- Annual Report 2023-2024 - ee ## **HWLincs** Email: enquiries@hwlincs.co.uk Website: www.hwlincs.co.uk Tel: 01205 820892 Len Medlock Centre, Boston, PE21 8YB **2** ## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** ||Page| |---|---| |Introduction from HWLincs Chair|3| |Introduction from HWLincs CEO|4| |About HWLincs|5| |Our strategy|6| |Our highlights|8| |Our work|9| |Our team|16| |Our finances|17| |Our plans|18| |Trustees' report|19| |Financial statements|23| |Legal and administrative information|36| |Contact us|37| **3** ## **HWLINCS ANNUAL REPORT** ## **Message from our Chair, Michele Duggan** In my first year as Chair for HWLincs, and I have been privileged to have seen some excellent achievements over the last 12 months. The team is rightly proud of its work completed internally to enhance our processes and strengthen governance to prepare us for our re-contracting year of our flagship Healthwatch Lincolnshire service. However, it is the relationships with our partners that we are particularly proud of, and I would like to thank all local stakeholders and our strategic partners for their continued support. The year hasn’t been without challenges, not least seeing other local charities cease to exist, but we have continued to work efficiently to deliver the highest levels of service possible. The dedication of the staff, volunteers, members and of course fellow trustees has enabled us to expand our reach whilst also completing projects that have influenced future positive outcomes for our local community. Thank you to colleagues for their hard work and commitment and to everyone who has contributed to the “voice” of HWLincs. We could not do this without you. Delivering our 2023-2026 strategy has helped us to focus on becoming resilient, bringing our staff and volunteers together and ensuring we are seen and heard across stakeholders and the public. I am pleased with the progress made on the strategy and I hope you enjoy reading this report and the achievements of the team in more detail. **4** ## **Message from our Chief Executive Officer, Navaz Sutton** Since coming into post halfway through the year, our work to influence positive change has been a priority through gathering the voices, opinions and experiences of the people of Lincolnshire. Last year our dedicated team engaged with thousands of people, which I am proud to say, as this provides the opportunity to influence change for our communities. This intelligence allows partners and providers to inform service development and improvement. Thank you to our staff, trustees and members for their continued commitment, and to a dedicated volunteer team who support our work, allowing us to achieve so much. Our volunteers gave 1,669 hours of their time during the year, which is not only a credit to themselves but increases the amount of voices we hear from, giving us a greater chance of having a positive impact on people’s lives. We have delivered nine projects this year, not only working with local funders and partners, but also running projects on behalf of national organisations such as Healthwatch England and the CQC. Our projects and their impact can be seen later in this report, and securing similar work that allows us to hear from more Lincolnshire voices will be a key aspect we develop for future years. Even with a year of new CEO and Chair appointments, long standing staff moving on and an everchanging landscape of partners, we have achieved real success in our work and established new relationships as well as building on existing ones, which is a credit to everyone involved. Conversations and relationships around the value of public voice are drifting into a more central consideration for providers and services, which is the core function of our charity. We want to build on this to bring about positive change for the people of Lincolnshire, so I am excited for the year ahead. To finish I would like to thank everyone who supports our work and provides the funding to make this happen, and all the people who share their views and experiences to provide such rich intelligence. **5** ## **ABOUT HWLINCS** HWLincs is a people first charity dedicated to improving wellbeing and influencing positive change. ## **Our Vision** To influence positive change and improve people’s wellbeing. ## **Our Mission** HWLincs is committed to capitalising on the knowledge, skills and experience of our people to deliver a cost-effective, high-quality service which has the potential to change the lives of others. ## **Our Background** HWLincs is a charity specialising in engagement, research and evaluation to provide invaluable insights and recommendations that drive positive change in health, social care and wellbeing. We work with charities, businesses, non-profit organisations, the NHS, government departments and more, to deliver on contracts and projects, supporting and informing the enhancement and improvement of their products and services for the benefit of our communities. Our team of skilled experts can plan, personalise, fine-tune and deliver projects that meet each client’s objectives. They have developed an excellent reputation locally and nationally through well-established networks and connections, bringing true value to services and people. As a registered charity our approach follows our five values: - Innovation - Inclusivity - Honesty - Caring - Diligence These are aligned to our charitable objects, which are to actively pursue engagement and insight opportunities in the arena of health, care and wellbeing. We are a trusted, independent, knowledgeable and friendly charity, with a track record of delivering projects, providing insight and supporting recommendation implementation for more than 10 years. **6** ## **OUR STRATEGY** Our strategy will take us through to 2026 and focusses on three priorities. ## **Our Priorities** **Our Progress: Communications** **7** ## **Our Progress: Our People** **Our Progress: Financial Resilience** **8** ## **OUR HIGHLIGHTS** **----- Start of picture text -----**
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**Improved governance** a am MENSTRUAL HEALTH **468 people engaged and the campaign findings fed into the Women’s Health Strategy** Share your experiences P **9** ## **OUR WORK** During 2023-2024 HWLincs delivered nine contracts. All were completed within the remit set by the funders and there was a wealth of intelligence collated across all this work. The following information is provided as an overview of our work and more detailed reports and updates can be seen via our websites hwlincs.co.uk and healthwatchlincolnshire.co.uk. ## **Digital Inclusion (CQC)** This work focused on seldom heard groups; people experiencing homelessness, low-income households, young families and adults with learning difficulties, to understand how the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can better collect experiences of care from people who are digitally excluded. The insight was gained by using a range of engagement methods: focus groups, one to one interviews and surveys. Recommendations were then provided to CQC which suggest increasing awareness of the CQC and its role by promoting its activities in places frequently visited by seldom-heard groups, such as hostels and libraries. It is important to inform people about how their feedback is used and the resulting changes to address apathy and motivate more participation. Trust and relationships need to be built with seldom-heard groups, as many feel their feedback is not valued. It is also recommended to connect with trusted 'bridging organisations' like local Healthwatch to gather feedback and ensure digital methods are easy to use. The preferred ways for the CQC to provide feedback vary, with suggestions including free phone services, face-to-face engagement, and 'You Said, We Did' reports. **10** ## **Patient Engagement for Home First (LCC)** HWLincs and Healthwatch Lincolnshire were asked by Lincolnshire County Council Adult Social Care to carry out a targeted piece of work into peoples’ experiences of hospital discharge. It focused on hospital discharges managed via the hospital hubs at Lincoln County and Pilgrim Hospital due to ongoing health and care needs. This work was supported by the Home First Discharge Team. In total, 31 patients were interviewed over a two-day period. The findings of the engagement helped Adult Social Care identify where the system might manage flow better from a person’s perspective, irrespective of where the challenges lie, whether this be Adult Social Care, Acute or Community setting. **VOICES – Hospital Discharge (ICB)** In 2022, HWLincs, with the support of the NHS Lincolnshire Palliative End of Life Program Cell, conducted a survey to gather post-bereavement views on palliative end-of-life care in Lincolnshire. The work delivered the validated previous national VOICES survey which gathers views and experiences from bereaved relatives, friends or carers. The work was a benchmark for measuring the continuous improvement of quality and care models provided to those at the end of life in Lincolnshire. In its second year, the survey to gather post-bereavement views on palliative end-of-life care in Lincolnshire saw a 176% increase in the number of responses. In total, 254 people shared their views. After reviewing the data collected during the second year of the Lincolnshire VOICES survey, improvements appear to have been made in some aspects of palliative end-of-life care compared to the previous year. **11** **People’s Profiles (CQC)** The CQC People’s Profile project sought insight on a variety of groups and HWLincs was commissioned to engage with Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities and people who sell sex, building on what we already know and providing a national picture of health and social care areas impacting this group. ## _Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities_ We primarily engaged with this group using semi-structured interviews, supported by paper and online surveys. The framework covered access to primary care, mental health, cancer and dementia services and awareness of CQC. Overall, 55 people shared their views. The main issues faced by respondents were access to GP services: no fixed address is a common barrier and negative attitudes and judgement from people in health and care, as week as a lack of understanding of the community, its needs and culture all influence whether respondents would seek help. ## _People who sell sex_ We primarily engaged with this group via online and in-person surveys, follow-up semi-structured interviews, and interviews conducted by partnership organisations. The questioning framework covered access to primary care, mental health, cancer and dementia services, and awareness of CQC. Overall, 61 people shared their views. We heard from a range of ages, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people who work in various areas of the sex industry, including indoor independent workers – 79% (44), escort agency workers – 21% (12), online subscription service worker – 16% (9) and street sex workers – 9% (5). The latter was reached in partnership with Jericho Road Project charity. By far the biggest issue raised during this work was the judgement that people who sell sex often face when accessing health and care services. This included insensitive comments, a lack of understanding of their needs and circumstances, and assumptions that physical and mental health concerns are due to selling sex. As a result of this, many people shared that they do not disclose what they do to earn money when accessing services, especially GP and hospital services, due to fears of being judged or treated differently. **12** ## **The REN project (Research Engagement Network)** The REN (Research Engagement Network) project aimed to engage with community members and support groups in Mablethorpe and Horncastle. The project identified what these groups understood by research, the types of research they would consider participating in, the benefits of research, and the barriers preventing them from engaging in research. The initial phase focused on canvasing community members over the phone and through interviews to gather insights. The second phase involved bringing interested individuals together to discuss potential research projects and provide support in developing these projects. The project aimed to facilitate community research by providing time, space and support, with the goal of demonstrating the impact of improvements on wellbeing to secure further funding. ## **Healthwatch Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) Enter and View** We were commissioned by Healthwatch England to undertake two Enter and View visits to Grantham Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and Skegness Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) to support a wider review of Community Diagnostic Centres across England. Healthwatch England wanted to understand the experiences of people attending CDCs for diagnostic tests and the experiences of staff working in CDCs. The findings from the visits to Skegness UTC and Grantham CDC highlighted several key points. At Skegness UTC, patients appreciated the convenience of its location and the professionalism of staff but raised concerns about waiting times and signage clarity. **13** Recommendations include reducing wait times, improving signage, and enhancing patient comfort. Similarly, at Grantham CDC, patients valued the accessibility and cleanliness of the facility but noted issues with signage and communication about appointments. Recommendations for Grantham CDC include enhancing signage, improving communication channels. These recommendations aim to address the identified issues and improve the overall quality of diagnostic services in Lincolnshire. The Lincolnshire report can be found here: Healthwatch Lincolnshire CDC Report Healthwatch England report: Learning the lessons of Community Diagnostic Centres ## **Tenancy Satisfaction Measures** YMCA Lincolnshire is a Registered Housing Provider with the Regulator of Social Housing. The charity owns and manages more than 170 accommodation units split into three sites: Nomad (Night Shelter), Hostel and Community Shared Housing. In 2023, the Regulator for Social Housing introduced the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Standard as a way to assess the quality of services and homes provided by social housing landlords. HWLincs ran a pro bono pilot of the survey for YMCA Lincolnshire and all current YMCA residents were posted a copy of the survey to complete. Residents could also complete the survey online. In total 47 out of the 155 residents responded to the survey, an overall response rate of 30%. However, response rates varied considerably by site: 78% of the residents at the Nomad completed the survey but just 5% of those in Community Shared Housing shared their views. **14** ## **Involving Lincs Survey** Over the last two years the Lincolnshire voluntary and community sector has spoken openly about the challenges they face in delivering vital support to local people. These challenges include: - Volunteer availability - Workforce recruitment and retention - Disengagement of communities - Accessing funding To better understand the challenges the sector faces, Involving Lincs (IL) and HWLincs launched a countywide survey. A total of 238 organisations shared their views through this survey and we identified core themes. Funding and volunteers were by far the biggest concerns raised. All these issues have a compounding, potential recurrent impact. - Limited funding can deter paid staff and volunteers from joining or staying with an organisation. - A lack of manpower may mean organisations have to scale back service delivery. - Service delivery is also affected by rising costs. - Reduced service delivery can contribute to a lack of engagement and service users seek help from elsewhere. - Low numbers can limit impact and the ability to apply for funding, which becomes a cyclical challenge. **15** ## **Healthwatch Lincolnshire** Our Healthwatch Team continues to reach out across Lincolnshire, with an impressive 305,514 people linked to us through social media alone. More than 2,300 people shared their experiences of health and social care, contributing to significant insights that were shared with service providers. Our Information and Signposting service helped over 4,500 people, who received essential information that without our help they would not know where to go for answers and support. In mental health, surveys revealed long waiting times and challenges in accessing services, though many praised the quality of care once it was received. Efforts to address gaps in menstrual and menopausal health care contributed to the development of the Women’s Health Strategy for Lincolnshire. Volunteers dedicated 1,668 hours to improve care, including conducting 14 Enter and View visits to care homes and urgent care centres. ## Involvement, Information and Watchdog remain as core services. For a more detailed read about this work please visit the Healthwatch Lincolnshire website to download The Healthwatch Annual Report for 2023/24: Healthwatch Lincolnshire Annual Report 2023-24 **16** ## **OUR TEAM** **Active Volunteers (36):** Laurance Abrams, Emma Battram, Audra Bishop, Maria Bright, Alison Cadman, Michael Cassidy, Maureen Cassidy, James Charters, Wendy Cottam, Nnenna Enenmuo, Robert Edison, Julie Emmott, Stephen Frankland, Quanchao Gao, Steven Gardner, Zahra Hossany, Charlotte Irvine, Yuchen Liang, Carol Lintin, Stacey Ludlow, Charley Matthews, Yoranta Mapiki, Katherine McGuiness, Rebecca McKie, Ann Morgan, Janet Mountain, Karen Oliver, Ruth O’Melia, Mandy Parker, Ruby Parker, Anna Pastuszko, Louise Southgate, Keith Spurr, Dawn Wheatley, Brenda Wickham, Brian Wookey. **Retired Volunteers (8):** Helen Nicholls, Vivienne Priestman, Annette Atkinson, Brenda Savage, Maureen Stevens, Robert McIntyre, Rosina Nash-Smith and Jacqui Sclanders. **Members (18):** Liz Ball, Dean Odell, Lawrence Abrams, Julie Evans, Oonagh Quinn, Hannah Darley, Sarah Fletcher, Nicola Clarke, Maria Prior, Pauline Mountain, Tim Staniland, Michele Duggan, Mary Low, Wendy Cottam, Rosina Nash-Smith, Kim Walker, Sue Jago, Navaz Sutton. **17** ## **OUR FINANCES** The independently prepared set of annual accounts are approved by trustees at the HWLincs AGM. A full set of annual accounts can be found here on the Charity Commission website. **18** ## **OUR PLANS** The focus for HWLincs in the first half of the year will be to prepare for and secure the Healthwatch Lincolnshire service for further years. The new contract will begin in October 2024, and if successful, workplans will be drawn up and the mobilisation of the new contract will be at the forefront of the activities taking place. During this time, the Operational Business Plan will continue to be executed to achieve the priorities set out in the 2023-2026 Strategy. As part of this work, the financial resilience will come from exploring how best to diversify income and identify where HWLincs can collaborate with partners to open up funding opportunities. There is work planned with Better Births and Maternity Services as well as several public, voluntary and community sector partners that will start to lead us in the direction of a more varied portfolio of projects. Recruitment and processes around managing our volunteers will also be a priority as we look for better ways of working and bringing people onboard that can help us to reach more and deeper into communities across our county. All of this will be backed up with a new approach to communications and how we raise awareness of our offer and ability to lead and contribute to projects that bring about public engagement in its broadest spectrum, from surveys and interviews through to service evaluation and co-production. Collating and recording impact and publishing this information will be a focus area for the future to demonstrate the benefits of public voice to service delivery and improvement. We would like more people to connect with us, providing their feedback and signing up to our newsletter to stay informed about our work, and engage with our research projects and surveys. If anyone would like to support us through volunteering or contributing to our work, we advocate for people to get in touch with us. **19** **TRUSTEES REPORT (INC DIRECTORS REPORT)** FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 HWLincs trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 and comply with HWLincs governing documents, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 01 January 2015)”. To protect the financial stability of our organisation there are planned unrestricted reserves at year end of £214,340 (£170,500 unrestricted and designated funds of £43,840). Our year end reserves are lower than previous year, however, this was planned spend from reserves for temporary posts and additional capacity required during the year, which was focussed on establishing HWLincs as a charity and driving forward a new strategic plan. The trustees continue to pay due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission alongside our agreed objects as set out in our Articles of Association when deciding what activities we should undertake. The internal controls in place provide assurance that our business activities are in line with our charities objects and comply with our policy requirements. Contract and project performance is monitored through our Finance and Performance Committee, who are pleased to report successful delivery of contract activities throughout this year in line with performance requirements, achieving all key performance indicators. In August 2023 the new CEO commenced in post following a robust recruitment process, alongside the appointment of a new Chair. During the year two new additional directors were appointed, Emily Ward, on the 11 July 2023 and Sue Jago, on the 1 September 2023. Trustees continued to review and renew policies, articles of association, committee terms of reference and director byelaws. ## **Financial Review** The annual budget was recommended by the Finance and Performance Committee in April 2023 and approved by Board in May 2023. During the year the Finance and Performance Committee monitored financial performance against budget and reported no major concerns. The Finance and Performance Committee oversees all the organisation’s financial performance, with its Chair, who is also the Board Treasurer, providing financial reporting at all Board meetings. Overall spend against budget by year end are in line, with expected inflation in expenditure around staff costs, travel expenses and computer costs. This was offset by a close eye being kept on other spend areas to keep the need for designated funds to be used. These increased costs were a result of agreed spend for temporary roles, along with computer equipment required by these roles. Travel continues to increase as more events and access points allow normal operations following restrictions and measures put in place for Covid-19. There has been an income reduction this year, which is a result of the funding landscape being more competitive, as well as predicted work for partners not coming to fruition. The Board have maintained oversight on the income and expenditure and ensured funds are allocated as required, whilst considering the impact on and sustainability of the charity. **20** At the year-end, reserves were £214,340, with the trustees agreeing to £43,840 as designated funds for ongoing marketing and promotion, developments and support and technology enhancements (see note 16). The Board have agreed a budget against assumed expenditure for 2024/25. The Finance and Performance Committee also has a responsibility to consider longer term funding requirements. A key part of the strategy (2023-2026) is to have more diverse sources of income, which will continue to be a focus in future years. In line with this, the Board strictly monitors the financial spend to ensure HWLincs keeps a tight control on its financial performance. ## **Risks** Both the risk register and underpinning policies and procedures underwent a full review in February 2024. The three permanent committees; Human Resources, Governance and Finance and Performance, continually monitor risks identified with the Governance Committee tasked with overseeing and managing the risk register. The Board ensures that proper control is exercised over risk and any necessary mitigating work to reduce such risks is undertaken. In addition, the Board annually approves the risk register. ## **Investment Policy** The greatest proportion of our funds come from statutory sources and is for expenditure on activities in the short term. Most of our funding is received on a quarterly basis to meet immediate expenditure requirements. Our reserves policy confirms our agreement to hold an appropriate proportion of funds for contingency, exceptional requirements, along with designated and planned business opportunities. These reserves are currently held in immediate accessible cash deposits. The Finance & Performance Committee reviews the investment policy on an annual basis to distinguish short- and long-term reserve requirements, considering current financial conditions and reflecting the need to maintain a low level of risk for available funds. ## **Reserves Policy** The Board believes that to operate effectively and be a responsible organisation we should have, at our disposal, reserves of funds that can be used in extraordinary circumstances. This principle is balanced with the requirement to utilise funds in pursuit of our objects. Our reserves policy considers the circumstances for which reserves should be held and the amounts required. We strive to ensure unrestricted funds are maintained at a level of no less than six months expenditure and shut down costs. This level of funding will ensure that in the event of a loss of or significant drop in funding, we will be able to continue our activities whilst mitigating action plans are implemented. The Finance and Performance Committee ensures we are operating reserves in line with Charity Commission Guidance. ## **Designated Funds** Designated funds have been utilised during the year, agreed by the Board, which covered a transition period for the change in leadership, through the recruitment of a new CEO, as well as temporary roles to implement the strategy and drive charity activity forward. Future designated funds, as detailed in note 16 of the annual accounts, will be available for use to support projects, activities, and commitments. ## **Salary Policy** To ensure the charity is providing a transparent policy of paying and reviewing its staff, there is a base salary structure in place and annual reviews. The base salary structure was reviewed and updated to reflect the current position of the charity to acknowledge the roles and responsibilities of staff alongside aligning the salary available. **21** ## **Governance** HWLincs is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee and is governed by Articles of Association. During the year, the Board held four meetings. In addition, the three permanent committees: Human Resources Committee, Governance Committee and Finance & Performance Committee, which meet quarterly and have devolved responsibilities (by the Board). Each has a set of terms of reference detailing their devolved responsibilities. In accordance with the requirement to have a register of persons or entities with significant control over the charity, the Board has determined there is no member, trustee, employee, or other body with such control. Therefore, our register has recorded no such party as presently existing. This is monitored and reviewed on an on-going basis. Trustees have equal status and authority within the Board and no Permanent Committee has any additional powers that would result in the participants having any additional controls over the charity. All final decisions which have either a significant financial or legal requirement are approved by the Board. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: Mr Clive Green (appointed 2016) Dr Maria Prior (appointed 2017) Mr Paul Rhodes (appointed 2018) Mrs Elizabeth Ball (appointed 2020) Mr Tim Staniland (appointed 2022) Mrs Michele Duggan (appointed 2022) Trustees have the power to co-opt individuals onto the Board as Additional Directors. During the year the following individuals were co-opted and served as trustees: Miss. Emily Ward (appointed 2023) Mrs. Sue Jago (appointed 2023) Annually, one third of elected trustees and all co-opted trustees are required to retire from office at the AGM, after the date on which they came into office but may, if they wish, stand for re-election or reappointment by the members. At our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 11 August 2023, we completed the process for the election of trustees, which is set out in our Articles and Byelaws. Paul Rhodes stood down but agreed to restand for election and was re-elected. Four trustees were reimbursed expenses, and none received any remuneration. Any payments made to the trustees during the year are set out in note 8. ## **Resignations** Trustees can serve for a period not exceeding three terms, with a term being three years’ service. After a period of no longer than three years, trustees are required to stand down, and if they request, seek re-election by members. In the current year we had resignations from the following trustee: Pauline Mountain (retired 11 August 2023) We thank Pauline for her support and commitment to HWLincs over her years of service. ## **Membership** We have continued to focus on the need to create an effective and meaningful membership base. The membership as of the year end is 79. **22** ## **Organisational Structure** HWLincs Board together with the Chief Executive Officer has set clear lines of decision making, responsibilities and accountability. Day to day operational activities is delivered by our dedicated team, which comprised of 11 employees at the year end. These 11 employees held the following roles: Chief Executive Officer, Operations Development Manager, Contract and Project Officer, Project and Contract Support Worker, Volunteer and Membership Officer, PA Administrator, Healthwatch Contract Manager, Healthwatch Information, Signposting & Safeguarding Officer, Information and Signposting Officer, Healthwatch Involvement Officer, Research and Insight Officer and a Communications and Marketing Officer. ## **Public Benefit** HWLincs delivers activities that are open to residents of Lincolnshire, and where relevant outside county, regionally and nationally regardless of age, where they live or their circumstances. Activities focus on health, care and wellbeing including improvements and the safety and quality of all statutory funded health and care services in Lincolnshire. We provide support to residents by guiding them to navigate the right healthcare, care provision and wellbeing services to meet their needs. ## **New Financial Year – 2024/25** Plans for our new financial year will include both new activities and continued successful delivery of contract activities. The work will include: - Further development of the approach to priority one in the strategy around financial resilience and unlocking funding streams. - Cement our communications function and implement a permanent plan. - Run a recruitment campaign to secure more volunteers and trustees. - Increase our reach through community engagement and an outreach programme. - Continue to develop and manage risk management to be flexible and astute to the everchanging landscape within the charity sector. - Workforce wellbeing and CPD – looking after our workforce wellbeing is a priority along with ensuring our people have the right skills to deliver their work effectively. - Securing the renewal of the Healthwatch Lincolnshire contract and review our activities and delivery mechanisms, whilst agreeing 2024/25 annual plan. On Behalf of the Board of Trustees **Michele Duggan** Trustee Dated: 16.08.2024 **23** ## **FINANCIAL STATEMENTS** INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HWLINCS I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of HWLincs (the charity) for the year ended 31 March 2024. ## **Responsibilities and basis of report** As the trustees of the charity (and its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the 2006 Act). Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the charity are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act. ## **Independent examiner's statement** Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the 2011 Act. I confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of ICAEW, which is one of the listed bodies. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the financial statements do not accord with those records; or 3. the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or 4. the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102). I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached. Tracey Richardson BSc (Hons) FCA Westpoint Lynch Wood Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE2 6FZ United Kingdom Dated: 19.12.2024 **24** ## STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ## ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 25 BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2024 Taw a55ets 11 12 4.831 14 21.834 10.013 8.120 Cash * bw•k WKI in hafKI 225.￿7 318.133 15 (8.858) (14,543} 218.7t 16 17 43.840 I70.￿￿1 151080 153.319 214.340 IASS Eff&y Wwd HW **26** ## NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 27 A¢¢ounting poli¢ies (contin{￿dI chartsb￿ expenditure compnses thtr5e costs inCu￿ed by the chwity in the defvery of its athilie5 and sery￿e5 frJr rts beneficiaries. It includes both ￿5t5 that ￿ be alk)ca*d directy to such a(*l¥rtI￿ and those Costs of an inth're& nature necessary to SUPM thern. of the thaiity. 1.6 Tangible fixed assets Tangible fixed 355ets are inrtialty measured at cost a￿1 subsequently rnea5ured at C05t lx ¥abJa￿D. net depreCaatl￿ arwj any impainnent bosses. Depreciation is recognised so as to ¥ffite off Ihe cost or valuation of assets ￿55 th*"r residual Va￿e5 over th*"r useful Itves on the folltr*ing bases- Office equiprnent Furnrture and fixtures 33% per annwn on a 5tra¥ht line basi5 25% per aftn￿￿ on a reduoNJ balance bags Thè gain or Ioss arising on the dwsal of an asset is detemined as the drfferen￿ between the salè proceeds and the carying value of the asset. and 15 recognised in the statement of financial actlvrt￿. 1.7 Fixed asset investments Fixe)unt￿ at a market rate of interest. Financial assets Classrf￿d as recep4able *thin c￿e year are not amc*bsed. HW 28 Ac¢o4•nting poli¢•es (Continued) Basic financial liabAlt￿$ Bas￿ financial 11a￿"1rt*5. induding credrrKs arKI bank k>ans are initialty recognised at transaction unbess the arrangèmènt consiitutès a financing transaction. where the debt instrument ts rneasur￿ at the present value of the fuknre paymènts discounted at a market rale of interest. Financial liatry.lths Clasyfied as payable wthin one year are rK•t ammised. Debt instruments are subsequenty camed at aft￿￿5ed cosL usir¥J Ihe effectrve interest rate method. Trade creditOf5 obly1￿5 to pay ts gcK¥J5 or Services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of OFeralKn5 Iyrxn suppl￿r5. Amounts payable are classthed a5 cu￿ent liabilit￿5 rf payment s due wrthin one year or less. If noL they are presented as nLYt-curreni Ila￿lrt￿. Trade crednor5 are recognised inrtially at transaL%ion price and 5ubsequenty rnea5ured at amorts"5ed Using the effethe interesl melhDd. Derecognition of financial liabilities Finanoal liabihties are derecogni5ed the tha￿5 contrac￿1 obligation5 expire or di5charyed or cancdled. 1.11 ErnP￿yee benefits The cost of any unused hrfthy entrtlement is rwni5ed n the pefN)d in whth the employee's ser¥ice5 are TerrninatK>n benefft5 are recogni5ed immedialety as an expense when the chanty 15 demonslrably cixnmilled 1.12 Retirement benefrts Payments to defined Contr*￿rtI￿ retiren*nt benefft schemes are Ch￿ as an expense as they fal due. 1.13 Leases Rentals payable under operatrvJ leases. including any lease iDcentrrfes received. arE charged as an expense on a straight Ine basis over the term of relevant lease. In the appI￿at￿￿ of the tharty's ac(y)untmg F¥)liC￿. the tryS**es a￿ Wulr￿ to make Jthments. estimates arKI assump￿n5 atK)Ut the Ca[￿rV￿ am¢Junt of a55ets and lia￿1￿5 Ihat are not readity appareni from other sources. The e5ts'mate5 and assooated a55umptMY15 are based on histor￿al experience arKI otrler factor5 that are Cor￿dered kn be relevant Aclual results may drfler from these e5b"mates. The ests"rnates arKI undertying assumptsns revi•¥￿ on an basis. ReVi￿on5 kn acco￿ting estimates are recognised m the pencxt in which the ests"ma* is revised where the revision affects only that riod. or in the ￿n0d of the revs#￿ and tutyre ￿n0d5 T*here r￿SlOn affects both ￿TTent arrfl future pèriods. HW 29 Grants receivable Unrestricted Restricted funds funds general 2024 Total Lknrestsicted Restricted funts tunts general 2023 Totsl 2024 2024 2023 2023 Donati￿6 arKI grfts Donat￿￿ from HWL sern.ces Limited Grants receNable 195 195 21 21 1.092 299.6(X) 1.092 366.092 66.492 315,453 77.984 393,437 3(MJ,887 66.492 367.379 323,974 77,984 401,958 Grants receivable for core activities ncolnshi￿ CLwnty Council Heatthwatch Cambridgeshire and PetertM)rough NHS Lincolnshire CCG Boston Borowh Council Care Qualty CcrfnmissK Communty Renewal Fund 299.61JJ 5.OIYJ 304.6LKI 309.744 3Q9.744 1.978 (5,625) 1.978 32.557 1.0 8.355 30.OLK) 38.182 31.492 31.492 8.356 39.802 39.802 299.6(Kl 66.492 366.092 315,453 77,984 393,437 Income from inveslmenls Unrestricted Unrestricted funds funds general general 2024 2023 Interest receivable 2,458 812 Other income Unrestricled funds general 2024 Total 2023 7,491 667 HW 30 2024 2023 Stsff c05ts Depreciation and inpairment Propct costs Travel expenses Prerni5es costs Adverbsing and promotK>n T*￿ph¢)ne Printsng. Postage and s1alj￿ery Computer costs TraiThiw PrOfes￿nal fee5 B3n* chafges Othèr ￿sts 39),274 3.476 4,827 11.919 8.198 8,850 3.930 2.784 8.296 358.787 5.590 30.340 7.409 12.106 4.950 3.937 8.128 3.128 35 228 4.949 333 247 12.892 454.488 448.603 Share of governan￿ ￿$ts {5ee nots 7) 4,899 3,437 459.387 450.040 Analy545 by furKI Unrestneted funds - general Restnctsd funds 401.895 57.492 307.939 142.101 459,387 450.040 2024 2023 Board travel costs ' Independent examiner Ipes A¢￿￿JnI1Th9 and b￿￿kee￿n9 5er¥ice5 907 3.211 781 17 3211 781 375 3.[102 4.899 4.899 3.437 4.899 4.899 3.437 ' This Ir￿ude5 travel tr> external meèb"TrJs as well as board M￿Ing5. HW 31 Trustees Fcur trustees were reimbursed expenses of £198 durirvJ the >*ar {2023 - £281 rewnbw5ed to 4 tTUStees). No trustees recen￿ remuneralKm in the year (2023 . no trustees received remuneration). Empknes The abwage M￿thlY nurnber of employee5 duriry the year wa5: 2024 Number 2023 Number 12 10 2024 2023 Wages arKI salanès Social secunty c05ts 352.104 28.228 9.942 322.028 27.704 9.055 390.274 358.787 The lotal amowrt of emthee benefft5 recerved by key management Pers￿￿e1 is £141.659 {2023 - £ 139.7951. The c*arty considefs its key managemèm perscmnel ex•mprw of the Chief Executive Officw. Senior Manager and Manager. 10 Taxation Thé charity is èxempt from tsx on income and gains faI￿n9 within Secti￿ 505 of thè Taxes Aei 1988 or seaic 252 of the Taxatsnof Chargeable Gain5 Acl 1992 kn the extent that these are appl*d to its charrtable objects. HW 32 11 TafigIb￿ fixed assets T(tsl fixtwe5 Cost At 1 April 2023 Addit￿$ 34.689 8,298 4.385 39.054 At 31 Marth 2024 40.987 45.352 Depreciation and inpairn*nt At 1 April 2023 Depreaatson charged in the year 33.338 3.392 3.W8 37.248 3.478 At 31 Marth 2024 38.730 3,992 40.722 Carrying amount At 31 March 2024 4.257 373 4.830 At 31 Marth 2023 1.351 457 1.808 12 Fixed a55et Investments C05t or valuation At 1 April 2023 & 31 IAarch 2024 Carrying amount At 3 1 March 2024 At 31 March 2023 2024 2023 Notes Invèstrnents in subsKlh)ries 19 HW 33 13 Financial inStr￿n￿ts 2024 2023 Carrying amount of financial assets Other debt Bank arKI cash 8.￿0 308.120 203.533 Measured at ¢ost 203.533 310,820 Carrying amount of financial &abilt•es Trade 17edrt(xs Accrua15 Other tsxabon and sooal secunty 2.881 3.CO2 8.600 3.213 Measured at ￿5t 14.543 14 Debtors 2024 2023 Amounts fal&ng with•n one year. Trade debtors Other debtor5 PrePayfr￿nts and x¢rued in¢wie 20.C#XI 635 8.500 878 1.834 21.834 10.013 15 Creditors: amounts falliry due within one year 2024 2023 Othèr tsxatson and social S￿￿rity Trade 47edrt(X5 2,881 3,M2 3.213 14.543 HW 34 16 Restricted funds The income of the charty Y)dude restricted funts c¢JwsiThJ the folkwwNJ unexwlded balances of ¢knath￿S d grants f*bJ M trust ts Srecffic wrFL)ses: ov•mènt in funds M¢mm*nt in funds I￿12￿2 Ccmmunty R￿e￿al fvr 0￿1￿1￿￿1th PalliatNe and End of Lrfe H¢)spital Disthargè MSK Pat•Y Engagwrtht Income k*r Hom* CQC DvJital Indu5ion CQC Communty ErvJagement GRT CQC Pecf4e Who Sdl Sex CQC Communty DvagrK•stKs Invol￿5 knr IloKes and Disthaoes REN Community Mappng DvJitsl Crearth and •Aappry Br*a# FeediTr4 in Lir￿5 30.003 27234 39.803 le9.8￿) 127.2341 6.820 28.053 10.128 134.8731 110.1281 15.0001 19.7421 (10.OLKII (10.orM)I 11.7501 (10.0[￿1) 15.0001 15.0001 11.000 9.742 1 D.OCrfJ 10.oc 1.750 10.OCK) 10.oc o.coo 64.117 77.984 1142.1011 66.492 157.4921 9.L¥JO 17 Designatèd funds The inccffie fwKIs of Ihe tharity md￿Je the folky￿9 des¥nated fur￿5 which have been Set asKle tyJt of unrestricted fur•ds by the trustees k>r sp@or￿ purposès". ovement in funds Balance at 1 Incoming Rèsources Ile¥i Balance at 31 April 2023 resources expended designat•onsl March 2024 Ireleasedl Promoticffjal develoFwnents Structyre and support fur#J IT replacement Development and supF￿ fund TeChn￿tyy fund Makebrvd fuTh* 10.000 132.000 10.080 (10.OlXI) (132.000) I D.OBO} 23.000 15.000 23.CKIO 15.000 5.840 152.080 (108.240} 43.840 Develcpment and supw fund . oiher 5pecyali5t work identsfied dLWWW the year. Technology fund - kn enable upgr￿e5 and repla(Ynents of fT equiprnent and systems wthere required. Ilarketing fvnd . for fijrther webyte developmwts and HWLinc5 marketrry need5 a5 required during the any deveh)pment Work. HW 35 18 Analysis of net a55ets between lund5 UThrestric￿ Designaled Restricted funds fund5 funds Total Fund balances at 31 Marth 2024 are represen*d by. Tangible assets Inve5trnents Cwrent asselg(Iiabilit￿S) 4.630 185.889 43.840 9.000 218.709 I70.￿0 43.840 9,000 223.340 19 Subsidiariès Detsi15 of the chantys subsKlw*s at 31 March 2024 arè as blkms". Name of underlthng Registered Nah•re of tWsine55 Class of Held sharès held Direct Indirect HWL Serv￿5 Lirnrted England arwj Wales Cw5uhalI￿ se￿1￿5 100.00 The aggregate caWI and re5erve5 and the re5utt k)r the year of Subs￿1317es excluded frryn CI￿011dat1on was as fDIIows: Name of undertthng ProfiWLos51 Capital and Rèsèrves HWL Serv￿5 Lirnrtod 11.928 lTrcluded in other debtors ts £nil (2023 - £8.5(KJ) due from HWL Seprfices Linited 21 Control No individual has overall ttjntml of the thariL)bl@ ￿Mpary. HW **36** ## **LEGAL & ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION** |Trustees|Mrs Michele Duggan (Chairman)| |---|---| ||Mr Clive Green (Vice Chair)| ||Mr Paul Rhodes (Treasurer)| ||Dr Maria Prior| ||Mrs Elizabeth Ball| ||Mr Tim Staniland| ||Miss Emily Ward| ||Mrs Sue Jago| |Charity number|1154835| |Company number|08336116| |Principal address|Rooms 33-35| ||The Len Medlock Centre| ||St George’s Road| ||Boston| ||Lincolnshire| ||PE21 8YB| |Registered office|Rooms 33-35| ||The Len Medlock Centre| ||St George’s Road| ||Boston| ||Lincolnshire| ||PE21 8YB| |Independent examiner|Tracey Richardson BSc (Hons) FCA Azets| ||Ruthlyn House| ||90 Lincoln Road| ||Peterborough| ||Cambridgeshire| ||PE1 2SP| |Bankers|Yorkshire Bank/Virgin Money| ||1stFloor| ||40 St Vincent Place| ||Glasgow| ||G1 2HL| |Solicitors|Wilkin Chapman LLP| ||The Maltings| ||11-15 Brayford Wharf East| ||Lincoln| ||LN5 7AY| **37** ## **CONTACT US** Office address: HWLincs Rooms 33-35 Len Medlock Centre St George’s Road Boston Lincolnshire PE21 8YB Postal address: FREEPOST HWLincs Phone number: 01205 820892 Email: enquiries@hwlincs.co.uk Website: www.hwlincs.co.uk Facebook: facebook.com/hwlincs LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hwlincs X: x.com/HWLincs