news--articles

Twitter

We continue to use Twitter and have over 1,400 followers. We use our account to share news and information about Path, partners, housing and homelessness. You can follow us @PathDevon .

Funding Partners

The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

The Plymouth Alliance

Path is an active member of The Plymouth Alliance, along with six other service providers and Plymouth City Council to provide and improve services for people with complex needs. The Alliance brings together work in homelessness and substance use, making it all one contract that is planned and overseen together. For us at Path, that means collectively running The Alliance and also, in terms of service provision, working increasingly closely with relevant partners.

https://theplymouthalliance.co.uk/

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Housing The Homeless During The Coronavirus

During Covid, partners in The Plymouth Alliance worked hard to house people who were homeless. With the initial lockdown that meant responding differently for many, as we couldn’t move people out of temporary accommodation in the way (and the numbers) we usually would, moving them into their own accommodation; and therefore we couldn’t free up those temporary spaces for ‘new’ people. At the same time, we worked hard on the ‘everyone in’ approach, aiming to have no one sleeping rough.

We needed to respond to:

There were four things that Alliance partners did, in particular, to meet these needs and aims.

  1. Take on two very large properties for people with more complex needs.

  2. We at Path took on 44 rooms for less complex homeless people

  3. Community Connections and Path worked to get families housed

  4. Ensure shared coordination of access to temporary accommodation

At the same time Alliance partners continued to provide existing housing and homeless services, including:

All this meant that there were decent offers for many people in a time of crisis, with numbers in B&B being higher but being managed all the time. The priority then was to maintain and develop that.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Structure, governance and management

The charity is a registered company limited by guarantee and is governed by its memorandum and articles of association, dated July 2002, revised and agreed at the AGM in 2008. None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.

The company has a management committee comprising all members of the company. The committee members are directors and trustees of this charitable company. The current members are recorded on the company information page.

The number of members of the board shall never be less than four and not more than nine. At the annual general meeting all trustees who have served for three years shall retire.

The company is constituted under a Memorandum of Association dated 12 June 2002 and is a registered charity number 1097772.

The charity's objectives are that of relieving poverty within the City of Plymouth and beyond, by providing assistance to those in housing need. The objects of the charity are achieved in accordance with the charity's Constitution and the Articles and Memorandum of Association.

The Trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:

Mr D Millar Ms N Sarlaka Mr G Wheeler (Resigned 12 January 2022) Ms J Laing Mr L Budge (Resigned 20 October 2021) Mr C McClellan Miss J Beer Ms V Allen (Appointed 21 September 2022)

The management of the company is the responsibility of the Trustees who are elected and co-opted under the Articles of Association.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) works to and with the board, being the primary delegated role for the board fulfilling its obligations. Managing and developing services, obtaining contracts, reporting and responding to legislation are all part of the CEO role. There are also designated managers, who directly manage services and staff at an operational level. Managers work to and with the CEO to ensure that services are provided fairly, professionally and effectively.

Path has a clear structure, with a board of trustees overseeing the charity and a Director, service managers and operational workers. We constantly look to enhance how we run Path: from improving information and policies to reviewing services; updating job descriptions and reviewing Path’s public benefit, ensuring that we contribute fully to the communities in which we work and stay relevant and effective.

We introduce new trustees to PATH in various ways; plus we provide them with a handbook about the role of the trustee and their responsibilities. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate external training events where these will facilitate the understanding of their role as trustees.

The Board of Trustees would like to place on record it's gratitude to the Chief Executive and ALL members of staff in PATH for delivering another impressive programme of work during the year on behalf of our clients.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

TRUSTEES REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE GROUP

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Statement of trustees responsibilities

The Trustees, who are also the directors of PATH (Plymouth Access To Housing) Ltd for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that 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. 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.

Disclosure of information to auditor

Each of the Trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information.

The trustees report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Mr D Millar

Chair Dated: 7 December 2022

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Director’s Message

Not just Plymouth but much of Britain has seemed to move from the Covid crisis to a housing crisis. It’s important to acknowledge that these are difficult times, with growing poverty, less affordable accommodation and an increase in the number of people with complex needs. 2021 / 22 was not an easy year; and the one we’re in now is harder. But that is all the more reason to ensure support is available.

For us, that has meant continuing to provide and develop services, from housing advice to support to secure and set up tenancies, via provision of temporary accommodation. We’ve continued to do that directly and with partners, both refugee services and also the Plymouth Alliance, of which we are a member.

A continued focus and area of development is in our role as landlord. We lease many properties and have also been buying some, to increase what we provide as temporary accommodation and now also for tenancies. At a time when access to accommodation for people on low incomes is harder, we need to provide more, ourselves. So we have been glad to increase what we provide. And glad, too, that we’ve been able to work in partnership, finding offers and solutions for people.

We’ve had a lot of change, with new staff members, and a lot of challenges; but Path colleagues have remained focussed, diligent and flexible, working hard to do the best for the people who need our services. As always, I’m very grateful for that.

Mike Taylor, Director

Dated: 7 December 2022

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

TO THE TRUSTEES OF PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

Opinion

We have audited the accounts of PATH (Plymouth Access To Housing) Ltd (the ‘parent charity’) for the year ended 31 March 2022 which comprise the Group Statement of Financial Activities, the charity Balance Sheet, the Group and charity Statement of Cash Flows and the notes to the accounts, 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 charity 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 contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. 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 course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)

TO THE TRUSTEES OF PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of our 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.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of trustees responsibilities, the Trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose 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 charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

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.

We gained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the charity and the industry in which it operates, and considered the risk of acts by the charity that were contrary to applicable laws and regulations, including fraud. We designed audit procedures to respond to the risk, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery or intentional misrepresentations, or through collusion.

We focused on laws and regulations which could give rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements, including, but not limited to: Employment Law, Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act 2011 Our tests included agreeing the financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation and enquiries with management. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above and, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it. We did not identify any key audit matters relating to irregularities, including fraud. As in all our audits, we also addressed the risk of management override of internal controls, including testing journals and evaluating whether there was evidence of bias by the directors that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https:// www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT (CONTINUED)

TO THE TRUSTEES OF PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company’s members, as a body, in accordance with section 391 of the Companies Act 2014. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the 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 company and the company’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Tim Lerwill BSc BFP FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Old Mill Audit Limited Statutory Auditor

15 December 2022

Bishopbrook House Cathedral Avenue WELLS Somerset BA5 1FD

Old Mill Audit Limited is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

Unrestricted
funds
2022
Notes
£
Income from:
Donations and legacies
3
-
Charitable activities
4
1,825,825
Investments
5
13
Total income
1,825,838
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
6
1,729,137
Net income/(expenditure) for the year/
Net movement in funds
96,701
Fund balances at 1 April 2021
782,784
Fund balances at 31 March 2022
879,485		 Restricted
funds
2022
£
8,335
282,964
-
291,299
324,134
(32,835)
142,382
109,547		 Total
2022
£
8,335
2,108,789
13
2,117,137
2,053,271
63,866
925,166
989,032		 Total
2021
£
41,368
1,891,377
818
1,933,563
1,631,345
302,218
622,948
925,166

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.

All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

The statement of financial activities also complies with the requirements for an income and expenditure account under the Companies Act 2006.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

BALANCE SHEET

AS AT 31 MARCH 2022

Notes
Fixed assets
Tangible assets
11
Current assets
Debtors
12
Investments
13
Cash at bank and in hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one
year
15
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors: amounts falling due after more
than one year
16
Net assets
Income funds
Restricted funds
19
Unrestricted funds
Designated funds
20
General unrestricted funds
20		 £
289,353
2,798
552,249
844,400
(501,393)
296,554
582,931		 2022
£
927,968
343,007
1,270,975
(281,943)
989,032
109,547
879,485
989,032		 £
139,253
2,785
726,632
868,670
(211,689)
752,354
30,430		 2021
£
363,304
656,981
1,020,285
(95,119)
925,166
142,382
782,784
925,166

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

BALANCE SHEET (CONTINUED)

AS AT 31 MARCH 2022

The company is entitled to the exemption from the audit requirement contained in section 477 of the Companies Act 2006, for the year ended 31 March 2022 and the members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its accounts for the year in question in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006, although an audit has been carried out under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011.

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for ensuring that the charity keeps accounting records which comply with section 386 of the Act and for preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of the financial year and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the financial year in accordance with the requirements of sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

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

The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 23 November 2022

Mr D Millar

Chair

Company Registration No. 04478819

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

2022
Notes
£
£
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash generated from operations
24
222,469
Investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets
(598,820)
Proceeds on disposal of investments
(13)
Investment income received
13
Net cash (used in)/generated from investing
activities
(598,820)
Financing activities
Movement of borrowings
204,489
Repayment of bank loans
(2,521)
Net cash generated from/(used in) financing
activities
201,968
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents
(174,383)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
726,632
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
552,249		 2021
£
(22,315)
164,063
818
(18,000)
(2,425)		 £
332,302
142,566
(20,425)
454,443
272,189
726,632

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

1 Accounting policies

Company information

PATH (Plymouth Access To Housing) Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is 28-42 Harwell Court, Western Approach, PLYMOUTH, Devon, PL1 1PY. In the event of the company being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the company.

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

The trustees have reviewed likely future developments and remain of the opinion that there is no reason to believe that the charity will have to cease operating as a result of inadequate financial resources. or any other foreseeable event, within a period of at least 12 months from the date of the approval of these accounts.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives unless the funds have 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 subject to specific conditions by donors as to how they may be used. The purposes and uses of the restricted funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.

Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

1.4 Incoming resources

Income is recognised when the charity is legally entitled to it after any performance conditions have been met, the amounts can be measured reliably, and it is probable that income will be received.

Cash donations are recognised on receipt. Other donations are recognised once the charity has been notified of the donation, unless performance conditions require deferral of the amount. Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

Grants received to assist with specific expenditure are released to the statement of financial activities as the expenditure is incurred.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

1.5 Resources expended

Expenditure is accounted for an an accruals basis and has been included under expense categories that aggregate all costs for allocation to activities. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular activities they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of the resources.

Fundraising costs are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the charitable activities. Governance costs are those incurred in connection with administration of the company and compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements.

Grants payable are charged in the year when the offer is made except in those cases where the offer is conditional, such grants being recognised as expenditure when the conditions attaching are fulfilled. Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end are noted as a commitment, but not accrued as expenditure.

All resources expended are inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

1.6 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

All assets costing more than £500 are capitalised.

A full year of depreciation is applied in the year of acquisition, and there is no depreciation applied in the year of disposal.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Land and buildings 2% straight line Fixtures, fittings & equipment 25% straight line Computers 20-33% straight line Electric pool bikes 33% straight line

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.

1.7 Impairment of fixed assets

At each reporting date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in income/(expenditure for the year, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately, unless the relevant asset is carried in at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

1.8 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.

1.9 Financial instruments

The charity has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the charity's balance sheet when the charity becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Basic financial liabilities

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors and bank loans are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of operations from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

1 Accounting policies

(Continued)

Borrowings consist wholly of a public benefit concessionary loan. Public benefit concessionary loans are loans received between a public benefit entity and another party at below the prevailing market rate of interest and that are not repayable on demand and are for the purposes of furthering the objectives of the public benefit entity.

The accounting treatment for concessionary loans is to initially measure these arrangements at the amount received or paid and recognise them in the statement of financial position. Subsequent years, the carrying amount of concessionary loans in the financial statements shall be adjusted to reflect any accrued interest payable or receivable.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the charity’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

1.10 Provisions

Provisions are recognised when the charity has a legal or constructive present obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that the charity will be required to settle that obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

The amount recognised as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the reporting end date, taking into account the risks and uncertainties surrounding the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the amount expected to be required to settle the obligation is recognised at present value. When a provision is measured at present value, the unwinding of the discount is recognised as a finance cost in net income/(expenditure) in the period in which it arises.

1.11 Employee benefits

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the charity is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

1.12 Leases

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged as an expense on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease.

1.13 Government Grants

Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.

Government grants relating to turnover are recognised as income over the periods when the related costs are incurred. Grants relating to an asset are recognised in income systematically over the asset's expected useful life. If part of such a grant is deferred it is recognised as deferred income rather than being deducted from the asset's carrying amount.

2 Critical accounting estimates and judgements

In the application of the charity’s accounting policies, the Trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

(Continued)

Key sources of estimation uncertainty

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

Estimated useful lives of tangible fixed assets

In determining the estimated useful life the charity considers the expected physical wear and tear of the asset that could lead to obsolescence of the asset. Each year the charity reviews the above to establish if there is any change in the expected useful life of tangible assets.

3 Donations and legacies

Unrestricted
funds
2022
£
Donations and gifts
-
Government grants
-
-
For the year ended 31 March 2021
8,091		 Restricted
funds
2022
£
8,335
-
8,335
33,277		 Total
2022
£
8,335
-
8,335		 Total
2021
£
33,277
8,091
41,368
41,368
Performance related grants
Charitable rental income
Other income
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds		 2022
£
530,048
983,751
594,990
2,108,789
1,825,825
282,964
2,108,789		 2021
£
517,309
757,939
616,129
1,891,377
1,551,124
340,253
1,891,377

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

5 Investments

2022 2021
£ £
Interest receivable 13 818

6 Charitable activities

Staff costs
Depreciation and impairment
Other direct costs
IT maintenance
Bank charges
Insurance
Stationery
Worker expenses
Telephone
Accountancy
Legal & Professional
Property management expenses
Grant funding of activities (see note 8)
Share of governance costs (see note 9)
Analysis by fund
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds
For the year ended 31 March 2021
Unrestricted funds
Restricted funds		 2022
£
994,426
34,156
24,165
25,465
418
2,448
4,118
19,887
12,142
4,140
9,352
623,690
1,754,407
278,314
20,550
2,053,271
1,729,137
324,134
2,053,271		 2021
£
857,701
23,010
26,873
20,216
207
1,699
1,707
8,703
11,104
3,180
2,619
441,247
1,398,266
215,562
17,517
1,631,345
1,315,588
315,757
1,631,345

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

7 Trustees

None of the Trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year. No trustee expenses were incurred during the year.

8 Grants payable

Grants to individuals
9
Support costs
Support costs
Governance
costs
£
£
Staff costs
-
11,550
Audit fees
-
9,000
-
20,550
Analysed between
Charitable activities
-
20,550		 2022
£
278,314
2022
£
11,550
9,000
20,550
20,550		 2021
£
215,562
2021
£
11,277
6,240
17,517
17,517

In addition to the audit fees and independent examiners costs shown above, included within the expenses of the charitable company are fees payable to the examiner for financial services of £4,140 (2021:£3,180).

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

10 Employees

Number of employees

The average monthly number of employees during the year was:

Charity
Employment costs (charity only)
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs
No employee received remuneration amounting to more than £60,000 in either year.
Tangible fixed assets
Land and
buildings
Fixtures, fittings
& equipment
Computers
£
£
£
Cost
At 1 April 2021
359,450
11,754
104,066
Additions
588,456
-
9,111
At 31 March 2022
947,906
11,754
113,177
Depreciation and impairment
At 1 April 2021
21,321
5,239
86,739
Depreciation charged in the year
18,954
1,810
11,945
At 31 March 2022
40,275
7,049
98,684
Carrying amount
At 31 March 2022
907,631
4,705
14,493
At 31 March 2021
338,129
6,515
17,327		 2022
Number
45
2022
£
892,243
71,235
42,498
1,005,976
Electric pool
bikes
£
2,000
1,253
3,253
667
1,447
2,114
1,139
1,333		 2021
Number
40
2021
£
772,882
58,997
37,099
868,978
Total
£
477,270
598,820
1,076,090
113,966
34,156
148,122
927,968
363,304

11 Tangible fixed assets

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

12
Debtors
Amounts falling due within one year:
Trade debtors
Other debtors
Prepayments and accrued income
13
Current asset investments
Unlisted investments
14
Loans and overdrafts
Bank loans
Other loans
Payable within one year
Payable after one year
Amounts included above which fall due after five years:
Payable by instalments		 2022
£
260,242
12,555
16,556
289,353
2022
£
2,798
2022
£
81,622
235,989
317,611
35,668
281,943
222,543		 2021
£
120,368
392
18,493
139,253
2021
£
2,785
2021
£
84,143
31,500
115,643
20,524
95,119
70,440

The bank loan is secured against the assets to which it relates and is repayable over 25 years at an interest rate of 3.25% per annum. In addition to the security on the loan there is a debenture comprising a fixed and floating charge over all the assets and undertakings (both present and future) of the Borrower.

The other loans were made by Plymouth City Council from their social enterprise investment fund. One loan is unsecured and is repayable over a maximum of eight years on an interest free basis. The other loan is secured over the assets to which it relates and is repayable over 15 years at an interest rate of 3% per annum.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

15 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Notes
Bank loans
14
Other borrowings
Deferred income
17
Trade creditors
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year
Notes
Bank loans
14
Other borrowings		 2022
£
2,628
33,040
327,946
13,742
110,119
13,918
501,393
2022
£
78,994
202,949
281,943		 2021
£
2,524
18,000
79,098
9,937
85,365
16,765
211,689
2021
£
81,619
13,500
95,119

16 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

17 Deferred income

Other deferred income
Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:
Current liabilities
Movement in the year:
At 1 April 2021
Amount released to income earned from charitable activities
Amount deferred in the year
At 31 March 2022		 2022
£
327,946
2022
£
327,946
327,946
2022
£
79,098
(79,098)
327,946
327,946		 2021
£
79,098
2021
£
79,098
79,098
2021
£
61,704
(61,704)
79,098
79,098

Deferred income represents grants received in the current year of which part or all of the grant relates to the subsequent year.

18 Retirement benefit schemes

Defined contribution schemes

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund.

The charge to profit or loss in respect of defined contribution schemes was £42,498 (2021:£37,099).

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

19 Restricted funds

The income funds of the charity include restricted funds comprising the following unexpended balances of donations and grants held on trust for specific purposes:

Movement in funds Movement in funds
Balance at 1 Incoming Resources **Transfers ** Balance at 31
April 2021 resources expended March 2022
£ £ £ £ £
Hardship fund 29,419 32,286 (32,464) - 29,241
Benevolent fund 15,706 57,909 (53,966) - 19,649
Private Rented Support funds 80,422 114,477 (134,242) - 60,657
Other Restricted Grants - 50,091 (50,091) - -
MARS fund 16,835 36,536 (53,371) - -
142,382 291,299 (324,134) - 109,547
Prior Year Movement in funds
Balance at 1 Incoming Resources **Transfers ** Balance at 31
April 2020 resources expended March 2021
£ £ £ £ £
Hardship fund 21,484 33,525 (25,590) - 29,419
Benevolent fund 15,845 55,146 (55,285) - 15,706
Private Rented Support funds 46,047 157,735 (123,360) - 80,422
Other Restricted Grants - 100,093 (100,093) - -
MARS fund 1,233 27,031 (11,429) - 16,835
84,609 373,530 (315,757) - 142,382

Hardship fund

The hardship fund consists of voluntary donations from donors who wish the funds to be used to help PATH's beneficiaries directly and they are restricted only to this purpose. These donations are used in various ways to support clients, often thereby encouraging clients to maintain contact with PATH.

Benevolent fund

PATH workers apply to various benevolent funds to obtain specific funds for clients to start their own tenancies, improve existing accommodation or to end a tenancy appropriately. Workers complete an application form for the charitable trust and outline what the grant would be used for, generating significant sums of money which are paid to PATH to use with the clients in the manner agreed.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

19 Restricted funds

(Continued)

Private Rented Support funds

PATH holds specific funds from which to pay claims against deposit guarantees that it issues: money to pay landlords if there is a claim against a tenancy that ends within the guarantee period. We have also secured some funds to help clients pay rent in advance in certain cases. We have some other funds set aside to support our work in helping people secure and keep in private rented accommodation. These funds are held and used purely for this purpose. Recycled deposits is money we won to use to house people with cash deposits, which we ask people to re-pay, enabling us to use the money again. Easylet is a fund we use to help landlords and tenants when there are problems with a tenancy or property we wish to support to prevent homelessness.

Other Restricted Grants

These grants are allocated to us to provide a particular service (such as the LBFT grant for women in the criminal justice system) therefore entirely expended on salaries and direct costs during the year.

MARS (Multi Agency Rough Sleeper)

Temporary Accommodation budget

Funding to support placements in temporary accommodation for rough sleepers or those at immediate risk who do not meet priority need test.

Personal Budgets

Path has a Personal Budget Fund to support rough sleeping clients, spending on it, for instance:

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

20 Unrestricted funds

The income funds of the charity include the following designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes:

Balance at 1
April 2021
£
Total designated funds
752,354
Designated funds
752,354
General funds
30,430
Total unrestricted funds
782,784
Prior Year
Balance at 1
April 2020
£
Total designated funds
315,311
Designated funds
315,311
General funds
223,028
Total unrestricted funds
538,339		 Movement in funds
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
£
£
-
-
-
-
1,825,838
(1,729,137)
1,825,838
(1,729,137)
Movement in funds
Incoming
resources
Resources
expended
£
£
-
-
-
-
1,560,033
(1,315,690)
1,560,033
(1,315,690)		 Transfers
Balance at 31 March 2022
£
£
(455,800)
296,554
(455,800)
296,554
455,800
582,931
-
879,485
Transfers
Balance at 31 March 2021
£
£
437,043
752,354
437,043
752,354
(437,043)
30,430
-
782,784		 Transfers
Balance at 31 March 2022
£
£
(455,800)
296,554
(455,800)
296,554
455,800
582,931
-
879,485
Transfers
Balance at 31 March 2021
£
£
437,043
752,354
437,043
752,354
(437,043)
30,430
-
782,784
752,354
30,430
782,784

Designated funds

PRS (Private Rented Sector) Support Fund

Held to protect PRS tenancies and landlords. The funds are committed by PATH and approved by Plymouth City Council to meet costs of housing people vulnerable to homelessness in the PRS sector.

Redundancy and contingency funds

In the event of contracts ending and/or funding being withdrawn from specific contracts, PATH will, where necessary, provide redundancy payments to any relevant workers at a rate of the statutory minimum. PATH therefore sets aside a sum of money, in effect a share of the reserves, towards covering this. At any time, as a minimum, PATH aims to have the equivalent amount to pay an average of two weeks wages to every worker in the agency. Where payments might exceed this, any contingency monies would be prioritised for redundancy.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

21
Analysis of group net assets between funds
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
£
£
Fund balances at 31 March 2022 are represented by:
Tangible assets
927,968
-
Current assets/(liabilities)
(48,483)
109,547
879,485
109,547
Prior Year
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
£
£
Fund balances at 31 March 2021 are represented by:
Tangible assets
363,304
-
Current assets/(liabilities)
419,480
142,382
782,784
142,382
22
Related party transactions
Remuneration of key management personnel
The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows.
2022
£
Aggregate compensation
47,700
23
Operating lease commitments		 Total
£
927,968
61,064
989,032
Total
£
363,304
561,862
925,166
2021
£
46,413

At the reporting end date the charity had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under noncancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

Within one year
Between two and five years		 2022
£
204,932
150,323
355,255		 2021
£
95,235
92,607
187,842

The charity receives rental income comes from properties which they lease themselves, but because they have a break clause of three months then it has been determined not to included this commitment.

PATH (PLYMOUTH ACCESS TO HOUSING) LTD

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2022

24 Cash generated from operations 2022 2021
£ £
Surplus for the year 63,866 302,218
Adjustments for:
Investment income recognised in statement of financial activities (13) (818)
Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets 34,156 23,010
Movements in working capital:
(Increase) in debtors (150,100) (57,745)
Increase in creditors 25,712 30,455
Increase in deferred income 248,848 35,182
Cash generated from operations 222,469 332,302
25 Analysis of changes in net funds
At 1 April 2021 Cash flows At 31 March 2022
£ £ £
Cash at bank and in hand 726,632 (174,383) 552,249
Loans falling due within one year (20,524) (15,144) (35,668)
Loans falling due after more than one year (95,119) (186,824) (281,943)
610,989 (376,351) 234,638