Charlty Reglstratlon No. 1136760 Company Reglstratlon No. 07259164 (England and Walesl IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 Icc IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Patrons Professor Marianne Elliolt Professor Emeritus-The In5titule of1ri5h Studies, Universrty of Livewpool MrJohn Kennedy CBE. KSG. KMCO, DL Professof Peter Shirfow FACSS, Director ol The Institute of Irish Studies, Uni¥ersrty ol Liverpool Liam Fogaty Norma Kielty£nJmmey Trustees E Carruthers Ichairl L Davies-myatt O H8gan (Treasurer) S Hillhouse P Hinton D McDonagh Awiswell MBE WHughes J Hughes (Appointed 17 May 20221 (Appointed 30 November 20211 Olroctor B McDa Charlty number 1136760 Compony numb¥r 07259164 Règl8t•r•d offl¢• 151 D918 Street Liverpool L2 2AH Audltor BWM Suite 5.1 12 Tithebam Slreet LNerpool L2 2DT Bankèr8 c￿operat￿e Bank PO Box 101 1 Balloon Street Manchester M60 4EP IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE CONTENTS Page Chairman's statement Trustees, report 3-10 Statement of trustees. responsibilrties Independent audito¢s report 12-15 Slalemenl ol finanual activities 16-17 Balance $h&el 18 Statement of cash flows 19 Notes to the financial statements 20-34 IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 Growth and consolidation are the main characteristics of the year. The Trustees. report details how and why we have been able to achieve these in yet again another successful year in challenging arcumstances Through the success of funding bids and awards. Irish Community Care has grown its staff base frorn 15 10 8 poten118123. The recruitment process has been superbty handled by Shei18 Hillhouse. Chair of the Personnel Committee, with the leadership team and other trustees playing a part. It was not ahvays an easy process bec8use of the impact of COVID restrictions and the very competrtive labour market meaning successful applicants not always taking up appointment. New staff, too, are MO￿ like￿ lo look for opportunrties elsewhere resulting In more chum than ICC has been used to. Nevertheless. new staff bring new skills and energy. and ICC constantly remodels the deployment of staff to best effect. 2021122 has also seen 8 re¢witmenl drive lor tw$tee$ so that we have 8 stronger Board and Can give a broader locus on strategic developments, wrth a new Business Plan being prepared for 2022-2025. Followin9 advert an*J intetwiew. we welcomed to the Board Jade Hughes and Bill Hughes. They bring wth them experience of operational processes, employment relations, risk management and soaal work. Satyem Amin. who brought us high level banking and comrnercial expertise, resigned in March. Kevin 0'8rien. who did a fantastic job in designing our original client datsb86e. resigned in July. We are gralefvl for their support. We conlinue Io seek further expertise in finance and law. Our flnances have grown, though, as ever, the short-tem nature of our funding presents a need for conllnual monitoring and reassessment. Our thanks to Liam Vvalsh and Owen Hagan. with members of the Finance and Funding Cornrnittee. for their good stewardship and vigilance. We are delighted that we have been chosen as one of three pilot organisalions for mulb. annual lunding in the Emigrant Support Programme IESPI, from the Irish Government. This should assure us of a base level ol lunding for three years. We have suggested that in evaluating the pilot. the Embassy Should consider how lo make multi-year fundin9 operale on a rolling b8SIS. Our strong financial posibon has enabled us to carry out a long overdue market comparison of salaries uslng slmll8r Irish Care organisalions. 11 is essential that ICC is able to attract and recrurt staff at an appropriate level of reward and that staff are aware of the package ol remuneration and benefits that they enjoy. Staff loyatty, comrnilment and retention remain a key concem since there is no subslrtute for the specialisl skill and dedicated help that they can bring lo support our Service Users. We conlinue lo assist as far as Tesources permit wrth cost of living increases. Wè have built links with the Northem Consulate of thè lri$h Embassy, attènding rts launch in Manchèstèr in Octob¥r 2021 and welcoming Sarah Mangan, Consul General to the North of England. to meet our staff. trustees and community members. We continue to be grateful to staff the￿ and al the Irish Embassy in London for their continuing support lor our work. Consolidating our posify'on in Ihe North Wesl lakes lime and relies on good communic81ion tsf the excellent work we carry out. Wè arè gratelul to our staff and volunièers for the part they play in brtsadcasting what wè do, but we still have some way to go wth regular sooal media content. This is an area the Board and leadership team are giving active attention to. It has also been a topic for discussion with our partner organisations, Irish Community Care Manchester and Leeds Irish Health and Homes, through FRÉA, our Community Inte￿$t Company that promotes collaborative working and fundraising. Our governance arrangements continue lo be ¢onslStent with the recommendations in the Charity Code of Governance lor smaller charities. We nole that ts¥o ol our Iruslee5 have seryed ft)i rnore lttan eleven years. This does not conflict wth our Mernorandum and Articles of Associats'on where no tirne limit is imposed, and we v81ue the corporate memory that they provide. To assist the Board. there is now a Govemance. HR & Quality Assurance Lead al ICC. the post being filled in August 2022. This additional leadership team member will free up lime of the Director and other leadership team colleagues and ensure Ihal Trustees are introduced to Using Microsoft Teams for inleraction. IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE CHAIRMAN'5 STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 On a personal note, rt ¢onD"nu•$ 10 be a prhA* A itly ￿ soin8one notwith •n Irish bad(orDund to bè wolcom•d I￿t0 thè ICC ¢ommunty and to hove the opp()tlunity lo invotved with c*JtstsrsdiThJ (xjlleauues on the Board, the stsff and FRÈA partners. Thev are truly remarkablè in all they contributè and •ehievp. nton Chairman ch￿￿ Tnuke. 6oafy IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 The trustees present their annual report and finanaal statements for the year ended 31 August 2022. The financial statements have been prepared in aCCordar￿e WTth the arLounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and compty with Ihe charitsble company's memorandum and article5 of association. the Companies Act 20[￿ and 'Accounting and Reporbng by Charilie5'. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to chaiitie5 preparin9 their accounts in accoidance th the Finan￿31 Repotting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021 (effective 1 January 20191" Oblectlves and actlvltles The objectives of Irish Gommunty Care IICCI. 8$ set out in our Memorandum and Artide$ of Assoryalion ar?.. To promote the weware and inclusion of our communities in general and our Irish and Irish Traveller communrties in particular throughout merseYs￿e and surrounding areas regardless of gender polrtics, religion, sexuality. age, disability. SOUOlleconomic ststus and elhnicJracAal and cultural background through a mutti-agency approach. To help and relievo need. hardship, si¢kn¢s$ and dist￿$$ through Ihe a¢c¢ss of local, ￿9•on81, nation81 and intemational lacilrties for social wellare, r￿ea￿On ond lèisure tim¢ 0￿upatIon v4ith the objèct ol improving the conditions of ljle lor the community. The trustees have considered the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit, including the guidance 'public benefit. running a charty IP821'. Our seryices have ftjrthered the tharity'5 purposes for the public benefit, enabling mernbers of our communrties to link inlo ents'tlemenls. services and opporlunilie5. helping them lo settle well into lil¥ here in the North W8$t, ¢Onlnbu￿n9 lo communty lif¢ and the local economy. ICC is recognised lo¢ally, regionally. nationalty and inlemationally as a pwolal organisation in rts ability to reach some of the most excluded and marginalised members of our communities." intjividuals and families who are vulnerable through poverty, low incorne, debt, isolation, poor accommodation. offending. homelessness. poor physical andlor mental health. drug andlor alcohol misuse, domestic abuse, dual diagnosis, offending, rausm, harassmenl, hate crime, cultural and 8orial i501alion and exclusion. Achl•vements and perfomianc• Throughout 2021 2022". the p8¢e fèm8ins fast and lurious at Insh Communty Carè 8$ we consolidatè current progr8mm6s and introduce n8w arèas ofwork. Vve havè èmbraced evèry opportunty to ensure that wè continue to deliver our mission of ensuring well informe¢J. empowered. and vibrant Irish, and Irish Traveller communities in the North Wesl. We have successfully sustained core services. We are building capacity through strengthened partnerships and collaboralion and are delighted lo report that we have introduced several new programmes 01 work this year. We are committed to improving quality in all aspects of our work and task groups continue to drive forward quality assurance standards 8nd systems inlemalty and extemalty. We have hosted two successful developments days. The ffirst in November 2021 where trustees and staff explored how we adapt and embed apprecialNe inquiry in all aspects of our work. The second in May 2022 Whe￿ staff identified key priority areas lor the nexl 12 months.. Syslems and Standards.. PR & Marketing, Communication and Capacity. We are ernbedding these in the review of Irish Comrnunity Care's Business Pl8n 2022- 2025. We welcomed new staff members Amy Bird. Simon Barrigan, Maev McDaid, Lauren Keller, Louise Priestley an(J Ashleigh McDine, all have joined the team this year. Sadty. we said farewell (o colleagues Linda Parker, Michael Dunne, Amy Bird. and Lauren Keller. We thank Ihem sincerety for Iheir important contribution to ICC, Lin over many years and Michael. Amy and Lauren over a shorter ￿'Me. We wsh them all Ihe very best for the futu￿. All staff will be greatty missed by colleagues. volunteer5. cornrnunity rnembefs and partners. Go Tl-éiri n8 boilhre libh. We recognise that the recent pandemic has lested the resilien￿ of all of us. As an organisation ICC are committed to supporting our greatest asset.. our people.. comrnunity members. volunleers, trustees and staff as we transition to life post pandemic. The new hybrid rota is wothing well. and we will conlinue to review this regularfy. We have strengthened our health and wellbeing progfamme to indude a direct referral pathway to speGiali5t ment81 health support and an Employee As51Stance Pro9ratnme for staff, trustees and volunteers. IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE TRUSTEES, REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 The range of services ICC offers play a pivotal role in ensuring people stay safe, well and connected. Analysis ol data from ICC Service User Management System ISUMSI 1￿ Sepiembei 2021 31 &1 August 2022 evidence the reach, extent, and impact of our work.. ICC Dala I Sept a)21.31 W 1122 1 No. New Referrals No ActNe ser¥t￿ Users ). Dependents 0-18 No. InteraciKJns No. Support Rewests No. PartKipants Group ktNities 137 trlealth and Wellbeing 765 Accommodat¥)A and Tenancy 192 Managng 8820 Education. Training and Emphjyment 4236 Social and Cuftural 1501atlon Offending 21)) Addicth)n5 Safe8uardkng Literacy Support Digrtal Indusk)n 1532 855 391 361 278 31 205 183 132 Programmes delive￿￿ this year indude.. ADVICE AND ADVOCACY This Vltal prograrnrne continues to support our communities wilh a wide range of issues from Irish passport applications and loreign birth regi$lralion$, housing. homele$$ne$s, mental health and a¢¢e$$ing welfare ntitlemenls. Staff havè supportèd ¢ommunity member$ 8¢ro$$ a range ol is$u¢$ from aw$$ing the basi¢s (food, wamith, shetterl, managing ¢Jebt, lo safeguar¢Jing. fleeing domestic abuse and honour-based violence, and reducing reoffending. Compounding factors for our communilies include.. Digitalisalion ol many services including housing. welfare benefits. employment Increasing cosl of living i.e. food. heating. lighling. national insurance Longer wailing lirnes to process enlitlemenls. addrtional barriers in obtaining National Insuranee numbers, th6 need to undergo medical assèssmènts in¢rè8s1n9 anxiety and stress, increasing ¢J&bl, $c8r¢e accommodation and employment opportunities Isolation. loneliness, lamity estrangement Low I no lrteracy skills Challenges in settling well on release from prison DIGITAL INCLUSION Covid 19 greatly exposed the digrtal divide in OUT communities and ICC successfvlty accessed addrtional funding to Introdu￿ an exciling new Digital Inclusion Programme this year. Since coming into post in January 2022,. staff have hit the ground running and laken forward the recornmendations ol Ihe Fréa Digi¢al SolulK)ns Research Report blYI?8 188hiilhOOa44d?9ii?iL3bb￿>dsS4oL4). dl iribhiL.nLI ICC intervention has increased knowledge and conffidence; enabled communty members to become digitally connected to widen opportunrties, access services in an increasingly online world. helped overcome loneliness and isolation whilsl enhanryng knowledge. skills and independence. It has also improved digiial technologie5 Wlthin the organi5abon to enable Services to connecl wider and improving capacity and resilience. 132 participants have been recruited to the programme acmss ICC geography wilhin this short timeframe. Participants are from a range of backgrounds and eXperier￿s induding older people, younger people, children, and people in the Criminal Justi￿ System. IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE TRUSTEES, REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 3. COVID 19 AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMME The aim of this programme is to engage people from BAME communibes in Liverpool and Wrr81'. offering support 10 8cGess Covid testing and vaccination. track and trace and wder m8instream heatth setvices induding GP registrations and mental health services. Successes to date indude." Successful health event in partnership wrth ￿'ve￿O01 Primary Care Netsvork and Lwerpool Irish Centre. We had Serious Mental Illness checks. COVID-19 vaccine and pop up stalls from 8 health organisations. 150 people attended the event. and 96 people were vaccinated. Irish in Brit8in wrote and published an artide about the heath event. htt s IlwM.Irishinbrilain or Inewslliver ool-health-event-15-a- real-suc￿sS Partnership wth Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to explore v8ccine hesitancy on white rnales under 50, a significant°/o being Irish and Irish Travellw Promoting take up of Covid vaccine. through dispelling rryths Engagement with communty members who are dinicaNy ex￿Mety vulnerable and working in partnership to support them on a positive heahh and wellbeing joumey The programme continues to promote the Covid 19 and wider vacLines. It is exploring the wider irnpact ol the pandemic including social and cuttural isdation and mental heatth and the currenl econornic I cost of living crisis further compound these experiences. 4. TRAVELLING TO INDEPENOENCE Travelling to Independence has compleled rts firsl yearl ￿ have been engaging wlh community members 8cross Cheshire providing advice and 8dvoc8cy. digit81 indusion. COVID-19 support and developing individual skills. We are working with external organisations to raise the profile and voices of our Communty Members. including the Gypsy, Roma S Traveller Advice & Advocacy Forum (Nalional Foruml and the ntrwly established GRT Operations Group w(th 8 Particular locus on Cheshir$. Community members have taken part in four separate consuttations where they had their say on issues that mattered lo them i.e. Cheshire Council Hate Crime Forum, Winsford Community Forum, Activecheshire.org BAME Communty Forum and Chester Universty Student Nurses Consultation. We worked in partnership with Liverpool Irish Festival and Pride of Romani to celebrate GRT History Month in June. A series of oral hislories and pholographs were collected from our Community Members and showcased in an exhibition called'Gypsy. Romani. Traveller.. Love. lrfe laments, at Ihe Museurn of Liverpool. It is an exciting time for the Travelling to Independence programme. as we have a fvll 'TTI' learn1 The months ahead include plans to focus on wider community developmenl. induding coffee [￿mingS and skill-based events for our cornrnunity rnember$. 5. MOTHER AND 8ABY AND COUNfi HOMES PROGRAMME The long-awarted report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Home Inslrtutions In Irelan(J 1922 - 1998 was published In January 2021 and exposed the serious instrtutional abuse eXperien￿d by mothers and children who spent lime Ihere. A state apology was delivered the following day and an action plan established ol which particular focus included access to personal inlormation. counselling support and a payment scheme. Through Fréa www.frea.or .uk ICC are working dosety vrith Iiish Comrnunity Cale Manchester and L8eds Irish HeaKh and Homes to ￿a¢￿ out to ftsm)ei iesidents of these instrtutions, now living in the North of England. The aim is to provide information and pracbcal, emobonal. an¢J cuKural support, linking into the programmes offered by the Irish Govemment and entitlements here in England. Since ils inception the programme has made connections both inside and outside the Irish community. worked with partners in Ireland and set up a cruaal partnership with London and the midlands. We have started working directty with former residents. We are getting Iheir details ready foi when the payment scheme opens and supporting people to access the newty e5tabli5hed Birth Information and Tracing Services in Ireland. IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE TRUSTEES, REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 6. DIRECTIONS BASIC SKILLS AND EMPLOYABIUTY PROGRAMME ICC has continued to engage with community members 1 to1 to improve basic reading and digital skills. Those who have engaged are from the hardesl-tweach communities and usualty have multiple challenges. including adverse childhood experiences such as instilulional or parentsl abuse and lilue or no educational engagement.. histories ol substance misuse andlor homele55ne5s'. exlensive interaction wrlh the criminal justice system 8nd long tem serious mental illness. Many third-party relerrals have come trom statuttsry services where a person Is not Successful￿ engaging with support. Very low oi nonoxistent literacy can severety impede productsve interaction with critical services e.g. medical, benefits, accomnwjdation and probats.on services. Due to the cornplex needs profile of community members presenbng for basic skills support in the first instance, the envisaged progression route to employment andlor GCSE standard. accredited outcomes as agreed with the ESF-funded Diredion$ Programme could not be met. This necessrtated c8refvl dynamic 8$se$srnent of the rnove from a dèlNery to $tratègi¢ partner to ensure ongoin9 SUPPOrt for èxistin9 community membèrs and avoidance ol financial penalties. This was a challenging bul ultimalely SU￿esSIUI Iransilion. ICC are exploring how we can embed a peer support lrteracy programme. 7. PARNERSHIPS, POLICY AND 8USINESS DEVELOPMENT Partntrrships, collabor81ion and business development und&rpin ICC. They af¢ ¢nti¢al in ensuring that the Irish, Irish Traveller and Gypsy Travèller and wider BAME ¢xpenence$ are recognised and continu$ to inform appropriate agendas and lead to more equitable access to services and opportunities. Key developments this year include.. Significant developments in Frèa induding Ihe launch of the Wornen ol Irish Hentage Ne￿Ork 8nd the delivery of ltte Mother and Baby and County Home5 Programme www.fr Moving lor Change continuing lo delivèr contracts indusive ol new lèaming Wth roadslde Trav¥ll8rs auoss North6m Ir•lan¢J, Scotland, Wdles and England. New partnerships with Wigan Coun¢il, NHS Che$hire, CHAWREC Citizen$ Advi¢e Liv&rpool lo reach out and ¢onne¢t Minorit￿ed communrti$s acro$s the 9èography. Engagement with 10¢01 univ¢rsiti*$ lo strength*n link$ ￿1h $lud*nl$ who ale $lwggling lo settl& into Ilfe hére In the NOrth-￿$t and also to explore pfofessional tlevelopmènt opportunrties in the VCF sactor. Responding and ¢hallenging the developmenl ol the Policing. Crime Senlencing and Courts Bill lenacted on 28106120221. Section 4 ¢riminali$es nomadic families when en¢amping on lan4 belonging Iv ()ther people, whereas previousty the processes to remove people were wrthin ovil court systems. not criminal courts. Consuhations on the Human Rights Act. as the go¥emment is discussing changing ovèr to a British Bill of Rights ICC has fed into this through a response led by Pohwer h s'.Ilw¥w. ohwer.net. Member of national working group led by Herts GATE plan Ihe launch of 1ntemats.onal Irish Traveller Day 1 ￿ March 2023. IRISH COMMUNITY CARE LTD COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE TRUSTEES, REPORT (CONTINUED)(INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022 Acknowledg•monts Sustainability remains a major con￿rn and challenge,. parliculaty as we stafe into the abyss of political uncertainly and the cost ol living crisis. ICC is deepty indebted lo our r8n9e of funders whose conlinueil inveslmenl, understanding 8nd support h85 enabl8d us to provid8 muth needed services. We ackn￿￿edge the continued support from the Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme through the Department of Foreign Affairs. This programme invests significantw in advice, advocacy and community support indu¢Jing Digital Indusion and Mother and Baby and County Homes programmes. We are delighted to be selected as one of three organisations in the country lo pilot a three-year multi annual funding programme. The Irish Youth Foundation continues to re¢ognis& the difficu￿￿$ fa¢ecused on speafie laws and règulations which wè eonsidèrèd may havè A dirèct m8teri81 èffèct tsn thè financial statements or the operations ol the company, Including the Companies Act 2006, taxation legislation and data proteclion, anlhbribery. employment and hearth and safety legislation,. we assessed the extent of compliance with Ihe laws and regulab'ons idents'fied above through making enquiries of management and inspecting legal correspondence.. and identrfied18Ws and regulations were communi￿le￿ within the audrt learn regularty and the team remained alert lo in$lan¢e$ of non-¢omplian¢& throughout the audit. We assessed the susceptibility ol the company's finanoal statements to material mlsstatement, Incjuding obtaining an understanding ol how fraud might occur. by.. making enquiries of rnanagernenl as to vthere they considered there was susceptibility lo fraud. their knowledge of actual, $u$pecled and alleged Irautl,. and considering th& Inl¢mal control$ in pla¢& lo mrti9ale risks of fraud ana non4omplian¢o wllh law$ and regulations. To addre5S the risk offraud through managemenl bias and override of controls. we.. performed analyti¢al pro¢¥