2025-03-31-accounts

Photo: Antony – Resident at Iris Hayter House

RESPONSE ORGANISATION ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Charity registration Number 1101071 Company registration number 4781936 (England and Wales)

Response Organisation

A welcome from the Chief Executive

It is with great pleasure that I present our Annual Report and Accounts to 31 March 2025.

As a charity that has been working within the mental health sector for over 60 years, we are proud of the knowledge and experience that we have built up in supporting individuals living with a range of mental health challenges. Over that period, we have seen how mental health has grown in importance within the long-term strategy of central government, within the NHS and society as a whole.

More recently we have seen increased awareness in the media of the impact of mental health on individuals and communities. As well as improving understanding, it has also helped to reduce the stigma that has historically been associated with mental health.

Funding remains an issue. The pressure on the NHS to achieve efficiencies and economies remains high. As with physical health, mental health also needs to be a combination of preventative, early intervention, and treatment, and this is often more difficult to define within our sector. As the largest independent mental health charity in Oxfordshire, we are working closely with Oxford Health NHS Foundation and charities in our sector through Oxfordshire’s Mental Health Partnership to help design the shape of mental health services across the county for the next five to ten years.

Preventative and early intervention is a key part of mitigating the long-term impact of mental health on society as well as NHS budgets, and we continue to develop our services for young people in the community and in schools. We are trialling a new young person’s hub in Thatcham and, if successful, we are looking to roll this out in other locations.

Here at Response, we recognise not everyone will complete the journey from hospital discharge through to independent living. However everyone should have the opportunity to be the best version of themselves that they can be. A number of our residents have reached that point but still require constant support and care to ensure that they have the quality of life they deserve.

Last year I talked about our cost pressures. There continues to be discussion around the impact of National Insurance and Living Wage increases on the Care and Support Sectors, along with many other sectors. We have continued to identify internal efficiencies, while maintaining our service quality. We have also taken the opportunity to modestly invest in dedicated fundraising capability, aiming to support our current operations and also to fundraise for those challenges around property investment and improvement over the coming years.

Today, our services encompass a broad spectrum of support, including working with individuals experiencing homelessness, who often face complex mental health challenges. We provide supported housing, outreach programmes, and early-intervention services for young people, helping to address mental health issues before they escalate. Through our partnerships with organisations like Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire County Council, District councils and Oxfordshire Youth, we also deliver vital services for children, adolescents, and young adults, ensuring comprehensive support at every stage of life.

Looking ahead the mental health landscape will continue to evolve as national strategy impacts regional and local activity. Many of our contracts

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are subject to renewal over the next 18 – 24 months, and there are positive discussions around how these services may change to meet the needs of those we and others support. At Response we place those individuals at the heart of everything we do, and we look forward to playing a key role in the evolution of mental health services across the county.

I would like to recognise the contribution of our dedicated team of support workers across all of our services. They know that every contact counts, and the cumulative impact they have on the quality of each individual is immense. I would also like to thank all our partners and their individual teams for their continued support, including Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, and Oxfordshire Youth, who provide support for our Young Person’s Supported Accommodation (YPSA) programme.

This year we are bidding farewell to Bob Sutcliffe as Chair of Trustees, and welcoming Lucy Weston as our new Chair.

Bob came on board in 2018 and has worked closely with the executive team as we have doubled the level of activity across the Charity. Bob also provided guidance in helping steer the Charity through Covid and other challenges. I would like to express my thanks to him for his committed service. Lucy joins us with great experience across the mental health and supported housing sectors and I, and my colleagues, look forward to working with her.

Finally, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helps Response deliver on its charitable mission. To our Board of Trustees, who

generously give their time to offer guidance and independent thinking; to our supporters, who raise funds and volunteer for us; and to our staff, both in frontline services and central support teams, for their hard work and commitment to continual improvement. I also want to thank those who use our services, along with their relatives, friends, and carers, who teach us new perspectives every day.

Nicola Leavesley Chief Executive

Lucy Weston was appointed Chair of Trustees at Response on 10 July 2025.

Lucy is a Chartered Accountant with many years’ senior management experience working in the housing, health, and international development sectors.

She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and is Chair of Red Kite Community Housing, a tenant led housing association based in Buckinghamshire.

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Contents

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||| |---|---| |Legal and administrative information|5| |Trustees’ report|6| |Our Vision and values|7| |Our Story|8| |Case Studies|10| |Our strategy|14| |Care and Support|15| |Safe, stable homes|17| |System leadership|18| |Stability and Sustainability|20| |Our Programmes|22| |Adult Services Programmes|23| |Children, Young People and Families Programmes|25| |Young People’s Supported Accommodation (“YPSA”) programme|26| |Wellbeing Youth Workers|27| |Supported Housing Team|28| |Financial review|29| |Risk management and internal control|31| |Structure, governance and management|33| |Key Management Personnel Remuneration|35| |Statement of trustees’ responsibilities|36| |Independent auditor’s report|37| |Statement of financial activities|40| |Balance sheet|41| |Statement of cash flows|42| |Notes to the financial statements|43|

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Legal and administrative information

Trustees

L Weston (Chair) C Cornforth N Inge Dr M Muijen B Palmer K Rushworth V Vogwill S White

Secretary

Tim Berg

Charity Number 1101071

Company Number 4781936

Registered Office

A G Palmer Morrell Crescent Littlemore Oxford OX4 4SU

Executive Officers

Nicola Leavesley – Chief Executive Officer Tim Berg, FCA – Director of Finance / Company Secretary

Anne Clarke – Director of Adult Services and Safeguarding

Andrew Perry – Director of Estates Jamie Douglas – Associate Director of Children, Young People and Families Gemma Jewell – Associate Director of People and Business Support Emma Murphy – Associate Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Communications

Auditor

Gravita Audit Oxford LLP First Floor, Park Central 40-41 Park End Street Oxford OX1 1JD

Solicitors

Freeths Spires House 5700 Oxford Business Park South Oxford OX4 2RW

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Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) – year ended 31 March 2025

The Trustees present their report and the audited financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31st March 2025.

The Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities” (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity.

Reference and Administrative Details

Response Organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee. It is registered as a charity (No. 1101071) and a company (No. 4781936). Details of Trustees, Executive Officers and external advisers are given on the legal and administrative information page.

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

Purposes and Aims

Our charity’s purposes, as set out in the objects contained in the charitable company’s Articles of Association, are to:

• benefit the public by supporting the statutory services to provide services for people with enduring mental health and well-being needs, across a range of complexities; and

• provide appropriate mental health care and support services that are readily accessible to those who need them so that they can maintain optimum levels of independence; and

• through its day to day activities, enhance the education of the public in matters relating to hospital management and mental health.

Ensuring our work delivers our aims and public benefit

We review our aims, objectives and activities each year. The review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous twelve months, at the success of each key activity and the benefits they have brought to those groups of people we are set up to help.

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our future activities. In particular, the Trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they set.

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OUR VALUES

Caring

The human connections we build with each other help us to provide compassionate and individualised support.

OUR VISION

To provide mental health support and housing that helps people live fulfilling lives in their communities

We aim to be a leading provider of early intervention, personalised care, and support for people with serious mental illness and those at risk of homelessness

OUR MISSION

Transforming lives through mental health support and housing

Safe

Fostering an environment where everyone feels secure and able to be themselves

Creative

Encouraging and celebrating innovative solutions, acknowledging experimentation is part of the creative process

Aspirational

Inspiring everyone to believe in themselves and achieve their personal goals.

WHY RESPONSE?

We have over 60 years of experience of providing trusted mental health support and accommodation

Our Expert Team, skilled in early intervention, youth work, benefits advice, mental health conditions, substance use, hoarding and self neglect

Our Strong Partnerships, working closely with the NHS, local councils, schools and VCSE

We are an Accredited Provider, recognised for delivering high-quality services

We have a track record of Proven Impact, providing housing for 500 individuals and supporting many more young people in the community.

We provide a unique continuum of support across the life course:

• @ • Early intervention with young people through outreach and youth work approaches that prevent mental health crises before they occur.

• @ • Housing and holistic support for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, helping individuals achieve stability, wellbeing, and independence.

• @ • Specialist community mental health rehabilitation for people living with severe mental illness including complex psychosis focused on recovery and reintegration.

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Our Story

We've been innovators for over 60 years, existing to support some of the most vulnerable members of our society to lead better, more fulfilling lives.

We initially started as a small group of spirited volunteers who wanted to change how care in Oxford was delivered to the community. Fast forward all those years, and we've grown into the organisation you see today.

Staff at Littlemore Hospital began supporting people to live independently in the community, leading to the creation of Oxford Group Homes.

1960

1966 By 1966, the organisation housed 103 former hospital residents across 16 rented homes and one owned property in Oxford.

Now known as Oxfordshire Group Homes, residential homes like Iris Hayter House and St. Gabriels were opened. 1980

1997 AG Palmer House became the

organisation’s central office, opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire.

The organisation rebranded as Response to reflect its growth and evolving services.

2003

2010 Response formed a long-term partnership with Oxfordshire Mind to strengthen mental health support.

Response became a member of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, delivering integrated mental health support alongside five other organisations.

2014

2018

We extended our services into Berkshire with Carramar House, a new 24-hour mental health supported housing project in Thatcham.

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The Children and Young People Team started working with Oxford Health and other charity partners. Accommodation services for adults grew to support 230 people with mental illness.

started working with Launched Reframe to Oxford Health and support care leavers other charity partners. Created 544 rooms in Berkshire West. The Accommodation for people to call Mental Wealth Academy services for adults grew home (excluding and Home Care services to support 230 people children and young were closed due to with mental illness. people’s services). funding cuts. 2019 2021 2023

2020 2022 2024 Launched the Mental Expanded services Received an inclusive Wealth Academy and to include Settled employer award for the opened Harwood House Oxfordshire, CAMHS work we have achieved in Buckinghamshire. Social Prescribers, and on neurodiversity. Began delivering additional Mental Health the Young People’s Support Teams (MHSTs). Accommodation (YPSA) service in partnership with Oxfordshire Youth.

Received an inclusive employer award for the work we have achieved on neurodiversity.

2025 Thatcham Hub due to open. Launched the Experts by Experience Advisory Board.

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Charlotte’s Story

Life Before Response

Meet Charlotte. Charlotte, aged 51, has faced the challenges of Depression and Anxiety for many years. These mental health conditions made it difficult for her to manage daily life and build meaningful connections. Prior to joining Response, Charlotte often struggled to leave her home independently, and her confidence in social situations was low.

Finding Support with Response

Charlotte became part of the Response community three years ago. Through weekly keywork sessions, she has received the consistent support needed to manage her mental health and develop independence. Her keyworker has helped her identify strategies to cope with her anxiety and navigate life with greater confidence.

Charlotte’s Progress

Over time, Charlotte has experienced significant positive changes. With Response’s encouragement and guidance, she has gained social skills and the confidence to go out independently. This newfound independence has been life-changing for her, allowing her to participate in activities she once found daunting.

Reflecting on her experience with Response, Charlotte shares:

“RESPONSE IS A CARING ENVIRONMENT.”

Looking to the Future

Charlotte’s journey with Response has been about more than just support, it’s been about growth and empowerment. While her time with us is ongoing, she continues to make strides toward a future where she can live confidently and independently.

Impact and Hope

Charlotte’s story is a testament to the power of personalised support in fostering resilience and independence. At Response, we’re honoured to have been part of her journey and look forward to seeing her continue to thrive.

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Michael’s Story

Life before Response

Michael, now in his 80s, has lived with Schizophrenia and Depression for many years, managing his health with medication. He’s a private and independent man. Response has supported him since before 2001. These days, his key worker checks in weekly, offering conversation and occasional practical help around his room.

Before Response, Michael faced serious risks. Neighbours were taking his money, food, and clothes. His team stepped in and enrolled him in a Money Management programme to keep him safe.

His journey hasn’t been easy, but since finding stability with Response, he hasn’t returned to hospital. He’s lived with dignity, security, and calm something he didn’t have before.

Finding Support with Response

Over time, Michael began talking to us about the future. He’s never been afraid to speak honestly. When the idea of moving on first came up, he was cautious. So we introduced it slowly, over several months, weaving the idea into key work sessions. There was no pressure just space to think and talk. Eventually, it was Michael who said he was ready. It was his decision, made in his own time.

Moving Forward

With help from his key worker, Michael applied to the housing register and worked with Cherwell District Council to complete the paperwork.

He was offered a flat in Extra Care Housing. At first, he refused to go and see it. So we tried a different approach: “Can we give it a chance together? You don’t have to say yes to anything. It’s all in your hands.”

Michael agreed. After viewing the flat, he said:

“I WOULD TAKE IT GLADLY.”

We began the process through our North Patch service a 9–5 service in Banbury and Bicester for people with low support needs and complex mental health needs. We support people with benefits, housing, and practical skills, while helping them stay well in the community.

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Jane’s Story

Life before Response

Jane has bipolar disorder and PTSD. These conditions have shaped much of her adult life. In her 20s, she struggled with unstable jobs and, in 2020, reached crisis point. After a suicide attempt, she was hospitalised. But she recovered, found work, and began building a life with her partner.

By May 2023, things had changed. Jane’s mental health declined again. Both she and her partner lost their jobs and were evicted from their home. They ended up in a Travelodge in Wheatley, with nowhere else to go.

Jane felt deeply let down by mental health services. But when she met her Response key worker, something shifted. She said:

“WITH YOUR HELP, I KNOW I CAN SHINE AGAIN.”

Finding Support with Response

In July 2023, Jane was offered a place at Settled Oxfordshire, a turning point in her journey. With the pressure of homelessness lifted, she began focusing on her recovery.

At Settled Oxfordshire, Jane learned to recognise and manage her triggers. The flexible pet policy meant she could adopt Blaze, a cat who became a calming, therapeutic presence in her life.

Her physical health improved too. After registering with a GP, she received Slimming World vouchers and, with her key worker’s encouragement, lost 3.5 stone. She said:

“RESPONSE REALLY GOT ME A LIFE. THE SUPPORT AND THE GRANT HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING. I’M SO GRATEFUL.”

Moving Forward

Now Jane is looking ahead. She’s started going to the gym, explored a local discount scheme, and is working on her confidence. Her goal is to become a florist. She’s looking into floristry courses and hopes one day to open her own shop.

Jane’s story shows the power of timely, personal support, and what’s possible when someone is given the chance to recover in their own way.

Jane had also been struggling to access therapy through the NHS. In response, her key worker applied for a grant from Greater Change to fund private sessions. This allowed Jane to choose her own therapist and feel more in control of her recovery.

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Claire’s Story

Life before Response

Claire was admitted to an inpatient unit in December 2024 after several suicide attempts. She was struggling with emotional dysregulation, low self-worth, lack of enjoyment in life, and suicidal thoughts. She felt hopeless and disconnected from her future.

At first, Claire was withdrawn and hesitant to speak to staff. She avoided conversations, didn’t express any interests, and had no clear sense of direction. She described feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward.

Her goals were simple but powerful: to feel safe outside hospital, to enjoy life again, and to build self-esteem.

Finding Support with Response

Claire began working with a Youth Worker at Response. They started small, using an Interest Checklist to help Claire explore what she might enjoy. Slowly, she began taking part in group sessions and one-to-one work. As trust grew, so did Claire’s confidence.

She took on leadership roles in self-care groups and joined Community Skills sessions regularly. She built a strong bond with Walt, the therapy dog, which lifted her mood and gave her something to look forward to. A visit to the Dogs for Good training centre helped Claire discover a real interest in animal care and dog handling.

Over time, she began to open up more and talk about her future. She also started Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to support her emotional wellbeing.

Claire said:

“EVERYTHING WE DO IS SO MUCH FUN… IT HAS HELPED BUILD MY SELF-CONFIDENCE AND INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.”

Moving Forward

Now, Claire talks about her future with hope. She’s found activities she enjoys, feels more in control of her emotions, and is reconnecting with education and goals. She’s exploring university options and is interested in animal sciences as a future path. Claire has built strong relationships with staff and peers and is taking better care of herself, balancing schoolwork with wellbeing.

An occupational therapist summed it up “Claire’s Response Youth Worker has done amazing work you can really see the positive impact having a youth worker has had in Claire’s case.”

Claire’s story shows how personalised support and patience can help someone move from crisis to confidence, and begin to imagine a life beyond hospital.

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Our strategy is built around four core strategic pillars:

Care and Support

Everyone matters

System leadership Influence through collaboration

Safe, stable homes Foundations for Recovery

Stability and sustainability Strong foundations

Our activities are designed to deliver services within each of the pillars, and the following sets out our achievements to date, and our ambition for the next five years.

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Care and Support – Everyone matters

Our overall goal is for people with complex mental health conditions, wellbeing concerns or those who have challenging life experiences to live well in the community, with access to the right support at the time they need it.

Everyone has a right to a place called home, to access appropriate care and support, employment and education, and to feel accepted and part of a community or school. Sometimes people need more intensive help to achieve these goals at different points in their lives, sometimes the world we live in needs help to adjust to how people prefer to be supported for them to thrive. This is where Response come in.

Our overall ethos is everyone can reach their goals regardless of life experiences, and we are here to champion them to do this. We care, and we do not give up – however hard it may feel at times. We are skilled in helping people develop hope and belief in themselves, equipping them with the skills required to manage their mental illness, build self-esteem and confidence, in either an accommodation-based support setting or in schools and the community.

In the last year we have:

• Introduced Dialog +, a measurement tool that provides a basis for tracking an individual’s subjective quality of life and also treatment satisfaction. The approach supports each routine resident / support worker interaction being therapeutically effective;

• Moved on over 50 adults to over services either to lower support or more appropriate supported housing

• Improved the position of 85% of our adult residents in terms of their individual progression towards more independent living and self support;

• Expanded the use of Carer Forums and Experts by Experience (EbE) panels to improve and expand our activity within our Support programmes, ensuring that our residents, along with their own support network, can co-create and then co-manage activities, workshops, and care within the services;

• Reviewed the carer forum with family members to create a supportive space based on their feedback and widened membership to any carer who has a loved on receiving mental health services;

• Supported 2,380 young people in the community with their mental health needs, helping them to build brighter futures;

• Provided training and support to commercial organisations in creating and encouraging a neuro diverse, friendly workforce, and the benefits that can bring;

• Provided supported accommodation totalling 552 rooms of which 183 were for young people and 359 rooms for adults across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire;

• Worked with the Oxford City Council to house and support the growing number of people who need independent living skills support and are risk of homelessness.

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In the next year we are planning to:

• Enhance expertise through recognised accreditation in hoarding, self-neglect, substance use, neurodiversity, benefits advice and housing management.

• Deliver a domiciliary care service embedded in existing services

• Define a service for people with long term treatment resistant Serious Mental Illness (SMI) who require long term stable, supported living.

• Launch the new Thatcham community youth hub

• Expand the youth support for those in education

• Specialist mental health supported accommodation services for: substance use, women, autism.

• Develop services with the NHS to contribute to reduction of out of area placements.

• Increase the homeless and support provision in Oxfordshire by expanding homeless services

• To ensure all properties have access to Wi-Fi, and deliver digital courses through partners to equip people with knowledge and expertise of the digital world.

In the Longer term our priorities for the next five years are:

• Enhance our rehabilitation offer for people with SMI, including those with psychosis, substance use, neurodiversity, physical health needs, and treatment-resistant conditions.

• Tackle digital exclusion by partnering to provide devices, skills training, and digital access for the people we support.

• Prevent homelessness by expanding support for young people, care leavers, and vulnerable adults — helping them build the skills to live independently and well.

• Launch a personal care service, registered with the CQC, to provide integrated care and support for those who need it most.

• Embed co-produced goal setting and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) across all services.

• Strengthen specialist expertise in trauma, hoarding, self-neglect, and neurodiversity to better support people with complex needs.

• Deliver early intervention for 11–25 year olds through trauma-informed, non-clinical models in schools and communities.

• Enhance risk management to ensure those furthest from their goals are supported with safe, evidence-based approaches.

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Safe, stable homes – Foundations for Recovery

Our Estates strategy focuses on ensuring that we deliver good-quality, appropriate housing that provides each resident with a safe home, enables recovery, and promotes wellbeing.

The Last year has seen a continued focus on improving the quality of our property portfolio and its suitability for our residents.

In particular we have:

In the next year we are planning to:

• In 2025 we switched from conducting Fire Risk Assessments FRA’s biannually to annually reflecting industry best practice.

• Introduced Safety Culture, an appbased tool that enables our FRA’s to be more clearly documented and hold supporting photographic evidence of the required actions. In addition, our support team are now using this tool to regularly review rooms in terms of cleanliness, maintenance and appearance, and log any requirements into our central maintenance management system.

• Completed our re-evaluation of all properties across a range of factors including in relation to location, lease terms, local crime, upcoming EPC requirements, Decent Homes standard assessment enabling us to have a fully informed approach to handbacks and property allocation across our various contracts;

• Upskilled our support workforce, who have the day to day interaction with residents and our environments, around aspects of housing management and health and safety, thus increasing the flow of reliable up to date information regarding the status of our accommodation.

• Finalise our carbon reduction plan in relation to our main properties

• Retrofit older Response owned properties to the recommended quality level.

• Implement structures to enable us to work alongside Registered Providers to improve the financial position of Councils.

• Hand back properties which are not providing an annual surplus and/or fail our internal annual accommodation assessment.

• Implement the ActivH module planned maintenance by December 2025.

• Reduce Voids sustainably as a percentage of the portfolio.

• To have developed a plan to get all Response owned properties to an EPC “C” Rating by 2028 or a plan to divest and use the funds to improve the properties we own.

In the Longer term our priorities for the next five years are:

• Form strategic partnerships with Registered Providers to deliver quality, cost-effective supported housing.

• Continue to demonstrate compliance with CQC guidance, whereby regulated activities require separation of care and accommodation.

• Modernise Response’s housing stock through retrofit and refurbishment to meet Decent Homes Standard, and to pass the ‘mum’ test.

• Invest in EPC upgrades and energy efficiency to reach EPC C rating across all properties.

• Increase availability of self-contained and staffed supported housing to better meet the needs of people who use our services.

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System leadership – Influence through Collaboration

Delivering effective mental health support and care in the community requires leveraging strong and trusting partnerships with individuals, their loved ones, health services, social care, schools, the voluntary sector and everyone else who makes up a community. The aim is for everyone to have the same goal for that person, working together in the same direction to obtain the best possible outcomes.

We will continue to be a system leader across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire; influencing and developing strong relationships with partners across local councils, NHS Trusts, primary care, education, housing authorities and corporate organisations to champion for people to access services at the earliest point possible to give people the opportunity to thrive in life.

People who use our services are at the centre of designing and improving how we work. Listening to the voice of individuals and their loved ones on their experiences is integral to building sustainable, effective services - based on what matters most to them. This ranges from jointly produced support plans to whole service redesign.

We are committed to not only improving the lives of people using our services, we are also committed to helping the world re-learn how to support and work with people with mental health conditions and wellbeing problems.

In the last year we have:

• Expanded our Experts by Experience panels, enabling the development of new activities within our services, and increasing the amount of coproduction, as well as identifying a bank of EbE’s who are now trained to be on interview panels;

• Worked closely in partnership with Oxford Health on the development and refinement of the Outcomes Based Contract, focussing on our adult residents with severe mental health challenges;

• Established a new partnership with the Rapid ReHousing team at Oxford City Council providing accommodation and support for individuals previously housed in hotels;

• Partnered with Oxford University Department of Psychiatry to trial and roll out a new approach to support autistic and neurodivergent young people in a strength-based way.

• Continued with our successful partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Youth on the redesign of the Young Persons Supported Accommodation programme, currently focussed on 16 – 25 year olds;

• Built our portfolio of partners to support our work with residents across specific areas of expertise such as drug and alcohol use, safeguarding, domestic violence and complex needs

• Developed a robust internal Safeguarding Panel process to immediately ensure support and actions are in place for residents and staff and safeguarding is appropriately escalated to senior managers in relevant departments.

• Continued to play a leading role in the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, alongside Oxfordshire Mind, Restore, Connection Support, Elmore and Oxford Health Foundation Trust, on the development of mental health services cross Oxfordshire

• Partnered with local businesses across a range of activities including fundraising, event participation, provision of discounted or free product, and in terms of advocacy.

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Over the next year we plan to:

• Embed lived experience in service design, governance, and commissioning, establishing a Lived Experience Advisory Board.

• Co-chair the VCSE alliance mental health group across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (BOB), and to use this platform to influence change and advocate for people.

• Continue as the CAMHs representative on the Integrated Care Partnership across BOB.

• Develop long term partnerships with local businesses

• Co-develop a career pathway with partners for workforce in the health and social care sector.

• Improve our understanding of the overall financial impact Response services have provided to BOB.

• Introduction of Artificial Intelligence into core processes to improve efficiency and accuracy.

In the Longer Term our priorities are:

• Build trust with diverse communities to address stigma and reduce racial disparities in mental health care.

• Continue to Strengthen safeguarding practices across all services to ensure safety and wellbeing.

• Represent the sector at system-level forums across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire.

• Influence ICB-level planning to reduce out-of-area placements and improve local care pathways.

• Build cross-sector partnerships with schools, corporate partners, and workforce bodies to strengthen whole-community support.

• Secure financial sustainability through partnerships with Trusts, Foundations, and Corporates that unlock new investment and income.

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Stability and Sustainability – Strong foundations

To achieve our ambitions, we must have strong and stable foundations. We have worked hard over the years to ensure we have good governance and financial resilience, a positive culture made up of skilled and happy colleagues who are constantly curious, and an open and inclusive environment. We are committed to build on this further over the next five years.

Across all of our activities, we look to undertake our work to the highest possible standards – and to be recognised for this. To enhance our position as a leading provider of Supported Housing we need to demonstrate that we meet, and indeed exceed, the standards expected of us.

Our support work is funded through commissioners, providing a “minimum” contracted level of support. At Response we want to provide so much more in terms of support activities, increased engagement, and specialist services, all designed to enhance the potential of the individuals we support, and increase their opportunity for recovery. At the same time we want to develop and retain our dedicated workforce who are valued, fulfilled and make a real difference to people’s lives.

In the Last Year we have:

• Opened up conversations with key commissioners around financial risk sharing, mitigating the impact of voids and arrears on the performance of the Charity;

• Reduced our staff turnover in Adult Support Services (our main front line team) from 38% to 28%

• Won the Inclusive Employer award with Genius Within for our work on Neurodiversity.

• Increased our employee high wellbeing scores by 55%

• Introduced our first Values and Behaviour Competency Framework to set expectations and enable people to develop and grow.

• Improved our forward cash management systems to provide effective daily management;

• Invested in our fundraising capability, both in terms of the team and systems.

• Held our first Response Resilience Day, bringing colleagues together to share experiences, and to develop well-being mechanisms for managing the daily stresses associated with our work;

• Expanded our “Day in the Life” programme, whereby individuals visit other services within the organisation to see how different teams manage their services, and to exchange ideas with the aim of raising overall standards consistently.

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Over the Next Year we plan to:

• Based on our current experience, set a realistic fundraising strategy for the next five years;

• Enhance our framework for the gathering, analysing and reporting of all information, including Contact, Support and Impact information as part of our day-to-day operations, making use of technology where suitable

• Set out a meaningful and purposeful anti-racism and anti-discrimination statement and workplan outlining our approach to ensure racism has no place at Response, either on a structural or an individual level

• Revamp our employee wellbeing programme, covering mental health resources, flexible work options, physical wellness initiatives, and resilience building.

• Review all of our activities, Support, Outreach and Housing and have agreed on the future regulatory framework for each activity / service.

• In relation to all of our contracts, ensure commissioners understand the financial risk that each party is bearing and where possible agree a basis on which financial risk can be shared or mitigated.

In the Longer term over the next five years we plan to:

• Diversify income streams through partnerships with trusts, foundations, corporate supporters, and public fundraising.

• Secure fair and sustainable contracts that ensure long-term financial viability and reflect the true cost of delivering quality services.

• Implement an integrated impact and performance framework to measure what matters and demonstrate our value.

• Co-produce and deliver an anti-racism and anti-discrimination strategy, building on the work already underway.

• Foster a supportive, healthy workplace that prioritises the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of all colleagues — so everyone has a good day at work.

• Deliver workforce development plans that anticipate future system needs and support career progression, leadership, and retention.

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Response Organisation

Our Programmes

Response is part of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership, with the overall goal to improve outcomes for people who use our services. We are better together by providing a holistic offer of support and this is evidenced through year on year improvements against shared outcome priorities related to improved mental health outcomes, community engagement, stable housing and physical health.

We are the largest provider for the Young People’s Supported Accommodation (YPSA) service in Oxfordshire, and are proud of the work we do to support young people to live safely and to thrive in their own homes. We work in partnership to deliver the service. We provide supported housing for 62 individuals aged 16-17 and unaccompanied young people in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council; and we provide supported housing for 109 individuals aged 18-24 including care leavers across Oxfordshire in partnership with Oxfordshire Youth.

We offer tailored mental health and wellbeing services to young people and their families in Oxfordshire, working in partnership with our statutory and voluntary sector partners.

Our social prescriber youth worker model is provided across schools, homes, and as part of clinical teams in Oxfordshire, and within inpatient wards in Berkshire.

We use a non-clinical approach informed by youth work and social prescribing model which allows us to respond to children and young people’s needs through engaging and impactful practice, using Solution Focused and SEND informed approaches. We also embed this approach into CAMHS systems and schools to engage and connect young people with community-based services local to them, build confidence and grow their personal networks.

The Four pillars of our strategy, together with our values, flow through all of our activities. Those activities fall into two broad areas:

Adult Services

Providing mental health support to Adults across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. This support is in the form of Supported Housing, combined with a range of support services based on individual need.

Children’s, Young People and Families

Providing a range of community based outreach services into schools, communities, and hospitals.

Adult Services, as well as the Young Person’s Supported Accommodation (YPSA) programme for 16 – 25 year olds, are supported by our Supported Housing Team.

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Response Organisation

Adult Services Programmes

Response offers mental health support and housing to adults with serious mental illness across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. We provide a variety of supported accommodation ranging from accommodation with visiting support to on-site 24/7 services.

We are a specialist accommodation and support provider for people with complex mental health presentations. Our colleagues are trained to help individuals with dual presentations of psychosis often co-occurring with autism, personality disorders, drug and alcohol use and physical health needs.

We also ensure people access the right care packages if they have domiciliary care needs. In our intensive 24 hour services we provide medication support and meals to individuals who cannot do this themselves. Medication and nutrition support are also provided in our 24 hour services. Individuals are encouraged to self medicate with the use of assistive technology where appropriate.

We believe that for our services to be effective, they must be based on sound values and principles. We also believe that it is vital to understand the people who use our services as individuals, to address their needs adequately. Our Recovery Model draws from a range of therapeutic approaches to empower colleagues and the individuals we support to work on their own recovery goals through personalised services.

This model is based on three simple premises:

1. It is possible to recover from a mental health condition.

2. It is essential to support individuals to meet their own goals and move them to greater independence.

3. The most effective recovery is directed by the individual.

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Response Organisation

Within our Adult Services Support programme, Response provides the following range of support, depending on the needs of the resident:

24 hour supported accommodation

Designed for individuals suffering from Serious Mental Illness, the goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for residents to live independently, while benefiting from the necessary care and support.

Care Quality Commission registered care home

Response manages its own CQC registered care home for adults diagnosed with serious mental illness and complex health needs.

Intensive 24-hour support

Community housing, with visiting support

Residents are responsible for managing their own daily activities and needs, with support workers visiting regularly to assess well-being and provide recovery-focused support.

This achieves a balance between independence and self-sufficiency, and safety and well-being.

Specialist recovery provision for women

Provides Housing and Support for women to reduce health inequalities and improve life chances, while building a sense of community.

Community housing with support from 9-5

Accommodation is staffed on a daily basis, during which residents receive the necessary care and support, however residents are expected to be more independent and manage their own needs at evenings and weekends.

This service is designed for individuals with severe mental health issues and complex needs and seeks to provide a safe and highly supportive environment for residents to live independently, whilst also receiving the necessary round the clock care and support.

Homeless supported housing

Providing affordable, supported accommodation for individuals exiting homelessness.

Supported ReHousing

Providing supported housing in partnership with Oxford City Council for individuals previously housed in hotels and other temporary accommodation.

As well as the above services, Response has successfully developed the unique role of Move on Coordinator. These individuals work with patients who are being discharged from acute wards, and work to ensure all the patient’s essential needs are met when they return to the community. Our Move on Coordinators help individuals avoid homelessness and connect them to the right community support services on discharge. Response has found that the work carried out by these staff members has massively reduced homelessness following discharge by over 95 percent, whilst also reducing re-admission rates.

Across Adult Services, Response works with a range of residents, and their feedback, and the feedback of those around them, is an important part of the story. During the last year:

• 94% of carers, family and friends felt supported in their roles

• 85% of carers felt that their loved one was supported

• 86% of our residents were satisfied with their support

We were also able to move on 51 residents out of our services, saw a decline in incidents, and rolled out Dialog+ across our services as well as introduced electronic medication records across our main campus services.

24

Response Organisation

ANXIETY AND LOW MOOD ARE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE SEE A LOT IN THE YOUNG PEOPLE WE WORK WITH, AND THE OUTREACH APPROACH ALLOWS US TO SUPPORT THEM TOWARDS A ‘LIFE-WORTH LIVING.

Children, Young People and Families Programmes

Our services are tailored to meet the unique needs of each young person and family we work with. We take an approach which is tailored to each individual in the support we offer, focusing on their strengths and working collaboratively with families/loved ones and community agencies to support them with their journey.

Our team understands that seeking help for mental health and wellbeing challenges can be daunting, especially for children, young people and their families. That's why we work to create an inclusive, safe and welcoming environment where young people and their families/loved ones can feel comfortable and supported.

We believe that early intervention and prevention are key to improving outcomes for young people and families struggling with mental health and wellbeing challenges. We work closely with schools, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), GPs, and other professionals to ensure that young people and families/loved ones receive the support they need, how and when they need it.

25

Response Organisation

ONE OF THE COACHES WAS THE CATALYST FOR MY JOURNEY TOWARDS STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY. HE’S THE REASON WHY I TOOK SUCH A PROFOUNDLY, BIG STEP. I THINK STARTING UNIVERSITY WILL OPEN A LOT OF DOORS FOR ME, IT’S REALLY EXCITING!

Young People’s Supported Accommodation (“YPSA”) programme

This is commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with the district councils. The YPSA programme is a service that supports young people aged 16 to 24 who are at risk of homelessness, are care leavers or unaccompanied young people that require accommodation and support to develop independent living skills. Response is commissioned to provide some of the accommodation and support, delivered in partnership with Oxford City Council (16-17 year olds) and Oxfordshire Youth.

The key impacts of this programme are:

1. Enabling young people to build the skills to live independently.

2. Through working with other agencies, ensuring there is a holistic support for young people

3. Helping young people to engage or re-engage with activity that supports education, employment or training.

In addition to the YPSA work at Response, our children, young people and families’ service, provides the following range of support:

Outreach Service

Response oversees the outreach contract with third sector partners, on behalf of Oxford Health. There are embedded workers employed by Response, and other voluntary sector organisations, including RAW and BYHP, working in the CAMHS outreach clinical team.

These CAMHS third sector outreach workers complement the work of the clinical team through providing further support to young people aged 11-18 years through non- clinical flexible approaches to connect young people with community-based services local to them, build confidence and grow their personal networks.

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Response Organisation

Wellbeing Youth Workers

Our contract with Oxford Health CAMHS for the provision of Mental Health Support Workers within schools came to an end in March 2025. These workers enhanced the whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, through targeting secondary schools with drop-ins, assemblies, group work and 1 to 1 support for young people with mild to moderate mental health and wellbeing needs, as well as low level consultation to staff. Young people with more complex needs and staff are still supported by the Educational Mental Health Practitioners.

In March 2025 the contract was supporting 32 schools in Oxfordshire, being over 95% of the Secondary Schools in the area. Of more than 2500 children and young people who engaged with the service, 86% improved their ability to manage their own mental health and 99% said they would recommend our approach.

We are now offering this expertise and experience directly to schools who want to pay for their own dedicated worker. We believe this plays a key role in early stage intervention and prevention and has the potential to significantly reduce the burden on the Health system in the future.

Reframe

Reframe is a service that supports 16-25-year-olds affected by lifechanging events who often fall through the gaps between Child & Adolescent to Adult Mental Health Services. The overriding aims of the Reframe service are to reduce health inequalities, increase resilience and improve life chances for young adults.

Reframe operated in Berkshire West until March 24 (covering the local areas of Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire) supporting young people in care or those leaving the care system as well as being open to all 18 to 25 year olds in this area. We are currently developing a new partnership model for Reframe and will work to seek funding to bring the project back to Oxfordshire.

Specialist Youth Workers in Tier 4 CAMHS Services

This service supports young people with the most acute mental health needs in hospitals through social prescribing youth workers that complement the work of the clinical team through connecting with young people, identifying what matters most to them and supporting access to community services upon hospital discharge.

Key achievements from the year

• Trialling a new approach to bring social prescribing into the CAMHS Single Point of Access Supportive Steps team;

• Working with Oxfordshire University Department of Psychiatry to trial a new training programme for practitioners working with autistic and neurodivergent young people;

• Developing a strong partnership with Oxford University Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) project and being nominate for a Vice-Chancellor’s community award;

Getting Help Social Prescribers

Social prescribers build relationships with young people to identify areas of interest and connect young people to local community offers to grow their personal network through things they enjoy or want to experience. This complements the clinical support in place through the CAMHS Getting Help/ Getting More Help teams. This service ended in March 2024 to make way for a new pilot social prescribing service for 24-25 in the CAMHS Single Point of Access team.

• Securing funding for the Thatcham Wellbeing Hub project.

• Resident’s departure from Response into the most appropriate accommodation for them

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Response Organisation

Over 500

people living in our supported accommodation

Supported Housing Team

Housing remains an integral part of our support offering. The environment in which a resident lives is a key part of their support, and the Housing team are currently focussed on ensuring that our portfolio meets those support needs.

Our Supported Housing Team comprises the management of both residents and of properties.

Resident Management includes the entire process from the initial occupation agreement, through to eventual move-on. As well as the agreements, our team is responsible for rent collection, either from the individuals or from councils and others on their behalf, and for ensuring that residents, and their support network, have a clear understanding of how they need to manage their finances.

Property management includes new leases, handbacks, maintenance, health and safety, and regular landlord liaison. As part of this team Response employs its own team of Repairs and Maintenance Operatives, as well as utilising contractors where there are particular specialist tasks to be undertaken.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

Financial review

The Statement of Financial Activities, set out on page 40, reflects all income receivable in the year.

The net expenditure for the year was £88,000 (2024: net expenditure £235,000). The charity continues to manage costs closely, recognising that there are the twin continual pressures of increasing wages and related costs, and contract pricing pressure within the health and council sectors.

Pence in the £

The Charity maintains a number of central functions whose sole purpose is to support the Charity’s activities, including in areas such as Finance, Human Resources, and IT support. In the current year these support costs represented 12.6p in every £1 of Income (2024: 13.5p, 2023: 17.2p).

Reserves Policy

The Reserves Policy is reviewed annually. The Trustees have decided that the policy for free reserves should be measured in terms of the number of weeks’ expenditure to be covered, rather than income, having considered best practice and sector benchmarking.

The definition of free reserves can include certain fixed assets as well as net current assets (excluding restricted funds). Response holds a number of unencumbered freehold properties that could be sold and replaced with rented houses should additional funding be required. These properties are shown at cost in the financial statements. Trustees have determined that up to one third of free reserves could be made up of such fixed assets.

Response aims to hold a minimum of one month’s expenditure as free reserves as defined above, and to increase free reserves held to a minimum of six weeks’ expenditure over the next three years. Each year the Trustees consider Response Organisation’s exposure to the risk of any significant loss of income or unforeseen cost. The nature of our contracts means that any major contractual change would require at least six months’ notice which would enable us to put in place additional funding if it should be needed.

In considering what constitutes “free reserves”, the Trustees take the balance standing to the credit of unrestricted funds, deduct from that the cost of owned properties (less any associated loans) that are not linked to restricted funds, to arrive at a figure of free reserves. The reserves trend for the last five years for the Charity itself, can be summarised as follows:

All in £000s Unrestricted funds Property Assets (excluding restricted) Mortgages and loans “Free Reserves” Represents X weeks of charitable expenditure	2025 6,370	2024 6,453	2023 6,818	2022 7,411	2021 7,354
	7,266 (1,367)	7,337 (1,500)	7,894 (1,628)	8,130 (1,752)	8,170 (1,876)
	5,899	5,837	6,266	6,378	6,294
	471	616	552	1,033	1,060
	1.43	1.92	1.68	3.29	4.14

At 31 March 2025 Response did not meet the free reserves requirement. The Trustees and the Executive Team continue to review and negotiate key contracts to assess their viability and ensure that sufficient margin and cash is being generated going forward to enable the Charity to have sufficient reserves. They also recognise the challenges involved, in the context of the Charity’s activities, in restoring reserves to the target levels in the medium term.

The Charity historically has invested in property used to accommodate many of the Charity’s beneficiaries.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

Source of funds

----- Start of picture text -----
YPSA 10.8%
Housing
53.1% Adult Support 31.3%
CYPF 3.7%
Investments 0.21%
Donations and Legacies
0.89%
----- End of picture text -----

This is mix of income for the current financial year.

Central Support costs as % of total spent

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 12.5%
2024 13.4%
2023 16.5%
2022 12.8%
2021 10.8%
2020 14.7%
----- End of picture text -----

Programme support costs are now settled again around 12 - 13%. 2022 saw an increase in central costs to reflect introduction of YPSA and an ever increasing regulatory environment.

Free Reserves

Income over time and Expenditure

2025		16,990
2024		16,527
2023		16,695
2022		16,509
2021		13,377
2020	10,225
2025		17,078
2024		16,762
2023		17,404
2022		16,441
2021		13,307
2020	9,876

Changing trends in income. Introduction of YPSA during 2021 drove a new strand of support services, and also an increase in housing. Also note that for the purposes of working capital, property sales happened in 2022 and 2023.

Expenditure patterns are in line with income patterns, although cost increases exceed increases in revenues.

£000s (table in Annual Report)

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 471
2024 616
2023 552
2022 1033
2021 1060
2020 1280
----- End of picture text -----

The decline in free reserves reflects the difficulty in passing on increased costs.

Net Current Assets

Net current assets per balance sheet

----- Start of picture text -----
2025 164
2024 264
2023 331
2022 644
2021 803
2020 1357
----- End of picture text -----

Again reflective of cost inflation exceeding revenue increases.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

Risk management and internal control

The Trustees have reviewed and updated the formal risk management process to assess business risk and implement risk management strategies. They have assessed the appropriate risk appetite for the organisation and approved an updated risk policy and strategy. Risk management is owned by the Board and the corporate risk register is on the agenda at each Board meeting.

Risk

Recruitment and retention of top talent - we recognise that if we fail to have the competitive salary and benefits package together with right culture we may be unable to deliver services. Challenging recruitment sector especially for frontline adult services.

Actions taken to date to address the risk

We remained an Oxford Living Wage employer for the fourth year running and have developed pay bands and a job evaluation framework, making Response more competitive with salaries. A new Continuous Feedback Framework has been embedded which enables objective setting and career aspiration conversations along with a review of workload and key worker ratio reductions in Adult Services.

Housing compliance standards – we recognise that if these are not met this could lead to loss of contracts, fines and legal/regulatory action, incidents, negative impact on recovery of clients, and impact on staff wellbeing.

We have completed our full benchmarking of our properties against the Decent Home Standard as well as our own assessment criteria, and use this information to actively manage the activities of our property management team.

Financial sustainability – we recognise that a diverse range of income streams and substantial capital reserves are required, and will ensure sustainability; the current growth phase will consolidate the position for Response Organisation

Our Support contracts continue to be under financial pressure with revenue increases falling behind increases in Living Wage and Inflation. The focus remains on cost management, good housing management to minimise voids, and in managing arrears. The investment made during the year in fundraising capacity is starting to raise our external profile and also to generate funds.

Delivery of the YPSA contract – we recognise the challenge of delivering this contract in the context of a range of financial, reputational and resource pressures.

We are actively engaged with the Commissioners on how this contract will be reshaped from Autumn 2025, and the financial risks associated with this contract are now well understood by both the Commissioners and ourselves.

Health and safety – We recognise that weak Health and safety systems, processes, policies and staff aware may lead to an increase in major incidents, accidents, and work-related illnesses

Following our full Health and Safety review in 2024, we have recruited to strengthen our Health and Safety team, and introduced App based tools to enable support staff to provide regular reports on the status of all of our properties.

IT Security. We recognise that cyber attacks, hacking, fraud and system failure may lead to operational failure if we have inadequate IT infrastructure

We continue to achieve “Standards Met” in our Data Security and Protection Toolkit assessment. In addition we have focussed on our Cyber Essentials accreditation. Mobile phones and computers have been moved on to a mobile device management system and Conditional Access has been introduced, along with increased use of Triple Factor authentication.

Changes in legislation and planning attitudes, particularly following the recent election, may have a significant impact on the rented property sector and our ability to manage and source suitable accommodation for those clients who use our services

We are monitoring these areas closely, and have noted impact of strategies around urban locations and the desire to reduce multiple occupancy accommodation in favour of families, and also the potential new legislation around landlord and tenant rights. We continue to work closely with Commissioners and Council planning departments to reach solutions that support our respective clients.

31

Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

The Trustees have reviewed Response

Organisation’s current internal controls and the costs of operating particular controls, relative to the benefits. The internal systems are designed to provide reasonable but not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss.

They include:

• A strategic plan and annual budget approved by the Trustees

• Regular consideration by the Trustees of financial results, variances from budgets and non-financial performance indicators

• Delegation of day to day management authority and segregation of duties

Employees

Response Organisation aims to be a great place to work where our people feel valued and are given opportunities to develop and learn. Employees are involved in defining our corporate strategies and objectives and we continually ask ourselves how well we are doing in terms of managing and involving our employees.

Engagement with employees

Response values our colleagues and seeks to reflect our values of being caring, safe, creative and aspirational in our organisational culture. We seek to ensure that people feel informed about what is happening within Response and that their views are considered when decisions are made. The wellbeing of our colleagues is a priority for Response and was demonstrated through our first Organisational Resilience Retreat. The day included a motivational speaker, chair yoga, breath workshops and team building activities. The day provided our colleagues with tips and techniques to help them improve resilience and connect with individuals across the organisation who they may never have met prior to the event.

The bi-annual wellbeing survey results also remained above target, with a 55% increase in high wellbeing compared to last year.

Great feedback included:

“Response is the best company that I have worked for when it comes to wellbeing, they really do put their employees at the heart of what they do. It makes me proud to work for them.”

“I think Response takes wellbeing seriously and there’s been real progress in some areas. Things like flexible working, wellbeing days, and regular checkins with managers do make a difference.”

“I can see that wellbeing is prioritised at Response at all levels of the organisation. My manager cares about my wellbeing and I can see the effort the organisation is making to keep it on the agenda.”

Response received the ‘Inclusive Employers’ Award at the Genius Within Awards Ceremony for the work achieved on Neuro-inclusivity over the last 12 months. The Neurodiversity Group continues to provide advice and support for Neurodivergent colleagues through their Champions Scheme. They have also initiated changes to processes including sending interview questions out in advance to candidates, introduced a ‘Work With Me’ Passport to capture individual preferences to support their wellbeing and neurodivergent condition.

Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool built to help people understand themselves, understand others, and make the most of the relationships that affect them in the workplace has been rolled out across Response. This approach has enabled teams to improve their bond, provide a better understanding of each other’s communication preferences and enabled improved cross team communication.

Response were able to continue with the accreditation as an Oxford Living Wage employer for a fourth year in a row, ensuring we can provide a competitive rate of pay across Oxfordshire that is sustainable for individuals to live and work in the county.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

Disabled employees

Response is an equal opportunities employer and has the Employer Accreditation with Disability Confident. Response seeks to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of any protected characteristics. Response recognises that it is the prime task of those responsible for recruitment to ensure that the best person is appointed for each vacancy, regardless of the protected characteristics stated in the Equality Act 2010.

As of 31st March 2025 5.7% (2024 6.5%) of members of staff had self-declared a disability.

If the applicant is disabled, and short-listed for interview, they will be asked if they have any special requirements to enable them to undertake the interview. For example, wheelchair access, assistance with completing any test or lip-reading/sign-language. The panel will assess each applicant’s responses in the interview individually using a standard scoring system. Everyone has equal opportunities to apply for job opportunities across Response, promotion or sideways moves, all job vacancies are advertised to all of Response weekly. Training opportunities are open to all employees.

Response utilises an external occupational health provider where necessary and appropriate and with agreement from the employee when an employee becomes disabled as well as for other health issues impacting on their work. Response utilises the government’s access to work scheme when reasonable adjustments have been exhausted. A Work With Me Passport is put in place – this supports the employee and the line manager –ensuring both parties are working collaboratively together.

Pensions

Response Organisation continues to operate a defined contribution pension scheme with Aviva. For those employees who are not members of the Aviva scheme, in August 2014 Response Organisation introduced automatic enrolment into a defined contribution workplace pension scheme with The People’s Pension.

The pensions offered and provided to employees meets The Pensions Regulator’s requirements.

Funds held on behalf of third parties

At 31st March 2025 Response Organisation held funds totalling 108k (2024: £251k) on behalf of residents. The transactions and assets associated with residents’ funds are accounted for separately and are not included within the financial statements of Response Organisation. Residents’ funds are held in separate bank accounts and specific controls are in place to safeguard these funds.

Structure, governance and management

Response Organisation is governed by its Articles of Association. The Board of Trustees (“the Board”) is responsible for the overall governance of the charity. The Board meets six times a year. The quorum of the Board is five Trustees and for any Committee is three; the maximum number of Trustees is twelve.

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:

C Cornforth N Inge Dr M Muijen B Palmer K Rushworth V Vogwill Appointed 22 May 2025 L Weston Appointed 10 July 2025 S White Appointed 22 May 2025 J Dancer Resigned 6 January 2025 L Callahan Resigned 29 September 2024 E Nicholson Resigned 2 May 2024 D Orisewezie Resigned 10 September 2024 F Solla Resigned 14 March 2025 R Sutcliffe Resigned 10 July 2025 J Yates Resigned 2 December 2024

The Board would like to thank all of the Trustees who stood down during the period for their contribution to the Charity during their time in office, and the enthusiasm and commitment they demonstrated to the purpose and values of the organisation.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

In January 2021 the Board reviewed its Standing Orders, Scheme of Delegation and Reservation of Powers. The Standing Orders take account of the Articles of Association, legislative, code and regulatory requirements and good practice advice. The Board are currently reviewing these documents to ensure that they remain appropriate to the needs of the Charity.

The Standing Orders also clarify how the procedures and delegations work in accordance with the constitution and taking account of the codes as follows:

• Charity Commission Charity Governance Code for larger charities;

• Charity Commission The Essential Trustee: what you need to know, what you need to do (CC3)

• Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009

• National Housing Federation Code of Governance and Code of Conduct

Response Organisation has complied with the Charity Commission Code of Governance.

The Standing Orders are part of a wider governance framework which includes:

• Articles of Association

• Scheme of Delegation and Powers of Reservation

• Financial Regulations

• Business plan and strategies

• Policies and procedures

• Terms of reference for the Board and Committees

The present membership of the Board is set out on the legal and administrative information page. A regular skills audit is carried out to ensure that the Trustee body has the appropriate mix of skills and experience. New Trustees receive an induction pack containing detailed information about Response Organisation, its organisation and its work. Trustees are encouraged to undertake a skills audit and to attend training sessions in order to develop their knowledge and skills.

The Trustees actively encourage the participation of users and carers in the working of the charity.

Election and re-election of Trustees is carried out by approval by the Board. Executive Officers are consulted regarding all appointments. Trustees are appointed for a period of three years after which they are required to retire by rotation at an Annual General Meeting. Trustees who so retire, may, if willing to act, be reappointed up to a maximum total term of nine years. A Trustee’s term of office may also be ended by resignation or by removal, if necessary, by the Board and in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

The Chief Executive is responsible for the day to day management of Response Organisation’s affairs and for implementing policies agreed by the Board. The Chief Executive is assisted by a team of senior managers.

Committees

The Board has established three formally constituted sub-committees, each with specific terms of reference and functions delegated by the Board; formal minutes of the committees are circulated to all Board members. The committees are:-

• Audit, Risk & People

• Finance & Property

• Quality & Performance

The Audit, Risk and People Committee meets at least four times a year and oversees and provides assurance to the Board in discharging its responsibility for Response’s audit, risk and HR activities.

This comprises financial reporting assurance; external audit; internal audit control and compliance, including corporate performance comprising the specification of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) adopted by the Board, Finance, and Performance Committees; IT Security and General Data Protection; business continuity; financial stress testing; health and safety, people and the risk management framework.

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Response Organisation

Trustees’ report (including directors’ report) year ended 31 march 2025

Particular areas of focus in 2024/25 were ensuring effective Board governance of risk, information governance, the management of Serious Incidents, and the implementation of a formal Trustee appraisal process.

The Committee evaluates its performance on an annual basis using the Deloitte Audit Committee Effectiveness Framework.

The Finance and Property Committee meets at least six times a year and oversees and provides assurance to the Board in discharging its responsibility for financial oversight and property asset management, including acquisitions and disposals.

This includes business planning and approval of the draft annual budget for recommendation to the Board and monitoring performance against it, and compliance with loan covenants and financial regulations.

The Quality and Performance Committee meets at least six times a year and oversees and provides assurance to the Board in discharging its responsibility for engaging with its clients and focuses on enhancing the delivery of the services provided to them. This includes safeguarding, service user and stakeholder engagement, service delivery performance and KPIs.

The Board has responsibility for safeguarding the clients; it attaches high importance to this responsibility, and its membership includes individuals with significant experience in this field.

Key Management Personnel Remuneration

The Trustees consider the Trustees and Executive Officers as comprising the key management personnel of the charity: the Board is responsible for strategic planning and direction of the charity and it delegates to the Executive Officers the responsibility for managing and operating the charity on a day to day basis. All Trustees give of their time freely and no Trustee remuneration was paid in the year. Details of Trustee expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 11 to the accounts.

Trustees are required to disclose all relevant interests and in accordance with the charity’s policy, withdraw from decisions where a conflict of interest arises.

The pay of the Executive Officers is reviewed annually. The remuneration is reviewed to ensure that it is fair and not out of line with similar roles.

Auditor

In accordance with the company’s articles, a resolution proposing that Gravita Audit Oxford LLP be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.

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.

L Weston

Chair of Board of Trustees

Date: 27[th] November 2025

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Response Organisation

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The trustees, who are also the directors of Response Organisation 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:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

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

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.

36

Response Organisation

Independent auditor’s report To the members of response organisation

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Response Organisation (‘the charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2025 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including 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:

• give a true and fair view of the state of the charitable company’s affairs as at 31 March 2025 and of the its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for the year then ended;

• have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

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

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the 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 charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

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

Other information

The 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, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, 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.

37

Response Organisation

Independent auditor’s report To the members of response organisation

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

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

• the information given in the trustees’ report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared, which includes the directors’ report prepared for the purposes of company law, is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the directors’ report included within the trustees’ report.

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

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

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

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

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

• the trustees were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regime and take advantage of the small companies’ exemptions in preparing the trustees’ report and from the requirement to prepare a strategic report.

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

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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

• the engagement partner ensured that the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence, capabilities, and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

• we identified the laws and regulations applicable to the company through discussions with directors and other management, and from our knowledge and experience;

38

Response Organisation

Independent auditor’s report To the members of response organisation

• we focused on specific laws and regulations which we considered may have a direct material effect on the financial statements or the operations of the Company.

We assessed the extent of compliance with the laws and regulations identified above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence where applicable; and identified laws and regulations were communicated within the audit team regularly and the team remained alert to instances of non-compliance throughout the audit.

We assessed the susceptibility of the charitable company’s financial statements to material misstatement, including obtaining an understanding of how fraud might occur, by:

• making enquiries of management as to where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud, their knowledge of actual, suspected, and alleged fraud; and

• considering the internal controls in place to mitigate risks of fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations.

To address the risk of fraud through management bias and override of controls, we:

• performed analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships;

• tested journal entries to identify unusual transactions;

• assessed whether judgements and assumptions made in determining the accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias; and

• investigated the rationale behind significant or unusual transactions.

In response to the risk of irregularities and noncompliance with laws and regulations, we designed procedures which included, but were not limited to:

• enquiring of management as to actual and potential litigation and claims;

• reviewing relevant correspondence.

There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures described above. The more removed that laws and regulations are from financial transactions, the less likely it is that we would become aware of non-compliance. Auditing standards also limit the audit procedures required to identify non-compliance with laws and regulations to enquiry of the Trustees and other management and the inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

Material misstatements that arise due to fraud can be harder to detect than those that arise from error as they may involve deliberate concealment or collusion.

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.

Use of our report

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

Katherine Wilkes FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) for and on behalf of Gravita Audit Oxford LLP Statutory Auditor

Date: 1[st] December 2025

• agreeing financial statement disclosures to underlying supporting documentation;

• reading the minutes of meetings of those charged with governance;

First Floor, Park Central 40 - 41 Park End Street Oxford, OX1 1JD

39

Response Organisation

Statement of financial activities

(Including income and expenditure account) – for the year ended 31 March 2025

Income and endowments from: Donations and legacies 3 Charitable activities Housing 4 Adult services 4 Children services 4 Central services income 4 Investments 5 Total income Expenditure on: Raising funds 6 Charitable activities Housing 7 Adult services 7 Children’s services 7 Total charitable expenditure Loan interest Total expenditure Transfers between funds Net income for the year / Net movement in funds Fund balances as at 1 April 2024 Fund balances as at 31 March 2025	Unrestricted Funds 2025 £’000 96 10,861 5,314 627 - 37	Restricted Funds 2025 £’000 55 - - - - -	Total 2025 £’000 151 10,861 5,314 627 - 37	Unrestricted Funds 2024 £’000 203 9,958 5,252 1,014 55 45	Restricted Funds 2024 £’000 - - - - - -	Total 2024 £’000 203 9,958 5,252 1,014 55 45
	16,935	55	16,990	16,527	-	16,527
	76	7	83	18	-	18
	10,353 5,813 735	22 - -	10,375 5,813 735	9,466 6,250 900	46 - -	9,512 6,250 900
	16,901	22	16,923	16,616	46	16,662
	72	-	72	82	-	82
	17,049	29	17,078	16,716	46	16,762
	28	(28)	-	-	-	-
	(86) 6,453	(2) 532	(88) 6,985	(189) 6,642	(46) 578	(235) 7,220
	6,367	530	6,897	6,453	532	6,985

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.

40

Response Organisation

Balance sheet

As at 31 March 2025

Notes Fixed assets Tangible assets 12 Current assets Debtors 13 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 14 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Creditors: amounts falling due afer more than one year 15 Provisions for liabilities 17 Net assets Income funds Restricted funds 18 Unrestricted funds	2025 £’000 8,185 1,976 667	2024 £’000 8,289 1,634 1,546
	2,643 (2,479)	3,180 (2,916)
	164	264
	8,349 (1,147) (305)	8,553 (1,263) (305)
	6,897	6,985
	530 6,367	532 6,453
	6,897	6,985

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 27[th] November 2025.

L Weston Chair

Company registration number 4781936

41

Response Organisation

Statement of cash flows

For the year ended 31 March 2025

Notes Cash flows from operating activities Cash absorbed by operations 22 Investing activities Purchase of tangible fixed assets Proceeds on disposal of tangible fixed assets Investment income received Net cash (absorbed by) generated from investing activities Financing activities Repayment of bank loans Net cash used in financing activities Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2025 £’000 (219) - 37	2025 £’000 (564) (182) (133)	2024 £’000 (358) 506 45	2024 £’000 (1,444) 193 (128)
	(133)		(128)
		(879) 1,546		(1,379) 2,925
		667		1,546

42

Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

1 Accounting policies

Charity information

Response Organisation is a private company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is A G Palmer House, Morrell Crescent, Littlemore, Oxford, OX4 4SU.

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.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

1.2 Going concern

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Thus the trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

1.3 Charitable funds

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of their charitable objectives.

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.

1.4 Income

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.

Legacies are recognised on receipt or otherwise if the charity has been notified of an impending distribution, the amount is known, and receipt is expected. If the amount is not known, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset.

The charity also received government grants in respect of supported housing contracts. Income from government grants are recognised at fair value when the charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.

1.5 Expenditure

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to transfer economic benefit to a third party, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement, and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.

Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs which contribute to more than one activity and support costs which are not attributable to a single activity are apportioned between those activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources. Central staff costs are allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges are allocated on the portion of the asset’s use.

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Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

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.

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:

Freehold property and land

Not depreciated

Leasehold property & Straight line over improvements the life of the lease Office fixtures & fittings 33% Straight line Equipment & furniture 25% Straight line Vehicles 25% 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.

Depreciation is not charged on freehold property as the properties are maintained to a high standard, are not seen as diminishing in value, and therefore any depreciation charge would be immaterial. Properties are reviewed for impairment annually.

1.7 Impairment of fixed assets

At each reporting end date, the charity reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible 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).

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.

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.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

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

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Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

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

When employees have rendered service to the charity, short-term benefits to which the employees are entitled are recognised at the undiscounted amount expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

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.

The judgements that have had the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements was the charge for depreciation during the year and the amount provided for dilapidations on leasehold properties. The liability related to dilapidations has been based upon a review of property conditions and historically incurred costs on previous expired leases.

1.12 Retirement benefits

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

1.13 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.

1.14 Loans and Borrowings

Loans and borrowings are initially recognised at the transaction price including transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at amortised costs using the effective interest rate method, less impairment. If an arrangement constitutes a finance transaction it is measured at present value.

45

Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

6. Raising Funds Unrestricted funds Restricted Funds Total Unrestricted funds Restricted Funds Total 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 £’000 Raising funds General fundraising costs 76 7 83 18 – 18 5. Investment Income 2025 2024 £’000 £’000 Interest receivable 37 45 For the year ended 31 March 2024 Housing Adult Services Children’s Services Central services Total 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Income from charitable activities 9,958 5,252 1,014 55 16,279 Analysis by fund Unrestricted funds 9,958 5,252 1,014 55 16,279 Restricted funds – – – – – 4. Charitable activities Housing Adult Services Children’s Services Central services Total 2025 2025 2025 2025 2025 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Income from charitable activities 10,861 5,314 627 – 16,802 Analysis by fund Unrestricted funds 10,861 5,314 627 – 16,802 Restricted funds – – – – – 3. Donations and legacies Unrestricted funds Restricted Funds Total Unrestricted funds Restricted Funds Total 2025 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 Donations and Gifs 96 55 151 203 – 203 As at the year end, the Charity had been notified of a potential legacy of a property but receipt was not probable. Therefore no amount has been accrued in respect of this legacy which is estimated to be £200,000.	Unrestricted funds 2025 £000 96	Unrestricted funds 2025 £000 96	Restricted Funds 2025 £000 55	Restricted Funds 2025 £000 55	Total 2025 £000 151	Total 2025 £000 151	Total 2025 £000 151	Unrestricted funds 2024 £000 203	Unrestricted funds 2024 £000 203	Restricted Funds 2024 £000 –	Restricted Funds 2024 £000 –	Total 2024 £000 203
			10,861 –	5,314 –				627 –		– –		16,802 –
			Housing 2024 £000 9,958	Adult Services 2024 £000 5,252				Children’s Services 2024 £000 1,014		Central services 2024 £000 55		Total 2024 £000 16,279
			9,958 –			5,252 –		1,014 –		55 –		16,279 –
				2025 £’000 37								Total 2024 £’000 18
			Restricted Funds 2025 £’000 7			Total 2025 £’000 83

46

Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

7. Charitable activities

8. Support costs Staf costs Depreciation Facilities Costs General Ofice Costs Audit fees Accountancy Ofice costs Analysed between Charitable activities 7. Charitable activities Staf costs Other direct costs Share of support & governance costs (see Analysis by fund Unrestricted funds Restricted funds	Support costs £000 1,146 111 112 717 – – – note 8)		Housing 2025 £’000 1,396 8,179		Adult Services 2025 £’000 3,913 674		Children’s Services 2025 £’000 475 145	Total 2025 £’000 5,784 8,998		Total 2024 £’000 5,997 8,425
			9,575 800		4,587 1,226		620 115	14,782 2,141		14,422 2,240
			10,375		5,813		735	16,923		16,662
			10,353 22		5,813 –		735 –	16,901 22		16,616 46
			10,375		5,813		735	16,923		16,662
			Governance costs £000 – – – – 21 – 34		2025 £000 1,146 111 112 717 21 – 34		Support costs £000 1,173 84 171 743 – – –	Governance costs £000 – – – – 24 29 16		2024 £000 1,173 84 171 743 24 29 16
	2,086		55		2,141		2,171	69		2,240
	2,086		55		2,141		2,171	69		2,240

Governance costs includes payments to the auditors of £20,700 (2024: £23,550) for audit and related fees

9. Net movement in funds	2025	2024
	£’000	£’000
Net movement in funds is stated afer charging/(crediting):
Fees payable to the company’s auditor for the audit of the company’s financial statements	21	24
Depreciation of owned tangible fixed assets	322	332
Loss/(profit) on disposal of tangible fixed assets	–	17
Operating lease charges – rent	3,143	2,969
Operating lease charges – other	147	71

47

Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

10. Employees

The group average monthly number of employees during the year was:

Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs Housing Adult Services Children’s Services Support Services Total	2025 Number 29 172 12 26	2024 Number 32 179 16 29
	239	256
	2025 £’000 6,329 605 198	2024 £’000 6,242 574 208
	7,132	7,024

The number of employees whose annual remuneration was more than £60,000 is as follows:

	2025	2024
	£’000	£’000
£60,001 - £70,000	2	1
£70,001 - £80,000	–	1
£80,001 - £90,000	1	–
£110,000 - £120,000	1	1

Pension contributions

In accordance with the requirements of the Pensions Act 2008 Response Organisation administers a workplace pension scheme with The People’s Pension. The scheme automatically enrolls eligible employees at the prescribed rate of 3.2% of basic salary.

Response Organisation had retained the stakeholder pension scheme with Aviva for employees who were members of that scheme before the introduction of the People’s Pension workplace pension scheme. Contributions to the Aviva stakeholder pension scheme are made up to a maximum of 6% of basic salary matched by the employer.

In addition, one member of staff is a member of the NHS pension scheme.

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Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

11. Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration or benefits from the charity during the year.

J Yates, who served as a trustee of the Charity for part of the year, is Chief Executive of Reading Borough Council. Reading Borough Council (alongside other councils and NHS authorities across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire) commissions services from the Charity at rates negotiated with the relevant commissioning teams.

12. Tangible fixed assets Freehold property and land £000 Cost At 1 April 2024 6,258 Additions – Disposals / assets written of – At 31 March 2025 6,258 Depreciation and impairment At 1 April 2024 – Depreciation charged in the year – Eliminated in respect of disposals / assets written of – At 31 March 2025 – Carrying amount At 31 March 2025 6,258 At 31 March 2024 6,258 13. Debtors Rents and service charges receivable Other Debtors Prepayments and accrued income	Freehold property and land £000 6,258 – –	Leasehold property & improvements £000 2,152 – –	Leasehold property & improvements £000 2,152 – –	Ofice fixtures & fittings £000 712 52 (153)	Ofice fixtures & fittings £000 712 52 (153)	Equipment & furniture £000 601 167 (143)	Vehicles £000 40 – (34)	Total £000 9,763 219 (330)
	6,258		2,152		611	625	6	9,652
	– – –		587 93 –		563 86 (153)	284 144 (143)	40 – (34)	1,474 323 (330)
	–		680		496	285	6	1,467
	6,258		1,472		115	340	–	8,185
	6,258		1,565		149	317	–	8,289
				2025 £’000 1,179 249 548		2024 £’000 849 427 358 1,634
				1,976

49

Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

14. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year Bank Loans Other borrowings Other taxation and social security Trade creditors Other creditors Accruals and deferred income	2025 £’000 120 100 145 350 339 1,425	2024 £’000 137 100 125 742 471 1,341
	2,479	2,916

Accruals and Deferred Income at 31 March 2025 included £962,000 (2024: £189,000) of deferred income. The deferred income at 31 March 2024 was released during the year ended 31 March 2025.

16. Loans and overdrafts Bank loans Other loans Payable within one year Payable afer one year 15. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year Bank Loans	2025 £’000 1,147	2024 £’000 1,263
	2025 £’000 1,267 100	2024 £’000 1,400 100
	1,367	1,500
	220	237
	1,147	1,263

The long-term loans are secured against certain properties with a net book value of £4.1m (2024: £4.1m). These properties were valued at £5.6m in 2023. At 31 March 2025 the loans bore interest between 2.7% and 5.2% and are repayable over 20 years.

17. Provisions for liabilities	2025	2024
	£’000	£’000
Dilapidations	305	305

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Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

18. 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:

Thatcham (Priory) Project Aylesbury (Mandeville) Project Thatcham Young Person’s Hub Greener Homes Kate Turnbull House Scrutton Close Activity Facility Settled Oxfordshire (Homeless) Total	Balance at 1 April 2023 £’000 252 280 – – – – 46	Incoming resources £’000 – – – – – – –	Resources expended £’000 (22) (24) – – – – –	Balance at 1 April 2024 £’000 230 256 – – – – 46	Incoming resources £’000 – – 35 3 9 8 –	Resources expended £’000 (8) (14) (4) (1) (2) – (28)	Balance at 31 March 2025 £’000 222 242 31 2 7 8 18
	578	–	(46)	532	55	(57)	530

The purposes of the restricted funds are as follows:

Thatcham (Priory) Project fund

Funds raised for the conversion and refurbishment of the supported housing project in Thatcham known as Carramar

Aylesbury (Mandeville) Project fund

Funds raised for the conversion and refurbishment of the supported housing project in Aylesbury known as Harwood House

Thatcham Young person’s Hub

Funds raised for the conversion of buildings next to Carramar into a community hub for young people in Thatcham and the surrounding area

Greener Homes

Funds raised specifically for the purposes of implementing energy saving initiatives across the property portfolio

Kate Turnbull House Renovation

Funds raised for the purposes of renovating Kate Turnbull House and expanding its activities

Scrutton House Activity Facility

Funds donated to support the creation of an activity building at Scrutton Close

Settled Oxfordshire (Homeless)

Funds raised to help finance properties within the Settled Oxfordshire programme

19. Analysis of net assets between funds Fund balances at 31 March 2025 are represented by: Tangible assets Net Current assets Long term liabilities Provisions	Unrestricted Funds 2025 £’000 7,721 98 (1,147) (305)	Restricted Funds 2025 £’000 464 66 – –	Total 2025 £’000 8,185 164 (1,147) (305)	Unrestricted Funds 2025 £’000 7,803 218 (1,263) (305)	Restricted Funds 2024 £’000 486 46 – –	Total 2024 £’000 8,289 264 (1,263) (305)
	6,367	530	6,897	6,453	532	6,985

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Response Organisation

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

20. Operating lease commitments

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

23. Analysis of changes in future net funds / (debts) At 1 April 2024 £’000 Cash at bank and in hand 1,546 Loans falling due within one year (237) Loans falling due afer more than one year (1,263) 46 22. Cash generated from operations 2025 £’000 Deficit for the year (88) Adjustments for: Investment income recognized in statement of financial activities (37) Loss on tangible fixed assets – Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets 323 Movements in working capital: Increase in debtors (342) Decrease in creditors (420) Cash absorbed by operations (564) The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows. 21. Remuneration of key management personnel 2025 £’000 Aggregate compensation (6.8 Full Time Equivalents, 2024: 5.4 FTE) 592 2025 £’000 Within one year 2,664 Between two and five years 1,799 In over five years 2,387 6,850	23. Analysis of changes in future net funds / (debts) At 1 April 2024 £’000 Cash at bank and in hand 1,546 Loans falling due within one year (237) Loans falling due afer more than one year (1,263) 46 22. Cash generated from operations 2025 £’000 Deficit for the year (88) Adjustments for: Investment income recognized in statement of financial activities (37) Loss on tangible fixed assets – Depreciation and impairment of tangible fixed assets 323 Movements in working capital: Increase in debtors (342) Decrease in creditors (420) Cash absorbed by operations (564) The remuneration of key management personnel is as follows. 21. Remuneration of key management personnel 2025 £’000 Aggregate compensation (6.8 Full Time Equivalents, 2024: 5.4 FTE) 592 2025 £’000 Within one year 2,664 Between two and five years 1,799 In over five years 2,387 6,850	2025 £’000 2,664 1,799 2,387	Cash Flows £’000 (879) 17 116 2024 £’000 (235) (45) 17 318 (793) (706) (1,444) 2024 £’000 467 2024 £’000 1,855 1,841 2,552 6,248	At 31 March 2025 £’000 667 (220) (1,147)
		6,850
		2025 £’000 592
		2025 £’000 (88) (37) – 323 (342) (420)
		(564)
	46		(746)	(700)

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Response Organisation

AG Palmer House, Morrell Crescent, Littlemore, Oxford OX4 4SU Find us: www.response.org.uk Email us: [e-mail] Call us: 020 3540 8694

Charity No. 1101071 Company No. 4781936 - Limited by guarantee Registered in England

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