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← Safer London

2024-03-31-accounts

ANNUAL TRUSTEES’ REPORT

ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL REVIEW 2023 | 2024

Contents

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||| |---|---| |Reference and administrative information|03| |Trustees’ report|06| |Introduction|08| |A Year of Practice and Service Delivery|17| |A Year of Youth Voice and Participation|29| |A Year of Enabling Success|37| |Accountability: Looking back & looking forward|42| |Thanks and Acknowledgments|56| |Independent auditor’s report|60| |Financial statements|74| |75| |Statement of financial activities| |Balance sheet|76| |77| |Statement of cash flows| |Principal accounting policies|78| |84| |Notes to the financial statements|

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL INFORMATION REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

BUILDING BRIDGES Sit

REFERENCE ANDADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

SAFER LONDON TRUSTEES 2023 - 2024

KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

OTHER KEY PERSONNEL

REGISTERED OFFICE

Until 1 November 2023 : Skyline House 200 Union Street London, SE1 0LX

From 1 November 2023: The Foundry Room 301 154-156 Blackfriars Road London, SE1 8EN

BANKERS

Skyline House 200 Union Street London, SE1 0LX

AUDITORS

Buzzacott LLP 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

The Trustees present their report together with the financial statements of Safer London for the year 2023|2024.

SAFER LONDON | 2024

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on pages 78 to 83 and comply with the charitable company’s Articles of Association, the Charities Act 2011 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

Company number 05190766

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BUILDING BRIDGES

A REMINDER OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

OUR STRATEGY

In 2020 we entered the first year of our new Strategy. The first Strategy for Safer London and one which sets out a clear direction of where we want to be.

In 2023|2024 we entered the fourth year of our Strategy, consolidating our progress to deliver our objectives around our core areas of work:

PEOPLE

PEERS

PLACES

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OUR PURPOSE AND VALUES

OUR PURPOSE – WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Safer London is on a mission to make the city safe for young Londoners.

By working with young Londoners, their families and peers, as well as the places where they spend their time, we can create a safer London not just for them – but everyone.

Young Londoners are full of ambition and aspiration. Too many are experiencing violence and exploitation. We are working alongside young Londoners, supporting them to have the future they deserve. We’re here for them, wherever they are and whenever they’re ready.With a footprint in every London borough, we have the influence and flexibility to make real change. As they move, our support can move with them.

Young Londoners are inspirational, the future of London. By working alongside them, their families, peers and communities we will help them to unlock their potential.

OUR VALUES

Safer London strives to be:

CHANGE-MAKERS : We bring creativity, passion and innovation to make a lasting difference.

INCLUSIVE: All that we do recognises and values the diverse experiences of young people.

TRUSTED: People trust us because we have a track record of consistent, high-quality delivery.

COURAGEOUS: We are brave, unafraid to challenge and committed to empowering young Londoners to stay safe.

COLLABORATIVE: We stand with individuals and organisations who share our vision; our people and our partners are central to everything we do.

During the 2023/2024 financial year, we introduced our behaviours framework to help us to articulate how our values look and feel so we can live them in our day-day work.

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“

My worker was very positive, and the sessions were insightful. It made me understand and reflect more around my future and past, and made me see what kind of person I can be.

Even though some conversations have been difficult she was always respectful of my boundaries and allowed me to have a safe word in case the conversation has become too much, which was really helpful. I have enjoyed all the sessions even the hard ones, as these have helped me to understand my past. I no longer feel as emotional when I think about my past.

I understand my past better. I feel more at peace with myself.

YOUNG LONDONER who accessed Safer London support

SAFER LONDON | 2024

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT REPORT

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BUILDING BRIDGES

INTRODUCTION

WHY WE EXIST

Every young Londoner deserves to have a positive, happy and safe future.

But that simply isn’t the reality for every child and young person living in London. Too many are living lives that are affected by violence and exploitation.

Experiencing trauma at a young age can greatly impact the trajectory of someone’s life. It can cause a sense of losing control and isolation.

The reality is that young Londoners can often feel that they are alone, without help or support. When they do get support they often express that they feel judged, unheard and that support doesn’t take into account what makes them who they are.

That’s where Safer London comes in. We work alongside young Londoners, including them in what their support looks like.

We listen to them. By listening, we can understand what they need – and by working together we build a programme of support that addresses their needs.

It is through their own resilience and tenacity that the young Londoners achieve positive outcomes for themselves, we’re just there to guide them.

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THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF OUR WORK

Our guiding principles enable us to continually adapt our methods and embrace innovative approaches when working with young Londoners.

By applying these principles, we have developed a robust and effective service for young Londoners and families affected by violence and exploitation.

SAFER LONDON’S SERVICES AND SUPPORT ARE ROOTED IN GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

PERSON CENTRED CONTEXTUAL SAFEGUARDING TRAUMA RESPONSIVE NON JUDGEMENTAL CO-PRODUCTION

Our guiding principles are the foundations of our support – but building trusting relationships is really what allows us to create success.

Young Londoners often express distrust of services, whether this be the Police or Social Care. This distrust may have formed from their direct experiences, but often it’s rooted in systemic issues, which has created a broken trust between services and whole communities.

Trust is key, and building trust takes time. We understand and recognise not just the importance of building trust, but also the nuances of how that trust is built. At Safer London we pride ourselves on being able to build trust where others can't, and it is through this trust that we can bridge gaps, cross barriers and collaboratively create better futures for those we work alongside.

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BUILDING BRIDGES OF TRUST

Building trust between a young Londoner and a caseworker is like constructing a bridge over a deep valley. Imagine this valley as the gap of mistrust and past disappointments that many young Londoners have faced.

This valley is often shaped by challenging and negative experiences including trauma, fear, judgment and a lack of consistent support.

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Building trust between a young Londoner and a caseworker is never straightforward. It takes time, patience, and understanding.

The bridge is not built overnight. It requires careful and deliberate effort, stone by stone. Each stone represents a critical element of trust.

The sturdy foundation The weight-bearing stones, ensuring that stones, showing that actions and words promises are kept and align over time. support is constant. _—_é

The transparent stones, clear and straightforward, with no hidden agendas.

The compassionate stones, shaped by genuine understanding and care for the young Londoner’s experiences and feelings.

It is the caseworker’s responsibility to construct and place these stones. They must continuously demonstrate these qualities to provide a strong and stable path. Meanwhile, the young Londoner evaluates these stones, testing their strength and authenticity.

As each stone is set, the bridge extends further across the valley. Initially, the young Londoner might tread cautiously, having been let down by inconsistent and unreliable people in the past. They have learned to be wary, expecting this new bridge to crumble like so many others.

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BUILDING BRIDGES

However, with patience and consistent effort, the caseworker shows that this bridge is different. Slowly but surely, the young Londoner steps forward, gaining confidence in each stone laid by the caseworker.

Together, they build this bridge. It is a collaborative effort where trust is earned through actions and time, not just words. Eventually, they meet in the middle, standing on a bridge built from genuine trust and mutual respect.

This bridge, once completed, becomes a pathway to a stronger, more trusting relationship where both can move forward together

You can read about how Kamisha, one of Safer London's expert caseworkers, built a bridge of trust with two young Londoners she worked with last year.

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Isabella's story
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Michael's story
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EVIDENCE INFORMED PRACTICE

Research highlights the crucial role of trust in successful outcomes when working with children and young people affected by violence and exploitattion.

At Safer London, establishing trust is fundamental to how we work. Time and time again we hear directly from young Londoners how they feel let down by professionals, which ultimately leads to distrust in services that were designed to help them.

Young Londoners aren’t hard to engage - services are hard to engage with. That’s why our caseworkers take the time to build that bridge of trust with every young Londoner they work alongside.

We know we can’t just presume that what we are doing is what young Londoners want or need. We can only understand if we’re doing the right thing by consulting the experts – the young Londoners and families we work alongside.

Last year we commissioned an evaluation* examining how we can further cultivate and develop trusted relationships at Safer London. Our goal was to take the insights from this evaluation to refine our understanding of trust and trusted relationships. This would allow us to clearly define the key factors and conditions necessary for building successful connections based on trust.

WE WANTED TO KNOW:

What structural and interpersonal factors impact trusted relationships between caseworkers and young Londoners affected by violence and exploitation?

How well does Safer London’s Strategy support the development of trusting relationships?

What barriers hinder the building of trust between Safer London Caseworkers and young Londoners?

What is the impact of trusted relationships on our work with young Londoners ?

This evaluationexploring trusted relationships was conducted by The Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) in collaboration with Ciaran Thapar. It forms part of Safer London’s Building Trust: Understanding Trusted Relationships at Safer London report.

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From September to November 2023, we collected data through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with 55 participants, including caseworkers, young Londoners and community members.

Through this participatory approach we learnt what young Londoners and caseworkers felt were conductors and inhibitors of trust in Safer London's offer of support.

Critically we learnt trust allows young Londoners to value caseworkers' perspectives, in turn aiding positive changes in their self perception and approach to challenges. This continues into their future, as experiencing a trusted adult relationship makes young Londoners more open to trusting others in the future.

FINDINGS

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A set of recommendations fell out of the evaluation, alongside the creation of a trusted relationship framework.

The framework acts as an internal tool that can guide Safer London Caseworkers in reinforcing the trusted relationships they are seeking to build, acting as the cement holding the stones of the bridge together.

Discover how young Londoners shaped the framework

RECOMMENDATIONS

As an organisation, we have already implemented changes aligned with the some of the recommendations from the research.

Caseloads are capped at 10 to 12 cases per Co 12 worker, depending on the expertise and experience of the caseworker and the complexity of the cases.

Caseworkers are assigned to clusters of geographically close boroughs. Safer London's Front Door referral and screening team strives to allocate cases within these clusters, reducing travel time.

However, we recognise that it is not always possible to allocate cases exclusively within these clusters.

Read the full report

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“ The [Safer London] worker my daughter had was very warm, professional and held safeguarding paramount in all interactions. She worked in a creative child friendly way, allowing my daughter to take the lead on most sessions.

As a mother I have learnt many ways through this process to allow my daughter to explore her thoughts and feelings by being creative and using apps suggested by her worker, whilst exploring other services useful to my child. How the worker made my child feel and the positive impact she has had reminds me to continue putting my daughter’s needs first.

PARENT

whose child accessed Safer London support

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A YEAR OF PRACTICE & SERVICE DELIVERY

Last year our service delivery started on a solid base designed to cultivate trust.

Our caseworkers were allocated smaller caseloads and young Londoners could access support for extended periods of time – up to two years if necessary.

We know that crafting those stones of consistency, reliability, honesty and empathy isn’t done in the first meeting – it often takes months to establish the path on which the young Londoner and caseworker can walk across and meet in the middle.

With this foundation set, our caseworkers worked with more than 450 young Londoners, providing specialist intensive support built around the specific needs of each child or young person.

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OUR WORK WITH YOUNG LONDONERS

OUR WORK WITH PARENTS /CARERS

OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS

young Londoners received specialist housing and resettlement support

1021

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Total number of young Londoners reached through all our programmes and support

young Londoners received 41 specialist education, training and employment support

453

young Londoners took 268 part in prevention group sessions

young Londoners supported one to one by Safer London caseworkers

young Londoners 199 attended Safer London class presentations children and young people 53 supported via Safer London family intervention work

189

parents/carers took part in 105 group sessions parents/carers supported 45 by Safer London community partner Code 7

Total number of parents/carers reached through all our programmes and support

39

parents/carers supported one to one by Safer London caseworkers

OUR WORK TO INFLUENCE

487

Professionals took part in Safer London training or outreach. Topics included Safeguarding, CSE and County Lines

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young people and adults contributed to research as participants

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THE DIFFERENCE OUR WORK MAKES

Safety

young Londoners who we worked alongside reported an increased feeling of safety and felt less affected by violence

young Londoners who we worked alongside 80% reported an increased feeling of safety and felt @ less affected by violence young Londoners who we worked alongside 84% expressed they felt able to navigate safely e through their environments

Wellbeing

young Londoners who we worked alongside 72% e felt that they had more self-compassion young Londoners who we worked alongside 85% Ze stated they had improved coping strategies

Relationships young Londoners who we worked alongside 89% reported improved relationships > © young Londoners who we worked alongside 81% felt interactions with their peers were positive iM = =6@ Future Focus young Londoners who we worked alongside 69% felt positive about their life and the choices they were making _ © young Londoners who we worked alongside stated 79% they felt confident that they were ready to start i @ working towards what they wanted achieve

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ISABELLA’S STORY

“I think it was the consistency and stability I gave her that helped build that trusting relationship”

At 15, Isabella had been excluded from education, was on a Child in Need plan and had an upcoming court case. At high risk of criminal exploitation, Social Care referred her to Safer London for expert support.

“

When I received Isabella’s case, she was on a Child in Need (CIN) plan due to concerns around criminal exploitation and regular drug use. She had been excluded from school multiple times for smoking cannabis and had a history of violent behaviour.

Isabella was known to become aggressive when touched, leading to physical altercations with school staff, which resulted in her being taken to court.

She was extremely anxious about the court proceedings, because she thought she was going to go to prison. She would say “I’m going to be in big trouble. What are they gonna do? What’s the worst they can do?” .

Every session she was just panicking about court. But she still kept seeing me. She still kept engaging.

In our sessions we worked on understanding laws and the criminal process. When I asked if she wanted me to attend court with her, she insisted.

At court, Isabella was extremely nervous. Ultimately, she received a conditional referral order. As long as Isabella stayed out of trouble, her record would be cleared. She was really happy about that.

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ISABELLA'S INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON:

After court we focussed on getting her back into education. At the time of the court proceedings, she was receiving online lessons but desperately wanted to return to a physical school environment. The main concern was that Isabella could only return to the PRU that had taken her to court, as she was previously suspended from several other PRUs. This terrified her and she refused to go back to the PRU out of fear.

Then through the work we did as part of the intervention, she came around and said "I wanna go back to school. I wanna see what it's like" . So I advocated for her, organising meetings with the PRU and her mother to discuss her return and what that could look like. Isabella is now back in full-time education determined to get her GCSEs, which is a significant step for her considering her initial fear.

“

Managing emotions

Isabella expressed appreciation for my consistency and support, saying I was the only worker who had stayed with her and genuinely helped her.

KAMISHA Safer London Expert Caseworker

Awareness of the law and how it works

Criminal justice proceedings suport

Advocating for full time education

We did a lot of work around managing her emotions. She really struggled when she was angry as she would just react. But now she's able to just go for a walk or have a cry. Before she didn’t want people to see her cry and I said to her, "just cry, just let it out. It doesn't matter what people think. It's about you letting out your emotions" . So now she just she cries and she doesn't get angry. She doesn't have angry outbursts anymore.

Isabella was taken off the CIN plan as her risks of violent behaviour and criminal exploitation had significantly reduced. There were still risks around substance misuse. Isabella had previously had issues engaging with a substance misuse worker. She expressed "I don't wanna go back. You can tell I don't wanna stop". So I said, OK, you're not gonna stop. Let's work on managing it then. So we focused on managing her substance and alcohol use instead. This approach worked and Social Care had no further concerns.

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Supporting Isabella to get back into full time education was important in creating sustainability beyond the intervention.

I can imagine that other professionals would perceive Isabella as challenging due to her violent history, but she was fine. I treated her like any other young person. We started by establishing boundaries. I was like, "you tell me what you like and what you want from me and what you don't want me to do. And I will tell you what I like and what I want from you and what I don't want you to do". I was like let's set these boundaries at the start and then we won't cross them, and we will just work towards that and I think that really helped her.

Maintaining consistency also really helped. I called her every week and was there for her when she needed me. She responded well to this, never missing a session. I think it was the consistency and stability that I gave her and the feeling of not treating her like other professionals had treated her, like thinking oh she's another violent person, helped build that trusting relationship.

Isabella is now back in full-time education and she's learned to manage her emotions. She still smokes, but she doesn’t smoke as much. School provides a big distraction and that’s one of the reasons she wanted to go back. She wanted that distraction, something to keep her busy in a positive way. Honestly, she’s come so far. She’s amazing.

KAMISHA, Safer London Caseworker

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VOICES INFORMING OUR WORK

We understand that in our work impact goes beyond just numbers. We need to see the full picture, especially for young Londoners whose lives are shaped by their experiences.

To do this, our caseworkers team up with young Londoners right from the start to set goals. We use outcome measurement tools to check in on how they're feeling throughout their entire journey with us, not just at the beginning and end, recognising that the road to a brighter future isn't always linear.

Last year we introduced feedback forms to capture their journey from start to finish. By hearing their stories directly and understanding their experiences, we get a clearer sense of our impact.

These feedback forms are not just designed to understand where we’re doing well – they’re an opportunity to identify where we might be falling short. By providing this mechanism for those who access our support to suggest improvements, we can build a service that better meets their needs.

EXAMPLE QUESTION AND REAL RESPONSES

IS THERE ANY WAY THAT SAFER LONDON COULD IMPROVE YOUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE?

“ My experience was great and [I] wouldn’t change anything

“

“

I think sessions could [be] longer

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Ç The Safer London team at the CYP Now Awards 2023

SAFER LONDON'S WORK RECOGNISED NATIONALLY

Last year Safer London was shortlisted at the CYP Now Awards in recognition of our work with young Londoners affected by violence, alongside our delivery partner Catch 22.

Although we didn’t win it was an honour to be nominated - an amazing recognition of five years of work.

219

young Londoners accepted into Safer London’s violence work last year

82%

young Londoners reported a reduction in being affected by violence

77%

young Londoners experienced a decrease in reoffending

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT REPORT

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MICHAEL’S STORY

"Michael taught me patience and helped me understand the young person's perspective"

Michael was referred to Safer London a week before he turned 18 by his Social Worker. Shortly after referral Social Care closed the case, ceasing to provide direct support.

“

Before Social Care closed his case, they referred him to temporary shared accommodation. He was hesitant about that, but I urged him to go for the stability.

Michael was at high risk Before Social Care closed of violence. There had been his case, they referred him several instances where to temporary shared he’d been threatened with accommodation. He was weapons, often outside the hesitant about that, but family home. He wasn’t safe I urged him to go for the there due to ‘gangs’ trying stability. to gain entry to get to Michael. Our phone conversations improved, so I made a deal He was actually homeless with him that if he stayed in at the time of the referral, this placement, I would come see him and bring snacks, with Michael sofa surfing due to the risks. He also had a and we could do a session then.

He was actually homeless at the time of the referral, with Michael sofa surfing due to the risks. He also had a lengthy criminal record, with over 100 mentions on his record and a lot of police stop and searches.

It took about 2 to 3 weeks for him to agree to see me in person. He started staying in the accommodation and we switched from phone calls to face-to-face meetings.

When I first met Michael, he was very hesitant and didn’t want to see me face to face. He preferred to do it over the phone.

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The engagement from the start was good, but he suffered from a lot of mental health issues and trauma, which he wouldn't speak about. Sometimes he would not engage, not answer the phone, or say he couldn't make our sessions.

As the work progressed, he started to explain his mental health, trauma and anxiety. This helped me understand him better. Now, if he doesn't answer the phone, I know he's probably having a bad day and I'll try again another time.

MICHAEL'S INTERVENTION FOCUSED ON:

Staying safe by creating plans

My main focus for the intervention was violence, crime, and exploitation. I went straight into these topics, with a focus on how the law works. He engaged well with sessions, especially when I had different perspectives and challenged him. He would challenge me back until he understood my point.

From these sessions, his involvement in violence and crime started to reduce. He was still at high risk from others, but not to himself. He was never caught again carrying a knife or weapon. He was stopped and searched by police a few times but never found with anything. The sessions made a big difference.

“

I appreciate the time Kamisha has taken out to help me. She is funny, helpful and gives good advice. I learned a lot about things I should and shouldn’t do.

Awareness of the law and how it works

EmotIonal wellbeing and coping strategies

Healthy versus unhealthy relationships

I learned who I have healthy and unhealthy relationships with. Before I struggled to set boundaries with people I didn’t trust or shouldn’t trust anymore. Kamisha has changed me to believe things I didn’t believe before, especially in myself.

MICHAEL, 18 Young Londoner

Throughout the intervention, we worked on his emotional wellbeing. I kept touching on coping strategies and other things he could do to help. By the end of the intervention, he was able to identify strategies that worked for him. He said he goes to the gym now because it helps his mental health.

When he's having bad days, he likes to be alone and process his emotions, which helps him feel better. He didn't want counseling or therapy but did work on trauma with me and spoke about his biggest challenge - accepting and forgiving what others had done to him.

We did a lot of work around healthy and unhealthy relationships, including peer mapping. Through this work he was able to identify who in his life is healthy and unhealthy to him. He gained perspective and now keeps a distance from unhealthy friends and certain family members who got him involved in violence and crime. He's learned to manage his priorities and emotions, and he's now even involved in community work with his mum.

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ANNUALTRUSTEES’ Through the safety plan we worked on together Michael can REPORT now confidently identify safe and unsafe places and avoids areas where he might encounter trouble.

For example, during a housing meeting I attended to support him, they asked me if I knew Michael’s safe and unsafe places because he had never expressed it himself. However, Michael surprised everyone by sharing his own safe and unsafe places directly. It was a real shock because he usually doesn't speak up, "This is where I'm safe. This is where I'm but he confidently said, not safe," identifying his own safe places for the first time. He's now advocating for himself and making positive changes in his life.

I also advocated for him to get help with work and employment because he's getting older. He had a work coach who helped him create a CV, brainstorm career paths and create a personal statement. She also provided job opportunities. He's getting housing, bidding for his own council property and has been shortlisted. Housing was a major issue for him. Once he’s got stable housing, he’ll start to feel safer and more settled.

Finding secure housing that was safe was essential for creating stability for Michael. Kamisha actively advocated for Michael as well as built his confidence so he could advocate for himself.

Michael’s doing well now. He's changed so much, in the ten months we worked together. Michael gave me feedback saying “you've changed my life. You made me believe that there's good people in this world. You’ve encouraged me to do better. You . made me believe that things I couldn't do in myself I can do.”

Building a strong relationship with Michael was about meeting him where he was, not being too formal and working at his pace. I shared personal experiences to show him he wasn't alone and that I trusted him, which helped him trust me. I think sometimes all young Londoners need is someone who will just listen to them, not be patronising, not judge them. It’s surprising how much they don't get that. I think having an impact and being the person he trusted to the point where he's changing his life himself and wanting it for himself, that's the biggest achievement.

Michael taught me patience and helped me understand the young person's perspective. He showed me that sometimes they just need someone to listen and support them at their own pace. I’m really excited about his progress. He blew me out the park. I believe he's on a good path and will achieve a lot in the next five years.

KAMISHA, Safer London Caseworker

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Reflecting on a year of practice and service delivery, the central theme of building trust has proven to be the cornerstone of creating and sustaining positive outcomes.

The unwavering commitment of our caseworkers to establishing trust with young Londoners has allowed us to bridge the gap of mistrust, creating a solid foundation for positive change.

By consistently demonstrating reliability, honesty, empathy and presence, our caseworkers have built strong, trusting relationships that enable young Londoners to feel supported and understood. This collaborative effort has empowered young Londoners to step forward with confidence, knowing they are not alone in their journey.

As we move forward, we remain committed to these principles, ensuring that every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen the trust that is essential for achieving lasting, positive outcomes.

Together, we will continue to guide young Londoners towards a brighter, safer future, built on the solid foundation of trust and mutual respect.

Discover more about the future of Safer London as we enter the first year of delivering a new violence and exploitation service for young Londoners and their families as part of an alliance partnership.

SAFER LONDON | 2024

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BUILDING BRIDGES

A YEAR OF YOUTH VOICE & PARTICIPATION

Meaningful participation is important to Safer London. It forms who we are and how we work and ensures that young Londoners’ voices remain firmly at the heart of Safer London.

We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done over the past year to actively involve young Londoners and parents/ carers in shaping our services and support, as well as providing opportunites for them to contribute to the wider conversation around violence and exploitation.

Whether it is through Safer London research, our VIP youth participation programme, or via external partner projects - we’re making sure their voices, experiences and opinions are heard, acknowledged and acted upon on.

LAST YEAR

15

35

13

35

38

young Londoners were part of Safer London’s youth voice and participation programme - the Safer London VIPs

young Londoners trained in youth voice skills

young Londoners helped shape Safer London research projects

children and young people contributed to Safer London research as participants

adults contributed to Safer London research as participants

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THE SAFER LONDON VIPS

Over the past four years, Safer London has been running a dynamic and impactful Youth Voice, Influence and Participation programme* - the Safer London VIPs.

The goal of this programme is to create meaningful opportunities for young Londoners to shape how we think, work, and operate, while ensuring they benefit from the experience. Whether gaining formal AQA qualifications, developing new skills, developing positve peer relationships, or building confidence, the VIP programme is designed to empower young Londoners.

The VIPs meet every other week, either in person or online. These sessions vary in format – sometimes it’s just the group, while other times senior leaders or decision makers

15 young Londoners engaged in the VIP programme

Find out more about the Safer London VIPs

14 VIP group sessions took place over a 12 month period

1-2-1 sessions with VIPs to discuss their 15 personal and professional development as part of their engagement in VIP activities.

group sessions included Safer London 6 decision makers

Last year, during these sessions, the VIPs played a crucial role in:

*Safer London’s youth voice and influence participation activities are facilitated by youth voice experts Participation People. This includes the planning, execution and running of the VIP programme.

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At the close of last year, we took the opportunity to refresh our VIP cohort. We invited our existing members to either continue their involvement or move on to new opportunities. Three chose to stay, and we welcomed eight new members to the programme!

Refreshing the membership of a youth voice group is essential to ensure we bring in diverse perspectives and fresh ideas. This allows more young Londoners to contribute, keeps the programme dynamic and ensures a wide range of voices shape the future of Safer London.

Ç Cartoon images of the Safer London VIPs

The impact of the VIP programme is clear, not just for Safer London, but for the young Londoners who engaged.

At the end of the year ...

of VIPs reported gaining knowledge and 84% transferable skills from their participation 89% felt their confidence had significantly improved through their involvement stated they felt they had successfully 98% represented the views of young people to Safer London believed they had made an impact on 93% decision making 94% of young Londoners felt valued during their time as VIPs

Discover last year’s youth voice, participation and influence highlights

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YOUNG LONDONER VIPS LEADING RECRUITMENT

Last year, the VIPs played a key role in recruiting new Safer London caseworkers and members of the safeguarding team. Together, they designed a safeguarding scenario to be used during a practical session with candidates. This scenario was based on the lived experiences of young Londoners accessing Safer London’s services and support.

The scenario, along with a scoring matrix, was used to assess candidates. Three VIPs attended a recruitment day to take part in the practical session, evaluating the candidates’ approaches and how they interacted with young people.

The VIPs found the experience insightful, gaining valuable knowledge about strategic processes, which they plan to highlight in their professional journeys. Three of the VIPs who took part earned AQA accreditation for their contributions, having met the criteria for formal recognition.

“

I'm really enjoying how you’ve structured your interview process; I think the safeguarding element involving young people was incredible!

CANDIDATE

Ç The Safer London VIPs working on their interview task

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YOUTH VOICE SHAPING LONDON’S VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION SERVICES AND SUPPORT

At Safer London we are committed to shaping our services around the voices of young Londoners. We’re also committed to ensuring that they feed into the wider narrative, providing opportunities to do this in a meaningful and impactful way. It’s essential that their voices are included in discussions so they can help shape solutions.

“

I don’t really feel like we’re listened to. Our voices aren’t heard. The youth are the ones that need to be heard as they are the ones going through it.

SAFER LONDON VIP

Last year we facilitated collaborative discussions with the Safer London VIPs and the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). MOPAC sought insights from young Londoners affected by violence and exploitation to inform a new service for children and young people.

When asked how they would spend £1 million to improve services, the VIPs highlighted several key areas:

Training for professionals and peers Ensuring consistent, high-quality support, including training for young Londoners to help each other during tough times.

Specialist mental health support

Integrating emotional wellbeing services within organisations instead of relying on CAMHS, which they found to be slow and inadequate.

Employment pathways

Providing better access to long-term, secure job opportunities to foster positive futures.

Youth-led services

Designing support systems that are shaped by the needs and experiences of young Londoners.

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The VIPs expressed concern that current support often highlights negative experiences rather than personal strengths. They emphasised what effective support should be:

The voices of young Londoners are vital in addressing the challenges they face and shaping the future of support services. Their insights, experiences, and opinions have been instrumental in informing MOPAC’s new violence and exploitation service, ensuring it meets the real needs of those affected.

The insights from the consultation played a crucial role in shaping the commissioning of MOPAC’s new Violence and Exploitation Support Service. This innovative service, funded at £5 million per year, is designed to support young Londoners and their families who have been impacted by violence and exploitation.

At Safer London, in collaboration with our partners, were committed to ensuring that the voices of young Londoners were heard and valued. Many of their perspectives from the consultation have been directly incorporated into the new service we now deliver as part of an Alliance partnership.

Find out about this new service and the role Safer London played in its development

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YOUTH VOICE STEERING OUR PRACTICE

Following the commissioned evaluation by Safer London, a framework was developed as a tool for caseworkers to build effective trusted relationships with young Londoners. This framework identified four principles of building trust and two conditions.

Ç Trusted relationships framework

This framework was then taken to young Londoners through focus groups, allowing them to review and contribute their insights. A total of five participatory workshops were co-led by author Ciaran Thapar, CfEY’s Head of Participation and Programmes Abi Angus, and youth worker Demetri Addison.

This provided the opportunity for the framework to be ‘stress tested’ by the experts – young Londoners. The framework was adjusted and adapted based on their opinions and discussion contributions.

Throughout the workshops, participants were also supported in creating an anthology of writing, illustrations, and creative expressions that reflected their unique perspectives on trust.

Read a young Londoner poem from the anthology

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BUILDING BRIDGES

FRAGILITY OF TRUST

by Millie

If something is weak, weary and is offered a solution, it is given hope

It imagines a world free of pain and problems, and to be welcomed into peace

I was lifted up by your words, where I floated on hope

I held my breath, waiting for your promises to become a reality

I built a facade, a skeleton waiting for you to support the structure

And when you did not fulfil your promises, I continued to wait

I was floating higher and higher, until I could no longer see reality

And then it hit me: it was never true

A pile of statements without backing had been formed

You failed me: left me falling down a facade without a structure

I was a puzzle of lost pieces, and rather than connecting me like you promised, you cut away the connections

Empty promises chipped away at my hope, slowly taking away from me as a person, breaking away from my hope to trust again

I believed the words that poured out of you, alongside your smiling face

I took it as kind and trusting

Now it feels like deception

My panicked mind asks:

Was it me? Am I incurable? Am I the reason for their failure?

A trigger of their actions leading to permanent damage

I have people to trust, people with reliability

But, to this day, there is still hesitation each time I hear a solution, a promise.

Left me crashing down further than where I started

Read the full anthology

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A YEAR OF ENABLING SUCCESS

Driving forward and supporting our practice and service delivery are internal structures, processes and strategic enablers.

Pushing forward these strategic enablers are an effective and dedicated central resources team, whose remit covers HR, data, governance, finance, fundraising, learning and development and communications.

Although not working in direct practice, each member of the team works towards one goal – the effective safeguarding and welfare of young Londoners.

Some of the team’s achievements last year:

b> Spearheading Safer London’s shift to a four-day working week organisation

Developing and rolling out a new induction programme

Building and launching the Safer London staff intranet

Leading on and delivering successful bids, resulting in the securement of Safer London’s service and support, as well as supporting innovative projects

b> Ensuring that Safer London is protected against cyberattacks by securing a new IT supplier and updating the team’s hardware and software. Whilst also creating new bespoke data protection training.

b> Further supporting our team development by rolling out new training on our e-learning platform Rise, which was accompanied by a comprehensive learning and development guide.

None of these achievements could have been possible without collaboration and support from the practice teams. Safer London strives to operate as one team, with everyone working together to achieve our organisational goals.

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The central resources team are the backbone of Safer London, working together to drive efficiency, ensuring that every resource is used effectively to support our mission.

Together they identify and mitigate potential risks, ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and provide strategic insights through timely and accurate data. By working in close collaboration with frontline staff, they support the organisation to bring in the necessary funds to maximise our impact and transform lives.

KATIE MITCHELL Deputy CEO, Safer London

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FOUR DAY WORKING WEEK

One of our most significant achievements last year was the successful transition to a four-day working week. This change was driven by our commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of our team. We recognised that a better work-life balance could lead to increased productivity, higher job satisfaction and overall improved mental and physical health for the Safer London team.

The journey towards implementing the four-day working week began with consultations. We engaged in open dialogue with our staff, seeking their input and understanding their concerns and aspirations. This collaborative approach ensured that the transition was smooth and aligned with the needs and expectations of our team.

In addition to staff consultations, we worked closely with one of our Trustees, as well as our legal counsel. Their expertise and guidance were invaluable in navigating the legal, logistical, and practical aspects of this significant change. Together, we developed a comprehensive plan that addressed potential challenges and ensured that the new working arrangement would be beneficial for both our employees, the organisation and most importantly – the young Londoners and families we work alongside.

“

The four-day working week is a huge benefit and has really helped my work-life balance.

SAFER LONDON TEAM MEMBER Verbatim comment from Safer London 2024 staff survey

The shift to a four-day working happened in April 2024. Since then, team members report feeling more rested and motivated, and we have observed a positive impact on their overall productivity and creativity.

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Ç Karen Green Stewart and Lashawna Stewart filming the Overlooked & Forgotten campaign film

OVERLOOKED & FORGOTTEN CAMPAIGN FILM

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Overlooked & Forgotten is research aiming to explore what bereavement support is – or isn’t – in place for those who have lost someone to youth violence related murder.

Spearheaded by bereaved parent Karen Green Stewart, who lost her son Lamar to youth violence in 2017, our aim is to develop a set of recommendations informing a bereavement model or approach for families, friends and communities affected by this type of tragedy.

To support recruitment of participants into the research, we created a campaign flm.

Produced by Neck of the Woods flms , the film’s direction and narrative was steered by Karen and her Lamar’s twin sister Lashawna Stewart, ensuring that their story was told the way they wanted it to be.

The film was shortlisted for an award in the 2024 Smiley Charity Film Awards.

Read the full report

This research project is a collaborative partnership between Safer London, UCL Psychoanalysis Unit and bereavement experts Child Bereavement UK, and is supported by Anna Freud. The report was released in September 2024.

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“

When I met my worker she was always outgoing and always made sure I was comfortable no matter where we were or what we would converse about.

I really enjoyed the sense of comfort that came with all our sessions. I’ve learnt how to contain anger, how to motivate myself when things get tough and how to not give up on my survival.

YOUNG LONDONER who accessed Safer London support

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ACCOUNTABILITY: LOOKING BACK & LOOKING FORWARD

LOOKING BACK: REFLECTIONS

Self-reflection is incredibly important. It allows us to pull out valuable lessons from our past experiences, which helps shape our future direction.

Each year, we establish three major goals and we hold ourselves accountable against those goals by looking back on them.

It involves both recognising and celebrating our successes, as well as assessing areas that need further growth and improvement.

LAST YEAR'S GOALS

Taking a closer look at the Safer London Front Door

Formalising a set of behaviours to enhance service delivery and support

Continuously reviewing the landscape in which young Londoners operate and swiftly adapting to emerging themes with agility

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HOW WE PERFORMED AGAINST THE GOALS WE SET LAST YEAR

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SAFER LONDON FRONT DOOR

The Safer London Front Door acts as a single point of entry for all young Londoners and families accessing Safer London’s support and services.

Our goal with the Front Door was always to create an effective and efficient way of processing and screening referrals, in a way that benefited those that matter the most – the young Londoners, parents and carers accessing our service and support.

Last year, we committed to carrying out a review of the Front Door to determine if it is truly an effective pathway. Understanding the value of an outside perspective we comissioned an external review. From this evaluation we have identified future areas of focus:

FORMALISING A SET OF BEHAVIOURS TO ENHANCE SERVICE DELIVERY AND SUPPORT

Last year, we successfully developed and implemented our first Behaviours Framework.

This framework was created through a collaborative effort with the entire team, ensuring it reflected the insights and views of everyone who is a part of Safer London.

Our Behaviours Framework is closely linked to our values, ensuring that our actions and decisions consistently reflect what we stand for as an organisation, creating a valuedriven culture across Safer London.

It is now fully embedded within our performance review process, providing a clear understanding of the effective behaviours required at various levels within the organisation.

It runs alongside significant improvements we have made in our people management processes, which include enhancements in case management discussions, as well as a stronger focus on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and intersectionality.

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CONTINUOUSLY REVIEWING THE LANDSCAPE IN WHICH YOUNG LONDONERS OPERATE AND SWIFTLY ADAPTING TO EMERGING THEMES WITH AGILITY

Being agile and responsive to emerging themes is essential when developing services for children and young people affected by violence and exploitation.

When we noticed a significant gap in our service delivery and support, we set out to take action.

When looking at our data we realised that many young Londoners accessing Safer London’s services were neurodivergent or had Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), whether formally diagnosed or not.

We recognised the need to create impactful, responsive, and tailored interventions to genuinely address the challenges faced by this demographic.

In response we created and recruited to two new roles whose focus was to work specifically with young Londoners with SEND. One with a focus on violence and exploitation, the other on Harmful Sexual Behaviours. These caseworkers have expert knowledge and experience of working alongside children and young people with SEND, knowledge that they share with their colleagues via weekly drop-in surgeries.

Furthermore, they have been leading an internal team working to obtain an Autism Inclusion Award.

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“

I get to work with brilliant personalities every day and I can make an actual difference to young Londoners’ lives.

LEE

Expert Neurodiversity Caseworker, Safer London

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LOOKING AHEAD: FUTURE GOALS

Setting organisational goals for the next year is essential for Safer London’s growth.

By establishing specific objectives, we can prioritise, streamline decision-making, and allocate resources effectively.

This strategic planning enhances accountability, motivation, and impact, driving progress and achieving our mission in the year ahead.

THIS YEAR'S GOALS

Build sustainability and growth into Safer London’s youth voice and influence programme

Evaluate Safer London’s approach to extremism as a form of exploitation

Explore options for evaluation and research supported by young peer researchers

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HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE OUR GOALS HEADING INTO NEXT YEAR

BUILD SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH INTO SAFER LONDON’S YOUTH VOICE AND INFLUENCE PROGRAMME

Safer London has a thriving youth voice programme, with an active group of young Londoners - the Safer London VIPs - spearheading meaningful conversations and activating change both within and outside of Safer London.

We want to make sure that this programme continues to grow and that all young Londoners - whether they are part of the VIPs or not – have platforms and mechanisms where they can share their voices, experiences and opinions.

A big focus for the next year will be to further embed youth voice and participation throughout the organisation, moving this work to sit directly within our practice teams.

The aim is that everyone at Safer London will look at their work with a participation lens, proactively creating opportunities for youth voice in what they do.

Secondly we aim to launch a digital youth hub*. An online space where young Londoners can go for advice and support, as well as share their own experiences.

Furthermore, the youth hub will be used by Safer London caseworkers in their interventions, as a tool for pointing to resources and signposting to further support.

Ç Safer London’s digital youth hub London Youth Voices

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We are excited to launch a digital space for young Londoners, designed by young Londoners themselves.

This project is a true collaboration between our communications and participation teams, and most importantly, the Safer London young champion VIPs.

Our goal is to create a platform where young Londoners can access information, advice, and guidance, while also sharing their own experiences to inspire and support their peers.

HELEN GREEN Marketing and Communications Manager, Safer London

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EVALUATE SAFER LONDON’S APPROACH TO EXTREMISM AS A FORM OF CHILD EXPLOITATION

Over the past few years, Safer London has identified extremism as a growing threat among young Londoners. At its core, the radicalisation of young Londoners is simply another form of exploitation. Radicalisation is complex, but it starts the same way as other forms of exploitation - by preying on vulnerabilities and trauma.

Last year we partnered with Exit Hate to establish a specialist caseworker role focused on extremism and radicalisation. This role was designed to work closely with our teams to develop an effective approach to working with young Londoners who are at risk of, or have been, radicalised.

Over 12 months this specialist worker focussed on three areas to develop our approach to working with young Londoners impacted by extremism.

Manual, Policy and Procedures

We amended caseworker processes and created escalation documents to address radicalisation concerns promptly and effectively.

Support Tools

The specialist worker developed resources to help caseworkers recognise signs of radicalisation and support difficult conversations with young Londoners at risk. This included session plans and tailored questions for interventions to address individual needs and circumstances, as well as resources that address the intersection of online gaming and extremism.

Training and Workshops

Workshops and training sessions for the Safer London team, as well as families, were developed. This legacy peice of work aims to equip attendees with the knowledge and skills to counteract extremism.

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Although what we achieved last year will support the Safer London team to more confidently navigate the landscape of extremism, we know more needs to be done. Looking to the future we want to focus on strengthening our approach, as well as share our learnings with others.

We will achieve this by:

Establishing collaborative networks

We understand there are differing areas of extremist thoughts and ideologies, and that these thoughts can grow in young Londoners - in particular the growing rise in harmful misogynistic ideologies amongst young males. We want to build an approach that covers all forms of extremism and harmful ideologies. By building our collaborative networks we can further understand the nuances of extremism ideologies and ideas and in turn better equip our team to handle them.

Enhancing knowledge of radicalisation in the contextual space

Online gaming platforms and social media have been identified as potential platforms for radicalisation, with young people frequently being exposed to and indoctrinated into extreme ideologies. As online spaces continue to evolve, it is vital we remain vigilant in understanding and addressing the complex dynamics at play. We will continue to investigate the growing trends of radicalisation in online spaces, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young Londoners vulnerable to the influences of radicalisation and extremism.

Expand community engagement initiatives

We will continue our proactive approach to engaging with local communities, listening to their concerns, and involving them in the development and implementation of services and support. Strengthening these connections will not only foster trust but also ensure that interventions are tailored to the specific needs of each community.

Collaborate with stakeholders

We will build strong partnerships with local authorities, criminal justice agencies, schools, businesses, and other stakeholders.This is crucial for creating a cohesive and comprehensive approach to safety. We will actively seek opportunities for collaboration, sharing resources, expertise, and best practices to maximise their impact.

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EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SUPPORTED BY YOUNG PEER RESEARCHERS

At Safer London we understand the important role peers play in young Londoners' lives and we’re committing to harnessing the positive influence of peers.

Moving into the future we are supporting research which looks specifically at love and protection within peer relationships and its potential to inform practice.

A strong support system is essential in navigating life's challenges. Friends play a crucial role in adolescence. Strong social networks and positive friendships enhance self-esteem, confidence and resilience while reducing the risk of social isolation, depression and other mental health issues.

When looking at children and young people affected by violence and exploitation traditionally, peer relationships have been examined through a lens of risk, often resulting in increased surveillance and criminalisation, particularly for marginalised youth. This perspective neglects the protective potential of peer relationships. It’s crucial to reframe peer relationships as sources of safety rather than risk.

Safer London’s Director of Practice is currently carrying out PhD research, supervised by Professor Carlene Firmin and Dr Hannah King, focusing on love and protection in peer relationships.

This research, in collaboration with Safer London, aims to develop a co-produced study with 'Young Researchers' – a group of young people affected by exploitation and violence, ensuring their voices shape understanding and practices.

The goal is to promote strength-based safeguarding practices that leverage the protective power of peer relationships.

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“

To challenge this risk-focused lens on friendships and pee relationships I have decided to undertake post graduate research to explore these issues.

Safer London will be a collaborative partner in this research. The ambition is to develop a co-produced piece of research with children and young people who are impacted by exploitation and violence, and who are so often excluded from knowledge generation.

Their voice and experience will help shape the design and delivery of the research to help us to better understand the role peer relationships can play in safeguarding adolescents and hopefully tip the lens towards more strength-based safeguarding practice with peers.

YOUNG LONDONER who accessed Safer London support

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR SAFER LONDON

At Safer London, we’ve been heavily involved in shaping a new service that addresses the needs of young Londoners and families affected by violence and exploitation.

Over the past year, we participated in a process led by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), attending a series of workshops that brought together voluntary and statutory organisations from across London. These workshops provided a platform for us to influence the development of a new violence and exploitation service, ensuring they reflect the real needs of young Londoners and their families.

Through these workshops, we advocated for safeguarding to be at the heart of the new service, ensuring both young Londoners and their families are supported and protected.

Our engagement with young Londoners was central to this process, especially through the involvement of the Safer London VIPs. Their voices and lived experiences helped shape how we approached the design of the service, ensuring it was grounded in the realities faced by those impacted by violence and exploitation.

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In collaboration with our partners - St Giles Trust, New Horizon Youth Centre and Anna Freud - we worked to co-develop a service that provides comprehensive, trauma-informed support for young Londoners and their families. Our focus was on creating a service that empowers young Londoners to take control of their own journey, while surrounding them with skilled professionals who can provide tailored assistance for their unique needs.

This service, built on the AMBIT "team-around-the-worker" model, will enable caseworkers to build trusting relationships with young Londoners and ensure they receive the right support at the right time. By minimising the need for young Londoners to repeatedly share their stories with multiple professionals, we aimed to create a supportive and seamless process, not just for them but for their families as well.

At Safer London, we are proud of the role we played in shaping this service, which is grounded in safeguarding, collaboration, and the direct input of young Londoners and their families. We believe this partnership will help us support more young people and their families in building positive futures, free from violence and exploitation.

Find out about this new service and make a referral on the Safer London website.

The service commenced in June 2024 and is funded by the Mayor's Office for Police and Crime for five years (2024/5-2026/7) as part of the mayor’s wider commitment to reduce and prevent violence and exploitation and protect children and young people from being exploited or harmed as part of the Police and Crime Plan 2022-25.

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“

My worker was very supportive in guiding me to how to deal with different things. I felt like I could be open and share any worry or support that I needed with them.

I know what to do and how to relax if I am stressed out. When I am stressed I know I need a moment to myself to feel better - I know now that going to the park for a short walk helps.

I feel really good about receiving support from Safer London. I have a different view of services now because I never thought I would get the support that I did from Safer London, so this has helped me to have an open mind about other services. I can easily open up and share information with other services now because my worker made me feel more confident.

YOUNG LONDONER who accessed Safer London support

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THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Safer London Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees want to extend their thanks to all of our partners, funders and supporters who allow us to continue our work, ensuring young Londoners have the future they deserve.

What we achieved last year wouldn’t have been possible without the support and dedication of the incredible Safer London team.

Our biggest thank you is to the young Londoners and families we worked alongside, whose tenacity, resilience and dedication amazes us every day - for being willing to trust us we thank you.

Safer London supporters, funders and partners

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FUNDRAISER SPOTLIGHT

VIOLA TAKES ON THE PARIS HALF FOR YOUNG LONDONERS

Having recently moved to London, Viola realised the importance of a safe environment for young Londoners. This motivated her to support Safer London by running the Paris Half Marathon in March 2024.

During her training Viola mapped out all the routes in central London where she felt safe running before sunrise and after sunset hoping to make it easier for everyone to enjoy being active while feeling safe.

“ Being a young person in this vibrant city, I understand the importance of a safe environment for personal growth.

VIOLA Safer London Fundraiser

Make a difference, start your fundraiser today!

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SUPPORTERS AND FUNDERS

PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS

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ABOUT SAFER LONDON

Safer London works with young Londoners and families affected by violence and exploitation.

Through specialist one-to-one intervention, we are supporting young Londoners to move onto the positive futures they deserve. We put young Londoners at the centre of their support, focusing on them and their needs. By building strong, trusting relationships we gain an insight into their world, begin to understand what they need and together we find the best ways to keep them safe.

Understanding young Londoners’ lives are shaped by the world in which they live, we work not only with them and their families, but also their peer networks and directly within the communities and places where they live and spend their time. We are committed to learning, innovating, and delivering high quality, evidence-based support.

With a footprint in every borough in London, we build trusting, professional partnerships to embed our approaches and work towards achieving our vision of a city that is safer for all young Londoners who live here.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

REPORT CREDITS

Report Design: Safer London

Report Ilustrations: Charlie Emsley Neck of the Woods Films

Icons: Flaticon.com

GET IN TOUCH

To discuss potential partnerships or to commission our services, please email bd@saferlondon.org.uk

If you’d like us to speak at your event or conference please email communications@saferlondon.org.uk

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444;

and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. Information on our services, including criteria and how www.saferlondon.org.uk to make a referral, can be found on our website www.saferlondon.org.uk

SAFER LONDON | 2024

For general enquiries please email info@saferlondon.org.uk

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TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

INDEPENDENTAUDITOR’S REPORT SAFER LONDON’S FINANCIAL POSITION AT THE END OF THE REPORTING PERIOD

Our income in 2023/2024 was £3,829,949 This was approximately £70,000 less than budgeted and £199,082 less than our annual target. Our focus continued to be on consolidation rather than significant growth, as planned. However, the activity and resource required to execute one of our key strategic priorities - securing an existing contract that was being recommissioned - took significant amounts of resource due in part to the unique and new way this contract was commissioned. This increase in time spent on this work impacted on our ability to secure additional income in year particularly from Trusts and Foundations.

We started the year with a total of £3,727,119 of secured income and generated £102,830 in year. We deferred a total of £58,111 to 2024/2025. This increase in funds was due to securing increased investment in our delivery, in response to additional demand for our service and in order to respond to new and evolving needs that were emerging through practice.

2023/2024 income is a 5.4% increase on the income raised in 2022/2023 (£3,632,726). At the same time expenditure increased by 1.2% to £3,632,951 (2022/2023: £3,591,512).

Safer London receives occasional donations from individuals or small groups who have raised funds in aid of our work, as well as donations and in-kind assistance from private sector supporters. However, the bulk of our income continues to be derived from public and statutory bodies, including local and central government, trusts and foundations.

RESERVES POLICY

Safer London has a reserves policy specifically to support its aims to hold sufficient reserves to:

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; As a result of the process set out above and acknowledging the and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. challenging external environment, the Board of Trustees believes www.saferlondon.org.uk that a target reserves range of £360,000-£600,000 meets the charity’s needs.

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RESERVES POLICY CONT

Finally, the Reserves Policy states the following in relation to the desired levels of reserves for Safer London:

The actual level of reserves as of 31 March 2024, as reported in this annual report and financial statements, was £1,003,476 which is above our reserves range as presented in the current Reserves Policy.

Due to the expected recommissioning of some of Safer London’s services it had been agreed to maintain the levels of reserves above the current policy range during this period of uncertainty. This enabled Safer London to confidently manage any potential liabilities. This recommissioning concluded in June 2024 with a successful outcome for Safer London. The policy is now being reviewed as required and the following steps will be taken to maintain the agreed level of reserves:

Whilst reserves are currently above the range set out above, we will continue to apply the following principles to ensure reserve levels are maintained:

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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SAFER LONDON’S ABILITY TO CONTINUE AS A GOING CONCERN

The Trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these financial statements. The Trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of at least one year from the date of approval of these financial statements.

The Trustees are satisfied that at the time of producing this report sufficient funding has been secured in confirmed contracts for the period to 2 June 2027 to enable the organisation to continue as a going concern.

The budget for 2024/2025 shows a balanced budget with expenditure matching income and cash flow forecasts show a positive cash position at 31 March 2025 of £913,087 with the charity’s latest set of management accounts showing they are on track to achieve this.

Safer London’s reserves position has also improved on last year. The actual level of free reserves as of 31 March 2024 was just over £1m, which is above the reserves range as presented in the current Reserves Policy. Safer London have sought to maintain increased reserves due to an ongoing tender process.

INVESTMENT AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT POLICY

Safer London has an Investment Policy which in summary sets out that the Trustees, taking due account of the liquidity requirements of operating the charity on a day-to-day basis, will keep most available funds in low-risk bank deposits, despite the poor interest returns on such deposits. This is to preserve healthy cash flow and contingency. The investments aim to preserve the capital value with a minimum level of risk.

The policy does go further and allows higher risk investment, where Safer London has enough investments to spread risk effectively and maintains quick access to a proportion of funds as described above.

This policy will remain in place until such time as unrestricted reserves, after appropriate internal investment in the charity’s future development, reach a level where options offering higher returns – although with associated increase in risk that comes with a broader spread of investment options - can be considered.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FUNDRAISING STATEMENT

Safer London will not knowingly apply to, or accept funding from, companies, organisations or individuals who are directly involved in activities that are contrary to our overall aims.

These include companies, organisations or individuals who directly block or actively work against young people both in the UK and overseas; whose activities directly exploit or harm young people; or who directly block or work against the empowerment of young people.

We fund our work through services delivered on behalf of statutory agencies and we seek funding for our work from institutional donors and grant-giving trusts. We also advertise opportunities to fundraise in aid of Safer London on our website and social media. Where we receive donations from the public, they are usually processed through accounts with reputable online platforms such as Just Giving.

Safer London makes it clear on our website how complaints can be made about any aspect of our activity. We received no complaints in relation to our fundraising activity this year.

All fundraising is carried out by employees of Safer London. This year we did not employ professional fundraising agencies or any other third parties to fundraise on our behalf.

The charity complies with the General Data Privacy Regulations and protects individuals’ personal information. We do not solicit individuals via telephone or door to door, we have not bought any data lists, and we never sell our supporters data. We review all relationships with commercial supporters when the relationship is established and on an ongoing basis thereafter. We put in place Commercial Participator agreements where these are required.

The charity adheres to the standards in compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice. Fundraising activities are led by the Head of Business Development and are monitored by the wider Senior Leadership Team.

The Trustees are involved in setting the charity’s approach to aising funds, and regular reporting to the Trustees provides assurance that our activities follow this approach in practice and reflect the charity’s values.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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PAY POLICY FOR KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND SENIOR STAFF

The charity considers its Key Management Personnel during the year to have comprised all Trustees and the following staff.

The CEO pay is defined on an agreed 5 point pay scale which forms a part of the overall organisational pay and grading structure.

Regular, independent benchmarking of pay bands for charities of a similar size is undertaken alongside a benefits review.

Roles are evaluated in line with our Job Evaluation scheme. Job Evaluations are carried out by a panel of senior staff trained as job analysts.

RECRUITING AND APPOINTING NEW CHARITY TRUSTEES

Our Trustees are responsible for setting the strategy and delivery objectives of Safer London. In accordance with the Articles of Association the minimum number of Trustees at any one time is three. There is no maximum number.

Trustees are appointed by resolution of current Trustees and, at each Annual General Meeting, one third of the Trustees must retire from office. If the number of Trustees retiring for their own reasons does not come to a third of their number, then the appropriate number of those who have served the longest will be asked to retire. They may be re-appointed by ordinary resolution, if they indicate that they wish to re-stand for the Board.

Candidates for Trustee roles go through a robust application, recruitment and selection process. They are also vetted through DBS.

Once appointed, new Trustees are given a formal programme of induction which includes safeguarding training aligned with the charity’s core activities. Further opportunities for training, both internal and external, are provided to each trustee during their term of office as appropriate.

The Trustees consider that the Board of Trustees, who are the charitable company’s Directors, and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) comprise key management personnel of the charity in charge Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; of directing, controlling, running and operating the charity on a and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. day-to-day basis.www.saferlondon.org.uk

All Trustees give their time freely and no Trustee received remuneration in the year 2023-2024.

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RISK MANAGEMENT

Safer London issued a Risk Management Policy in 2018 and this was last updated in May 2024. The policy sets out the methodology for assessing and rating risks. It is reviewed every two years.

Safer London has a Risk Management Subgroup which meets at least four times per year. This group is made up of the Deputy CEO, the EA to the CEO, the Head of Safeguarding & Quality Practice and the Deputy Head of Practice. A Trustee is invited to join meetings according to availability. Other managers that are regularly invited include the Head of Business Development and the Information, Governance & IT Manager (who maintains a separate risk register).

The Risk Management Subgroup reviews current risks and conduct horizon scanning to ensure awareness of potential risks and developments that may impact on the organisation.

The Risk Management Policy requires that significant new opportunities and previously unforeseen risks are assessed as and when they arise. For each risk identified Safer London looks at existing controls that already seek to reduce the negative effect of the risk (mitigation) or the likelihood of it occurring. In addition, further actions are identified as part of the risk management subgroup. SLT focuses on risk to ensure that we continually seek to mitigate the risks posed to the organisation.

Significant – red - risks (score of 15+) are shared with the Board at each quarterly Board meeting. Red risks are reviewed by the Risk Subgroup at each meeting and recommendations for mitigations shared with SLT. The Corporate Risk Register is reviewed in its entirety by the Risk Subgroup on a regular basis and in its entirety by SLT quarterly.

It is reviewed in full by the Board once a year.

Examples of key non-financial risks on the register include:

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INSURANCE COVER

The charity purchases insurance to cover its Trustees against their costs in defending themselves in civil legal proceedings taken against them in that capacity and in respect of damages resulting from the unsuccessful defense of any proceedings.

During the period under review Safer London held Professional Indemnity and Crisis Management cover provided by Hiscox.

Separate Cyber Insurance is provided by CFC. For all other aspects of Safer London operations including building, contents and assets a policy is provided by Aviva.

TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trustees (who are also directors of Safer London for the purposes 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 year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the income and expenditure for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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TRUSTEES’ RESPONSIBILITIES CONT

The Trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website.

Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

None of the Trustees receive remuneration or other benefit from their work with the charity. Any connection between a Trustee or key staff member of the charity and an external funder or provider of goods or services must be disclosed to the full Board of Trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party. This is done via an annual declaration of any such transaction as well as in-year disclosures as appropriate.

STATEMENT AS TO DISCLOSURE TO OUR AUDITORS

Insofar as the Trustees are aware at the time of approving this Trustees’ annual report there is no relevant information of which the charitable company’s auditor is unaware, and the Trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditor is aware of that information.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 4th december 2024 and signed on their behalf by:

Janine McDowell, Chair.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

OPINION

We have audited the financial statements of Safer London (the ‘charitable company’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows, the principal accounting policies and the notes to the financial statements.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 ‘The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland’ (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

BASIS FOR OPINION

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report.

We are independent of the charitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

CONCLUSIONS RELATING TO GOING CONCERN

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financialSafer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; statements are authorised for issue. and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766.

www.saferlondon.org.uk Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

OTHER INFORMATION

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report and financial statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report and financial statements. 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.

OPINIONS ON OTHER MATTERS PRESCRIBED BY THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

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

RESPONSIBILITIES OF TRUSTEES

As explained more fully in the Trustees’ responsibilities statement, the Trustees (who are also the directors of the charitable company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the charitable company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. the Trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company orwww.saferlondon.org.uk to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONT

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

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 www.frc.org.uk/auditorsre sponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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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.

Katharine Patel (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Buzzacott LLP, Statutory Auditor 130 Wood Street London EC2V 6DL

20 December 2024

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 (INCORPORATING THE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT)

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Notes|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total| |funds|funds|funds|funds|funds|funds| |£|£|2024|£|£|2023| |£|£| |Income from:| |Donations and|1|12,827|-|12,827|59,816|60,000|119,816| |legacies| |Charitable| |2|209,260|3,607,862|3,817,122|36,038|3,476,872|3,512,910| |activities| |Total income|222,087|3,607,862|3,829,949|95,854|3,536,872|3,632,726| |Expenditure on:| |Raising funds|3,4|25,089|78,278|103,367|54,640|106,937|161,577| |Charitable|3.4|-|3,529,584|3,529,584|-|3,429,935|3,429,935| |activities| |Total| |25,089|3,607,862|3,632,951|54,640|3,536,872|3,591,512| |expenditure| |Net income| |and net|196,998|-|196,998|41,214|-|41,214| |movement| |in funds| |Reconciliation of funds:| |Funds brought| |forward at 1|12|806,478|-|806,478|765,264|-|765,264| |April 2023| |Funds carried| |forward at 31|12|1,003,476|-|1,003,476|806,478|-|806,478| |March 2024|

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All income and expenditure derives from continuing operations.

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. The notes on pages 84 to 92 form part of these financial statements.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE
INFORMATION
TRUSTEES’
REPORT
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S
REPORT
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
BALANCE SHEET
31 MARCH 2024
Notes
2024
£
2024
£
2023
£
2023
£
Fixed assets
Tangible fixed
assets
9
4,312
13,484
Current assets
Debtors
10
435,381
827,499
Cash at bank
and in hand
896,867
726,863
1,332,248
1,554,362
Liabilities
Creditors:
amounts falling
due within one
year
11
(333,084)
(761,368)
765,264
Net current
assets
999,164
792,994
Total net
assets
1,003,476
806,478
The funds of the charity
Restricted
funds
12
-
-
Unrestricted
funds
12
1,003,476
806,478
1,003,476
806,478

The Trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Act with respect to accounting records and preparation of financial statements.

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

The financial statements were approved by the Trustees of Safer London, Company Registration Number 05190766 (England and Wales), and signed on their behalf by:

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. Chairwww.saferlondon.org.uk - Janine McDowell Approved on: 4th December 2024

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL INFORMATION REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

FINANCIALSTATEMENTS STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Notes|2024|2023| |£|£| |Cash flows from operating activities:| |Net cash provided by operating activities|A|170,004|153,353| |Cash flows from investing activities| |-| |Purchase of tangible fixed assets|(4,850)| |-| |Net cash (used in) investing activities|(4,850)| |Net increase in cash and cash equivalents|170,004|148,503| |Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2023|B|726,863|578,360| |Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March 2024|B|896,867|726,863| |NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE| |YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024| |A. Reconciliation of net movements in funds to net cash flow from operating activities| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Net income for the period (as per statement offinancial|196,998|41,214| |activities)| |Adjustments for:| |Depreciation charges|9,172|9,040| |Decrease in debtors|392,118|58,870| |(Decrease) Increase in creditors|(428,284)|44,229| |Net cash provided by operating activities|170,004|153,353| |B. Analysis of cash and cash equivalents| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Cash at bank and in hand|896,866|726,863| |Total cash and cash equivalents|896,867|726,863| |C. Analysis of changes in net debt| |At 1 April 2023|Cash flows|At 31 March 2024| |£|£|£| |Cash at bank and in hand|726,863|170,004|896,867| |Total|726,863|170,004|896,867|

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A statement of net debt has not been presented above as the charity held no debt during the year.

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TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are laid out below.

BASIS OF PREPARATION

These financial statements have been prepared for the year to 31 March 2024 with comparative information provided in respect to the year to 31 March 2023.

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies below or the notes to these financial statements.

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (Charities SORP FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements are presented in sterling and are rounded to the nearest pound.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND AREAS OF JUDGMENT

Preparation of the financial statements requires the Trustees and management to make significant judgements and estimates. The key items in the financial statements where these judgements and estimates have been made comprise:

GOING CONCERN

The Trustees have assessed the use of going concern and have considered possible events or conditions that might cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The Trustees have made this assessment for a period of at least one year from the date of the approval of these financial statements.Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766.

The Trustees are satisfied that at the time of producing this report www.saferlondon.org.uk sufficient funding has been secured in confirmed contracts for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025 to enable the organisation to continue as a going concern.

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

GOING CONCERN CONT

If unable to secure additional funding the organisation will undergo a slimming-down so as to reduce its fixed costs in order to remain able to deliver to budget.

The budget for 2024/2025 shows as a balanced budget and cash flow forecasts show a positive cash position of 31 March 2025 of £913,087 with the charity’s latest set of management accounts showing we are on track to achieve this.

The commissioning of the MOPAC funded London CYP Violence and Exploitation Support Service concluded at the end of FY 2023/24 with the Safer London, New Horizon Youth Centre, St Giles Trust and Anna Freud Centre Alliance being successfully awarded the contract. This successful recommissioning has secured significant longer-term income of over £9.5m for Safer London between FY 2024/25 to 2027/28.

The Trustees have concluded that there is a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The charity therefore continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing these financial statements.

INCOME

All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of income receivable can be measured reliably.

For donations to be recognised the charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.

Income from grants and contracts 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 and there are no unfulfilled conditions. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.

No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102).

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

EXPENDITURE

All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. 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.

Support costs are those that assist the work of the charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include, HR support, IT infrastructure and support, governance costs and administration.

Expenditure on charitable activities is incurred on directly undertaking the activities which further the charity’s objectives, as well as any associated support costs.

Expenditure on raising funds includes all expenditure associated with generating fundraised income, as well as any associated support costs.

Termination benefits, included redundancy costs, are recognised when the charity has the obligation to pay the benefits and they can be measured reliably. All expenditure is inclusive of irrecoverable VAT.

TAXATION

The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS AND DEPRECIATION

Tangible fixed assets costing £2,000 or more are capitalised and recognised when future economic benefits are probable and the cost or value of the asset can be measured reliably.

Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost. After recognition, under the cost model, tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. All costs incurred to bring a tangible fixed asset into its intended working condition should be included in the measurement of cost.

At each reporting date the charity assesses whether there is any indication of impairment. If such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is determined to be the higher of its fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. An impairment loss is recognised where the carrying amount exceeds the recoverable amount.

Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of tangible fixed assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives, using the straight-line method.

Depreciation is provided on the following bases:

DEBTORS

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any trade discounts due.

CASH AT BANK AND IN HAND

Cash at bank and in hand includes cash and short-term highly liquid investments with a short maturity of three months or less from the date of acquisition or opening of the deposit or similar account.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

LIABILITIES AND PROVISIONS

Liabilities are recognised when there is an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefit will be required in settlement, and the amount of the settlement can be estimated reliably.

Liabilities are recognised at the amount that the charity anticipates it will pay to settle the debt or the amount it has received as advanced payments for the goods or services it must provide.

Provisions are measured at the best estimate of the amounts required to settle the obligation. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, the provision is based on the present value of those amounts, discounted at the pre-tax discount rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding of the discount is recognised in the statement of financial activities as a finance cost.

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The charity holds only basic financial instruments. The financial assets and liabilities of the charity are as follows:

Financial assets - Trade and other debtors (including accrued income) are basic financial instruments and are debt instruments measured at amortised cost as detailed in Note 10. Prepayments are not financial instruments.

Cash at bank - is classified as a basic financial instrument and is measured at face value, as presented on the balance sheet.

Financial liabilities - Trade creditors, other creditors and accruals are basic financial instruments, and are measured at amortised cost as detailed in Note 11. Taxation and social security are not included in the financial instruments disclosure. Deferred income is not deemed to be a financial liability, as the cash settlement has already taken place and there is an obligation to deliver charitable services rather than cash or another financial instrument.

OPERATING LEASES

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the statement of financial activities on a straight line basis over the lease term.

PENSIONS

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

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme andSafer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; the pension charge represents the amounts payable by theand a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. charity to the fund in respect of the year. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FUND ACCOUNTING

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

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements. Investment income, gains and losses are allocated to the appropriate fund.

Safer London is a registered charity in England and Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk

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TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024

1. Income from donations and grants

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024| |£|£|£| |-| |Donations|12,827|12,827| |Grants|-|-|-| |-| |12,827|12,827| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2023| |£|£|£| |-| |Donations|54,996|54,996| |Grants|4,820|60,000|64,820| |59,816|60,000|119,816| |2. Income from charitable activities – by type| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024| |£|£|£| |People|162,286|2,797,984|2,960,270| |Peers|35,280|608,266|643,546| |Places|11,694|201,613|213,306| |209,260|3,607,862|3,817,122| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2023| |£|£|£| |People|27,762|2,678,412|2,706,174| |Peers|6,425|619,887|626,312| |Places|1,851|178,573|180,424| |36,038|3,476,872|3,512,910|

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

3. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities – by fund

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024| |£|£|£| |Raising funds|25,089|78,278|103,367| |-| |Support and Out-reach|3,529,584|3,529,584| |25,089|3,607,862|3,632,951| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2023| |£|£|£| |Raising funds|54,640|106,937|161,577| |Support and Out-reach|-|3,429,935|3,429,935| |54,640|3,536,872|3,591,512| |4. Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities – by type| |Activities|Support|Total funds| |undertaken|Costs|2024| |directly|£|£| |£| |Raising funds|74,973|28,394|103,367| |Support and Out-reach|2,647,851|881,733|3,529,584| |2,722,824|910,127|3,632,951| |Activities|Support|Total funds| |undertaken|Costs|2023| |directly|£|£| |£| |Raising funds|110,323|51,254|161,577| |Support and Out-reach|2,522,944|906,991|3,429,935| |2,633,267|958,245|3,591,512| |5. Analysis of direct costs| |Total|Total| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Direct staff costs|2,338,376|2,094,424| |Direct costs of support and out-reach|287,212|426,173| |Staff and volunteer travel and subsistence|30,201|15,990| |Fundraising and publicity|43,547|29,386| |Staff training|23,488|67,294| |2,722,824|2,633,267|

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

6. Analysis of support costs

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|||| |---|---|---| |Total|Total| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Support staff costs|297,139|357,825| |Depreciation|9,172|9,040| |Rent, rates and service charges|156,122|114,759| |Other building costs|35,087|30,909| |Professional fees (including IT and accounting support)|139,914|148,735| |Insurance|8,249|7,952| |Finance & IT support|80,653|77,627| |HR support, recruitment and training|64,031|87,824| |Hospitality|1,157|14,061| |Office, computer and website costs|80,055|77,101| |Governance costs (see note 7)|38,548|32,412| |910,127|958,245| |7. Governance costs|

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|||| |---|---|---| |Total|Total| |funds|funds| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Auditors’ remuneration – audit of the financial statements|15,235|14,375| |Auditors’ remuneration – other services|6,095|5,755| |Legal fees|17,218|12,282| |38,548|32,412| |8. Staff costs| |Total|Total| |funds|funds| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Wages and salaries|2,341,369|2,180,797| |Social security costs|232,345|214,275| |Pension costs|61,801|57,177| |2,635,515|2,452,249|

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The charity paid out redundancy costs of £nil in the year (2023 - £29,659). There were no amounts outstanding at the year end.

The average number of persons, calculated on a headcount basis, employed by the charity during the year was as follows:

Total Total 2024 No. 2023 No.

Projects, fundraising and management

63 59

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

8. Staff costs

The number of employees whose employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) exceeded £60,000 was:

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|||| |---|---|---| |Total|Total| |2024 No.|2023 No.| |£60,001 - £70,000|2|2| |£90,001 - £100,000|-|1| |£100,001 - £110,000|1|-|

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During the year, no Trustees received any remuneration or other benefits (2023 - none). During the year, no Trustee expenses have been incurred (2023 - none).

The total amount of employee benefits (including employer pension contributions and employer national insurance contributions) received by Key Management Personnel for the year was £560,280 (2023 - £555,660).

The charity considers its Key Management Personnel during the year to have comprised all Trustees and the following staff:

9. Tangible fixed assets

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|||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |Short leasehold|Furniture|Computer|Total| |improvements|and|equipment|£| |£|equipment|2023| |2024|£| |£| |Cost| |At 1 April 2023|55,206|42,593|121,253|219,052| |Additions|-|-|-|-| |At 31 March 2024|55,206|42,593|121,253|219,052| |Depreciation| |At 1 April 2023|52,617|42,593|110,358|205,568| |-| |Charge for the year|1,467|7,705|9,172| |At 31 March 2024|54,084|42,593|118,063|214,740| |Net book values| |-| |At 1 April 2024|1,122|3,190|4,312| |-| |At 31 March 2023|2,589|10,895|13,484|

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

10. Debtors

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|||| |---|---|---| |Total|Total| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Trade debtors|2,500|247,500| |Prepayments and accrued income|432,881|579,999| |435,381|827,499| |11. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year| |Total|Total| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Trade creditors|154,863|127,999| |Other taxation and social security|48,653|53,304| |Accruals and deferred income|129,568|580,065| |333,084|761,368| |Deferred income (included above)| |Total|Total| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Deferred income at 1 April|291,486|305,440| |Resources deferred during the year|65,611|291,486| |Amounts released from previous periods|(291,486)|(305,440)| |Deferred income at 31 March|65,611|291,486|

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Income has been deferred in respect of grants and contracts relating to the 2024/25 financial year.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

12. Statement of funds

Current year

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||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Balance at|Income|Expenditure|Transfers|Balance at 31| |1 April|£|£|In/Out|March 2024| |2023|£|£| |£| |Unrestricted funds| |-| |General funds|806,478|222,087|(25,089)|1,003,476| |Restricted funds|-|-| |MOPAC Victim’s Fund|-|552,000|(552,000)|-|-| |City Bridge Trust|-|76,700|(76,700)|-|-| |Help for Children Fund|-|30,000|(30,000)|-|-| |Esmee Fairbairn (New)|-|76,330|(76,330)|-|-| |MOPAC Children Affected by|-|-|-| |2,188,761|(2,188,761)| |Violence| |MOPAC Rescue & Response|-|-|-| |261,344|(261,344)| |(Initial Contract)| |MOPAC Pan London Housing|-|-|-| |255,000|(255,000)| |Reciprocal| |Ministry of Justice via MOPAC|-|141,600|(141,600)|-|-| |Standing Together Against| |Domestic Abuse - Whole|-|11,250|(11,250)|-|-| |Housing Association| |The Barrow Cadbury Grant|-|2,376|(2,376)|-|-| |Ofsted Peer Research|-|12,500|(12,500)|-|-| |Total restricted funds|-|3,607,862|(3,607,862)|-|-| |-| |Total funds|806,478|3,829,949|(3,632,951)|1,003,476|

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

12. Statement of funds cont

Prior year

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||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Balance at|Income|Expenditure|Transfers|Balance at 31| |1 April|£|£|In/Out|March 2023| |2022|£|£| |£| |Unrestricted funds| |-| |General funds|765,264|95,854|(54,640)|806,478| |Restricted funds|-|-| |MOPAC Victim’s Fund|-|552,000|(552,000)|-|-| |Paul Hamlyn Foundation|-|60,000|(60,000)|-|-| |City Bridge Trust|-|45,300|(45,300)|-|-| |Help for Children UK (CSE)|-|23,698|(23,698)|-|-| |Esmee Fairbairn Foundation|-|52,099|(52,099)|-|-| |Vanguard (Community Support|-|35,584|(35,584)|-|-| |MOPAC Children Affected by|-|2,050,000|(2,050,000)|-|-| |MOPAC Rescue & Response|-|261,344|(261,344)|-|-| |MOPAC Pan London Housing|-|-|-| |248,681|(248,681)| |Reciprocal| |Home Office County Lines|-|66,565|(66,565)|-|-| |Victim Support| |Ministry of Justice via MOPAC|-|141,600|(141,600)|-|-| |Total restricted funds|-|3,536,872|(3,536,872)|-|-| |-| |Total funds|765,264|3,632,726|(3,632,726)|806,478|

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12. Statement of funds cont

a) Restricted funds

Restricted funds enable us to deliver charitable activities that contribute to achieving the aims of our 5-year strategy. We have continued to reflect our 3 key strategic themes in how we deliver our work and structure our workforce.

We provide trusted, individual, relational support to ensure more young Londoners will feel safer, be safer, and have positive futures. Our team of skilled and experienced support workers deliver one on one support to young Londoners and their families, who are impacted by violence and exploitation in the community.

Our support is centred around trusted relationships. Our staff are relatable and credible. They work with young Londoners and the people important in their lives to deliver high quality, innovative and evidence-based support.

Through peer-group programmes in education settings and communities we support and empower young Londoners to speak up, recognise, acknowledge, and call-out unacceptable behaviours. These programmes aim to change norms and accepted behaviours within a group context. This work is informed by bystander theory to build young Londoners’ confidence and skills to challenge their peers, professionals, communities and decision makers.

To make sure that the places and spaces where young Londoners spend their time are safe and positive we are developing our work directly in and with communities. This includes our housing advocacy and support provided via the Pan-London Housing Reciprocal as well as place-based interventions that draw on our knowledge of contextual safeguarding to improve the safety of young Londoners in their own home and neighbourhood.

In order to achieve our strategic aims, restricted funds also support a number of specific projects aligned to our 6 strategic enablers. These include, for example, projects to analyse and better understand our data, to research and evaluate the impact of our programmes, and to enhance the way that we communicate about our work with the public. Other key enablers ensure that young Londoners have a strong and prominent voice in influencing and shaping how we deliver our services; and developing an equity, diversity, and inclusion plan that will ensure that all our services are accessible to any young Londoners that need them.

b) Unrestricted funds

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

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REFERENCE & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

TRUSTEES’ INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S FINANCIAL REPORT REPORT STATEMENTS

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR TO 31 MARCH 2024 CONT

13 Analysis of net assets between funds

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||||| |---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024| |£|£|£| |-| |Tangible fixed assets|4,312|4,312| |Current assets|1,332,248|-|1,332,248| |-| |Creditors due within one year|(333,084)|(333,084)| |-| |Total|1,003,476|1,003,476| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds| |funds|funds|2023| |£|£|£| |-| |Raising funds|13,484|13,484| |Support and Out-reach|1,554,362|-|1,554,362| |-| |Support and Out-reach|(761,368)|(761,368)| |-| |Total|806,478|806,478|

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14. Pension commitments

The charity operates a defined contribution pension plan for its employees. The amount recognised in respect of employer contributions payable as an expense in the period was £61,801 (2023 - £57,177).

The defined contribution liability is allocated to unrestricted funds and is split between direct and support costs.

15. Operating lease commitments

At 31 March 2024 the charity had commitments to make future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as follows:

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|||| |---|---|---| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Not later than 1 year|115,355|82,269| |Later than 1 year and not later than 5 years|-|46,513| |115,355|128,782|

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The following lease payments have been recognised as an expense in the statement of financial activities:

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|||| |---|---|---| |2024|2023| |£|£| |Operating lease rentals|113,731|96,848|

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16. Related party transactions

During the year ended 31 March 2024 the charity made payments of £6,000 (2023 - £nil) to the husband of the Head of Corporate Services for the disposal of office equipment and rubbish. There was a balance of £nil (2023 - £nil) outstanding at 31 March 2024 in respect of these transactions.

There were no further related party transactions during the year (2023 - none).

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ANNUAL TRUSTEES’ REPORT

Independent Auditor’s report and Financial Statements 2023 - 2024

Safer London © 2024

Safer London is a registered charity in Englandand Wales No. 1109444; and a company limited by guarantee No. 5190766. www.saferlondon.org.uk