2024-03-31-accounts

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Stay Safe East Trustees’ Annual Report 2023-24 Stay Charity Number 1153615 ~~eo~~ 1

Stay Safe East

Trustee’s Annual Report 2023-24

Charity name:	Stay Safe East
Registration Number:	1153615 Stay Safe East is registered as aCharitable Incorporated Organisationwith the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Principal office:	90 Crownfield Road, London E15 2BG
Trustees:	o Savitri Hensman (Chair) o Paul Dowling (Treasurer) until 30thNovember 2023 o Isabel Rós Lopez – from 13thDecember 2023 o Alexandra Delameilleure – from 25thJanuary 2024 o Alex Irving – from 23rdMarch 2024 o Bennett Obong o Kirsten Hearn o Storme Toolis, service user representative o S, service user representative With the agreement of the Charity Commission, the names of the one service user representatives are withheld toprotect their safety. *
Staff and volunteers:	• Chief Executive: o Ruth Bashall_(Acting CEO until 31.09.23 and_ Policy Advisor until 31.10.23) o Angie Airlie_(from 16.10.23) • Cheryl Lewis (Acting Deputy CEO until 15.10.23 and Independent Victims Advocate Team Manager) • Administrator(part time): o Hannah Robinson (from 26.04.23)_

Operations Manager
Erika Chaubert (until 07.02.24)
Finance Officer (part time):
o Michael Tang (from 31.10.2023)
HR Officer (part time)
Hate Crime Advocates (2 part-time)
• Violence against Women and Girls Manager
Senior IDDVA
• Domestic Violence Advocates (IDDVAS) (3 part-time, 2 full time)
• Safe Accommodation Advocate (2 full time)

	• Violence against Women and Girls Manager • Senior IDDVA • Domestic Violence Advocates (IDDVAS) (3 part-time, 2 full time) • Safe Accommodation Advocate (2 full time)
	• Benefits and Entitlements Advocate (1 part-
	time; 1 full time)
	• Independent Victims Advocate
	• Volunteer Development Officer
	• Volunteer Trainer
	• Volunteer
	__Due to the nature of our work and to ensure their*
	*safety, names of advocacy staff and volunteers are*
	*not listed in this report.*
Bank:	The Cooperative Bank,
	PO Box 250 Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
Bookkeeping and payroll:	Jane Roche
Independent Examiner:	Carbon Accountancy,
	80-83 Long Lane, London EC1A 9ET

Thank you to our Funders and Commissioners!

Three Guineas Trust
The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)
The Home Office (via Refuge)
Trust for London
Victim Support for London Victim and Witness Service (funded by MOPAC)
Ministry of Justice
Solace Women’s Aid for Ascent Partnership (funded by MOPAC)
Refuge for Pan London Floating Support Service (funded by MOPAC)
GALOP for CATCH (funded by MOPAC)
Comic Relief
National Lottery Community Fund (Propel)
VAWG Grassroots Fund (funded by MOPAC)

Thank you to our supporters and partners and in particular:

`o` Members of the Disability and Domestic Abuse Advisory Group

Inclusion London
Our partners in the VAWG sector
All individuals and organisations who made donations to Stay Safe East or provided other kinds of assistance .
Our longstanding volunteer, DD.

CONTENTS PAGE
Chair’s Report ……………………………………………………………………………………………..7
CEO’s Report ……………………………………………………………………………………………….9
Trustees’ Annual Report
Report of activities
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 11
2. Governing document and Objects of the Charity................................ 11
3. Stay Safe East’s objectives during its eleventh year………………………. 12
4. Trustees………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
5. Organisational Structure and Staffing……………………………………………… 13
6. Financial report summary ………………………………………………………………. 14
Casework report
1. The Numbers…………………………………………………………………………………… 16
2. Domestic Abuse/Violence against Women ……………………………………… 20
3. Hate Crime and cuckooing…………………………………………………………………23
4. Independent Victims Advocate/General Crime……………………..………….25
5. Benefits Entitlement Advocate………………………………………………………….27
Policy and change work ……………………………………………………………………………..29

Please note: for reasons of accessibility, the Independent Examiner’s Unaudited Financial Statement is contained in a separate document.

The Trustees' Annual Report for 2023-24 was approved on 23[rd] Jan 2024 and signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees by:

Savitri Hensman Chair: 23/01/2024

This report is dedicated to Ruth Bashall: leading light behind Stay Safe East and staunch human rights campaigner. Ruth passed away very shortly after retiring from Stay Safe East at the end of October, 2023.

23[rd] May 1952 – 11[th] November 2023

Chair’s Report

2023-24 was an exceptionally challenging year for Stay Safe East. On top of the impact of austerity, including overstretched public services, on client safety and staff workload and stress, the organisation faced major change, uncertainty and profound loss. But due to outstanding efforts by manager, staff and volunteers, vital support was consistently provided and justice for diverse Deaf and disabled people promoted. Funders and partners too were supportive. And by the end of the financial year, a sense of stability had been largely restored, morale improved, new activities underway and firm foundations laid for 2024-25.

Advocacy and advice for disabled people (mainly women) facing domestic abuse, as well as those targeted for hate crime and general crime, remained central to our work. However, we also continued to contribute to knowledge about violence and harassment against disabled people – often reflecting intersecting types of injustice – and enable statutory and other organisations to respond more effectively, as well as seeking to learn and develop ourselves. We were able to expand opportunities to disabled people wanting to make a difference, and possibly gain skills and experience in the sector, through a volunteer project in addition to ongoing activities.

The previous Chief Executive (CEO), Ioana Hanis, left at the end of March 2023. Recruiting for this key position was clearly a priority, but the Board was aware that some months' notice might be required. Ruth Bashall, who had previously stepped back from being CEO to take on a part-time role as Policy Advisor, was seventy years old and moving towards retirement. She generously agreed to serve as acting CEO temporarily. Cheryl Lewis, the Independent Victims Advocacy Manager, also agreed to act as deputy CEO for a period. Additionally, the Operations Manager offered to take on extra responsibilities in the interim.

Ruth had founded this groundbreaking organisation (alongside the late Nicholas Russell), overseen its growth and developed others’ skills and confidence as well as helping to gain society’s recognition of the importance of this work. In this, she built on a long track record of activism not only for disabled people’s rights and safety for women and children but also equality and human rights of other kinds. Meanwhile the long-serving Treasurer, Paul Dowling, was considering ending his service on the Board. Once one of the pioneers in the field of tackling hate crime and cuckooing, he had helped to establish Stay Safe East, then been a trustee for many years.

After a rigorous selection process, an outstanding candidate, Angie Airlie, was selected. But amidst gladness that a new CEO with extensive knowledge, experience and commitment would soon be in post, concern was growing about Ruth as she became increasingly unwell, though she struggled to do what she could. The Deputy CEO, Cheryl Lewis, stepped in to provide leadership to the staff team until Angie began in mid-October. At the end of that month, Ruth retired. Sadly, she had no time to enjoy this: less than a fortnight later her condition went rapidly downhill, and she died in hospital on 11 November. Among many who knew her, there was a devastating sense of loss – yet the tributes which poured in were also a reminder of the vital importance of Stay Safe East’s work and, through this period, clients continued to receive in-depth holistic support.

As well as endings, there were also beginnings, including more new staff joining the team; and, while Paul could not easily be replaced, two fresh Board members were appointed, both highly capable. Despite ongoing sadness, stability was rebuilt and the ongoing work of providing, developing and resourcing services continued, including looking to strengthen reserves.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Angie, the other managers and all staff who worked dedicatedly in 2023-24; funders and donors and those who have worked with us to increase safety and promote justice and dignity for disabled people. I would also like to thank fellow trustees – and the service users who have so often managed to survive and sometimes thrive against the odds.

While I have many memories of Ruth which I treasure, including her warmth, humour and passion for justice, I will draw attention here to her encouragement and confidence in people, which has helped many of us do things we did not expect we could. I will also mention that, while she could be very determined and hard to budge, she also remained curious and willing to learn. That assurance, support and openness to ongoing learning and growth are qualities which, I hope, have continued to sustain Stay Safe East.

Savitri Hensman Chair, Stay Safe East

Chief Executive’s Report

2023-24, the year that I joined Stay Safe East as Chief Executive Officer, was a year of many contrasting challenges for the organisation. Thanks to the dedication of our hard-working team we continued to successfully support Disabled victim/survivors of abuse and crime.

Ruth Bashall particularly also continued to promote the needs of Disabled victim/survivors with key stakeholders, including the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Home Office. She was also supported by some of the advocates in contributing to work with researchers, such as Andrea Hollomotz from the University of Leeds, who examined the support needs of disabled adult victim/survivors of sexual violence for the MoJ.

Whilst Stay Safe East maintained a successful outward face, in this year, behind the scenes, the organisation was troubled by staffing and recruitment difficulties, especially in filling advocacy roles. We carried vacancies in some of our key contracts, reflecting a wider recruitment crisis in our sector (and many others), post Pandemic.

This put a lot of pressure on the existing staff team, and I am so thankful for their incredible work in keeping the organisation going during this period. I would particularly like to thank Cheryl Lewis, who acted up as Deputy CEO, prior to my joining, at the point that Ruth was so ill. I know that this was a very hard time, and the trustees and I are incredibly grateful for her support, which really went above and beyond.

Despite the difficult staffing environment that characterised most of 2023-24, the advocates still managed to support 140 clients. All of whom had individually tailored support. All clients have experienced abuse and/or crime, and their advocates expertly guide them through the process of responding to these experiences as Disabled people.

In recognition of the difficult emotional labour that our advocates and managers perform in their day-to-day work, I am pleased that 2023-24 saw Stay Safe East introduce clinical supervision for all advocates and managers. This is in addition to the funding that the Board makes available for counselling, or reflective practice for staff.

In the latter part of the financial year we did successfully recruit to all vacant posts and I am proud that in keeping with our status as a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation, we continued to employ mainly Disabled staff (75% of staff and 100% of trustees identified as Disabled at the end of 2023/24).

Knowing how important it is to create routes into careers in the advocacy sector, and to create meaningful job opportunities for Disabled people, who are underrepresented in the workforce, we were delighted to secure funding for a new volunteer programme, from the National Lottery Community Fund in this year. To kickstart this work, which is aimed at training Disabled people to take up paid work within Stay Safe East and partner organisations, we welcomed a Volunteer Development Officer and Volunteer Trainer to our team in March 2024, to begin the process of creating a compelling volunteer programme for the organisation.

Since joining Stay Safe East in October 2023, it has been my privilege to get to know this organisation, and the wonderful team. Whether existing staff of many years' service, or newer joiners, I have been supported and welcomed by everyone. We had some tough times in this year, with the pinnacle being the loss of Ruth Bashall in November 2023, but we also had some fun and genuinely inspiring moments. Thank you, team, for being with me in the journey so far.

Ruth’s legacy lives on in Stay Safe East. I vividly recall the forceful statements she would make at sector meetings: highlighting the difficulties that disabled victim/survivors of domestic abuse face in accessing safe accommodation – something that inspired me to join the organisation myself. Still now I channel my ‘inner Ruth’ when challenging poor practice by other organisations or working in the policy sphere. We are all proud to continue her work.

Angie Airlie

CEO – Stay Safe East

Stay Safe East

Report of activities 2023-2024

1. Introduction

The Trustees present their report on activities for the year ending March 31, 2024.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies outlined in the Notes to the accounts and comply with Stay Safe East’s governing document, applicable law, and the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for "Accounting and Reporting by Charities." This includes adherence to the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) as well as the Charities Act 2011.

Stay Safe East is a registered charity, established in 2013 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It is the only user-led, 'by and for' organization in the UK dedicated to providing long-term advocacy and support to disabled victims and survivors of various forms of abuse. This includes domestic and sexual abuse, as well as other forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), hate crime, harassment, cuckooing, abuse by care workers or personal assistants (which we classify as domestic abuse), and abuse within residential and institutional settings.

Stay Safe East leverages the expertise and insights gained from our casework to inform our policy initiatives at both the London-wide and national levels. Our objective is to eliminate barriers to justice and ensure equitable responses for disabled survivors, amplifying their voices to ensure they are heard by policymakers and service providers. Additionally, we offer casework advice, training, consultancy, and capacity-building services to both statutory and voluntary organizations operating in this sector.

2. Governing document and Objects of the Charity

Stay Safe East is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It was registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in September 2013 and is governed by its charity governing document. Stay Safe East is a disabled people’s organisation run by and for the benefit of disabled people.

Stay Safe East’s Objects are :

(1) To relieve the distress and suffering caused to Deaf and disabled people by hate crime, harassment, domestic or sexual violence or other forms of abuse

(2) To promote the human rights of deaf and disabled people in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(3) Such purposes as are exclusively charitable in accordance with the law of England and Wales as the Trustees may from time to time decide

3. Stay Safe East’s objectives during its eleventh year:

To continue to provide accessible and holistic support and advocacy to disabled survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, hate crime, harassment and other forms of abuse, and to support our staff and volunteers to deliver a quality and safe service to clients.
To develop our casework with disabled survivors across London through the London Victims and Witness Service, the Ascent Partnership and the CATCH partnership and other partnerships.
To broaden our reach to disabled survivors of domestic abuse as part of the Pan London Floating Support Service, funded through the MOPAC Safe Accommodation Framework.
To share our expertise with Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) and organisations working on Violence against Women and Girls through casework advice, capacity building, training and briefings
To further develop Stay Safe East’s role as an expert organisation speaking out on behalf of disabled survivors of gender-based violence, hate crime and other abuse; ensuring that our voice is heard at the highest level.
To work to improve operational responses to disabled victims/survivors by the Metropolitan Police, Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities and other agencies.
To work to ensure that London and national policy and strategies on hate crime, violence against women and girls and victims’ rights include appropriate measures to meet the needs of disabled survivors.
To strengthen the financial and organisational resilience of Stay Safe East, its management structure and processes in order to help it grow sustainably.

4. Trustees

The Trustees are elected by the Charity’s members at the annual general meeting for a period of up to three years. Trustees are offered an induction, including presentations by staff, background material and information on the

Charity’s principal activities. Trustees are all unpaid volunteers and may claim reasonable out of pocket expenses. All Trustees contribute to major decisions which impact on the organisation, bring new ideas and experiences and help shape the priorities of the Charity.

The Trustees who served during the year are listed on the first page. There were nine Trustees during the year. One client who is a member of the Board has chosen to remain anonymous to protect their safety. Three new Trustees were appointed during the year. This year also saw the retirement of Paul Dowling, our Treasurer, from the Board of Stay Safe East. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Paul, who had supported the organisation since its earliest days, for his tremendous contribution to Stay Safe East across the years. Thank you, Paul.

5. Organisational Structure and Staffing

The Stay Safe East Board is responsible for overseeing the work of the organisation and setting strategic direction. The Board has nine members, including two user representatives. The Board appoints the Chair of Stay Safe East, who supports the Chief Executive (CEO). As Stay Safe East has grown, we have changed the way we appoint staff – Board members are now usually only involved in the selection process for senior posts.

The Chair has delegated powers to take necessary decisions between scheduled Board meetings and is responsible for appraising the performance of the CEO on behalf of the Board.

Board meetings were held six times in the year, in addition to our Annual General Meeting in January. All meetings were held remotely on Zoom. Other decisions were made by the Board by e-mail, or in some instances of urgency, Chair’s Action. The CEO gives the Board an account of the progress of the Charity’s work, reports on financial matters, brings issues requiring particular attention and gets agreement for forward work.

In October 2023, Stay Safe East successfully recruited new CEO, Angie Airlie. With extensive experience in charity management and a proven track record in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector, Angie brings a unique combination of frontline expertise and strategic leadership. Known for her problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and ability to manage teams and volunteers, she is also highly proficient in fundraising and grant writing. Holding an MA in Woman and Child Abuse Studies from London Metropolitan University,

Angie’s dedication and expertise align perfectly with our mission to promote equity and safety for all.

We also welcomed a part-time Finance Officer to assist the CEO with day-to-day financial administration and work alongside the bookkeeper to prepare management reports. Additionally, our administrator transitioned from an Agency post to a part-time contract to provide vital support to the Operations Manager and assist the charity staff with administrative tasks. Towards the end of the year, we said goodbye to the Operations Manager, Erika Chaubert, who moved on to an exciting new career opportunity, but remained in the VAWG sector. Erika was instrumental in improving many of the organisational systems in processes during her time with us.

6. Financial report

* _Independently Examined Financial Statements are available on the Charity Commission website** ._

Stay Safe East ended the year in a sound financial position. The Trustees regularly consider the finances of the Charity and receive reports from the Treasurer and CEO to ensure that it is a going concern. They are satisfied that this is the case at the date of this report. Budgets and cash flow projections are drawn up to ensure proper governance.

Whilst there has been a small decrease in our reserves this year, largely due to continuing to fund specialist posts to increase our advocacy, alongside the additional cost of utilising agency staff, the organisation’s reserves are still healthy. The unrestricted reserves represent three months running costs/winding down costs, as recommended by CIPFA and the Charity Commission.

Our income came from a mix of grants, contracts for casework and capacity building, and donations.

The Board would like to thank our funders for their support:

Three Guineas Trust
Trust for London
Mayor’s Office on Policing and Crime (MOPAC)
Home Office
Ministry of Justice
Comic Relief
National Lottery Community Fund

Income also came from contracts, all originating with MOPAC:

London Victim and Witness Service via Victim Support

CATCH Hate Crime Partnership
Ascent Partnership
Pan London Floating Support Service (via Refuge)

This was the fourth year of our grant for core costs from Three Guineas Trust, which funded 60% of the CEO’s salary, Operations Manager, HR Officer and Finance Officer posts plus core administrative costs. We remain extremely grateful for this core funding, as it provides us with security and the funds to create a management structure which is fit for purpose as the charity grows.

Stay Safe East casework report

Supporting victims/survivors of abuse and other crimes

1. The numbers

In 2023-24, Stay Safe East supported 140 clients .

1 client supported by both Hate Crime and VAWG teams in this year. 28 clients also accessed supported from the Benefits and Entitlements Advocates. Some clients also had support from our volunteer.

Client Equalities Data

Our clients come from a very diverse range of backgrounds, and our advocates work carefully to ensure that their intersecting needs and strands of identity are accounted for within the support that they provide.

A breakdown of the equalities data for our client is shown in the tables below.

Headlines from the data

Most clients were female. 6 male clients were supported with domestic abuse; the remainder (21) were supported with hate crime, or general crime. All clients who identified as a gender different from their assigned sex at birth received support for domestic abuse.
Although in 2023-24 a high proportion (39%) of our clients came from the three East London boroughs that the organisation originally served (Hackney, Waltham Forest and Newham). Interestingly though, a relatively high proportion of clients (18%) came from five West London boroughs (Barnet, Ealing, Hillingdon, Harrow and Hounslow. We in fact supported clients from all of the London boroughs bar one (Bexley), showing the impact of our work Pan London.
More than half of our clients (52%) were aged 46 or older in 2023/4. 46% of the VAWG service’s clients were aged 46 or older. Data from the Crime Survey of England and Wales shows that generally younger people are more likely to experience domestic abuse – with only 18% of female victim/survivors of domestic abuse in the most recent data being in the 46+ age bracket (CSEW, 2023). Stay Safe East’s data bucks that trend, likely because many people do not become disabled until later life.
Each client had, on average, 2.4 types of impairment (although many had more than one condition that could be included in each category e.g. multiple chronic illnesses, or mental health conditions).
50% of clients identified as people of colour. Many of the clients supported by the hate crime service (and indeed the VAWG service) have been impacted by racism and this may be the trigger for the referral to us, despite their being a disabled person. For this reason, we reference hate crime against disabled people, rather than the less nuanced disability hate crime. This recognises that disabled people are not two dimensional, but will have life experiences relating to their age, sexuality, race, religion and so forth.

Data tables Gender of clients 2023-24 Total Percentage 79% Female 110 Male 27 19% Other 12% Sexuality of clients 2023-24 Helerosexual Lesbian Gay men Bisexual Not disclosed Totals 314 32 Percenlage 3% 13% 18% 21% Ethnicity of clients 2023-24 Total 11 Percentage Total Percentage 26% White British 36 Nol disclosed 19 14% Black British Asian British Mixed heritage 5% Asian Pakistani Black African White European White Other 4% Mixed Other Asian Indian 4% Black oiher 4% White Irish 4% Black Caribbean 3% Other 2% Asian other 11% l i% l 1% Asian Bangladeshi Chinese 18

Range of age of clients 2023-24 Total 11 Percenlage Total Percentage 46-55 35 25% 56-65 32 23% 3645 27 19% 26-35 25 18% 18-25 io 7% 66+ Not disclosed Impairment disclosed by clients 2023-24 Total Percenlage 24 Physical impairment Long-term menlal healih 80 80 24 Long term condition Mobility issue Learning difficully 44 36 30 Neuro-diverse Visual impairmenl Other Hearing Impairment Neurological impairment Teminal condition Not disclosed Deaf BSL user *72 % of clients disclosed more than 1 impairment 19

2. Domestic abuse / Violence Against Disabled Women

During 2023-24 , the domestic abuse team worked with 83 clients . We also received 6 referrals where support was either declined or the survivor could not be contacted. In two cases the victim/survivor lived outside of London and therefore was not eligible for our service.

The team supports survivors of domestic abuse, which occurs within the broader context of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). While the majority of our clients are women, we actively advocate for survivors of all genders. Our clients often experience multiple forms of abuse, including institutional abuse, sexual violence, rape, trafficking, and other types of abuse. As a 'by and for' specialist VAWG service, we adopt a holistic approach, addressing the entirety of a survivor's experiences and allowing them to set their own priorities.

Our domestic abuse workers are Independent Disability and Domestic Violence Advocates (IDDVAs), who are largely disabled individuals. They work within an intersectional, social model of disability and focus on empowerment, bearing in mind that many of our clients will have been very disempowered, both through their experiences of abuse, but also through dealings with other professionals in some cases.

Stay Safe East staff have successfully embraced a hybrid working model, with staff now attending the office once a week. This flexible approach has proven beneficial, helping us balance staff well-being, particularly for those handling challenging cases, with the need for in-person interaction. Regular face-to-face contact has been essential for fostering team connection and support. We continue to offer one-to-one supervision, virtual team meetings—including weekly meetings for the domestic abuse team—and access to counselling and reflective practice sessions to ensure ongoing staff support. Clinical supervision has now been made available for all advocates and this is proving very helpful.

The Support We Provide to Clients

Our Domestic Abuse team offers comprehensive, tailored support to clients, addressing a wide range of needs. This includes:

Creating a Safe Space : Providing clients with the time and opportunity to share their story, often for the first time with someone who truly believes them.
Safety and Risk Assessments : Conducting thorough safety planning and disability risk assessments to ensure clients’ safety.
Legal Support : Assisting clients in obtaining non-molestation and occupation orders to remove the abuser from their home, and supporting

them through police reporting, including attending Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interviews.

Empowerment and Decision-Making : Offering accessible options and working closely with survivors, particularly disabled victims, to help them decide the best course of action.
Housing and Accessibility Support : Helping clients secure safe, suitable accommodation that meets their individual access needs and assisting with tenancy management.
Care and Health Support : Assisting clients in applying for care packages, occupational therapy assessments, and advocating for their health needs, including mental health support, medication access, and challenging discriminatory practices such as the denial of services to women with contested diagnoses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Safeguarding and Child Protection : Supporting clients whose cases are referred to adult safeguarding, as well as women involved in child protection plans and care proceedings. We assist them in navigating the Family Courts, especially during lockdown, where remote hearings often exacerbated discrimination against disabled mothers.
Legal and Advocacy Support : Helping clients understand and respond to legal proceedings by attending care proceedings and post-hearing meetings. We also liaise with external agencies, such as solicitors or MPs, when clients’ cases are not being taken seriously.

Throughout, we work at the client’s pace, taking into account their specific circumstances and accessibility requirements. Our holistic approach is reflected in the following case studies, which illustrate the breadth and depth of the support we provide.

Case study 1:

The client is a 46-year-old woman, who was referred to our service as a disabled survivor of domestic abuse, facing ongoing abuse from her husband.

The client is visually impaired, experiences cognitive disorientation, is neurodivergent and has mental health issues. After 14 years of physical abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, manipulation, coercion, and aggression from heavy drinking from her husband, the client fled their jointly owned home with her three children to her parents’ rental home. Her priorities after fleeing are

her children, her mental health and rebuilding her life and financial capacityall whilst struggling with the physical and emotional aftermath of the abuse.

The risk she faces is high due to the recent separation and the fact that she lives only ten minutes away from her husband who remains in the property that she jointly owns and fled from. Consequently, they utilise and share the same local amenities so the client can run into him at any point as well as the fact that he knows her address. Additionally, there are two active court cases against him- one being a child arrangements case and the other being applications for a non-molestation order (NMO) and an occupation order (OO).

Since the referral, our IDDVA has conducted thorough risk assessments (including DASH RIC and individualised safety and support plans), and has referred her case to MARAC to address her immediate priorities: ongoing court cases, her children, her care needs, financial capacity, mental health and housing.

We conduct regular check-ins with the client via phone call and email which are the client’s preferred methods of communication. We have supported the client with her Family Court cases by attending court hearings and liaising with her solicitors and barristers. We have reached out to adult social care to request a care assessment and care package to be implemented to support the client. We also applied to the emergency flee and future fund in order for the client to receive a grant of funds.

Positive outcomes include the client qualifying for Legal Aid and receiving the legal support for her Family Court cases. The client underwent a care act assessment and now has a care package under adult social care, which she says works really well for her. Furthermore, the client’s application we submitted to the emergency flee fund was successful and the client received a £500 grant.

We are addressing barriers related to the dates the court has set for the upcoming hearings, as they have all been set for a year’s time. Given the nature of her case and the risk she still faces from her husband we believe that these dates should be brought forward to the earliest time available. The client currently only has an undertaking in place, which her husband has already breached by harassing her via email and the longer she does not have an NMO in place the less protected she is and is at greater risk. This is negatively affecting the client’s mental health and increases her anxiety with regards to how safe she feels. We are actively petitioning the court and liaising with her solicitors to have these dates reconsidered whilst providing emotional support to the client.

The client has expressed gratitude for the empathetic support provided - and said that she has felt “really supported by Stay Safe East with her court hearings and could not have gone through it alone”.

3. Hate crime and cuckooing

Our hate crime service has two strands: an established local service in East London with a part-time advocate and a second part-time advocate funded by MOPAC via CATCH. These provisions supported 48 disabled victims in 2023-24

The team supports victims of hate crime, which includes anti-social behaviour and cuckooing. Hate crime experienced by our clients relates to disability, but also other aspects of client's identity, particularly ethnicity and/or sexuality.

Case study 1 :

B sought our advocacy and advice support service following a traumatic physical attack that B perceived to be motivated by disability hate towards her as a disabled woman with long-term health conditions and mobility impairment. Additionally, B faced disablist abuse from neighbours and council contractors misusing her designated disabled parking bay, significantly impacting her wellbeing.

The assault occurred when B, alone at the time, confronted an individual unlawfully parked in her disabled bay. The situation escalated into violence, leaving B feeling vulnerable and unsafe. Despite reporting the incident to the police, the case was closed due to a lack of evidence. Following this, B experienced another distressing event when her front room window was broken, which she believed was connected to the previous assault and the perpetrator being aware she had reported it. Feeling increasingly unsafe in her own home, B reached out to the council for support in repairing the window but felt her concerns were not being taken seriously, and that the extent of the risk involved was not being recognised.

Our advocate provided crucial support to B throughout these challenges. Initially offering emotional support and explaining her rights and options, we assisted B

in engaging with the council and escalating her complaints. At B's request, our advocate co-ordinated with the council to arrange a joint meeting, to ensure her voice is heard and her concerns addressed. Our advocate is also assisting B in requesting a Victim's Right to Review from the police, advocating for a thorough re-evaluation of her case.

While the outcome of B's case is ongoing, our intervention has empowered her to assert her rights, seek justice and gain confidence in navigating systems that previously felt indifferent to her needs. In B's own words, "I couldn't thank you enough, and really appreciate your help and attention that you have dedicated to me in order to hopefully get a positive outcome."

Case Study 2:

A is a disabled woman with autism and learning disability, who was facing targeted harassment from street drinkers in her local community, as well as individuals in her social network whom she considered friends. A believed that she was singled out due to her disability, and her reports were not taken seriously by the services she reached out to. This situation not only compromised A's sense of safety but also had a detrimental impact on her mental health.

Our advocate provided comprehensive support to A throughout the ordeal. We assisted her in liaising with the police, exploring accessible ways for her to stay safe when navigating the community. Our team accompanied her to multiagency professional meetings and safeguarding planning sessions to ensure her voice was heard and her needs were addressed. Emotional support was a constant, with guidance on practical safety measures such as journey planning. Recognising the importance of A's existing support network, we supported her in engaging with them and facilitated improved communication between services. This aimed to create a better holistic support system for A's future well-being.

In response to the challenges A faced with the police, our advocate helped her submit a formal complaint. A felt that her access needs were not adequately considered by the police, leading to her reports being dismissed or only recorded as incidents. We sought formal, written recognition of her complaint, allowing A the time to review it at her own pace, and giving her a record to refer back to in the future.

The outcome of our intervention was positive, as A reported, "I'm not being targeted anymore, but I know what to do if it happens again... thanks for being on my side".

4. Independent Victims Advocate/General crime

Our organization takes great pride in having the sole recognized specialist in the UK who serves as a Disability Independent Victims' Advocate (IVA). Her duties involve providing crucial support for disabled individuals who have been victimized through a broad spectrum of crime, including common assault, institutional abuse, financial abuse, theft, sustained and repeated harassment, and any other types of mixed crime (except those covered by our VAWG service).

Our Disability IVA adopts a holistic approach to supporting clients, covering a wide aspect of an individuals' live. This supporting individuals to report crimes and incidents to the police, local authority Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour teams. Preparing clients for their cases going to court, ensuring that the victim's case is fully prepared for court. This includes coordinating pre-trial court visits. Crucial to the court process is supporting and advocating for clients when at court, liaising with court officials on the client’s behalf as required according to their wishes.

This is the fourth year of this vital service, our specialist IVA continues to work to address the unique needs of disabled victims and ensuring they receive the comprehensive support and advocacy essential for their well-being and in pursuit of justice.

The part-time IVA supported 10 clients in 2023-24.

Case study:

Stay Safe East LVWS IVA Victim Case Study – Q1-April – June 2023

Needs Client needed support to achieve: Situation:

Crime type: Victim of Anti-social Behaviour by neighbour and negligence by Housing Association

Summary of presenting situation:

Client has been a victim of anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance by her neighbours who moved in few years ago. Client’s neighbours play loud music and carry out large parties outside the social activity hours. Client’s house is at the end of the terrace. Her garden door opens into an unmonitored carpark and her garage. Neighbour’s son, along with his friends, smokes cannabis in this area and create quite a commotion. The poor-quality windows (single glazed with gaps) lead the smoke of the cannabis and noise into her house, which has deteriorated her health. On one occasion, the neighbour lit fire in her front garden. Client has had conversation and confrontation with neighbour, which aggravated the problem. She informed us that she has been a tenant for 33 years and have never had issues until the family next door moved in. She feels intimidated by her neighbours and is too scared to step out of the house. She lives in the fear that her neighbour or his friends might break into house, hence she locks herself in and do not open windows not even in summer. She also raised issues about her garage being constantly blocked and bay being used by other. Client has several mental and physical health conditions, which affects her daily living very significantly. All above ongoing issues have worsened her health.

Services provided: We have provided a range of support to this client, including: ▪ Established the issues surrounding the reported crime. ▪ Referred to Shelter for specialist housing support around the accessibility and repair of the house. ▪ Arranged a meeting with Client’s Housing officer (HO) and agreed on points to be actioned for ▪ Scheduled to contact police to get update on the incidents reported and investigation carried out. ▪ Raised Stage 1 complaint with Housing Association ▪ Obtained permission from Housing Association for installation of video doorbell. ▪ Organised Video Doorbell for client’s security Outcome:

Following meeting with the Housing Manager and client following points of action were agreed:

Mediation with neighbour: HO will visit the neighbour and make neighbours aware of the issues reported by client
Looked into safety measures: installation of camera at the front and back door
SSE surveyed the parking lot with HO who agreed that the lot is not secured, monitored and dark. He will raise the matter with his senior: get lights installed and consider other options to increase security.
SSE suggested that HA marks a designated bay for client. HO will raise the issue with enforcement team around allocated marked bay for client.
Client also expressed that she is experiencing neglect by the GP. Client consented that I speak with to another specialist advocacy service and signpost her for further support.

Quotes:

“I have only got you who listens and supports.”

“The housing officer would have never visited me, had you not gotten involved in this.”

“Thank you for the counselling services, I feel I am letting all the frustration out which has been building since years and affecting my health.”

“I do not say this often, but I appreciate your support.”

5. Benefits and Entitlements Advocates (BEAs)

Our two Benefits and Entitlement Advocates (1.5 FTE), funded by Comic Relief and Trust 4 London, supported 28 of our clients this year. The support they offer is aimed at supporting survivors of abuse to respond to the impacts of economic abuse, with a particular focus on income maximisation and financial empowerment. The support offered by the BEAs included:

Support with claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or with challenging inappropriate PIP award decisions
Support with claiming other welfare benefits
Securing direct payments

Provision of food packages
Debt management help
Claiming small and medium grants e.g. for travel and white goods.

The gross total generated for clients across all strands Benefits & Entitlements in 2023/24 was £253,540.21 .

One example of a stunningly successful outcome involved that of supporting and advocating for a client at First Tier Tribunal Appeal, resulting in the DWP agreeing to backdating an award of PIP enhanced daily living component, back to 2019, awarding it this year, with the client gaining a total amount of £13046.58. Such achieved outcomes further confirm the effectiveness and the necessity of services such as this project funds.

“Can just say a massive thank you to both of you for the amazing support you have given me … I have been under immense pressure and my anxiety was at such a high level, you gave me so much comfort and support, without which I would have been getting further anxious.” BEA Service Client

Stay Safe East Policy and Change Work

Stay Safe East’s policy work is about speaking out about the violence against disabled people, and particularly disabled women. The responses we write to dry policy documents, the meetings we attend, the letters we write or co-sign are about our passion to ensure that disabled survivors get the support, safety and justice they need and deserve – and most of all that the abuse is prevented. We are grateful to the Three Guineas Trust for their continued support which has helped us give survivors a national voice.

1. Violence against women and girls

There are no accurate records of the number of disabled women murdered, or who they were, but we do know that disabled women are almost three time more likely to experience domestic abuse than non-disabled women, and twice as likely to be the victim of rape or sexual assault, and that disabled men are much more likely than non-disabled men to be victims of domestic abuse. For example, data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that people classify themselves as long-term/short-term sick or ill (a category that many of our clients would fall into in terms of economic status) were 2.5 x more likely than employed people to have experienced domestic abuse in the year up to March 2023[1] .

This year Stay Safe East has continued to raise awareness of the experiences of disabled survivors of domestic abuse at the highest level. Stay Safe East is a participant in a number of advisory groups:

the National Expert Steering Group on Domestic Abuse ( convened by what was DCLG )
The London Mayor’s Office on Policing (MOPAC) VAWG Expert Reference Group and
The NHS England and Department of Health bimonthly call on violence against women and girls
We support the Domestic Abuse Commissioner (DAC) with advice on disability related matters; attending the monthly DAC office call

1 - Domestic abuse victim characteristics, England and Wales Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

As part of our ongoing commitment to ending violence against women and girls (VAWG), Stay Safe East played a pivotal role in shaping the VAWG General Election Manifesto 2023 , developed by over 70 leading organizations. Our contributions focused on ensuring the manifesto addressed the specific needs and experiences of disabled survivors, a group often overlooked in mainstream strategies.

Key highlights of our impact include:

Advocating for Inclusion : We championed the need for policies that recognize the unique vulnerabilities of disabled survivors, including those experiencing abuse by paid and unpaid carers, and emphasized the importance of accessible and equitable support services.
Policy Advocacy : Stay Safe East’s proposed amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill were instrumental in broadening legal definitions to provide better protection for disabled women and improve their access to safeguarding services.
Driving Intersectional Approaches : Our expertise shaped the manifesto’s intersectional focus, ensuring the compounded challenges faced by marginalized groups, including disabled women, were central to the policy recommendations.

These contributions have influenced national priorities and policy discussions post-election, further solidifying Stay Safe East’s role as a leading voice for disabled survivors in the fight to end VAWG.

We took part in many consultations this year, especially relating to safe accommodation. One of the highlights of the year was being invited to meet with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem on her visit to the UK in February, 2024. Along with our sister VAWG organisations, we highlighted funding difficulties for grassroots organisations, such as Stay Safe East.

2. MoJ Victims Code Campaign

We supported a campaign to raise awareness of the Victims’ Code. The Ministry of Justice identified low awareness of the Victims’ Code. The Ministry of Justice identified low awareness of the Victims’ Code when it carried out market testing in 2022. We supported work to create an inclusive website and campaign materials, which included consultation at all stages whilst the campaign was being formulated.

3. Partnership on Tech Abuse with Refuge

In 2023 we began working in partnership with Refuge whereby they deliver regular tech facilitated abuse and economic training courses to the staff, and we provide consultation on digital safety guides, other content relevant to the project such as on emerging trends. We also have accessibility working groups where Refuge share materials they are developing, and we provide our expertise, suggestions and knowledge to ensure the material is more accessible for our clients. Early in 2025, Refuge will be delivering economic abuse and tech abuse workshops to victim survivors both online and in person.

This project builds on our work with Refuge in the Pan London Floating Support Service, and cements our status as a valued by and for partner.

4. Hate crime policy and partnerships

Stay Safe East is a founding member of the London Disabled People’s Organisations Hate Crime Partnership led by Inclusion London, and one of three Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations who are part of the CATCH hate crime partnership, delivery support to victims of hate crime across London. As the only specialist organisation working solely with disabled victims of abuse, we bring evidence and unique expertise to both partnerships. We regularly attend the Pan London Hate Crime Stake Holder Reference Group.

This year saw the end of the five-year London DDPO Hate Crime Partnership, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Three Guineas Trust, and Trust for London. This project established a Pan-London partnership between Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPO) and was designed to upskill DDPO staff around supporting disabled people with experiences of hate crime. Our advocate, TP, who has been described as ‘one of the most experienced hate crime advocates in London’ spent time working with ten DDPO’s for six month periods, providing training in understanding hate crime and conveying best practice.

As well as capacity building within DDPO the project also strengthened our collective voice in terms of policy and campaigns work. It also increased awareness of hate crime, as experienced by disabled people, with the aim that no Disabled person need suffer alone, if they experience hate crime. The last two years of the partnership saw the Hate Crime Data and Insight Project set up, as it became clear that no other agency was gathering data and insights on the anti hate crime work of London-based DDPOs.

Ruth Bashall was instrumental in backing this project, alongside TP. The project also had leadership Merton Centre for Independent Living, and was greatly supported by Anne Novis MBE, a tireless campaigner against hate crime, as experienced by disabled people.

5. Training and events

Due to the staffing shortages experienced within the organisation this year, there was no capacity to deliver external training, except in a very limited way during the 16 Days of Activism on VAWG. However, having a more internal focus meant that we could develop some interesting new training for staff, such as our Safeguarding Practice Workshop and Group Work training (ahead of the Women’s Group relaunch). In September, Ruth delivered her last training on supporting disabled victim/survivors to our new starters.

6. Research into the needs of Deaf and disabled survivors of rape and sexual violence

In January 2022, the Ministry of Justice awarded a contract to a partnership led by the University of Leeds with Stay Safe East, SignHealth and Liverpool Hope University to carry out qualitative research into the needs of Deaf and disabled survivors of rape and sexual violence. This ground-breaking project arose from the End-to End Rape Review looking at the poor experiences of survivors and the falling conviction rates of abusers.

- - - - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/end to end rape review report-on-findings-and-actions .

The review identified the lack of evidence on the experiences of Deaf and disabled survivors. will help shape support services for survivors in England and Wales. The evidence from the research will inform the recommissioning by the Ministry of Justice of support services to survivors of rape and sexual violence. We hope it will also help bring about changes in the way that support organisations and the criminal justice system respond to Deaf and disabled survivors.

The findings of the research project were published in 2023, and can be viewed here.

We are pleased to have continued working with Dr Hollomotz and her team on the next iteration of work on this subject.

Charity registration number: 1153615

Stay Safe East

Unaudited Financial Statements

For the year ended

31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

	Page no.
Trustees’ annual report (contained in a separate document)	-
Reference and administrative details	1
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees	2
Statement of financial activities	4
Statement of financial position	5
Statement of cash flows	6
Notes to the financial statements	7

Stay Safe East

Reference and administrative details

_________________ ___

The trustees present their report (contained in a separate document) and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Status Stay Safe East is a registered charitable organisation (CIO).

Governing Document The charity was established under the Charities Act 2011.

Charity Registration Number 1153615 Principle office 90 Crownfield Road London E15 2BG

The Trustees Savitri Hensman Alexandra Delameilleure Jonathan Grosskopf Kirsten Hearn Alex Irving Isabel Rós Lopez Bennett Obong S, service user representative S, service user representative

With the agreement of the Charity Commission, the names of the two service user representatives are withheld to protect their safety.

Independent examiner

Carbon Accountancy Limited Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 80-83 Long Lane London EC1A 9ET

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

_________________ ___

I report on the financial statements of the company for the period ended 31 March 2024, which are set out on pages 8 to 13. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards including Statement of Recommended Practice Accounting and Reporting by Charities (section 132 of the Charities Act 2011).

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The trustees are responsible for the preparation of accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for the year under section 114(2) of the Charity Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under charities act and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. 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 maters set out in the statement below.

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

_________________ ___

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements,
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act 2011: and
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of regulations 2008 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
(2) To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

John Leyden Signed on 24/01/25 @ 18:06

……………………………………………………………..

John Leyden FCA Carbon Accountancy Limited 80-83 Long Lane London EC1A 9ET

24 January 2025

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

Note Income and endowments Grants and donations Grants Other donations 4 Charitable activities Contracts Other charitable activities 5 Other income 6 Total income Expenditure Expenditure on raising funds: Costs of raising donations and legacies 7 Expenditure on charitable activities 8,9 Total Expenditure Net income and movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Transfers in year Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted funds £ 139,000 3,052 142,052 - 250 250 4,227 146,529 - 232,139 232,139 (85,610) 263,718 (18,430) 159,678	2024 Restricted Funds £ 260,448 - 260,448 217,592 - 217,592 - 478,040 - 409,143 409,143 68,897 160,048 18,430 247,375	Total funds £ 399,448 3,052 402,500 217,592 250 217,842 4,227 624,569 - 641,282 641,282 (16,713) 423,766 - 407,053	2023 Total Funds £ 452,968 1,150
				454,118
				258,744 20,258
				279,002
				16,202

				749,322
				- 554,566
				554,566

				194,756
				229,010 -
				423,766

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

The notes on pages 7 to 21 form part of these financial statements

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Position For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ ____________ Note Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 16 Current assets Debtors 17 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 18 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Net assets Funds of the charity Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds 21	___ 2024 £ 591 207,100 259,963 467,063 (60,601) 406,462 407,053 407,053 247,375 159,678 407,053	_ ______ 2023 £ - 271,383 213,987
		485,370
		(61,603)
		423,766
		423,766
		423,766
		160,048 263,718
		423,766

These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 24 January 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by:

S. Hensman Signed on 24/01/25 @ 16:06

Savitri Hensman Trustee

The notes on pages 7 to 21 form part of these financial statements.

Stay Safe East

Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ _______ Cash flows from operating activities Net income Adjustments for: Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Accrued expenses and deferred income _Changes in: Trade and other debtors Trade and other creditors Net cash from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible assets Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	___ 2024 £ (16,713) 26 15,363 64,282 (16,366) 46,593 (616) 45,976 213,987 259,963	_ ______ 2023 £ 194,756 1,436 (747) (124,951) (30,925)
		39,569 -
		39,569 174,418
		213,987

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

1. General information

The charity is a public benefit entity and a registered charity in England and Wales and is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The address of the principal office is 90 Crownfield Road, London E15 2BG.

2. Statement of compliance

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) issued in October 2019 and the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011, and UK Generally Accepted Practice as it applies from January 2019.

3. Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared using the historic cost basis.

The financial statements are prepared in Sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.

Going concern

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

There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue.

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are continually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

There are no judgements nor any key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of material misstatement to the carry amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements.

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the trustees’ discretion to further any of the charity’s purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future project or commitment.

Restricted funds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal, and fall into one of two sub-classes: restricted income funds or endowment funds.

Incoming resources

All incoming resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement has passed to the charity, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliably measured. The following specific policies are applied to particular categories of income:

income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers.
income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted.

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered, and is classified under headings of the statement of financial activities to which it relates:

expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, non-charitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.

All costs are allocated to expenditure categories reflecting the use of the resource. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity. Shared costs are apportioned between the activities they contribute to on a reasonable, justifiable and consistent basis.

Tangible assets

Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. The costs of minor additions are not capitalised.

Depreciation

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life as follows:

Fixtures, fittings and equipment - 25% straight line basis

Impairment of fixed assets

A review for indicators of impairment is carried out at each reporting date, with the recoverable amount being estimated where such indicators exist. Where the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired accordingly. Prior impairments are also reviewed for possible reversal at each reporting date.

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Financial instruments

A financial asset or a financial liability is recognised only when the entity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the amount receivable or payable including any related transaction costs, unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where it is recognised at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest for a similar debt instrument.

Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.

Financial assets that are measured at cost or amortised cost are reviewed for objective evidence of impairment at each reporting date. If there is objective evidence of impairment, an impairment loss is recognised under the appropriate heading in the statement of financial activities in which the initial gain was recognised.

Defined contribution pension plans

Contributions to defined contribution plans are recognised as an expense in the period in which the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognised as an asset to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund.

When contributions are not expected to be settled wholly within 12 months of the end of the reporting period in which the employees render the related service, the liability is measured on a discounted present value basis. The unwinding of the discount is recognised as an expense in the period in which it arises.

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

4. Grants and Donations – current year

Grants City Bridge Trust (CBT) MOPAC (London Community Foundation) (LCF) Trust for London Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Home Office Three Guineas Trust MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Lottery Donations Donations	Unrestricted Funds £ - - - - - 139,000 - - - - - - 139,000 Unrestricted Funds £ 3,052	Restricted Funds £ - - 70,785 - - - - - 12,500 73,459 66,227 37,476 260,448 Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2024 £ - - 70,785 - - 139,000 - - 12,500 73,459 66,227 37,476
			399,448
			Total Funds 2024 £ 3,052

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

4. Grants and Donations – prior year

Grants City Bridge Trust (CBT) MOPAC (London Community Foundation) (LCF) Trust for London Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Home Office Three Guineas Trust MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Donations Donations	Unrestricted Funds £ - - - - - 171,077 - - - - - 171,077 Unrestricted Funds £ 1,150	Restricted Funds £ - - 36,750 - 85,139 - - - 24,983 135,019 - 281,891 Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2023 £ - - 36,750 - 85,139 171,077 - - 24,983 135,019 -
			452,968
			Total Funds 2023 £ 1,150

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

5. Charitable activities

Contracts Victim Support (LVWS) Pan London Safeguarding Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Ascent Plus	Restricted Funds £ 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 217,592	Total Funds 2024 £ 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 217,592	Unrestricted Funds £ 88,320 119,174 22,500 28,750 258,744	Total Funds 2023 £ 88,320 119,174 22,500 28,750
				258,744

During the year, the above contract funds were reclassified as restricted contract funds.

Other charitable activities Training and consultancy Advocacy Other income	Unrestricted Funds £ 250 - - 250	Total Funds 2024 £ 250 - - 250	Unrestricted Funds £ 20,208 - 50 20,258	Total Funds 2023 £ 20,208 - 50
				20,258

6. Other income

Access to work claim Grants for beneficiaries	Unrestricted Funds £ 3,427 800 4,227	Total Funds 2024 £ 3,427 800 4,227	Unrestricted Funds £ 9,102 7,100 16,202	Total Funds 2023 £ 9,102 7,100
				16,202

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

7. Costs of raising donations and legacies

Unrestricted Funds £ Costs of raising donations and legacies Subscriptions - Unrestricted Funds £ Costs of raising donations and legacies Subscriptions - . Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type Unrestricted Funds £ Promote the human rights of disabled people 206,972 Support costs (including governance costs) 25,166 232,138 Unrestricted Funds £ Promote the human rights of disabled people 313,015 Support costs (including governance costs) 39,687 352,703	Restricted Funds £ - Restricted Funds £ - Restricted Funds £ 359,737 49,406 409,143 Restricted Funds £ 182,558 19,305 201,863	Total Funds 2024 £ -
		Total Funds 2023 £ -
		Total Funds 2024 £ 566,709 74,572
		641,281
		Total Funds 2023 £ 495,574 58,992
		554,566

8. Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

9. Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type

Promote the human rights of disabled people Governance costs	Activities undertaken directly £ 566,709 - 566,709	Support Costs £ 70,092 4,480 74,572	Total 2024 £ 636,801 4,480 641,281	Total 2023 £ 550,516 4,050
				554,566

10. Analysis of support costs

Rent Telephone Postage, printing & stationery Payroll admin fee Bookkeeping Insurance Recruitment Equipment I.T costs Depreciation Compensation Legal costs Miscellaneous	Promote the Human Rights of disabled people £ (2,010) 11,843 3,581 1,008 6,657 4,099 5,820 4,291 14,208 26 15,154 1,415 4,000 70,092	Total 2024 £ (2,010) 11,843 3,581 1,008 6,657 4,099 5,820 4,291 14,208 26 15,154 1,415 4,000 70,092	Total 2023 £ 8,670 7,915 2,746 1,756 4,084 3,445 7,743 4,220 10,927 1,436 - - 2,000
			54,942

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

11. Net income

Net income is stated after charging/(crediting):

Depreciation of tangible fixed assets	2024 £ 26	2023 £ 1,436

12. Independent examination fees

Fees payable to the independent examiner for: Independent examination of the financial statements	2024 £ 3,600	2023 £ 3,600

13. Staff costs

The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows:

Wages and salaries Social security costs Employer contributions to pension plans	2024 £ 348,179 27,129 4,538 379,847	2023 £ 330,306 24,139 6,498
		360,943

The average head count of employees during the year was 13 (2023: 14).

No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2023: Nil).

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

14. Trustee remuneration and expenses

No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity were received by the trustees; or
None of the trustees has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity.
No trustee expenses have been incurred.

15. Transfers between funds

Transfers from unrestricted funds to restricted funds are to make good funding shortfalls and eliminate negative fund balances.

16. Tangible fixed assets

Cost At 1 April 2023 Additions At 31 March 2024 Depreciation At 1 April 2023 Charge for the year At 31 March 2024 Net Book Value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2023 17. Debtors	Fixtures, fittings and equipment £ 5,744 616
	6,360
	5,744 26
	5,770
	591
	-

Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors	2024 £ 197,094 6,284 3,721 207,100	2023 £ 156,743 109,232 5,408
		271,383

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

18. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Trade creditors Accruals and deferred income Social security and other taxes Other creditors	2024 £ 15,990 34,838 8,592 1,181 60,601	2023 £ 23,528 19,473 16,154 2,448
		61,603

Included in accruals and deferred income there is an amount of £2,167 for rent charges which have not been invoiced (2023: £15,827).

Included in other creditors there is £1,154 (2023: £1,439) of unpaid pension contributions.

19. Deferred income

Included in accruals and deferred income in note 18 is the following deferred income:

MOPAC VAWG Fund	2024 £ 12,500 12,500	2023 £ - -

20. Pensions and other post-retirement benefits

Defined contribution pension plans

The amount recognised in income or expenditure as an expense in relation to defined contribution plans was £4,538 (2023: £6,498)

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds

Unrestricted funds

General funds General funds	At 1 April 2023 £ 263,718 At 1 April 2022 £ 148,989	Income £ 146,528 Income £ 467,431	Expenditure £ (232,137) Expenditure £ (352,702)	Transfers £ (18,430) Transfers £ -	At 31 March 2024 £ 178,109
					At 31 March 2023 £ 263,718

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Restricted funds (current year)

City Bridge Trust MOPAC (LCF) MOPAC (DV Training) Home Office Trust for London MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Lottery Victim Support (LVWS) Pan London Safeguarding Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Ascent Plus	At 1 April 2023 £ 1,054 42,838 9,284 71,317 (415) 2,809 624 (11,929) 35,686 8,780 - - - - - 160,048	Income £ - 71,910 - - 70,785 (1,200) - 12,500 2,750 66,227 37,476 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 478,040	Expenditure £ - (68,397) - - (52,437) - - (10,213) (28,163) (23,641) (11,323) (98,620) (65,198) (23,159) (27,994) (409,143)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - 9,642 - - - - - 659 8,129 18,430	At 31 March 2024 £ 1,054 46,351 9,284 71,317 17,933 1,609 624 - 10,273 51,366 26,153 8,450 2,959 - - 247,375

During the year, the Trustees transferred £18,430 from unrestricted funds to cover deficits in the MOPAC VAWG Fund (£9,642), Community Alliance To Combat Hate Fund (£659) and the Ascent Plus Fund (£8,129).

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Restricted funds (prior year)

City Bridge Trust MOPAC (LCF) MOPAC (DV Training) Home Office Trust for London MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief	At 1 April 2022 £ 1,054 12,877 9,284 36,647 1,774 2,809 624 6,172 - 8,780 80,021	Income £ - 53,101 - 85,139 36,750 - - 24,983 81,918 - 281,891	Expenditure £ - (23,140) - (50,469) (38,939) - - (43,084) (46,232) - (201,863)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - -	At 31 March 2023 £ 1,054 42,838 9,284 71,317 (415) 2,809 624 (11,929) 35,686 8,780
					160,048

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

22. Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than one year Net assets Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than one year Net assets 23. Analysis of changes in net debt Cash at bank and in hand	Unrestricted Funds £ 591 207,188 (48,101) 159,678 Unrestricted Funds £ - 325,322 (61,603) 263,718 At 1 April 2023 £ 213,987		Restricted Funds £ - 259,875 (12,500) 247,375 Restricted Funds £ - 160,048 - 160,048 Cash flows £ 45,976	Total Funds 2024 £ 591 467,063 (60,601)
				407,053
				Total Funds 2023 £ - 485,370 (61,603)
				423,766
				At 31 March 2024 £ 259,963

24. Related parties

There have not been any related party transactions during this or the previous year.

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

____ __________ ______

25. Contingent liabilities and litigation

During the year, three claims were made against Stay Safe East. Of these claims, one claim resulted in a judgement of £15,154 awarded to the claimant, which has been appealed by The Board with no outcome as of the date of signing of these financial statements.

Included in accruals is £16,569 (2023: £Nil) in respect of compensation and legal costs incurred in claims against the charity.

The second and third claims made against Stay Safe East are believed by the board to be not likely to succeed, and the Board intend to defend these claims fully. The Board has sought legal counsel and representation. At the present time, the potential legal costs of defending the claims are unknown.

Charity registration number: 1153615

Stay Safe East

Unaudited Financial Statements

For the year ended

31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

	Page no.
Trustees’ annual report (contained in a separate document)	-
Reference and administrative details	1
Independent examiner’s report to the trustees	2
Statement of financial activities	4
Statement of financial position	5
Statement of cash flows	6
Notes to the financial statements	7

Stay Safe East

Reference and administrative details

_________________ ___

The trustees present their report (contained in a separate document) and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Status Stay Safe East is a registered charitable organisation (CIO).

Governing Document The charity was established under the Charities Act 2011.

Charity Registration Number 1153615 Principle office 90 Crownfield Road London E15 2BG

The Trustees Savitri Hensman Alexandra Delameilleure Jonathan Grosskopf Kirsten Hearn Alex Irving Isabel Rós Lopez Bennett Obong S, service user representative S, service user representative

With the agreement of the Charity Commission, the names of the two service user representatives are withheld to protect their safety.

Independent examiner

Carbon Accountancy Limited Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 80-83 Long Lane London EC1A 9ET

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

_________________ ___

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified member of the institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under charities act and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
Follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145 (5) (b) of the 2011 Act; and
State whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of Independent examiner’s report

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

_________________ ___

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

(1) Which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements,
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act 2011: and
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records, comply with the accounting requirements of regulations 2008 and with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities have not been met; or
(2) To which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

John Leyden Signed on 24/01/25 @ 18:06

……………………………………………………………..

John Leyden FCA Carbon Accountancy Limited 80-83 Long Lane London EC1A 9ET

24 January 2025

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

Note Income and endowments Grants and donations Grants Other donations 4 Charitable activities Contracts Other charitable activities 5 Other income 6 Total income Expenditure Expenditure on raising funds: Costs of raising donations and legacies 7 Expenditure on charitable activities 8,9 Total Expenditure Net income and movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brought forward Transfers in year Total funds carried forward	Unrestricted funds £ 139,000 3,052 142,052 - 250 250 4,227 146,529 - 232,139 232,139 (85,610) 263,718 (18,430) 159,678	2024 Restricted Funds £ 260,448 - 260,448 217,592 - 217,592 - 478,040 - 409,143 409,143 68,897 160,048 18,430 247,375	Total funds £ 399,448 3,052 402,500 217,592 250 217,842 4,227 624,569 - 641,282 641,282 (16,713) 423,766 - 407,053	2023 Total Funds £ 452,968 1,150
				454,118
				258,744 20,258
				279,002
				16,202

				749,322
				- 554,566
				554,566

				194,756
				229,010 -
				423,766

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

The notes on pages 7 to 21 form part of these financial statements

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Position For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ ____________ Note Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets 16 Current assets Debtors 17 Cash at bank and in hand Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 18 Net current assets Total assets less current liabilities Net assets Funds of the charity Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Total charity funds 21	___ 2024 £ 591 207,100 259,963 467,063 (60,601) 406,462 407,053 407,053 247,375 159,678 407,053	_ ______ 2023 £ - 271,383 213,987
		485,370
		(61,603)
		423,766
		423,766
		423,766
		160,048 263,718
		423,766

These financial statements were approved by the board of trustees and authorised for issue on 24 January 2025, and are signed on behalf of the board by:

S. Hensman Signed on 24/01/25 @ 16:06

Savitri Hensman Trustee

The notes on pages 7 to 21 form part of these financial statements.

Stay Safe East

Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ _______ Cash flows from operating activities Net income Adjustments for: Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Accrued expenses and deferred income _Changes in: Trade and other debtors Trade and other creditors Net cash from operating activities Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of tangible assets Net increase in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	___ 2024 £ (16,713) 26 15,363 64,282 (16,366) 46,593 (616) 45,976 213,987 259,963	_ ______ 2023 £ 194,756 1,436 (747) (124,951) (30,925)
		39,569 -
		39,569 174,418
		213,987

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

1. General information

2. Statement of compliance

3. Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation

These financial statements have been prepared using the historic cost basis.

The financial statements are prepared in Sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.

Going concern

There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue.

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

There are no judgements nor any key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of material misstatement to the carry amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements.

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available for use at the trustees’ discretion to further any of the charity’s purposes.

Designated funds are unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular future project or commitment.

Incoming resources

income from donations or grants is recognised when there is evidence of entitlement to the gift, receipt is probable and its amount can be measured reliably.
legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and entitlement is established.
income from donated goods is measured at the fair value of the goods unless this is impractical to measure reliably, in which case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilities and services are recognised in the accounts when received if the value can be reliably measured. No amounts are included for the contribution of general volunteers.
income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the contracted service. This is classified as unrestricted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it be spent on a particular purpose and returned if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricted.

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Resources expended

expenditure on raising funds includes the costs of all fundraising activities, events, non-charitable trading activities, and the sale of donated goods.
expenditure on charitable activities includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activities that further its charitable aims for the benefit of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relating to the governance of the charity apportioned to charitable activities.
other expenditure includes all expenditure that is neither related to raising funds for the charity nor part of its expenditure on charitable activities.

Tangible assets

Tangible assets are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently stated at cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairment losses. The costs of minor additions are not capitalised.

Depreciation

Depreciation is calculated so as to write off the cost or valuation of an asset, less its residual value, over the useful economic life as follows:

Fixtures, fittings and equipment - 25% straight line basis

Impairment of fixed assets

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Financial instruments

A financial asset or a financial liability is recognised only when the entity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Current assets and current liabilities are subsequently measured at the cash or other consideration expected to be paid or received and not discounted.

Defined contribution pension plans

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

4. Grants and Donations – current year

Grants City Bridge Trust (CBT) MOPAC (London Community Foundation) (LCF) Trust for London Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Home Office Three Guineas Trust MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Lottery Donations Donations	Unrestricted Funds £ - - - - - 139,000 - - - - - - 139,000 Unrestricted Funds £ 3,052	Restricted Funds £ - - 70,785 - - - - - 12,500 73,459 66,227 37,476 260,448 Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2024 £ - - 70,785 - - 139,000 - - 12,500 73,459 66,227 37,476
			399,448
			Total Funds 2024 £ 3,052

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

4. Grants and Donations – prior year

Grants City Bridge Trust (CBT) MOPAC (London Community Foundation) (LCF) Trust for London Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Home Office Three Guineas Trust MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Donations Donations	Unrestricted Funds £ - - - - - 171,077 - - - - - 171,077 Unrestricted Funds £ 1,150	Restricted Funds £ - - 36,750 - 85,139 - - - 24,983 135,019 - 281,891 Restricted Funds £ -	Total Funds 2023 £ - - 36,750 - 85,139 171,077 - - 24,983 135,019 -
			452,968
			Total Funds 2023 £ 1,150

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

5. Charitable activities

Contracts Victim Support (LVWS) Pan London Safeguarding Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Ascent Plus	Restricted Funds £ 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 217,592	Total Funds 2024 £ 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 217,592	Unrestricted Funds £ 88,320 119,174 22,500 28,750 258,744	Total Funds 2023 £ 88,320 119,174 22,500 28,750
				258,744

During the year, the above contract funds were reclassified as restricted contract funds.

Other charitable activities Training and consultancy Advocacy Other income	Unrestricted Funds £ 250 - - 250	Total Funds 2024 £ 250 - - 250	Unrestricted Funds £ 20,208 - 50 20,258	Total Funds 2023 £ 20,208 - 50
				20,258

6. Other income

Access to work claim Grants for beneficiaries	Unrestricted Funds £ 3,427 800 4,227	Total Funds 2024 £ 3,427 800 4,227	Unrestricted Funds £ 9,102 7,100 16,202	Total Funds 2023 £ 9,102 7,100
				16,202

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

7. Costs of raising donations and legacies

Unrestricted Funds £ Costs of raising donations and legacies Subscriptions - Unrestricted Funds £ Costs of raising donations and legacies Subscriptions - . Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type Unrestricted Funds £ Promote the human rights of disabled people 206,972 Support costs (including governance costs) 25,166 232,138 Unrestricted Funds £ Promote the human rights of disabled people 313,015 Support costs (including governance costs) 39,687 352,703	Restricted Funds £ - Restricted Funds £ - Restricted Funds £ 359,737 49,406 409,143 Restricted Funds £ 182,558 19,305 201,863	Total Funds 2024 £ -
		Total Funds 2023 £ -
		Total Funds 2024 £ 566,709 74,572
		641,281
		Total Funds 2023 £ 495,574 58,992
		554,566

8. Expenditure on charitable activities by fund type

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

9. Expenditure on charitable activities by activity type

Promote the human rights of disabled people Governance costs	Activities undertaken directly £ 566,709 - 566,709	Support Costs £ 70,092 4,480 74,572	Total 2024 £ 636,801 4,480 641,281	Total 2023 £ 550,516 4,050
				554,566

10. Analysis of support costs

Rent Telephone Postage, printing & stationery Payroll admin fee Bookkeeping Insurance Recruitment Equipment I.T costs Depreciation Compensation Legal costs Miscellaneous	Promote the Human Rights of disabled people £ (2,010) 11,843 3,581 1,008 6,657 4,099 5,820 4,291 14,208 26 15,154 1,415 4,000 70,092	Total 2024 £ (2,010) 11,843 3,581 1,008 6,657 4,099 5,820 4,291 14,208 26 15,154 1,415 4,000 70,092	Total 2023 £ 8,670 7,915 2,746 1,756 4,084 3,445 7,743 4,220 10,927 1,436 - - 2,000
			54,942

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

11. Net income

Net income is stated after charging/(crediting):

Depreciation of tangible fixed assets	2024 £ 26	2023 £ 1,436

12. Independent examination fees

Fees payable to the independent examiner for: Independent examination of the financial statements	2024 £ 3,600	2023 £ 3,600

13. Staff costs

The total staff costs and employee benefits for the reporting period are analysed as follows:

Wages and salaries Social security costs Employer contributions to pension plans	2024 £ 348,179 27,129 4,538 379,847	2023 £ 330,306 24,139 6,498
		360,943

The average head count of employees during the year was 13 (2023: 14).

No employee received employee benefits of more than £60,000 during the year (2023: Nil).

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

14. Trustee remuneration and expenses

No remuneration or other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity were received by the trustees; or
None of the trustees has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from employment with the charity or a related entity.
No trustee expenses have been incurred.

15. Transfers between funds

Transfers from unrestricted funds to restricted funds are to make good funding shortfalls and eliminate negative fund balances.

16. Tangible fixed assets

Cost At 1 April 2023 Additions At 31 March 2024 Depreciation At 1 April 2023 Charge for the year At 31 March 2024 Net Book Value At 31 March 2024 At 31 March 2023 17. Debtors	Fixtures, fittings and equipment £ 5,744 616
	6,360
	5,744 26
	5,770
	591
	-

Trade debtors Prepayments and accrued income Other debtors	2024 £ 197,094 6,284 3,721 207,100	2023 £ 156,743 109,232 5,408
		271,383

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

18. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

Trade creditors Accruals and deferred income Social security and other taxes Other creditors	2024 £ 15,990 34,838 8,592 1,181 60,601	2023 £ 23,528 19,473 16,154 2,448
		61,603

Included in accruals and deferred income there is an amount of £2,167 for rent charges which have not been invoiced (2023: £15,827).

Included in other creditors there is £1,154 (2023: £1,439) of unpaid pension contributions.

19. Deferred income

Included in accruals and deferred income in note 18 is the following deferred income:

MOPAC VAWG Fund	2024 £ 12,500 12,500	2023 £ - -

20. Pensions and other post-retirement benefits

Defined contribution pension plans

The amount recognised in income or expenditure as an expense in relation to defined contribution plans was £4,538 (2023: £6,498)

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds

Unrestricted funds

General funds General funds	At 1 April 2023 £ 263,718 At 1 April 2022 £ 148,989	Income £ 146,528 Income £ 467,431	Expenditure £ (232,137) Expenditure £ (352,702)	Transfers £ (18,430) Transfers £ -	At 31 March 2024 £ 178,109
					At 31 March 2023 £ 263,718

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Restricted funds (current year)

City Bridge Trust MOPAC (LCF) MOPAC (DV Training) Home Office Trust for London MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief Lottery Victim Support (LVWS) Pan London Safeguarding Community Alliance To Combat Hate (CATCH) Ascent Plus	At 1 April 2023 £ 1,054 42,838 9,284 71,317 (415) 2,809 624 (11,929) 35,686 8,780 - - - - - 160,048	Income £ - 71,910 - - 70,785 (1,200) - 12,500 2,750 66,227 37,476 107,070 68,157 22,500 19,865 478,040	Expenditure £ - (68,397) - - (52,437) - - (10,213) (28,163) (23,641) (11,323) (98,620) (65,198) (23,159) (27,994) (409,143)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - 9,642 - - - - - 659 8,129 18,430	At 31 March 2024 £ 1,054 46,351 9,284 71,317 17,933 1,609 624 - 10,273 51,366 26,153 8,450 2,959 - - 247,375

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

21. Analysis of charitable funds (continued)

Restricted funds (prior year)

City Bridge Trust MOPAC (LCF) MOPAC (DV Training) Home Office Trust for London MOJ Covid Extraordinary Fund London Community Response Fund MOPAC VAWG Fund MOJ IDVA Fund Comic Relief	At 1 April 2022 £ 1,054 12,877 9,284 36,647 1,774 2,809 624 6,172 - 8,780 80,021	Income £ - 53,101 - 85,139 36,750 - - 24,983 81,918 - 281,891	Expenditure £ - (23,140) - (50,469) (38,939) - - (43,084) (46,232) - (201,863)	Transfers £ - - - - - - - - - - -	At 31 March 2023 £ 1,054 42,838 9,284 71,317 (415) 2,809 624 (11,929) 35,686 8,780
					160,048

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

____ __________ ______

22. Analysis of net assets between funds

Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than one year Net assets Tangible fixed assets Current assets Creditors less than one year Net assets 23. Analysis of changes in net debt Cash at bank and in hand	Unrestricted Funds £ 591 207,188 (48,101) 159,678 Unrestricted Funds £ - 325,322 (61,603) 263,718 At 1 April 2023 £ 213,987		Restricted Funds £ - 259,875 (12,500) 247,375 Restricted Funds £ - 160,048 - 160,048 Cash flows £ 45,976	Total Funds 2024 £ 591 467,063 (60,601)
				407,053
				Total Funds 2023 £ - 485,370 (61,603)
				423,766
				At 31 March 2024 £ 259,963

24. Related parties

There have not been any related party transactions during this or the previous year.

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

____ __________ ______

25. Contingent liabilities and litigation

Included in accruals is £16,569 (2023: £Nil) in respect of compensation and legal costs incurred in claims against the charity.

Stay Safe East

Trustee’s Annual Report 2023-24

Thank you to our Funders and Commissioners!

Thank you to our supporters and partners and in particular:

o Members of the Disability and Domestic Abuse Advisory Group

Chair’s Report

Chief Executive’s Report

Angie Airlie

Stay Safe East

Report of activities 2023-2024

1. Introduction

2. Governing document and Objects of the Charity

Stay Safe East’s Objects are :

3. Stay Safe East’s objectives during its eleventh year:

4. Trustees

5. Organisational Structure and Staffing

6. Financial report

* _Independently Examined Financial Statements are available on the Charity Commission website** ._

The Board would like to thank our funders for their support:

Supporting victims/survivors of abuse and other crimes

1. The numbers

Client Equalities Data

Headlines from the data

2. Domestic abuse / Violence Against Disabled Women

The Support We Provide to Clients

3. Hate crime and cuckooing

Case study 1 :

Case Study 2:

4. Independent Victims Advocate/General crime

Case study:

Stay Safe East LVWS IVA Victim Case Study – Q1-April – June 2023

Quotes:

5. Benefits and Entitlements Advocates (BEAs)

Stay Safe East Policy and Change Work

1. Violence against women and girls

2. MoJ Victims Code Campaign

3. Partnership on Tech Abuse with Refuge

4. Hate crime policy and partnerships

5. Training and events

6. Research into the needs of Deaf and disabled survivors of rape and sexual violence

Stay Safe East

Contents

Stay Safe East

Reference and administrative details

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

Basis of Independent examiner’s report

Stay Safe East

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Stay Safe East For the year ended 31 March 2024

Independent examiner’s statement

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

Statement of Financial Position For the year ended 31 March 2024

Stay Safe East

Statement of Cash Flows For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. General information

2. Statement of compliance

3. Accounting Policies

Basis of preparation

Going concern

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Fund accounting

Incoming resources

Stay Safe East

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Resources expended

Tangible assets

Depreciation

Impairment of fixed assets

Stay Safe East

Notes to the Financial Statements (continued) For the year ended 31 March 2024

3. Accounting policies (continued)

Financial instruments

Defined contribution pension plans

`o` Members of the Disability and Domestic Abuse Advisory Group