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2022-12-31-accounts

Company number: 06744055 Charity number: 1128857

Room to Heal

Trustees' Report and Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 December 2022

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Room to Heal

Reference and administration information

STATUTORY INFORMATION

The Directors of the charitable company are its trustees for the purpose of charity law and throughout this report are collectively referred to as the trustees.

Trustees

Emily Haisley - Chair Rim Rahimtulla- Treasurer Susannah Fairweather Michelle Knorr Rosanna Thomasoo Emeka Forbes-Hastings Areej Osman, joined in March 2022

Registered Office

Mildmay Community Centre, Woodville Road, London N16 8NA

Company Number

06744055

Charity Number

1128857

Bankers

The Co-operative Bank, 62-64 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AR

Triodos Bank, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AS

Solicitors

Freshfields, Bruckhaus and Derringer

Independent Examiner

Patrick Morrello ACA

Third Sector Accountancy Limited, Holyoake House, Hanover Street, Manchester, M60 0AS

Status

The company, number 06744055, is limited by guarantee and has charitable status. The charity registration number is 1128857. It has a Memorandum and Articles of Association as its governing document.

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Room to Heal

Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

The Trustees present their report and the independently examined financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31 December 2022. Included within the trustees’ report is the directors’ report as required by company law.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report. The financial statements comply with current statutory requirements, the memorandum and articles of association and the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: SORP applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with FRS 102.

The statutory information is shown on page 1.

Charitable Objects

The objects for which the Charity is established are:

1) To promote human rights (as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent United Nations Conventions and Declarations) throughout the world by all or any of the following means:

2) To promote social inclusion for the benefit of the public by preventing people from becoming socially excluded, relieving the needs of those people who are socially excluded and assisting them to integrate into society.

Public Benefit

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing their aims and objectives and in planning future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives of the charity.

Structure, Governance and Management

Room to Heal's trustees meet at least quarterly and regularly review progress against adopted priorities. As part of these discussions, opportunities and risks facing the organisation are also reviewed. The Chair and Director, as well as the Treasurer and Director, also meet regularly between meetings. Trustees delegate the day-to-day management of the charity to the Director.

Trustee positions are advertised and new trustees are nominated and appointed by the existing trustees. The trustees would invite prospective new trustees to attend meetings informally to gain an

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understanding of the role and responsibilities of trustees. Formal training would also be provided, as necessary, to gain further understanding of the role and responsibilities of trustees.

Staff

Roro Ratih Ambarwati, Group Therapist Cat Baker, Caseworker Imogen Butler, Finance Manager Elli Free, Director Kahina Ghit, Caseworker, until April 2022 Suzie Grayburn, Group Counsellor Fartun Guled, Group Counsellor Veronica Haag, Caseworker, from Jan 2022 Mary Hannity, Clinical Administrator, from April 2022 Jane Matthews, Fundraising Manager Anna Giulia Perego, Caseworker, until April 2022 Camilla Smargiassi, Clinical Administrator, until April 2022 Emily White, Community Manager, from April 2022 Bert-Jan Zuiderduin, Group Therapist

Sessional Staff

Mary Raphaely, Clinical Supervisor Diana Birkett, Clinical Supervisor, until Sept 2022 Maide Showell, Clinical Supervisor Marc Sutton, IT Support Mark Fish, Trainer and Consultant, until June 2022

Clinical and Non-Clinical Supervision

Regular clinical supervision was provided by Maide Showell, Diana Birkett and Mary Raphaely during 2022. Diana was a therapist and supervisor at Freedom from Torture for 25 years and previously Head of Counselling at Sutton Counselling Services. Mary is a group psychotherapist with over 30 years’ experience, previously worked at Freedom from Torture, and co-ordinated Room to Heal’s women’s programme. Maide Showell also provided non-clinical supervision to caseworkers and volunteers during 2021. Maide has worked as a therapist at Freedom from Torture for over 20 years and is also an experienced training clinician and clinical supervisor.

Volunteers and Pro Bono Support

Room to Heal's volunteers and pro bono professional support is vital to the running of the charity and we'd like to record our appreciation for their enormous contribution to our work. During 2022, our staff team was joined by a number of volunteers and professionals working pro bono in a range of capacities including, but not limited to, website design and management, supporting our members with casework guidance, and gardening and cooking delicious, healthy meals for our members. Volunteers in 2022 were:

Kathy Barber (Website Consultant) Mary Hannity (Community and Casework) Fatima Alalaiwat, Garden and Community Analiviia Brouwer, Casework and Community

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Anna Isaacs, Community

Thank You

We’d like to record our great thanks to the trustee board, staff, volunteers, members and supporters for all their hard work and support throughout the year to ensure our community members continued to receive vital support in an increasingly hostile external environment.

ROOM TO HEAL’S AIMS AND APPROACH

Our Mission and Aims

Our Mission

To support people who have survived torture and human rights abuse to rebuild their lives in exile through an integrated, community-based programme of therapeutic and casework assistance

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Aims Activities Outcomes
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Aims
Activities
Outcomes
Aims
Activities
Outcomes
Aims
Activities
Outcomes
1. To enable people to
heal from their traumatic
experiences and restore
meaning to their lives
●Assessments and
time-limited
individual therapies
●Therapeutic groups
and intensive
therapeutic retreats
●Nature therapies and
social gardening
sessions
●Creative activities
●Member forums and
increased
opportunity to
engage in debates
around the treatment
and care of refugees
and people seeking
asylum and raising
public awareness
●Reduced anxiety,
depression and related post-
traumatic symptoms
●Increased ability to articulate
traumatic history and
withstand the challenges of
the asylum process
●Reduced isolation and
marginalisation
●Increased sense of
belonging and integration
●Increased sense of
wellbeing/ meaning/ purpose
in life

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2. To assist people in
dealing with material
challenges, navigating
the asylum process and
integrating into the UK

Casework sessions
to address health,
legal, education,
housing and welfare
issues
●Interventions in
support of asylum
(e.g. therapeutic
input to Medico
Legal Reports) and
material needs
●Support to help
people into
education, training
and employment
Our members will have:
●a better quality and standard
of life and will integrate into
society due to having
greater ability to navigate
asylum processes and:
●secured one or more of the
following - better access to
advisory services (legal,
welfare, health), legal
representation, improved
housing, improved medical
care and or welfare and
grants
●accessed education,
voluntary work and / or
employment-related training
3. To enable local
communities, policy
makers, service
providers and the
general public to
respond more
appropriately to the
needs of refugees and
people seeking asylum
This will be delivered
through training (see Aim 5
below), communications
and policy work in
collaboration with other
organisations. Activities will
include:
●Articles, media
materials and best
practice guidelines
●Training sessions
●Public events and
exhibitions
●Policy meetings and
workshops
Our policy focus is premised
on working in partnership
with other organisations and
currently has 3 aims:
●Ending immigration
detention
●Challenging hostile
environment
government policies
●Giving people
seeking asylum the
right to work
●Local communities, policy
makers, mainstream service
providers and the general
public demonstrate greater
understanding of the needs
of survivors of torture and
organised violence
●Policy and practice are
better suited to meeting the
needs of survivors of torture
and organised violence

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4.To ensure meaningful
community engagement
for, and decision making
by, members within
Room to Heal

Regular community
forums involve
members in planning
Room to Heal
activities, community
and strategic
development
●Members co-lead on
community activities
●Members participate
in recruitment of staff
●Members participate
in Aim 3 on policy
and campaigns work
●Having people with
lived experience on
the board of trustees
and the staff team

Room to Heal provides a
service that is appropriate
and sensitive to members
and meets with the
challenges they are facing
●Room to Heal and its
members prioritise the most
damaging government
policies, and campaign
against these to limit the
negative impact on our
members and more
generally for all people
seeking asylum and
refugees in the UK
●Members are empowered to
advocate on issues that are
important to them
●People with lived experience
are part of the board of
trustees and the staff team
5.To develop
partnerships across
London, the UK and
internationally to
increase access to group
and community support
to people seeking
asylum and refugees
●Increase the number
of relational therapy
groups in community
settings
●Train partner
refugee
organisations in
relational group
therapy and
communitywork
●Knowledge is shared and
there is a greater
understanding of the
benefits of relational group
therapy in community
settings
●Services for people seeking
asylum and refugees are
improved collaboratively

Introduction to Our Work

Room to Heal is a grassroots community charity supporting survivors of torture and human rights violations who are refugees and people seeking asylum. We provide a programme of therapy, casework and broader community activities to assist people in overcoming the legacy of their traumatic experiences whilst navigating the practical challenges of life in exile.

Experience of Members

“I remember when I started I was broken in pieces but Room to Heal has give me confidence I can do something to stand to solves issue I am not afraid , I don’t feel shame myself to learn things intimacy with others and have joyful in my heart and my mind thinking positive every day.”

The Room to Heal community is made up of over 100 members from over 35 different countries, all of whom have survived torture or other human rights abuses. We refer to survivors in the Room to

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Heal community as 'members', conferring a sense of agency and belonging.

Typically, the people we support have lost their homes, their families and their place of belonging in the world. The common legacy of these experiences includes depression and suicidality, extreme isolation and loneliness, traumatic symptoms including flashbacks and sleeplessness, feelings of shame, a lack of trust and self worth, and a range of other enduring physical and mental health problems.

The day-to-day struggles of living in exile and experiencing hostile environment policies first-hand only exacerbates members’ poor mental health. Some members describe their experience of living in the UK as a ‘second torture’. The increase in far-right ideology has exacerbated members’ experiences of racism, exclusion and fear and now the inhumane Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (implemented from April 2022) is further increasing torture survivors’ fears for a safe future in the UK. The Home Office states that the Nationality and Borders Act “puts into law that those who arrive illegally in the UK – who could have claimed asylum in another safe country – can be considered as ‘inadmissible’ to the UK asylum system”, and so can be removed to Rwanda to be processed there. This is currently being challenged in court. The UNHCR described the Rwanda proposal as a two - tier system that undermines the UN’s 1951 Refugee Convention https://www.ein.org.uk/news/unhcr consultation-response-finds-many-aspects-new-plan-immigration-do-not-respectfundamental#:~:text=UNHCR%20says%20that%20at%20the,by%20crossing%20the%20Channel %20by.

The backlog of asylum claims to be processed has quadrupled in the last five years (Refugee Council, 2022). Longer waiting times on asylum decisions puts pressure on an already failing asylum support system. People are being housed in squalid and overcrowded camps in the middle of nowhere, similar to detention centres, or people are placed in hotels often in deprived, unprepared areas where racist and far-right abuse is increasing.

The protracted asylum legal process means people living in limbo for years in poverty and destitution. People seeking asylum are excluded from living a normal life and expected to live in long-term isolation in a hostile environment, not able to work or financially support themselves.

The Nationality and Borders Act is one of many regressive government policies brought in during 2022 and runs alongside a deeply disturbing anti-immigrant narrative in the mainstream media that exaggerates the numbers of people arriving in the UK and commonly misrepresents people seeking asylum as ‘illegal migrants’ and whips up a sense of a migrant ‘crisis’. Political parties (in government and in opposition) at worst fan these flames and at best remain silent and allow these false narratives to pervade.

In addition, at the time of writing this report in 2023, the Illegal Migration Bill, the second immigration bill within a year, currently going through the parliamentary legislative process, will end the right to claim asylum, apart from for a tiny fraction of people, with the aim to increase detention and remove people to third countries to claim asylum. This will undoubtedly be challenged in the courts on a range of points including that it breaches the UK’s international obligations under the Refugee Convention, just as the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 does. If the proposals in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 and the so-called Illegal Migration Bill go through, the likelihood is that people who have experienced torture and extreme human rights abuses will still come to the UK, but will

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remain even more hidden and unable to access the services that they so clearly require. As the Refugee Council state:

“There is little to no evidence to suggest this new plan will be an effective deterrent to people crossing the Channel in small boats. The Home Office’s own research shows that measures such as this new Bill do not remove the reasons why people undertake dangerous and difficult journeys to the UK and other places.“

(www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/information/what-is-the-illegal-migration-bill, May 2023)

Our members are experiencing further pressures exacerbated by the pandemic, e.g. longer waiting periods for Home Office and tribunal decisions, a struggling National Health Service including mental health services, plus cost of living increases and increased levels of destitution. For torture survivors experiencing serious mental health difficulties, the ability to navigate this diminishing support in multiple areas is hugely challenging.

Our Response

In response, we’re continuing to provide intensive support to survivors of torture to ensure they are supported throughout this retraumatising, inhumane asylum system. We’re also increasing our advocacy work in partnership with larger organisations that have more policy and campaigns capacity and a bigger communications platform. We’re working with and for survivors to challenge the eradication of basic human rights and systemic racism within institutions e.g. Home Office immigration policies and processes, calling for better access to safe routes for refugees, highlighting the lack of mental health support for refugees, and campaigning with partner organisations to end indefinite immigration detention in the UK, and allow people the right to work in the UK whilst they wait for a decision on their asylum claim.

Room to Heal will continue to adapt our services to ensure we meet the needs of our community members and new beneficiaries in this increasingly challenging external environment.

Currently, when someone joins the Room to Heal community, they initially participate in individual therapy leading to joining one of our weekly relational therapeutic groups. Community members can also attend therapeutic retreats, and weekly social activities and many join other community members for a freshly cooked meal and social connection every Friday afternoon at a local Community Garden.

We recognise that it is futile to offer therapeutic support to a person who has no food, no money, and no place to sleep at night. Our casework team therefore works closely with a range of partners to help members resolve their practical challenges, for example in accessing suitable legal representation, housing, medical care and welfare support. The casework team also supports members to develop their potential and prepare for employment through education and training.

We believe that offering a collective resilience model of group therapy, casework and community is a powerful, long-term and dignified response to our members' ongoing experiences and trauma. Group and community-based therapeutic support reduces survivors’ isolation, provides a positive experience of belonging to an alternative family, fosters bonds of friendship and solidarity, and instils

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renewed meaning in life. People realise they are not alone: a powerful part of the recovery process. Survivors’ participation helps to create trust, commitment, a sense of belonging and empowerment. Members are able to give as well as receive support, which enables feelings of self worth to emerge and a realisation that a more positive future is possible.

Our approach takes into account nuanced and subjective individual needs. We take a holistic, person-centred approach that recognises the external context in which each person is living and does not react to each problem separately; there is an interplay between the psychological, practical and community aspect of each individual's situation. There’s also a recognition that sometimes there is no ‘solution’, but that having a community of people who understand, support and empathise, with the authenticity of lived experience, can often be enough for the individual to get through it and build strength through collective resilience.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND IMPACT IN 2022

“It has opened my eyes and is exciting to know the human potential. Problems don’t go away but find it easier to cope with them and feel happy.”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

In 2022 the therapy groups returned to being face-to-face, rather than online, post pandemic. Group members were delighted to have human contact with each other and the staff team again. We also re-started our therapeutic retreats in autumn 2022. Our weekly garden, cooking and social gatherings returned to face-to-face in 2021 (as we could hold these outside in a covid-safe manner). Following the successful online pilot of the 12-month therapy group in 2021, we set up another 12month therapy group, this time face-to-face (running July 2022 - July 2023) to support more survivors.

Internally, we created a new Community Manager role to manage frontline work and enable the Director to become more strategically focused and ensure the overall direction and sustainability of Room to Heal.

The majority of our Board members now have direct lived experience relating to our work including immigration, mental health and racial discrimination and we will continue to recruit new staff to reflect the same in our staff team. In May 2023, at the time of writing this report we have recruited a new Director with lived experience of the asylum system.

Snapshot in Numbers

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Expected Outcomes

The expected outcomes we wanted to see for members of our community included:

Outcomes Achieved

“Room to Heal is my second life after my first life was end and get darker they give me future and show me the bright side.”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

It is clear that the results of our work in 2022 have been overwhelmingly positive. In our community members’ anonymous annual survey, respondents said about our work in 2022:

PROGRAMME OF WORK IN DETAIL

Therapeutic Programme

The overarching aim of our therapeutic work is to enable survivors of torture to heal from their traumatic experiences and help restore meaning to their lives. Our therapeutic expertise is in relational group therapy - where the primary focus is on relationships within the group, rather than between the therapist and the individual - in a community setting that promotes group resilience and long term, peer-led healing.

Our group resilience model is respectful of different cultural approaches to mental health. Our model challenges the patient-expert model, putting survivors at the heart of decision-making. We believe that long-term recovery doesn’t just come from a clinical professional’s intervention - it comes from within the person themselves when they are ready and able to begin this process in a safe place.

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Referrals and Assessments

We continue to have a good network of referral agencies, including the NHS, specialist solicitors and many NGOs in this sector.

In 2022, Room to Heal received 53 referrals. These referrals are taken to a clinical meeting where they are reviewed by our team of therapists and a decision is made on whether to meet the person for an assessment, find out more information, or advise a more appropriate service to refer them to.

On referral to Room to Heal a therapist will, usually over multiple sessions, assess a potential member in order to understand whether they are likely to be able to both benefit from, and contribute to, our therapeutic group work. Our therapists met 33 people for assessments in 2022. Following the assessment, members have a series of one-to-one therapy before joining the group and sometimes occasional sessions during a member’s participation in the group work. It is at the assessment stage that we start to identify welfare, housing and/or legal protection needs, which are then followed up by our caseworkers.

We have a good network of referral agencies, including homeless projects, organisations tackling modern slavery and domestic abuse, organisations including the NHS (mental health teams and GPs), non governmental mental health organisations, highly-experienced immigration solicitors, and many other NGOs in this sector and beyond (see Partnership Work for a full list of referral and other partners). We also have a good network of organisations that we refer to, including social enterprises such as Luminary Bakery, non-statutory health support through Doctors of the World and NHS Community Mental Health Teams to ensure that specialist medical care is available for our members. We also work with advice centres, hosting schemes, food banks, emergency shelters, and local funders offering small grants and other support to individual members.

One-to-One Therapy

In 2022 we provided individual psychotherapy for 61 people with 298 one-to-one therapy sessions, on average 5 sessions per person. These included some individual therapy in preparation to join group therapy.

Group Therapy

“Room to heal helped me to open up about my thoughts, feelings and circumstances in a confidential environment. Also within the safety of this wonderful, nonjudgmental and secure environment, I can confidently say that I am happy and comfortable to explore areas of myself and my life that I have been struggling with which shows that it’s incredibly effective in helping me to manage my mental health conditions”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

Our weekly therapy groups lie at the heart of the community. In 2022, we ran three mixed-gender groups. In total we ran 136 group therapy sessions for 43 people (48% more people than in 2021) (16 women, 13 men). In July 2022 the groups moved from being online back to face-to-face. Two groups are slow, open ended therapy groups and the other one is a one-year, time-limited group. They are all co-facilitated by two therapists / counsellors. We decided to move back to face-to-face

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therapeutic groups after consulting with members and considering everyone's safety relating to covid.

Our therapeutic support groups are the cornerstone of our therapeutic programme, animating and deepening our community. After torture and forced exile, people often become profoundly isolated and feel as if no-one else can ever understand what they have been through. Through engaging in a therapeutic group, alongside people from all over the world who have this common experience, people come to understand at the deepest level that they are not in fact alone. This in itself is profoundly healing and very often is the beginning of a process of rediscovering the humanity in themselves and others.

Alongside our two slow, open-ended therapy groups, in 2022 we ran our second time-limited (one year) therapy group, this time face-to-face, rather than online. We have seen benefits of having a time-limited group, in that members start and end the group and build relationships together at the same time. At the end of the group, members can remain part of the community and its activities for as long as they choose.

Members’ views on therapeutic support have been overridingly positive on all aspects of our work. The respondents to our 2022 annual survey said:

“Prior to joining Room To Heal, my mental health and well-being was erratic and volatile, due to anxiety, ptsd, stress, depression, and other mental health related issues; which was all over the place and unstable.”

(Community members, 2022 Annual Survey)

Community Activities and Gardening

Following the pandemic, we were able to run a full programme of community activities during 2022, which was a great relief to many members:

“It’s extremely positive to have the gatherings back after the pandemic pause!”

“I have been in isolation for quite some time, meeting new people with different ideas has been an advantage to me.”

(Community members, 2022 Annual Survey)

In our 2022 annual survey the respondents said:

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We also continued a regular community newsletter to which members contributed, and which is sent out to approximately 100 members).

Participating in community activities, sharing skills and knowledge, through cooking, gardening and creative activities, is an important part of what we do. We offer a safe and supportive space for members to explore different skills and interests and connect with others outside of the group.

We give our members a space where they are not labelled as a homogenous group of passive ‘asylum seekers’ who have little agency in their lives. Members decide on who is cooking and what dishes to make for our communal meals and go to the shops and buy the ingredients themselves, and they help decide what plants to grow in our community garden, sharing knowledge on growing techniques from around the world. These activities all contribute to our holistic approach to improving mental health.

“I remember when I started I was broken in pieces but Room to Heal has give me confidence I can do something to stand to solves issue I am not afraid, I don’t feel shame myself to learn things intimacy with others and have joyful in my heart and my mind thinking positive every day.”

(Community members, 2022 Annual Survey)

Casework Programme

“All my case workers are very helpful and they are always willing to help me with anything, about my case about housing, college courses, food travel expenses money for some expenses they are great.”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

In our 2022 annual survey, 76% of respondents felt that because of Room to Heal casework support they felt more able to access advice, information and support on a range of areas including immigration advice.

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The practical support we offered to our members continued to be a vital part of our holistic programme, preventing destitution and homelessness and ensuring our members were able to access the crucial welfare and support services they are entitled to.

Our casework team also supported members in shaping educational and employment opportunities, ensuring they can integrate meaningfully when they have the right to work, once they are successful in securing leave to remain in the UK.

Our casework team provided 2,505 individual casework sessions/actions to our members in 2022 related to resolving practical issues (such as housing, welfare, health, education, training and employment) and securing legal protection for our members.

Destitution, Welfare and Homelessness

“Any urgent crises Room To Heal always provide and support me (food, transport money)”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

Many of our members are destitute, with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), or have been surviving on c. £40/week asylum support in 2022. In response we secured funding to provide members with ongoing food vouchers, food deliveries, clothing, phone top-ups, taxis to health appointments and emergency accommodation. We also secured white goods and other furniture for members who were moving from temporary asylum accommodation to more long-term, secure housing. This was provided to 30 of our members 50 times.

In addition, in 2022 our caseworkers obtained 41 individual grants for 20 members to the value of £5,924, primarily to help with destitution and education.

We also continued to provide 25 refurbished laptops to members and 19 sim cards to provide ongoing internet data to those who do not have wifi, along with dongles so they can access wifi in asylum support accommodation where this is not available.

Our casework team also assisted members with accessing asylum support and provided evidence of destitution for asylum support applications, wrote supporting letters, and followed up when support was cut off or payments were delayed/ inexplicably stopped.

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For members with refugee status or leave to remain, we have supported them to access welfare services for long-term sustainable support, by helping members apply for mainstream benefits, and putting together and providing medical evidence for homelessness applications to local councils. This continues to get more challenging for members as local authorities' housing stock is seriously depleted and many people are put in inadequate temporary accommodation for very long periods.

Room to Heal caseworkers supported our members to advocate for more appropriate accommodation and on a number of occasions, where it was not safe to stay where they had been placed, or where they became homeless, we provided funds to accommodate them on an emergency / temporary basis until the issues were resolved.

We worked with a range of organisations to provide financial support, including applying for grants from the following: Ruth Hayman Trust, Fund for Human Need, Positive Action in Housing, Hackney Parochial Charities, The Heinz, Anna and Carol Kroch Foundation and the National Benevolent Charity.

On a systemic level we are a member of the Destitution Forum and also the Housing Immigration Group, both networks of NGOs that meet to share information and to challenge together some of the inhumane government policies that cause destitution for our members. We also attend some Home Office convened meetings where we keep up to date with government policy changes and where concerns around housing and financial support for asylum seekers are raised.

We worked very closely with a number of hosting organisations (Housing Justice, Positive Action in Housing, Refugees at Home and Jesuit Refugee Service), regularly liaising to find housing hosts for a significant number of our members. We also work in partnership with solicitors and homeless charities such as No Second Night Out and Crisis, when our members are at risk of becoming street homeless.

“I was about to be homeless when … Room to Heal .. step in and quickly find a solicitor that help me find an emergency accommodation”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

Legal Support and Protection

The casework team and therapists supported 38 people through the asylum process in 2022. This involved assistance in accessing appropriate and high-quality legal support, providing expert medico-legal evidence, and facilitating communication with solicitors. Where relevant, we also signposted members to legal advice centres and drop-ins.

The therapists, together with a psychiatrist we regularly work in close partnership with, have written 12 medico legal reports / letters of support for members in the last year, primarily for immigration and asylum cases and sometimes to support inadequate housing. These reports are crucial for

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

submitting comprehensive evidence in asylum claims and, through offering these services at Room to Heal, our members are able to avoid the long waiting lists they would usually face in obtaining such reports. These reports also help ensure our members get social housing when they obtain leave to remain in the difficult context of a social housing crisis in the UK and particularly in London.

Nine members were successful in their asylum and immigration claims over the year and many applications remain pending. There are massive delays in decision making at the Home Office and court hearings over the year and the government has acknowledged there is a huge backlog.

Our therapists continue to attend (either in person or online) members’ tribunal hearings either to give evidence or in a supporting capacity. Our caseworkers have also been supporting members to meet with their solicitors and help them understand what is happening at each stage of the asylum process.

The long-term external context of legal aid cuts, limited good quality legal representation and a long and flawed asylum process makes it very difficult for our members. We continue to get pro-bono support from a lawyer who has worked in the refugee sector for many years and who reviews letters and reports that will be used as evidence in court written by our therapists. We also have the expertise of Michelle Knorr, a high profile immigration barrister at Doughty Street Chambers and Room to Heal trustee, who is available to provide advice as and when required.

Members’ Involvement in Decision-Making and Agency

“Usually we receive invitation to attend forum and decision making i attend some times and it was great to be part of it it make me feel like really part of the community not just a client or case number”

(Community member, 2022 Annual Survey)

In our 2022 survey:

A key part of user involvement in Room to Heal’s work is the role that members play in the group and community. In group therapy, our members received support but were also able to give support, empathise, and relate to other group and community members. During this process, participants are reminded of their own self worth and value. We witnessed group members grow in confidence as they started to recognise that they themselves were valuable contributors to the group and larger community. Members’ shared experience of survival has a profound impact: seeing other people get past seemingly insurmountable shame, loss and barriers promotes intercultural, group resilience and peer-led healing.

We involve community members in decision making within the organisation using a range of approaches including regular community forums, joining interviews in staff recruitment, etc.

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Room to Heal

Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

“I wasn’t confident enough to share my experiences before I joined Room to Heal but when I joined I was able to share my experiences, seeing that we all have the same problems.”

Thirty two members engaged in opportunities to speak out and influence.

Internally this included:

Externally this included:

PARTNERSHIP WORK

Strategic Partners

Referral partners

We continued to have good two-way referrals processes with many NGOs that support torture survivors, such as British Red Cross, Hackney Migrant Centre, Migrants Organise, Waterloo Community Counselling, Sutton Counselling, Freedom from Torture, Positive Action in Housing and Refugees at Home. We also regularly received referrals from London-wide GPs and NHS mental health teams who recognise the value of our work. We worked with c.100 different organisations to ensure our members get the specialist support they need.

Direct service delivery partners for our members

We worked with an increasing number of partners this year to support our community activities including: the Movement Charity for our weekly exercise class for women; PsycheDelight, a trauma informed theatre company for workshops and member performances; and OrganicLea, a food growing cooperative where we visit. We also partnered with Migrants Organise in setting up our

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Room to Heal

Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

second time-limited therapy group and agreed to take 50% of our referrals from them and to share the casework.

Model sharing and learning

We have created more partnership opportunities to be able to demonstrate the impact of the relational group work with torture survivors. This has resulted in:

We are also providing a team at Groundwork (www.groundwork.org.uk) with bi-monthly “Self-Care and Resilience Group” sessions for volunteers and staff working with people seeking asylum, learning from the group work we deliver at Room to Heal and understanding the challenges for direct workers and the risk of burnout and vicarious trauma.

Imix, a team of professional communication experts, came to video members of our community for Refugee Week, on the theme of healing.

We also co-designed a guide to using human rights as a tool for advocacy with the British Institute of Human Rights - this was published in 7 languages and has been disseminated across the refugee sector to use in casework

Campaigns, Networks and Policy and Advocacy work and partnerships

We have remained focused on challenging the increasingly regressive government policies that have been implemented in 2022 and we were involved in 22 different campaign initiatives in collaboration with partner organisations including Imix, Together with Refugees, Asylum Matters, Migrants Rights, Survivors Speak Out.

This included: direct meetings with influencers on better accommodation needed for people seeking asylum; joint letters published in national media on a range of issues including the Human Rights Act Reform: A Modern Bill of Rights, the UN Convention on Refugees, Nationality and Borders Bill, safe routes from Afghanistan to the UK, government Rwanda removal plans and the divisive rhetoric of the government on refugees and migrants. We also worked directly with a journalist on a published piece in the Guardian newspaper around access to mental health services for refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. In addition, we participated in 25 external meetings/events with partner agencies, including a series of local, national and international stakeholders, e.g. the Mental Health Forum and Strategic Engagement Group (with the Home Office) and IRCT on global standards working with torture survivors.

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

A list of our partners can be found on our website at www.roomtoheal.org/community/partners/

International Rehabiliation Council for Torture Survivors

Room to Heal continued to be an active member of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Survivors (IRCT) and signed up to, and supported the implementation of, their Global Rehabilitation Standards - a global commitment to survivors of torture to provide quality support. For more information, see https://www.roomtoheal.org/about/our-standards/

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY

In 2022 the therapy groups returned to being face-to-face, rather than online, post pandemic. Group members were delighted to have human contact with each other and the staff team again. We also re-started our therapeutic retreats in autumn 2022. Our weekly garden, cooking and social gatherings returned to face-to-face in 2021 (as we could hold these outside in a covid-safe manner). Following the successful online pilot of the 12-month therapy group in 2021, we set up another 12month therapy group, this time face-to-face (running July 2022 - July 2023) to support more survivors.

Internally, we created a new Community Manager role to manage frontline work and enable the Director to become more strategically focused and ensure the overall direction and sustainability of Room to Heal.

Race and Diversity

We continue to shift the power balance in our organisation to people with lived experience and have all staff bi-monthly training sessions on the intersectional experiences and identities of our members with a focus on race, gender, and sexual orientation and the intersectionalities of these and other identities. We will continue to develop a community approach that recognises and supports each member's multiple identities beyond being a person living in exile.

The majority of our Board members now have direct lived experience relating to our work including immigration, mental health and racial discrimination and we are working hard to reflect the same in our staff team with half of our therapists having relevant lived experience of our members. In May 2023 we recruited a new Director with lived experience of going through the asylum process herself.

Our Director and trustees continue to work on diversifying the board and team. We are fully committed to shifting the power balance and we want to do this in a sustainable and supportive way that does not adversely impact on our community. We also involve our community members in many decisions within the organisation, however, we recognise the limitations of this participatory approach and we are determined to shift the power balance towards people with lived experience.

Ongoing Strategic Plan

Through our ongoing work to shift the power balance in our organisation to people with lived experience, we made the decision to recruit a Director with lived experience of our members in the

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

autumn of 2022. The Board of Trustees decided that before reviewing our existing strategy (20202025) in light of the post pandemic and ever hostile external environment that our community members face, we would recruit the new Director and then review the existing strategy.

Currently the strategy includes replicating our services in partnership with other NGOs to make group and community support more widely available to refugees and people seeking asylum across the UK; plus increased advocacy and campaigning work on matters such as ending immigration detention, lifting the ban on working for people seeking asylum, and more generally highlighting and challenging the increasingly hostile environment endured by people seeking asylum. We’ve kept a focus on our strategic development at Room to Heal during the year - see Strategic Partners on page 17 for more information.

Monitoring and Evaluation

We continue to carry out an annual anonymous survey accessible to all members of the community. This enables us to get feedback on all aspects of our work in the community. Overall, the annual survey showed a significant improvement in the majority of respondents' mental health.

The results of the 2022 survey are included in this annual report and the overriding positive responses are testament to the success of the interconnectedness of our casework, therapy and community activities and the relational group and community approach to our work.

During 2022 we re-installed the full set of psychological questionnaires, post pandemic, which all participants of the three groups completed at six monthly intervals. It is difficult to compare data sets and attempt to assess the impact of our group work using this method because of the gap in carrying out all the surveys during the pandemic (during which we used streamlined, online evaluation tools). The results however do demonstrate a non-linear recovery process. Unsurprisingly there continues to be a very clear correlation between external factors and group members’ mental health. For example when a member receives a refusal from the Home Office on their immigration application, or when someone is at imminent risk of homelessness, there is a significant deterioration in that member's mental health. To help us understand this more fully we have carried out a detailed evaluation of the first time-limited group, the results of which will be finalised in 2023 and will be used to continue to improve our services and our evaluation methods.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The majority of income raised in 2022 was from Trusts and Foundations (c. 85%), as in previous years. We also raised income from individual supporters, training and report writing (c.15%).

Our total income for 2022 was £359,066 and expenditure was £343,441, which compares with an income in 2021 of £311,889 and expenditure of £358,113. We received a number of restricted grants in 2022 for projects that continued into 2023, so £66,453 of restricted reserves were carried over into 2023.

A designated fund was set up during the uncertainty of the pandemic to cover planned expenditure in 2022-2023 aimed at improving organisational resilience focusing on strategic objectives including communications, income diversification and structural sustainability. With sufficient funds raised in

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

2022, we were able to carry the majority of this (£25,000) over into 2023 for future organisational resilience needs.

The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (UNVFVT) grant for direct assistance (Project P-829-DA-22) has been spent in the period examined in these accounts (1st January 2022 - 31st December 2022) and in accordance with the terms of the offer letter. The grant was spent as follows: therapeutic staff salaries £37,672, director salary costs £4,000 and contribution to rent costs £5,418.

The UNVFVT grant for the international training project (P-829-TS-21) was granted a no-cost 4- month extension due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel restrictions. The amount of £11,140 which was carried forward to 2022 was spent inline with the grant agreement and extension. In addition £1,254 was also spent as agreed from the carried forward 2020 grant (P-829-TS-20). We agreed that this training project would run independently of Room to Heal and instead would be better managed independently by Mark Fish (Room to Heal’s founder) as an independent consultant, so Room to Heal no longer manages nor fundraises for this project.

Thank You

We would like to say a huge thank you to every supporter who donated to Room to Heal in 2022 and made our work possible.

We’d like to thank the following funders for their generous unrestricted grants and donations:

A B Charitable Trust Arnold Clark Community Fund Bromley Trust City Bridge Trust Fearless Futures Garfield Weston Foundation Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales Roddick Foundation

We’d also like to thank all of the funders who generously provided restricted grants, who are listed in the Financial Statements on page 38.

Thank you also to each and every one of our individual supporters, who have contributed monthly and/or who have provided ad hoc donations.

Thank you too to all of our donors who wish to remain anonymous.

We hugely appreciate every contribution to our work and would like to thank all of our supporters for standing by our community members during the year.

Fundraising Practices Statement

The trustees reviewed the Charity Commission guidance Charity fundraising: a guide to trustee duties (CC20) and are confident that obligations are being met.

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

Room to Heal is registered with the Fundraising Regulator and abides by their Codes of Fundraising Practice and Fundraising Promise.

In 2022 we had a part-time salaried Fundraiser who carried out our fundraising with Trusts and Foundations and individual supporters. The Fundraiser is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

In 2021 we invested in a new part-time salaried Digital Fundraiser post to focus on developing fundraising and communications with individual supporters. This temporary post was responsible for setting up a GDPR-compliant supporter database for individual supporters and developing communications with individual supporters. This post ended in December 2021 and we were unsuccessful in recruiting for a replacement member of staff in 2022, but hope to successfully recruit in 2023.

We did not use third party fundraisers or commercial participators during the year.

We have a fundraising complaints process, which the trustees reviewed and agreed, and which is published on our website. We didn’t receive any fundraising complaints in 2022.

We are aware of our responsibilities to protect vulnerable people and other members of the public from undue pressure in relation to fundraising. Steps taken include full understanding of, and compliance with, the Fundraising Regulator’s Fundraising Promise and Codes of Fundraising Practice. We also have a Vulnerable Supporter Policy approved by trustees, which staff/trustees involved in fundraising adhere to, and which is reviewed annually. During the year, we are not aware of any occasions when we had reason to believe that a donor lacked capacity to make an informed decision in relation to fundraising.

Financial oversight of income generation and expenditure is provided by the Director and Finance Manager, who report to the trustees at quarterly Board meetings and at interim Finance SubCommittee meetings.

Reports are filed in accordance with the regulations set out by Companies House and the Charity Commission.

Reserves Policy

The trustees reviewed the reserves policy and have concluded to continue holding free reserves equivalent to between three and six months of the current working budget where free reserves are the unrestricted reserves less fixed assets and designated funds. This is currently between £113,400 and £226,800 for the 2023 working budget. This will allow the charity to continue normal activities in the event of a significant drop in funding or increased overheads and run efficiently to meet the needs of its members and staff. In addition, the reserves may also be used for innovation and development opportunities that are in line with the charity's objects. The reserves level continues to be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the board of trustees. The unrestricted funds available to the charity as at 31 December 2022 were £198,525 and the free reserves were £173,077.

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

RISK MANAGEMENT

Room to Heal trustees regularly review the major strategic, business and operational risks faced by the charity and systems have been developed to mitigate the significant risks. Our Risk Register analyses these risks in terms of probability, potential impact and actions necessary to mitigate these risks.

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Trustees’ annual report for the year ended 31 December 2022

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

The trustees (who are also directors of Room to Heal for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the trustees’ annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable group and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable group 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.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies’ regime of the Companies Act 2006.

Independent Examiner

Patrick Morello of Third Sector Accountancy Ltd was appointed as Independent Examiner to the charity in March 2019.

This report was approved by the board on …………………. and signed on their behalf.12 / 07 / 2023

Emily Haisley - Chair

Rim Rahimtulla - Treasurer

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Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees of Room to Heal

I report on the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2022 set out on pages 26 to 43.

Respec�ve responsibili�es of trustees and examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the prepara�on of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under sec�on 144 of the Chari�es Act 2011 (“the Chari�es Act”) and that an independent examina�on is needed. The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examina�on by being a qualified member of the Ins�tute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s statement

My examina�on was carried out in accordance with general Direc�ons given by the Charity Commission. An examina�on includes a review of the accoun�ng records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considera�on of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explana�ons from the trustees concerning any such ma�ers. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those ma�ers set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner's statement

In connec�on with my examina�on, no ma�er has come to my a�en�on:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accoun�ng records in accordance with sec�on 130 of the Chari�es Act; and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accoun�ng records and comply with the accoun�ng requirements of the Chari�es Act

have not been met; or

  1. to which, in my opinion, a�en�on should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Patrick Morrello ACA Third Sector Accountancy Limited Holyoake House Hanover Street Manchester M60 0AS

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Room To Heal

Statement of Financial Activities

(including Income and Expenditure account) for the year ended 31 December 2022

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total funds Unrestricted Restricted Total funds
funds funds 2022 funds funds 2021
Note £ £ £ £ £ £
Income from:
Donations and legacies 3 131,276 223,217 354,493 88,414 213,957 302,371
Charitable activities 4 4,367 - 4,367 9,446 - 9,446
Investment income 5 206 - 206 72 - 72
Total income 135,849 223,217 359,066 97,932 213,957 311,889
Expenditure on:
Raising funds 6 32,661 - 32,661 34,899 - 34,899
Charitable activities 7 79,430 231,350 310,780 33,131 290,083 323,214
Total expenditure 112,091 231,350 343,441 68,030 290,083 358,113
Net income/(expenditure) for the year 9 23,758 (8,133) 15,625 29,902 (76,126) (46,224)
Transfer between funds - - - -
Net movement in funds for the year 23,758 (8,133) 15,625 29,902 (76,126) (46,224)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 174,767 74,586 249,353 144,865 150,712 295,577
Total funds carried forward 198,525 66,453 264,978 174,767 74,586 249,353
----- End of picture text -----

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

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Room To Heal

Company number 6744055

Balance sheet as at 31 December 2022

Note 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
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14
448 1,249
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15
6,928 6,423
Cash at bank and in hand 264,293 263,770
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due in less than one year
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Restricted income funds
17
66,453 74,586
Unrestricted income funds
18
198,525 174,767
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For the year in question, the company was entitled to exemption from an audit under section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.

Directors' responsibilities:

These accounts are prepared in accordance with the special provisions of part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies and constitute the annual accounts required by the Companies Act 2006 and are for circulation to members of the company.

The notes on pages 28 to 43 form part of these accounts.

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Emily Haisley (Chair)

Rim Rahimtulla (Treasurer)

12 / 07 / 2023

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Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022

1 Accounting policies

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

a Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019 - (Charities SORP (FRS 102), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Room To Heal meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the charity and rounded to the nearest £.

b Judgments and estimates

The trustees have made no key judgments which have a significant effect on the accounts.

The trustees do not consider that there are any sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next reporting period.

c Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern.

d Income

Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Income from government and other grants, whether ‘capital’ grants or ‘revenue’ grants, is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the grants have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably and is not deferred.

Income received in advance of a provision of a specified service is deferred until the criteria for income recognition are met.

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Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

e Donated services and facilities

Donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised; refer to the trustees’ annual report for more information about their contribution.

On receipt, donated professional services and donated facilities are recognised on the basis of the value of the gift to the charity which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay to obtain services or facilities of equivalent economic benefit on the open market; a corresponding amount is then recognised in expenditure in the period of receipt.

f Interest receivable

Interest on funds held on deposit is included when receivable and the amount can be measured reliably by the charity; this is normally upon notification of the interest paid or payable by the Bank.

g Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of charity.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds of the charity which the trustees have decided at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose.

Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be solely used for particular areas of the charity’s work or for specific projects being undertaken by the charity.

h Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is classified under the following activity headings:

Irrecoverable VAT is charged as a cost against the activity for which the expenditure was incurred.

Support costs are those functions that assist the work of the charity but do not directly undertake charitable activities. Support costs include back office costs, finance, personnel, payroll and governance costs which support the charity's programmes and activities. The bases on which support costs have been allocated are set out in note 8.

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Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

j Tangible fixed assets

Individual fixed assets costing £1,000 or more are capitalised at cost and are depreciated over their estimated useful economic lives on a straight line basis as follows:

Leasehold improvements 3 years Equipment 3 years

k Debtors

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

l Cash at bank and in hand

Cash at bank and cash 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.

m Creditors and provisions

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.

n Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

o Pensions

Employees of the charity are entitled to join a defined contribution ‘money purchase’ scheme. The charity’s contribution is restricted to the contributions disclosed in note 10. The costs of the defined contribution scheme are included within support and governance costs and allocated to the funds of the charity using the methodology set out in note 8.

2 Legal status of the charity

The charity is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales and has no share capital. In the event of the charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the charity. The registered office address is disclosed on page 1.

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Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

Grants and donations
Donated services
T
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t
a
l
4
I
n
c
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e
f
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o
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s
Outreach and model sharing
Invoiced services
Unrestricted
£
127,326
3,950
131,276
Unrestricted
£
1,991
2,376
4,367
Restricted
£
223,217
-
223,217
Restricted
£
-
-
-
Total 2022
£
350,543
3,950
354,493
Total 2022
£
1,991
2,376
4,367
Unrestricted
£
80,774
7,640
88,414
Unrestricted
£
1,040
8,406
9,446
Restricted
£
213,957
-
213,957
Restricted
£
-
-
-
Total 2021
£
294,731
7,640
302,371
Total 2021
£
1,040
8,406
9,446

31 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
5 Investment income
Unrestricted Restricted Total 2022 Unrestricted Restricted Total 2021
£ £ £ £ £ £
Income from bank deposits 206 - 206 72 - 72
206 - 206 72 - 72
6 Cost of raising funds
Unrestricted Restricted 2022 Unrestricted Restricted 2021
£ £ £ £ £ £
Staff costs 26,133 - 26,133 29,067 - 29,067
Fundraising expenses 2,272 - 2,272 835 835
Support costs (see note 8) 3,822 - 3,822 4,439 - 4,439
Governance costs (see note 8) 434 - 434 558 - 558
32,661 - 32,661 34,899 - 34,899
----- End of picture text -----

32 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

7 Analysis of expenditure on charitable activities

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

taff costs
upervision, training and other staff costs
ecruitment and CRB checks
ther project costs
vents
onsultancy
Member travel
ommunity meal expenses
roject equipment (gardening materials etc)
herapeutic retreats and trips
sychiatric report costs
nternational training project: consultant fees
nternational training project: other expenses
nternational training project: evaluation and finance costs
ovid-19 Emergency fund expenditure for members
ovid-19 Emergency fund expenditure additional tech costs
ccess and emergency costs for members
atabase
rofessional membership
epreciation
herapy rooms and office rent
estricted expenditure
nrestricted expenditure
overnance costs (see note 8)
upport costs (see note 8)
Total 2022
£
196,030
8,922
879
1,760
2,367
3,750
7,846
3,409
3,755
4,266
3,792
5,699
2,644
1,995
-
-
3,449
2,420
673
625
24,576
28,668
3,255
310,780
231,350
79,430
310,780
Total 2021
£
186,744
10,023
404
1,437
-
6,388
1,128
815
175
666
3,240
18,958
3,319
3,900
17,240
6,758
-
2,280
597
2,937
24,099
28,518
3,588
323,214
290,083
33,131
323,214

33 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

----- Start of picture text -----
8 Analysis of governance and support costs
Support Governance Total 2022 Support Governance Total 2021
£ £ £ £ £ £
Staff costs 22,828 2,013 24,841 27,991 2,060 30,051
Insurance (ELI) 3,383 3,383 2,287 - 2,287
IT consumables and IT support 3,840 3,840 756 - 756
Telephone and internet 1,284 1,284 70 - 70
Office admin and expenses 1,155 1,155 1,853 - 1,853
Governance admin and expenses 116 116 - 766 766
Independent examiner's fees 1,560 1,560 - 1,320 1,320
32,490 3,689 36,179 32,957 4,146 37,103
Allocated as follows:
Cost of raising funds 3,822 434 4,256 4,439 558 4,997
Charitable activities 28,668 3,255 31,923 28,518 3,588 32,106
32,490 3,689 36,179 32,957 4,146 37,103
----- End of picture text -----

Support and governance costs are allocated in proportion to staff costs.

34 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

9 Net income/(expenditure) for the year

This is stated after charging/(crediting):

his is stated after charging/(crediting):
epreciation
icence agreement:
Property

t
a
f
f
c
o
s
t
s
taff costs during the year were as follows:
Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs
Freelance staff
A
l
l
o
c
a
t
e
d
a
s
f
o
l
l
o
w
s
:
Cost of raising funds
Charitable activities
Support costs
Governance costs
ndependent examiner's fee
2022
£
625
24,576
1,560
2022
£
226,426
13,752
6,826
-
247,004
26,133
196,030
22,828
2,013
247,004
2021
£
2,937
24,099
1,320
2021
£
228,213
12,073
4,138
1,438
245,862
29,067
186,744
27,991
2,060
245,862

10 Staff costs

No employees has employee benefits in excess of £60,000 (2021: Nil).

The average number of staff employed during the period was 11 (2021: 14). The average full time equivalent number of staff employed during the period was 6.5 (2021: 7.3).

The key management personnel of the charity comprise the trustees and the Director. The total employee benefits of the key management personnel of the charity were £41,194 (2021: £37,999).

35 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

11 Trustee remuneration and expenses, and related party transactions

Neither the Trustees nor any persons connected with them received any remuneration during the year. £27 of expenses were reimbursed during the year.

No trustee or other person related to the charity had any personal interest in any contract or transaction entered into by the charity, including guarantees, during the year.

There are no donations from related parties which are outside the normal course of business. Aggregate restricted donations from related parties were £14,000 and aggregate unrestricted donations were £990 (2021: £1,010)

12 Government grants

Room to Heal does not receive any direct government funding. The two funders in this category are: the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, managed by the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and funded by voluntary contributions mostly from UN member states; and The Barrow Cadbury Trust/National Lottery Community Fund, a statutory corporation established by the National Lottery Act 2006, which distributes money raised for good causes through the National Lottery.

The government grants recognised in the accounts were as follows:

NVFVT International Training Programme
NVFVT Direct Assistance Programme
e Barrow Cadbury Trust/National Lottery
ommunity Fund
2022
£
-
-
47,090
47,090
2021
£
200
22,592
26,122
48,914

There were no unfulfilled conditions at the end of the accounting period.

13 Corporation tax

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within Chapter 3 of Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity.

36 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

14 Fixed assets: tangible assets

----- Start of picture text -----
Leasehold
improvements Equipment Total
£ £ £
Cost
At 1 January 2022 6,800 1,874 8,674
Additions - - -
Disposals - (176) (176)
At 31 December 2022 6,800 1,698 8,498
Depreciation
At 1 January 2022 6,800 625 7,425
Charge for the year 625 625
At 31 December 2022 6,800 1,250 8,050
Net book value
At 31 December 2022 - 448 448
At 31 December 2021 - 1,249 1,249
15 Debtors
2022 2021
£ £
Trade debtors - 4,408
Accrued income 6,458 1,824
Prepayments 308 191
Other debtors 162 -
6,928 6,423
16 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2022 2021
£ £
Accruals and deferred income 6,691 17,606
Grants owed to beneficiaries - 685
Taxation and social security costs - 3,012
Pensions - 786
6,691 22,089
----- End of picture text -----

37 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

17 Analysis of movements in restricted funds

023 Mental Health Fund
ity Bridge Trust
arfield Weston Foundation
ondon Catalyst Project grant
eople's Postcode Lottery
ondon Churches Refugee Fund
&H Roberts Community Trust
ondon Catalyst Samaritan grant
orris Charitable Trust
ost of living winter support fund
NVFVT International Training
rogramme
he Austin and Hope Pilkington
rust
ir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust /
nn Rylands programme
he Blue Moon Trust
ondon Community Foundation /
iti
he Henry Smith Charity
lack Rock Gives
rs Smith & Mount Trust /
ount Fund
loyds Bank Foundation for
ngland & Wales
erchant Taylors' Foundation
ationwide Community Grants
NVFVT Direct Assistance
rogramme
ishmongers' Company's
haritable Trust
atrix Causes Fund
esco's Bags of Help Community
rant
Balance
at 1
January
2022
£
-
-
2,000
5,734
8,000
762
-
15,000
5,092
-
8,638
3,000
-
5,800
-
5,000
-
-
1,030
-
850
1,286
-
12,394
-
74,586
Income
£
11,537
1,250
-
-
-
36,850
15,000
-
36,800
10,000
-
750
3,000
-
3,000
5,000
21,425
24,915
1,850
750
-
-
4,000
-
47,090
223,217
Expenditure
£
(1,250)
(2,000)
(5,734)
(8,000)
(35,674)
(7,478)
(15,000)
(32,117)
(10,000)
(8,638)
(3,750)
(375)
(5,800)
-
(5,000)
(17,134)
(5,000)
(2,030)
(750)
(850)
(1,286)
(4,000)
(12,394)
(47,090)
(231,350)
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance at
31
December
2022
£
11,537
-
-
-
-
1,938
7,522
-
9,775
-
-
-
2,625
-
3,000
5,000
4,291
19,915
850
-
-
-
-
-
-
66,453

38 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

Comparative period

City Bridge Trust
Freedom from Torture
Garfield Weston Foundation
London Catalyst Project grant
People's Postcode Lottery
The Roddick Foundation
London Churches Refugee Fund
Total
Tesco's Bags of Help Community
grant
Merchant Taylors' Foundation
Evan Cornish Foundation
The Henry Smith Charity
The International Rehabilitation
Council for Torture Victims
The London Community
Foundation/London Community
Response Fund (Wave 3)
The London Community
Foundation/London Community
Response Fund (Wave 5)
Lloyds Bank Foundation for
England & Wales
UNVFVT Direct Assistance
Programme
The Austin and Hope Pilkington
Trust
The Barrow Cadbury
Trust/National Lottery
Community Fund
Black Rock Gives
The Blue Moon Trust
CAF Resilience Fund
Mrs Smith & Mount Trust
London Catalyst Samaritan grant
UNVFVT International Training
Programme
The National Lottery Community
Fund
Balance
at 1
January
2021
£
-
33,293
-
-
-
1,233
-
468
30,000
5,366
5,965
307
-
931
-
3,138
-
24,424
19,284
5,636
631
-
1,233
18,803
-
150,712
Income
£
3,000
200
5,734
10,000
11,515
36,300
10,000
-
-
36,000
-
-
9,964
24,930
3,000
5,800
5,000
-
-
-
1,500
1,000
1,300
22,592
26,122
213,957
Expenditure
£
(1,000)
(33,493)
-
(2,000)
(11,515)
(36,771)
(10,000)
(468)
(15,000)
(36,274)
(5,965)
(307)
(9,964)
(17,223)
-
(3,138)
-
(24,424)
(19,284)
(5,636)
(1,101)
(150)
(1,247)
(29,001)
(26,122)
(290,083)
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Balance at
31
December
2021
£
2,000
-
5,734
8,000
-
762
-
-
15,000
5,092
-
-
-
8,638
3,000
5,800
5,000
-
-
-
1,030
850
1,286
12,394
-
74,586

39 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

Name of restricted fund Description, nature and purposes of the fund 2023 Mental Health Individual donations towards 2023 Therapeutic Programme Sir Jules Thorn Charitable This grant contributes to our Therapeutic Programme Trust (Ann Rylands programme) The Austin and Hope This grant contributed to the salary cost of a therapist. Pilkington Trust The Barrow Cadbury Trust / COVID-19 Support Fund - this grant contributed to salary costs of National Lottery Community therapists, caseworkers and operations staff as well as direct assistance Fund costs of food and essentials, phone top ups and additional technology to support members through the impacts of the pandemic. Black Rock Gives This grant contributed to the casework programme including casework salaries and associated overheads. The Blue Moon Trust The 2021 grant contributed to holistic support for women. CAF Resilience Fund This grant contributed to the salary costs of therapists and clinical administrator as well as running costs such as rent. City Bridge Trust This grant covers the salary of a caseworker and contributes to the salary of a therapist as well as associated running costs. Evan Cornish Foundation This grant funded therapy and casework salaries, database, management and overhead costs. Fishmongers' Company’s This grant helped fund a therapy group. Charitable Trust Freedom From Torture This grant covered direct assistance costs of food and essentials to support members through the impacts of the pandemic. G&H Roberts Community This grant helped fund evaluation of remote group therapy during CovidTrust 19, helping to inform and develop future services; and helped fund assessments of newly referred survivors. Garfield Weston Foundation Funding for core costs to be spread over 3 years (2020-2022) The Henry Smith Charity This grant contributed to the salary costs of the director, with a contribution to overheads. The International This grant contributed to the salary costs of a therapist and the Rehabilitation Council for programme lead as well as additional technology costs for members to Torture Victims (IRCT) support activities that addressed Covid-19 related obstacles. Lloyds Bank Foundation for This grant contributed to salaries of part-time caseworker, clinical England & Wales administrator and finance manager, as well as database and IT expenses and rent costs. London Catalyst Project grant This grant helped fund evaluation of remote group therapy during Covid19, helping to inform and develop future services; and helped fund assessments of newly referred survivors. London Catalyst Samaritan This grant contributed towards emergency and hardship costs for grant community members in need.

40 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

London Churches Refugee Fund

London Community Foundation / Citi

The London Community Foundation / London Community Response Fund (Wave 3)

The London Community Foundation / London Community Response Fund (Wave 5) Matrix Causes Fund

This grant contributed to community member travel and data top-up costs.

This grant contributed to therapist and caseworker salary costs plus running costs.

London Community Response Fund – Coronavirus Appeal (Wave 3) - This grant covered direct assistance costs of food and essentials, phone top ups and additional technology to support members through the impacts of the pandemic.

This fund was for meeting urgent and basic day-to-day needs of members during the Covid-19 pandemic, including food & essentials, phone/data top-ups, taxi/travel fares and emergency costs.

This grant funded staff training to ensure RTH is anti-racist & culturally appropriate.

Merchant Taylors' Foundation This grant contributed to therapist salaries and overheads to help continue our therapeutic support programme.

Morris Charitable Trust

Mrs Smith & Mount Trust / Mount Fund Nationwide Community Grants The National Lottery Community Fund

People's Postcode Lottery

The Roddick Foundation

Tesco's Bags of Help community grant

This grant contributed to our gardening project, including piloting a new Garden Co-ordinator post.

This grant contributed towards salary costs for Caseworker and Clinical Administrator to support members with housing & homelessness

This grant contributed towards salary costs for Caseworker and Clinical Administrator to support members with housing & homelessness

Coronavirus Community Support Fund - This grant provided funding for the initial set up of a third digital therapy group, covering associated therapy, casework and operations staff costs as well as direct assistance of food, phone top ups and additional technology needed.

This grant contributed to our mental health programme, including therapist staff costs and therapy project costs.

This grant contributed to therapist, caseworker, supervision and operational costs to help ensure we could deliver our services through the pandemic.

This grant contributed to a gardening project for members, including gardening materials, furniture and equipment.

UNVFVT - International Training Programme

UNVFVT Direct Assistance Programme

(P-829-TS-21) This project was granted a no-cost 4-month extension due to the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on travel restrictions, the amount of £11,140 which was carried forward to 2022 was spent inline with the grant agreement and extension. In addition £1,254 was spent on creating a groupwork training toolkit as agreed in the carry forward of the 2020 grant (P-829-TS-20).

(Project P-829-DA-22) This grant has been spent in the period examined in these accounts (1 January 2022 - 31 December 2022) and in accordance with the terms of the offer letter. The grant was spent as follows: therapeutic staff salaries £37,672, director salary costs £4,000 and contribution to rent costs £5,418.

41 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

18 Analysis of movement in unrestricted funds

m
p
a
r
a
t
i
v
e
p
e
r
i
o
d
neral fund
neral fund
signated fund
signated fund
Balance
at 1
January
2022
£
144,767
30,000
174,767
Balance
at 1
January
2021
£
144,865
144,865


Income
£

135,849

-

135,849


Income
£
97,932
97,932
Expenditure
£
(112,091)
-
(112,091)
Expenditure
£
(68,030)
(68,030)
Transfers
£
5,000
(5,000)
-
Transfers
£
(30,000)
30,000
-
As at 31
December
2022
£
173,525
25,000
198,525
As at 31
December
2021
£
144,767
30,000
174,767

Name of unrestricted fund General fund Designated fund

Description, nature and purposes of the fund

The free reserves after allowing for all designated funds

£25,000 for planned expenditure to help ensure organisational resilience in 2023 focused on strategic objectives including communications, income diversification and structural sustainability.

42 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4

Room To Heal

Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022 (continued)

19 Analysis of net assets between funds

ngible fixed assets
t current assets/(liabilities)
al
m
p
a
r
a
t
i
v
e
p
e
r
i
o
d
ngible fixed assets
t current assets/(liabilities)
al
General
fund
£
448
173,077
173,525
General
fund
£
1,249
143,518
144,767
Designated
funds
£
-
25,000
25,000
Designated
funds
£
-
30,000
30,000
Restricted
funds
£
-
66,453
66,453
Restricted
funds
£
-
74,586
74,586
Total 2022
£
448
264,530
264,978
Total 2021
£
1,249
248,104
249,353

43 Doc ID: 7229f7aaa2273f4aa4d276a2cd8231ad7f9c38c4