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2021-03-31-accounts

assis cominunity chariry in teignbridge ANNUAL REPORT 2020 2021 66 Lai'jii(r foi. ol lit:I'* lèi Illi exi)i'(;S&ii()Ji sist TevJnbridge. The Manor House. Towii st￿ et. Dawlish. Devon EXF 9AW. Reg'd Charity No. 1154936

Assist Teignbridge – Trustees’ Report

The Trustees of the CIO Assist Teignbridge present their annual report and financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2021. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 2 to the accounts and comply with the charity’s constitution, the Charities Act 2011 and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (FRS 102)(2019).

CHAIR’S FOREWORD

This past year, because of Covid-19, has been like no other! For me, it’s been a source of great pride that Assist Teignbridge has been able to cope with the very many challenges it has faced, and as demonstrated by the year’s accounts, come through this period so well. This has been largely due to the hard work, dedication and resilience of our staff and wonderful volunteers. They can all be justifiably proud of what they have achieved.

There has continued to be a strong ongoing demand for the services we provide. Through the receipt of grant aid and voluntary giving, along with local Council support, we have been able to meet the need for the volunteer services we provide and, therefore, have continued to support the community, including the vulnerable, during this exceptionally difficult period. I am also particularly delighted that we have been able to make a substantial practical contribution to the Helping Dawlish initiative.

Our overall financial situation remains sound. We are very fortunate to have sufficient reserves to cover our services for the coming year. However, pressure on our staff will undoubtedly continue and there will be a need to make some difficult decisions to cope with the effects of the Pandemic. Sadly, this is still with us. For this reason, we are particularly fortunate in having such a hard-working and dedicated staff team, which provides effective and much-appreciated services to our clients.

I am pleased to report that we have not lost any trustees this year, while Chris Griffiths has joined us as a trustee. In the office, Suzanne Vowden left us in April 2020 after 10 years’ service as Administrator and Nail Service Co-ordinator. We were all very sad to lose such a pleasant and conscientious member of the Office team. Toeni Young joined us in August 2020 and took over Suzanne’s role. We welcomed three new care staff this year but also said goodbye to two – Kirsten Pybus left to start a new business venture with family members (she’d been with us for 20 months) and Di Taylor retired after being with us for 7 years. We thank both of them, as well as Suzanne, for their service, and wish Di a long and happy retirement.

In commending this report to you, as in previous years, you will see the wide range of activities that Assist Teignbridge is engaged in for the benefit of local people. We are justifiably proud of the assistance given to the community through the Volunteer Centre and Outreach Benefits provision, Assist Caring, Assist Home Help and Assist Nail Trimming services. We rely very heavily on the commitment and professionalism of our staff. However, there is still much we could not do without the valuable assistance of our volunteers. In the past, we have recognised those volunteers who have provided outstanding service over the course of the year by the presentation of certificates at our Annual Reception. It was not possible to host such a gathering this year but we look forward to being able to resume this tradition in the year to come.

I also wish to express my warm thanks to my fellow trustees, all our volunteers, sitters, home helps, foot care practitioners and, not least, our office staff for their hard work and commitment. The vital work we carry out ensures this charity succeeds in fulfilling its aims and objectives for the public benefit. We are most fortunate to have such a strong and dedicated team, where all play an important and valued part, characterised by professionalism and kindness towards our many clients and the local community.

We will face new challenges and, no doubt, a heavy workload in the year ahead. I am sure that, as in the past, we will be able to demonstrate flexibility in the way these challenges are tackled and that we will continue to do so with good humour, enthusiasm and commitment.

Robin Buchanan, Chair

OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES

The aims and objectives of Assist Teignbridge are:

The main activities undertaken by Assist Teignbridge to carry out its charitable purposes for the public benefit are the provision of:-

Free services:

Charged-for services :

The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on Public Benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives, and in planning activities.

The organisation is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the provision of personal care and was inspected most recently in June 2018. It was found to be meeting CQC National Standards and its overall rating is “Good”.

ACHIEVEMENTS & PERFORMANCE

Despite this being a very strange year because of the Pandemic, with lockdowns and restrictions pertaining throughout, we have continued to operate. We made adjustments where necessary to keep clients, staff and volunteers safe whilst still supporting the most vulnerable in the community. We are proud of what the charity has achieved during this difficult time:

At the start of the year, we were in a national lockdown and most of our regular volunteer activities ceased. But we were part of the Helping Dawlish initiative, whereby local charities and other organisations joined with Dawlish Town Council to support the community, particularly those who were vulnerable or

shielding. Many new volunteers came forward, and people were requesting support; we were shortstaffed ourselves and regular volunteers stepped in to help with the increased office administration and with manning the phones. We thank them all. In addition to our own community work, we directly supported Helping Dawlish to provide over 1700 hours of Covid-19 support.

Our paid-for services continued throughout where there was an assessed need for it to continue, and we are very grateful to our care staff for their continued dedication in supporting their clients.

The Home Help service has continued to grow with a 16% increase in hours provided over the previous year. Day hours provided by Assist Caring are lower than last year but the nights in attendance have increased; overall, the volume reduction for the service was 14%. There was a significant reduction in numbers of treatments provided by the Nails service during the first lockdown, and no clinics at the Manor House have run this year. The volume reduction over the year was 18% but we continue to support over 200 individuals with nail trimming.

We employ care workers to provide our charged-for services and ensure they are properly trained, supervised and supported. We are committed to keeping our services affordable and set our fees as low as possible while covering our costs. If people in need cannot afford our fees then we have trained volunteers who can check that the individual is receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled. We can also signpost to other sources of support and refer on to other agencies.

The individual service reports and financial accounts that follow this report give full details of the activities undertaken in 2020/2021 and the outcomes achieved in promoting volunteering, supporting volunteers, and improving the health and wellbeing of those in need in the community. The reports include feedback from service users and detail the difference the charity’s work has made to those individuals’ circumstances.

GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Assist Teignbridge is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission in England & Wales, number 1154936. Its governing document is its Constitution dated 20 November 2013. Its principal office is The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish EX7 9AW, and its main bank account is with the Co-operative Bank plc.

Under the Constitution it has a membership of individuals and organisations, open to anyone wishing to further the purposes of the CIO, and is managed by a Board of Trustees . A Trustee can be elected at the AGM, appointed by other Trustees, or nominated by Dawlish Town Council. There must be no fewer than three elected Trustees and no more than one nominated Trustee. At each AGM one third of the Board retires by rotation and is eligible for re-appointment. A Trustee appointed by other Trustees retires at the following AGM and is then eligible for election. The Trustees appoint their own Chairman.

There is no nominated Trustee. Elected Trustees serving during the year and since the year end were:

Robin Buchanan (Chair) (retires by rotation) Francis Bourke (Vice Chair) John Petherick (retires by rotation) Graham Carey Lynn Cavill Sue Hill Chris Griffiths (appointed by Trustees 27 January 2021, retires at the AGM)

Trustees are recruited from our supporters and the local community with the aim of broadening the skills of the Board. New trustees meet the office team and are briefed on their legal obligations under charity law, the Charity Commission guidance on public benefit, the Constitution, and the charity’s activities and services and recent financial performance. Trustees meet a minimum of 5 times a year.

Day-to-day management of the charity is delegated to Shirley Fewings MBE, the Registered Manager.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The charity Trustees are responsible for preparing a Trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the applicable Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations, and the charity’s Constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity, maintaining the integrity of the charity and financial information included on the charity’s website, and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

The Volunteer Centre, with its free Community Support services delivered by volunteers, is reliant on the receipt of grant aid, donations and monies from fund-raising activities to cover its costs. We have continued to be supported by Devon County and Dawlish Town Councils, and our local county councillor. We have been unable to hold our normal fund-raising events, but several individuals set lockdown challenges and raised considerable sums for us, and we received over £2,500 from being a charity partner of the local Co-op. We have also benefited from a substantial level of donations, including over £2,500 donated for facemasks made by our volunteers. VC ends the year with a surplus of £1,467.

The Charged-for services also recorded a surplus, £10,692, due in large part to grant aid support from Devon County Council through the pandemic. We were eligible for sustainability funds, and grants towards the costs of infection control and recruiting and retaining staff. £4,155 of one grant will not be spent until next year but, in line with charity accounting, the income has been recognised now and it forms part of the surplus. The services had an operating surplus of just over £2,000.

These surpluses boost the charity’s reserves, as shown below. The Restricted Funds comprise the grant monies unspent referred to above, with all remaining funds being Unrestricted. However, a portion of the reserves must be earmarked to provide for the costs of statutory redundancy should the charity cease trading in the future, and this portion is shown below as “Designated Funds”. The remaining Unrestricted Funds are known as Free Reserves and can be applied by the Trustees to any of the charity’s activities. Free Reserves now total £143,420 which more than meets our aim of maintaining reserves to cover a year’s activity in all services.

The total reserves of the organisation now stand at £182,880 as follows:

VC CS Total
Restricted Funds £0 £4,155 £4,155
Designated Funds £4,566 £30,739 £35,305
Free Reserves £24,475 £118,945 £143,420
---------------- ------------------ ------------------
Total Funds £29,041 £153,839 £182,880
---------------- ------------------ ------------------

Conclusions and Future Plans

Throughout the past year, our office staff, care staff and volunteers have worked with great professionalism to ensure that services could still be provided to support our most vulnerable clients. We are very grateful for all their hard work.

Assist Teignbridge has worked with other local organisations and Dawlish Town Council in the Helping Dawlish initiative, and this collaboration will continue to meet the needs of the community as we come out of lockdown. Some practices put in place to continue support through lockdowns and restrictions will continue alongside our normal services, for example telephone befriending.

For 2021/22, the Volunteer Centre has received confirmation of continuation funding from Devon County Council, and we anticipate further financial support from Dawlish Town Council. We are very grateful to both Councils for their ongoing support. This last year has raised our profile in the town, and we will build on that to encourage volunteering and ensure that people in need in the community are aware of the support we can provide.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Trustees

Robin Buchanan

Robin Buchanan Chair

June 2021

Assist Teignbridge Manager’s Report

At the end of our report last year we touched on the Pandemic stating that we would only know the true impact over the coming weeks and months. There was no way we could have predicted how the Coronavirus Pandemic would unfold and the additional challenges this would bring in delivering care and community support.

Initially, there was a lot of fielding of phone calls, listening to people’s concerns and worries, including those of our staff and service users, and prioritising of needs. We had to adapt quickly, following all the guidance from the Government and Public Health to try to meet the needs of the local community and our service users and keep everyone safe. Conversations took place with Devon County Council, the Care Quality Commission and our local Council to find solutions and a way of working safely and effectively, ensuring the safety of all those involved. This communication was ongoing as the guidance and restrictions changed. There was an increase of people wishing to volunteer and as well as signposting volunteers to the GoodSAM NHS volunteer responder scheme, we also logged an amazing 112 people who offered their time as a local emergency response volunteer.

At the first lockdown, some of our services came to a standstill, although it became obvious as time went on that this was having a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing on many of the people we support and was counterproductive in keeping people safe and well. Looking at individual needs we were able to reintroduce services adhering to strict infection control and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as was appropriate for their needs. Other services were adapted to reduce the risks but still offer support to the elderly and vulnerable, such as telephone befriending.

Alongside our day to day provision, we also became part of the Helping Dawlish Initiative, providing volunteer support to vulnerable people in Dawlish. This provision is described more fully in other sections of the Annual Report.

One of the fundamental qualities that our staff and volunteers consistently show is that they want to achieve the best for those they support and in so doing will go the extra mile, going above and beyond, and never more was this in evidence than during the last year. I am immensely proud of our team. They provide an unfailingly outstanding service, the beneficial effects of which are reflected throughout this Annual Report.

Assist Teignbridge

The primary focus of Assist Teignbridge is on providing affordable (and some free) support at home to the elderly, those living with dementia, other vulnerable people, and their carers. This is achieved by providing a range of support to include:

How we do it:

We strongly believe in person-centred care and for us that means putting the person’s needs first and trying to deliver a service that meets their needs, either through our own organisation, by signposting, or supporting service users to access the most appropriate service. We recognise each person is an individual with their own needs, which is why a home assessment is so important, allowing the service user and their families a chance to discuss what is important to them and the outcomes they’d like to achieve. It can be

quite daunting to recognise that there are some aspects of daily living that can no longer be managed independently so the home visit is also an opportunity for me to reassure clients that having support can help them to remain living in their own homes.

We pride ourselves on being adaptable and responsive to changing needs. We support people to recognise their own abilities and strengths and enable them as much as possible to live independent and fulfilling lives. Through all our actions it is our belief that people should be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect .

Many of the people we come into contact with face additional challenges, such as where they live, health conditions, disabilities, caring responsibilities or mental health wellbeing, which is why it is important that we have strong connections with other organisations in the community to ensure people are supported appropriately. Signposting and giving out information is a huge part of our role in supporting people.

Personnel:

We have 4 members of staff who are office-based and one member of office staff who works from home. We employ 20 part-time care staff, and at 31 March 2021 we had 100 volunteers. I am very grateful to them all for their hard work in enabling the charity to successfully deliver services and support to so many in the local community during a very challenging year.

Assist Teignbridge Organisational structure

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TRUSTEES
(Volunteers)
SECRETARY/TREASURER
(576 annual hours)
MANAGER
(Full time)
ASSIST CARING and
ADMINISTRATOR
ASSIST HOME HELP and NAIL SERVICE
VOLUNTEER
CO-ORDINATOR CO-ORDINATOR
CO-ORDINATOR
(15 hrs per week) (25 hrs per week)
(25 hrs per week)
CARE STAFF:
Sitters
Community
Home Helps
Volunteers
Nail Practitioners
----- End of picture text -----

Shirley Fewings MBE Registered Manager

Local organisations working together to respond to community need

Helping Dawlish Initiative

The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a worrying time for our community. Helping Dawlish was formed in March 2020 as an initial emergency response bringing together a group of local organisations, each working to their own strengths, so as not to duplicate, thereby providing a range of services to help local people to cope and to support each other.

Assist Teignbridge was privileged to be one of the many organisations involved in the Helping Dawlish Initiative, working alongside Dawlish Town Council to support our local community with information, signposting and services. With a one-stop contact number to triage calls and make sure people were supported quickly and appropriately, Helping Dawlish were able to assist with a range of services including shopping, medication runs, befriending, information leaflets, food parcels, activity packs, hot meals, Christmas and Easter hampers, and half-term lunches, to name just a few. They were able to answer questions and to advise who to contact locally, with information being updated regularly on a specially formed website www.helpingdawlish.co.uk and on their social media page.

The impact of the Helping Dawlish Initiative could only be achieved by a lot of willing volunteers and kind donations from people wanting to help those in need. As we come out of the restrictions, this loose collaboration will remain in place to respond to future community needs.

This is a shining example of what can be achieved when organisations work together.

Helping Dawlish , comprising: Dawlish Town Council, ROC Dawlish, Assist Teignbridge, Dawlish Community Transport, Open Daw, ROOTs Community Enhancement, Dawlish Christian Fellowship, Home Instead, Dawlish Action for Youth, St Gregory’s Parish Church, Living Dawlish Community Hub, The Strand Centre, and Dawlish Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Charged-for services: Assist Caring & Assist Home Help

In 2020/21 we provided 9,192.5 hours of support

This is a slight increase over the 9,121.25 provided in 2019/20

For Assist Caring , the level of hours commissioned by Social Services or Health has continued as in the previous year but we have seen a drop of 25% in private hours giving an overall reduction of 21% from 2019/20.

Assist Caring Day Hours

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3500 3178.75
3000
2376.25
2500
2000
1500
1000 745.00 796.00
500
0
Commissioned by ACS/CHC Private
2020/21 2019/20
----- End of picture text -----

Commissioned nights have reduced but there has been an increase in private nights.

----- Start of picture text -----
Assist Caring Sleeping Nights
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----- Start of picture text -----
120
100
100
80 61
60
40
20
20 2
0
2020/21 2019/20
Commissioned by ACS Private
----- End of picture text -----

Assist Home Help hours overall have seen an increase of 16% over the 2019/20 level.

Assist Home Help Hours

----- Start of picture text -----
6000
4995.25
5000 4353.50
4000
3000
2000
1000 158.00 64.00
0
2020/21 2019/20
Commissioned by ACS Private
----- End of picture text -----

The year has been challenging for families, many of whom could no longer visit their elderly relatives due to the restrictions or having to shield themselves. We have supported many with signposting, information and services, either through ourselves or the Helping Dawlish Initiative.

Service Users:

We have 78 service users registered to use our services with the majority having a regular weekly slot or more. 2 clients use our service on an ad-hoc basis. 33 service users have moved on during the year because of changing needs and 12 service users have sadly passed away. We have also provided one-off emergency support cover. Service users have a range of health conditions that makes life a little more difficult for them. Understanding their needs and abilities can ensure they have the personalised support they need and the outcomes they’d like to achieve.

During the year one of our clients celebrated their 100 birthday and to mark the occasion, we commissioned a specially made facemask stating “Vintage 1920”. Sadly they are no longer with us but they did celebrate their 100 birthday with family. Our oldest client is 101 and was our very first home help client back in 2013!

Care Quality Commission :

We are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the provision of personal care and our last inspection in June 2018 rated us as GOOD . It is very beneficial to have the external inspection as it recognises what is working well and can make recommendations on how certain actions may give an even better outcome. If there are areas that need improvement, the support is there to help you achieve the required standards. Personal care relates to regulated activities such as washing, dressing and nail trimming. However, we do not provide multiple daily visits and we do not provide waking nights. Although we don’t have the capacity to provide multiple daily visits, we can often provide a service alongside another agency to fill any gaps in provision. Although we were due another inspection this year, it was necessary for the CQC to prioritise their inspections in light of the pandemic. It is now an annual requirement to submit a pre-inspection report (PIR) and this has been completed. There has been good communication with our local inspector with the opportunity to discuss the challenges and concerns we, along with other providers, have faced during the pandemic and to share good practice.

Devon County Council:

As a provider of commissioned adult social care services we have maintained regular contact with Devon County Council throughout the pandemic and have had access to information, advice, funding, personal protective equipment (PPE) and more. This has been essential due to the ongoing changes in restrictions and the challenges faced by providers of social care. This increased communication has enabled us to stay up to date with changes around use of PPE, ensuring staff and service users are protected appropriately. Regardless of the challenges this year has brought, the increased communication has helped to develop and strengthen business relationships.

Staffing:

There have been difficult choices for staff during the year, with some having to make decisions around their working patterns in an effort to reduce the risk for family members who may be shielding or for their own concerns. We did have a reduced work force during the first lockdown which meant prioritising services to those most at need. We’re pleased to say everyone who needed support received it. All credit must go to the staff who took on extra shifts to meet the needs. We have an amazing team of care staff who have a wealth of experience and knowledge between them, but above all they have life skills, common sense and kindness and they will go above and beyond to give a positive outcome for our clients.

Office Staff:

As lockdown was announced it was necessary for us to look at how the office would function safely and how we could accommodate the personal challenges staff were facing. We had one member of staff working from home and one longstanding member of staff who resigned. We are fortunate that we had the capacity to provide a safe working environment that was made Covid secure for those staff for whom home working was not an option. During this time we were very grateful for the support of volunteers to help with the increased administrative workload.

A few words from Emma, Assist Caring and Home Help Co-ordinator

This year has seen a rather strange turn of events, to say the least. With the introduction of the first lockdown I took the personal decision to work from home for a few months, due to my children home schooling, which had its challenges! This was only made possible by Assist Teignbridge providing me with the necessary equipment and support to enable me to do my job from home.

In the first lockdown period some staff were advised to shield and some chose to. However, with approximately three quarters of the staff still working, the pandemic did not have too great an impact on the day to day running of the rota, due to the fluctuating need of our services.

Whilst I was able to successfully manage the rota from home I did feel a huge amount of guilt that I was not in the office supporting my fellow work colleagues – knowing the impact that lockdown would be having on them. Whilst I did what I felt was right, I was pleased to return to the office in July.

Preparing the rota continues to prove a challenge when covering staff holidays and sickness. I could not achieve my role in the organisation without the ongoing assistance of the home help/sitting staff, and I am extremely grateful to them all.

Staff Evaluations:

We are pleased to report that staff felt they had been kept up to date with relevant information and felt protected by us and the PPE. They felt safe and had sufficient supplies of PPE. In response to asking what else we could have done, the comments were mainly positive:

“Me personally, could not have been better informed and supported by our wonderful organisation” “You couldn’t have done anything better”

“I personally felt well supported”

“Nothing, I have felt 100% supported”

”I believe you have done everything you possibly could in the circumstances to keep us updated & supported”

“Nothing, support has been great – thank you so much!”

However, to the same question (What else could we have done?) one member of staff commented: “Given me a screen a little earlier on! Not sure it is quite adequate .” In response, I met with the member of staff to discuss their concerns. We looked at the Covid Secure procedures already in place and the purpose of the screen. After discussion it was concluded that adequate measures had taken place.

Covid-19 Testing and Vaccinations:

Due to the nature of our work, staff were prioritised for the Covid-19 Vaccination programme and vaccinations took place at the RD&E. Since December 2020 all staff have been tested weekly, using home PCR tests.

Training:

It’s important staff have the training and skills for the services they provide. Some training is mandatory and other training is relevant to their role. Staff are encouraged to refresh and increase their knowledge to support them. Due to the restrictions, all training has been delivered online with staff gaining certificates in: Infection control; Ageing; Communicating effectively; Diabetes; Hand Hygiene; Skin Care; Covid-19; Assessing needs; Depression; Anxiety Awareness; Disaster Planning; Hepatitis; Record Keeping; Safeguarding Adults; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Level 2 Food Hygiene.

Measuring Outcomes:

We send out evaluation forms annually with the opportunity for families and services users to feedback anonymously. It means we can make sure important information is captured, lessons are learnt, and improvements are made when things go wrong. And, of course we celebrate when things are working well! As well as our annual evaluation, we are continually collecting information and feedback over the course of the year that enables us to measure outcomes. Regular communication with staff, service users, and their families ensures any concerns can be dealt with promptly to give a positive outcome. We recognise that people have their own preferred methods of communication and we have embraced this fact to ensure there is a timely response and we capture information quickly and can respond accordingly.

Assist Caring and Assist Home Help Evaluation forms:

The response rate to our evaluation form was reduced this year with just 30 forms being returned, but all gave very positive feedback. From the information completed on the forms we can report:

Please√ accordingly. YES MOSTLY NO
When you contacted the office were the staff polite and friendly? 29 0 0
Did the information (Statement of Purpose & Client Information) you were
given at the time of our home visit/assessment accurately reflect our
service?		 27 1 0
At the time of the home visit and assessment did you feel listened to and
able to ask questions?		 27 1 0
If applicable,did you feel the cared-for person was encouraged to be
involved in the planning of their care?		 17 1 0
Staff
Did staff arrive on time? 27 2* 0
Did staff behave in a professional manner? 30 0 0
Did you have trust and confidence in the staff? 29 1 0
Did you feel the staff were adequately trained for the tasks they had to
undertake?		 28 1 0
Covid-19 Very Satisfied Not Very
Satisfied Satisfied
How well do you feel we have enabled you to feel protected by us and the
PPE? – This is Personal Protective Equipment such as Masks, Gloves, 26 4 0
Aprons and visors (If applicable).
Do you feel our Infection Control procedures have kept you safe? – This 27 3 0
includes the staff use of hand gel, hand washing (If applicable).
How safe have you felt under our support / guidance? 26 4 0

What else could we have done during this pandemic to have supported you better?

----- Start of picture text -----
Online Social Groups
----- End of picture text -----*

----- Start of picture text -----
You had thought through your protocols
well – we felt well supported
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
You have done everything possible to make
Nothing, I have felt very supported
using your service safe during this pandemic
throughout
----- End of picture text -----

*This comment has been noted for future reference. Had we been aware of the need earlier we could have signposted to some online activities.

Can you tell us how the service has helped you?

----- Start of picture text -----
A real help as the wife is getting
less mobile
Without XXXX we wouldn’t cope
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Besides having my cleaning done I have been
able to chat with a friendly and caring person
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Helped me to stay in my own home and keep
independence
The only person I chat to
----- End of picture text -----

Talking to me as well as doing any household tasks has been a vital lifeline

The constancy of support is so valuable. XXXXX provides a thoughtful presence – much more than someone to clean. Eyes and ears to alert us to problems. Thank you so much.

Helped to keep me in touch with the outside world during the time I have spent ‘shielding’ Also very helpful with shopping and every day tasks

Is there anything we can do to make the service better?

Knowing you are there has given me such relief and Please continue being who you confidence. Your kindness and thoughtfulness has made are, caring and kind a huge difference to my life. Bless you - You are heaven sent

We are always willing to acknowledge when things might go wrong. We apologise, learn and improve. I know families and service users appreciate this honesty. By this token, we also like to hear when things are going really well so we can pass these observations promptly on to the staff. It’s always nice to know you’re appreciated and we have been overwhelmed with the number of lovely comments we’ve received this year.

“XXXXX is absolutely wonderful. She is always kind, cheerful, reliable, always on time and a very fast and reliable worker. Cannot speak highly enough about your fabulous employee. Thank you so much!”

“I think of my carer as a friend, nothing is too much trouble, she is very reliable and I look forward to her coming.”

“Communication is great, you always telephone if ladies are running late or there are any changes.”

“Talking to me, playing games with me, as well as doing household tasks, has been a vital lifeline.”

“She has been wonderful for my mother. She is proactive, thoughtful, observant, respectful and my mother enjoys a joke with her. This has helped me (daughter) enormously too. Thank you.”

“The service has given me time for myself, which is absolutely essential.”

“The service has helped us immensely, XXXXX always does everything we ask, even goes above and beyond.”

“It has given us such peace of mind that Mum is having meds, drinks and has eaten – when we can’t visit.”

“You provide a very proficient service and very caring and empathic staff who really care about their clients.”

“Knowing XXXXX is there has given me such relief and confidence. Her kindness and thoughtfulness has made a huge difference to my life.”

“Helped to keep me in touch with the outside world during the time I have spent shielding.”

“We cannot praise XXXXX enough. She has been amazing. She cheers us up when she does the cleaning, she is so friendly and it is nice to speak to someone who knows Dawlish, as much or even more than we do. Also, shopping for us in the height of the pandemic. We cannot thank her, or you, enough.”

Outcomes identified from the evaluations include feeling less isolated, not so anxious, with an improvement in confidence and wellbeing. There has been better access to services, and with continuity of having the same person member of staff each week, many service users refer to the staff as being “more of a friend” and “couldn’t manage without them”. Building a relationship with service user/staff is shown to be far more beneficial than having a different person each week, although for some service users who may be having several visits a week, they may have different staff on the rota but it will always be the same staff member on a particular day of the week. In such circumstance, we often introduce a communication book alongside our observation sheets so staff, family, and other services can share observations with regards to supporting the service user and ensuring the best outcomes in a timely manner.

Good communication is paramount to service users continuing to receive support that is relevant for their needs. We rely on staff, families, service users and our care plan reviews to keep care plans up to date. It is important that we are as flexible as we can be to adapt as service users’ needs change. We can often find ourselves facilitating shopping, household repairs, laundry needs, prompt access to medical support, meal deliveries, OT assessments, SALT Assessments, Intermediate Care Team and reassessments of needs. This has been especially important during the pandemic when families are distanced by restrictions. Although we don’t recommend services, we are always happy to signpost and we have gradually built up a list of local services we can refer to.

Referrals:

We maintain close links with other organisations to raise awareness of our services and attend forums and Networks when possible. Leaflets are displayed in doctors’ surgeries, local community magazines and newspapers and we rely on other services such as Connected Communities, Hospital Discharge Teams, Wellbeing Practitioners, Social Prescribers and Link Workers to signpost to us appropriately.

The Future:

Responding to the pandemic meant we had to embrace new ways of working and some of those working practices will continue for the foreseeable future. One of the positive outcomes is how the local community has joined together to respond in an emergency situation.

We look forward to continuing to develop and provide services to meet community needs.

Shirley Fewings MBE Manager

Assist Volunteer Centre & Community Support

The Volunteer Centre

The Volunteer Centre provides information for those wishing to volunteer and can help individuals explore a range of volunteering opportunities; it also runs a Community Support scheme, matching volunteer help to those in need of it. It provides a more general service to the community with local information and signposting, and acts as a local distributor for Homeless in Teignbridge Support (HITS) by holding food and toiletry parcels.

The Pandemic had a tremendous effect on the Volunteer Centre’s work this year. Many of our regular volunteers were themselves shielding, and much of our work with people in their own homes had to be paused. At the same time, we were heavily involved with the Helping Dawlish initiative, where local charities and Dawlish Town Council came together to offer support to vulnerable and shielding members of the community during the lockdowns. Many people volunteered to help, and we were able to co-ordinate and support these new volunteers and the many requests for assistance. 1,744 volunteer hours were logged for this, and the Pandemic Volunteer Support section below gives more detail.

Brokerage

As well as registering Volunteers for our own Community Support work, we also promote volunteering opportunities for other charities and agencies in the locality on Volunteer recruitment websites and Facebook, and by poster display in the volunteer office. We received 86 enquiries and applicants were signposted to the relevant charity.

Brokerage Case Study

A volunteering opportunity with office and shop work became available in the local area. A lady with anxiety problems was willing to be trained up to help them out. She now attends 3 mornings a week.

She says “ it has improved my self-esteem and confidence enough to realise that I can do things correctly. I enjoy my time volunteering so much, I am thinking about going every day. I know that I have support, not just from my volunteer workplace, but also from Chrisi. This has helped me enormously”.

Community Support

There are many older people in our community who experience difficulties with day-to-day living because of health concerns, limited mobility, frailty and/or sensory problems. They may be isolated and lonely with very little contact with others, or may not have the confidence or ability to engage in local activities. Volunteers can be placed for just one occasion or on a more regular basis.

Community Volunteer Recruitment

People of all ages choose to volunteer; whether they are retired or not, currently in employment, or studying but wish to have volunteering experience on their CVs, we are here to help them find a suitable

placement. Many older people are working for longer due to changes in State Pension age, and seniors that are more active may be supporting their families with childcare, which limits their availability to volunteer. Due to the pandemic, we have managed to recruit younger volunteers, who are continuing after all lockdowns are over. We noticed a surge in people applying to become volunteers, who were furloughed long term, and sadly, will not be returning to their original work place. We have lost several volunteers who were shielding during lockdown and have decided not to return, however, with new recruits, we have managed to replace these volunteers. We now have 100 volunteers on our register, from all walks of life.

Objectives of the Community Support Scheme

Outcomes of the Community Support Scheme

Telephone Befriending Service

During the Covid lockdown period, we introduced a new telephone befriending service, for those who were shielding. This was very popular, and many of the temporary volunteers who registered have transferred over and joined our volunteering team. It opened a great opportunity for younger volunteers who work and juggle family life, to make new friends and feel some achievement in helping others. The advantages of this service are numerous, including that most volunteers have a ‘call package’ on their phone, there is no cost and that there are no transport costs involved. Our regular volunteers transitioned well to telephone befriending during lockdown. Those receiving face to face befriending were offered the opportunity to have a telephone befriending service until the lockdown was over.

Type of volunteer Description of task
Befrienders To visit clients for a chat, alleviate loneliness,
support and check on wellbeing. Some may go out
on short walks or as company on trips.
Telephone
Befriending		 Volunteers are assigned to clients who have been
shielding because of Covid-19. Many of the
volunteers have remained throughout all
lockdowns, calling their clients on a regular basis at
their own convenience. Most of the volunteers
have made two calls a week to their clients.

Walking pets for those who are not capable of walking the animals themselves. The volunteers Dog walkers decide themselves how often and for how long they walk the dogs. The service is provided for no more than 2 sessions a week. It is not a substitute for paid dog walking services. Our enablers will help the client to read forms, Enablers letters or newspapers. We have had volunteers who have helped clients declutter their homes, sort through paperwork, and help write letters. To help clients over 65 fill in Attendance Outreach Benefits Allowance, Pension Credit and Carer’s Allowance forms. Forms may be ordered through the Volunteer Centre and sent direct to the client’s home. This service is increasing rapidly in numbers. Trim grass, tidy gardens, trim back hedges and bushes for those who are not capable of doing it Gardeners themselves. This service is provided for those who do not have the means to pay for outside gardening services and for those in short term need following illness.

We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful and active group of volunteers with a wide range of skills and backgrounds with the willingness to make themselves available for the benefit of others. In total, we had 100 volunteers registered including our wonderful trustees who are all volunteers.

Community Volunteer hours

Many of our regular services were restricted during lockdown and a lot of our volunteers were shielding themselves. This has seen a dramatic decrease of volunteer hours from the 4,199 hours during 2019/20, to 2805.5 hours during 2020/21. It was difficult to register the telephone befriending hours of our volunteers as they rarely timed their calls.

Community Support Scheme Volunteer Hours: 2805.5 hours

----- Start of picture text -----
Trustee, 230.5 Misc, 16.5
Sales, 312.5
Enabling, 64
Dog walking, 153
Gardening , 82.5
Events, 19 Befriending, 1755
Outreach Benefits,
172.5
----- End of picture text -----

In monetary terms, paid at £10 per hour, this is £28,055 and when you include the pandemic volunteer support hours (1744) it rises to over £45,000.

Supporting Volunteers

We have an ‘Open House’ policy for all volunteers to call in to the office when they wish. There is a friendly ‘email newsletter’ sent out regularly to all volunteers to keep them in the loop. This year has been slightly different due to Covid-19, however regular phone calls or emails to touch base with volunteers has helped with communication.

Celebrating Volunteers

We are very grateful for the time given by our volunteers and it is a tradition for us to hold an annual “Thank You” celebration in the New Year, to recognise and acknowledge the valuable contribution they make, along with our staff. It is also an opportunity to recognise outstanding achievements and long service. Unfortunately, due to the restrictions in place, this had to be postponed. We were disappointed to be unable to hold an event to celebrate Volunteer Week either. However, it is our intention to host a “Thank You” event when restrictions are fully lifted.

What our Volunteers say about their placements:

“It has been easy to adapt my family life to incorporate volunteering. Much easier than I expected”

----- Start of picture text -----
“Although I have returned back to
uni, I will be contacting my client
over messenger for our weekly chat”
----- End of picture text -----

“ I can pass on my skills, and make people happy at the same time”

“ I work full time. By telephone befriending, it means I can fit my calls around my shift patterns, even if I am doing a half day”

Community Referrals 2020/2021

Word of mouth, advertising, community events, Facebook and good signposting by other organisations mean that we continue to see a high level of referrals. We will continue to raise our profile to ensure people are aware of the work we do and how we can support them. We will continue to explore how best to reach older, isolated, vulnerable people. We received 202 community referrals over the last year (this does not include Helping Dawlish referrals which are reported separately). Numbers were reduced due to lockdown, with many organisations furloughing staff. Normal referral routes were majorly affected. On the plus side, we have had referrals from several new sources.

Assist Teignbridge 29 Social Services 15 CAB 3
Self 63 Moorlands 3 Information Days 2
Family 25 Devon Carers 5 Intermediate Care 2
Volunteeringin Health 24 Social Prescriber 9
TCVS 2 Mental Health team 4 Other 16

Where our Clients live

The next table shows the breakdown of where this year’s enquiries came from and the numbers of clients from each location in Teignbridge. The Community Support Scheme operates in the more local area of Dawlish and East Teignbridge whilst the Outreach Benefit Service operates across Teignbridge.

Dawlish/Dawlish Warren 112 Holcombe 4 Bishopsteignton 1
Starcross 6 Teignmouth 47 Newton Abbot ** 26
Cockwood 2 Shaldon 4

**This area includes Chudleigh, Bovey Tracey, Ashburton, Newton Abbot and surrounding areas.

Befriending

Our befriending work was seriously affected by the pandemic. Some clients, who are hard of hearing, would not respond to phone calls, although volunteers did try. Altogether there were 26 clients who were telephone befriended, one client whose befriender wrote a weekly letter, and 2 clients who used Facebook messenger for online contact.

Befriending Case Study

A gentleman, whose wife was in a home, had no immediate family close by. We organised a telephone befriender who called him twice a week. He has recently moved to be closer to his family, but his befriender still rings regularly to see how he is. The family commented that “it was a real pick-me-up for Dad when we couldn’t see him during lockdown, to talk to somebody different”

What clients say about their Befrienders :

“I have only had telephone befriending so far, but I can’t wait to meet her face to face, I don’t feel lonely any more”

From a relative: “My Dad’s befriender has made a huge difference to his life. He is eager to go out, and is looking forward to a coffee in the sunshine. He never went out before”

“My befriender and I are very well matched indeed”

“My befriender is easy to talk to. We find practical solutions to everything. She transfers her positive outlook on life to me at every visit. We are in daily contact via Facebook Messenger, and we play scrabble online together. It has changed my life, I am no longer suicidal”

Dog Walking

Some clients opted out of this service during lockdown. We still managed to achieve 153 hours with the service though as a new client registered for 4 hours of dog walking a week.

Outreach Benefit

Claims were drastically reduced, due to referrals not coming through with many organisations being closed. The claims that did come through were mostly completed by family members or by the clients themselves, with telephone support from ourselves. Because of this, monitoring totals have been irregular. The number of referrals for Outreach Benefit was 76 (compared to 121 the previous year). These were Attendance Allowance 75 requests; Carers Allowance 1. We also helped a client with an application for a Blue Badge. £820 in donations have been received from clients who appreciated the free support. 43 clients have confirmed their claim has been successful, but we have not yet had the outcome confirmed for 19 forms that were self-filled.

Benefits Volunteers & Outreach Surgeries

We appreciate the time given by our benefits volunteers. It takes approximately 2 hours to complete the forms so it is quite a commitment. We were also very fortunate to have a volunteer who represented Assist Teignbridge and offered a Benefits and Advice Surgery at the Open Daw on the second Tuesday of each month. Unfortunately, this service has had to cease due to the closure of Open Daw.

Monetary Value: A confirmed total award of £6,508.70 per week has been recorded so far. This extra income makes a huge difference when people can no longer manage the tasks they used to do and need extra support. This is equivalent to £338,452 a year to be spent in the local economy.

What our Clients say about our Outreach Benefit service:

“I can pay for help around the house and garden with the extra money” ****

“I am having central heating put into my house, I can’t afford to run the electric heating I have at the moment”

“I use the extra money to pay for somebody to do my shopping for me. I really struggled before” ****

“Thank you for all your help, I feel independent again, I don’t have to rely on others for help”

“Many thanks for the invaluable help from your volunteer to fill in my attendance allowance form, I could never have tackled it myself.”

General Service for the community – information and signposting

Providing information and signposting is as much a part of our service as delivering direct support. We receive enquiries from carers, members of the public and other organisations on a daily basis. This may be through calling into the office, phoning or emails. During the course of the year we have signposted 41 clients to a huge range of organisations and sources of support. There were 37 ‘other’ requests, these included requests for emergency food bags, and for advice on how to fill in AA forms they had ordered.

Working with Helping Dawlish we also provided PANDEMIC VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

FACTS AND FIGURES

National Lockdown 1 (23 March – 23 June) and through to 31 July 2020:

187 clients made 529 requests for services

119 (63%) of clients made a single request 68 (37%) of clients made multiple requests (ie 2 or more)

112 individuals registered to volunteer, with 66 going on to provide direct services to clients

Where the client referrals came from:

ere the client referrals came from:
Individuals referred by: Number of
individuals		 Percentage
of total (187)
Friends & Family 28 15%
Medical and Health Organisations:
Barton Surgery (2); Devon Carers (2);
ROC (5); Social Services (3);
Mental Health Services (2);
Recovery Navigation (2);
Together – Drugs & Alcohol (4)		 20 11%
CVS 14 7%
Alice Cross 3 2%
**Assist Teignbridge ** 72 38%
Helping Dawlish/DTC 45 24%
Other:
HITS (1); Homemaker Southwest (1);
Dawlish Community Transport (1);
Ladies Mile Holiday Park (1);
Cornerstone(1)		 5 3%

Amazing Statistic!

One volunteer has walked over 500 miles running errands and keeping an eye on the particularly vulnerable.

Types of service requested during Lockdown 1

Type of request: Number of
requests		 Percentage
of total(529)
Shopping 259 49%
Medication 175 33%
Signposted to other services 45 9%
Befriending 16 3%
Benefit Help 5 1%
Food Parcels 12 2%
Other Volunteer help 13 2%
No help required 4 1%

Areas of work

The vast majority of requests for support (511) were local to Dawlish and Dawlish Warren, but we did have a few requests from Teignmouth, and 2 were from outside the area.

Ages of Clients

An analysis of the ages of clients by the number of requests for support shows that those vulnerable and/or shielding and needing support covered a wide age range. For 130 requests the client’s age is either unknown or they declined to say, but for the remaining 399 requests the analysis is shown below. Almost half of those requests were for people aged over 80.

Age of client Individual
requests		 Percentage of total (399)
<20yrs 1
20-30yrs 15 4%
30-40yrs 16 4%
40-50yrs 7 2%
50-60yrs 35 9%
60-70yrs 54 13%
70-80yrs 83 21%
80-90yrs 160 40%
90+ 28 7%

Our phones were very busy and we were working with a reduced number of staff in the office. We are very grateful to those volunteers who stepped in to help and worked alongside us, manning the phones and helping with office administration. Further volunteer hours enabled Fish & Chips suppers and other hot meals to be delivered locally, and leaflets outlining available support to be delivered across the area.

Over 500 hours of support provided by:

5 volunteers supporting with answering the phone and logging requests for help

18 volunteers supporting with the Fish & Chips Suppers and Hot Meal delivery ** 28 volunteers** supporting with leaflet drops

By the time of Lockdown 2 (5 November to 2 December) and then Lockdown 3 (from 6 January) it was easier for vulnerable people to access supermarket delivery slots and many of the clients supported through Lockdown 1 had managed to make their own arrangements. Requests for support were far fewer, but included:

Through the 3 lockdowns, volunteers have provided over 1200 hours of support responding to individual requests for help.

The overall total number of logged volunteer hours in respect of support services provided during the national lockdowns is 1744 hours.

Thank you

We are extremely grateful to those who chose to put themselves forward to support others during such a difficult and challenging time.

Outside of lockdown, 22 clients who used the Covid-19 support services have continued to receive services with either volunteer support or through our paid-for services. 2 users were signposted to further help outside of our organisation.

What our Clients say about the services we provide:

“Thank you for all that you are doing for us through this pandemic. You are really angels in disguise” ****

“Thank you so very much for all your help and kindness, from the bottom of my heart. I had reached rock bottom, and my befriender has given me a new lease of life”

“I was moved to tears when the mental health form was delivered by one of your volunteers. I have had mental health issues myself and have fallen foul of the NHS. I will certainly be using some of the contacts listed”

“Thank you for all you are doing to help me through these odd times, I really appreciate the work that you all put in”

“The fish and chip and hot food deliveries helped me so much in the past year. What a wonderful idea and to see so many volunteers willing to help out. It must have taken a lot of organisation to achieve such a high quality service. It gave me something to look forward to, I felt as if somebody cared”

Events and activities

Because of restrictions we were not able to hold any fund-raising events but several wonderful people set lockdown challenges and invited donations for our benefit:- David Force dyed his hair purple and raised over £1,800; Gabe Osborne , a fitness instructor, ran online fitness classes called Blocfit, and raised over £500; Maddy Nokes zipped down a wire raising £250; and our own Chairman, Robin Buchanan , has been busy throughout the winter, swimming in the sea. So far, he has raised almost £500, with donations still coming in which will be accounted for next year. The amounts quoted exclude gift aid, as that is accounted for separately.

We also had an amazing team of mask makers who kindly made and donated facemasks for general public use which raised over £2,500! And we had a sale table of donated goods outside the office over the summer which then evolved into our new fundraising page on Facebook which together raised £1,777.

Spin a Yarn for Assist

Spin a Yarn is a community knitting and crochet group, primarily set up for those with dementia and mental health issues, but open to all who have an interest. The group have been meeting weekly, when allowed, in the Manor House. It’s a very social group, and user led, with support and tuition provided by the group Coordinator, Val Hempstock. The group decide what they want to do, with some projects set by Val. During the lockdown, when the group couldn’t meet, Val tasked them with making items for a Community Yarnbomb which was displayed in Dawlish over Easter 2021, raising funds for us, and smiles in the local community.

As detailed above, our wonderful volunteers have made a huge difference to many in our community in these very difficult times, and I would like to thank them all for their time and commitment.

Chrisi Marshall Volunteer Co-ordinator

Charged-for service: Assist Nail Trimming

The Assist ‘At Home’ Nail Trimming Service has become a very important part of many clients’ lives. The last 12 months have seen some unprecedented changes with the threat of Covid-19 and the restrictions this has imposed. Particularly through the pandemic, we have been able to offer a valuable service to keep our clients healthy and happy. Foot care for the elderly is an important part of the overall healthcare plan, as mobility can be impaired by something as simple as an ingrown toenail. Older people need and appreciate assistance when faced with such healthcare obstacles.

Service Users: As of March 2021 we have 174 individuals on the Nail Services client list. In addition to our individual clients, we provide nail services to two local residential care homes. Including the 43 care home residents, we service a total of 217 individuals across the Teignbridge area. We have 134 female and 83 male clients.

With the introduction of the first national lockdown, March to June 2020, services were limited to those where it was felt there was medical need only; and the Manor Nail Clinic was suspended as of March 2020. Due to these restrictions in the first 3 months of the year we averaged 14 treatments a week, which is just over half the number we were providing in the previous year. Treatments steadily increased over the year, and with the relaxing of lockdown regulations we were able to resume near ‘normal’ services. This has taken us to an average of 25 treatments a week from June 2020 to March 2021, with an average of 23 a week over the year.

In total, we have provided 1171 home visits over the course of the year, a lower number than the 1437 recorded last year. Overall, we have seen an 18% reduction in the provision of services. This is to be expected given the circumstances of the last 12 months. We have no plan to re-open any public nail services at the moment, but we can look at this again when restrictions have eased further.

Treatments given – Facts & Figures
2020/2021 2019/2020
Home Visits – Toenails Trimmed 1030 1245
Home Visits – Fingernails & Toenails Trimmed 141 164
Clinic Treatments – Toenails - 23
Clinic Treatments – Fingernails & Toenails - 5
_______
Total Treatments provided:
1171 1437
=========================		 Over the course of the 12
months of this report
(April 2020- March 2021),
we have taken on49new
individual clients, with an
average referral rate of4
per month–one per
week.

Referrals: Assisting with ‘in home’ nail trimming is much more than simply toenail cutting. For some of our clients, a visit from the practitioner is a real highlight of their week or month. A lot of elderly people can become very isolated or may be housebound, so a visit from a friendly face and a chat can make all the difference. With the recent global pandemic and the elderly being required to isolate at home, some have not had contact with another person for the duration. Our nail practitioners really have become a lifeline, bringing the outside world to them and keeping them connected whilst keeping them safe.

Referrals into the service dipped initially at the start of the year, we attribute this to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but rose again as restrictions eased and people became accustomed to social distancing and the new safety procedures in place.

Before we commence any services, we do a small questionnaire with the individual to ascertain the suitability of service. We use a selection of non-probing questions that help identify if the individual has any existing medical conditions that would prevent services. Whilst we are able to treat individuals who have been informed they are ‘at risk’ of becoming diabetic, we cannot provide the service to anyone who has a confirmed diabetes diagnosis. This is due to the affect diabetes can have on circulation, causing serious problems with cuts and sores healing and can damage the sensation in the feet.

Each practitioner holds their own client list and they are responsible for booking appointments with clients directly. With each client they can keep a continuity of care and identify any changes or problems before things deteriorate.

This year saw us make 7 referrals out of our service to other local podiatry care for further treatment, following an initial assessment by our nail practitioner. Not all referrals out of the service are due to medical problems, some clients may have other reasons and we make sure to always signpost to an appropriate service provider. 3 clients stopped using the service due to the pandemic and have decided not to resume service, 5 have moved into residential care and 6 have sadly passed away.

Area: Since the introduction of the service in 2009, we have steadily grown our client base and currently provide services to individuals throughout the Teignbridge area. The areas of service are as shown below:

Area covered Dawlish & Dawlish Warren 42% Newton Abbot (Inc Kingsteignton) 31% Teignmouth (Inc Bishopsteignton) 19% Bovey Tracey & Outlying (around Newton Abbot) 5% Starcross & Outlying (towards Exeter) 3%

Dawlish still remains the highest area for client coverage, with 90 clients receiving treatment in the immediate Dawlish/Dawlish Warren area. Our second largest area of coverage is 69 in the Newton Abbot & Kingsteignton area, then it is 42 in Teignmouth, Shaldon & Bishopsteignton, and finally 16 clients spread over the further outlying areas from Exminster to Bovey Tracey. Our nail practitioners have travelled over 3,000 business miles visiting their clients this year.

Dependencies of client: Cutting toenails can be problematic for elderly people to do themselves. For many of our clients, it can be difficult to bend down to cut toenails and, in some cases, poor eyesight can also be a worry. Having a regular visit from a Nail Practitioner takes away that worry and can often be a date on the calendar to look forward to.

The Assist ‘At Home’ Nail Trimming Service offers nail cutting support to people with healthy feet and healthy toenails who are genuinely unable to manage their own personal foot care, in their own home. This will usually be older people but examples of other people who would be eligible are: - those with a learning or physical disability, those with a visual or cognitive impairment, people suffering from arthritis or breathlessness.

Dependency Individual
Clients		 Percentage
of total
Dementia 25 12%
Mental health needs 22 10%
Sensory impairments 2 1%
Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum
disorder		 9 4%
Physical disabilities 7 3%
Total clients with dependencies 65 30%

A small number of clients, < 2% have paperwork in large font due to poor eyesight associated with ageing. <1% of clients have a carer or family member present for supportive measure.

The vast majority of our clients, at least 79%, are over the national retirement age of 65yrs.

----- Start of picture text -----
Age range of Clients
95+
85-95yrs
75-85yrs
65-75yrs
55-65yrs
45-55yrs
35-45yrs
25-35yrs
<25yrs
Unknown/Refused to say
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
----- End of picture text -----

Covid-19: The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on care provided in the community. We discussed with the members of staff and consulted with our existing clients. The decision was made to continue to offer the nail service, with client consent, where it was considered crucial to maintaining the health and wellbeing of clients. Nail trimming demands close personal contact, increasing the risk of Covid-19 exposure. As an organisation, we have taken great care to implement policies to protect our staff, and clients, as much as we possibly can. We have put the following systems in place to ensure client safety and the safety of our staff:

Providing our nail practitioners with face visors, face masks, gloves, aprons, alcohol wipes and hand sanitiser.

Upholding social distancing measures (as much as is possible as the service requires contact).

Spacing out appointments to minimise contact with other clients.

The option to measure client’s temperature with a contactless thermometer (with permission).

Offering our nail practitioners the Covid-19 vaccination.

Offering our nail practitioners twice weekly Covid-19 testing.

Encouraging clients to pay via electronic banking to minimise cash handling.

The Coronavirus pandemic has generated a positive result for the nail service with more clients taking up ‘at home’ services, due to shielding combined with local public clinics being closed. We have seen a steady uptake of services and this has increased as the lockdown restrictions eased.

However, the pandemic lockdown has meant we are unable to recruit more nail practitioners to share the extra workload. With more clients taking up the service, our current practitioners have increased their client numbers considerably and are operating near capacity. We have four female practitioners providing nail treatments in the Teignbridge area. Three of our ladies are also Home Help/Home Care staff, and two of our practitioners are no longer taking on new clients (due to existing workloads) further reducing our capacity to take on new clients. We have a new member of staff who is waiting to take up training for nails, but unfortunately, with the Covid-19 restrictions, NHS podiatry have placed all training on hold.

Training & recruitment: Our Nail Practitioners go through comprehensive training which involves completing a training course with NHS podiatry, on site at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and shadowing one of our current nail practitioners on home visits. The trainee nail practitioner has to be observed treating clients and is only approved when the NHS trainer is happy with their skills and knowledge. They have discussed looking into on-line training whilst person to person contact remains prohibited.

Evaluation: Gaining feedback from our clients is becoming increasingly difficult. With almost 80% of our nail clients over the national age of retirement and older, many are hard of hearing or reluctant to pass over information by telephone. Of the evaluation forms sent out in the post, we have not received a single form returned. We appreciate that form filling and writing can be a particular challenge, so we have followed up with telephone calls to clients as well. Although it is a pleasure to speak to our clients directly, this can often be a time-consuming process. We will be looking to improve our data capture for monitoring and evaluation and alternative ways to gain feedback. One area for improvement is ‘how did you hear about us?’. We need to make this a more prominent question as this is often missed when taking the initial enquiry for services.

There does appear to be wide community knowledge about the nail service. This is growing though word of mouth and a recent leaflet drop to all local Drs Surgeries has been effective, with some new clients having ‘picked up a leaflet and given us a call’. The majority of our referrals are through word of mouth; a friend, cleaner or relative has suggested our services. A few family members have ‘googled’ and found our details on the website. Other identified pathways for referral are: Intermediate Care Team, already using other Assist services, Social Services, Age UK. Moving forward we would like to improve awareness of services by looking at the website information with areas to improve/update and increasing our information on social media.

Conclusion: Overall, verbal feedback is very positive indeed. All of the clients spoken to feel the service is essential to their wellbeing. They are very happy with the level of service provided by their practitioner and most have developed a good relationship and look forward to their regular visits. Some comments are:

I would like to extend a huge thank you to all our Nail Practitioners. They have shown amazing dedication to their clients, continuing to provide excellent service through very difficult and challenging times. They have gone above and beyond to maintain consistent care in our community and have proved themselves invaluable. Thank you.

Mrs Toeni Young, Nail Service Co-ordinator since August 2020

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE IRegTstered CharFty No. 11549361 REPORT & ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021 Pa Report of the IndepeDdent Examiner Statement of Financial Actlvities Balance Sheet Notes to the Accounts The following abbreviation5 have been used in these accounts:_ Volunteer Centre & services vc Charged-for services cs

Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustees of :_ AS515T TEIGNBRIDGE I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the A5S15t Teignbridge Charitable Incorporated Organisation (the CIOI for the year ended 31 March 2021. Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity trustees of the CIO you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 20111'the Act'l. I report in respect of my examination of the CIO'S accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent Examinerfs statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respert-. accounting record5 were not kept in respect of the CIO as required by section 130 of the Act,. or the accounts do not accord with those records,. or the account5 do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities IAccounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 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. 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 accounts to be reached. Slgned......................... Date.... Mr Garry Adams ACIB (Revdl Cranbrook, Ash Court, Crediton EX17 2JZ

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2021 Restricted Funds Unrestricted Funds TOTAL FUNDS 2021 vc cs vc 2020 Note Income & Endowment from: Donations & legacies 13988 11946 8573 3489 37996 96260 Charitable artivities 35 360 172731 173126 166788 Other trading artivities 7792 7792 3849 Investments - bank interest 214 1608 1822 1252 TOTAL INCOME.. 14023 12306 16579 177828 220736 268149 Expendlture an: Raising funds 148 148 97 Charitable activities 28987 8151 171291 208429 198429 TOTAL EXPENDITURE: 28987 8151 148 171291 208577 198526 NET INCOME/IEXPENDITUREI: -14,964 4,155 16,431 6.537 12,159 69623 Transfers between funds: 14.464 -14.464 NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS: -500 4,155 1,967 6,537 12,159 69623 Reconciliation of fund5'. Total funds brought forward: 500 27074 143147 170721 101098 Net movement in funds.. -500 4155 1967 6537 12159 69623 Total fund5 carried forward: 4,155 29.041 149,684 182.880 170721

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Balance Sheet at 31 March 2021 vc TOTAL FUNDS 2021 2021,, 2020 2021 2020 2020 Note Current assets.. Debtors io 489 609 10340, 14426 10829 15035 Investments IbÈnk deposits) li 21311 21016 123562 122891 144873 143907 Cash at bank & in hand li 7362 6092 24600 49488 30692 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 29162 27717 176028 161917 205190 189634 Current Liabilitie5'. Creditors (due within lyrl 12 -121 -143 -22189 -18770 -22310 -18913 NETCURRENT ASSETS 27574 153839 143147 182880 170721 TOTAL NET ASSETS 29,041 27,574 153.839 143,147 182,880 170,721 The fund5 of thè charitv: Restrlcted funds 500 4155 4155 500 Unrestrlcted funds.. Designated funds 4566 3797 30739 28881 35305 32678 General reserves 23277 118945 114266 143420, 137543 TOTAL CHARITY FUNDS 29,041 27,574 IS3,839 143,147 182.880 170, 721 These accounts were approved by the Trustees at the Management Committee meeting held on 2 June 2021. Signed.. Robin Buchanan Ichairman of Trustees)

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31 March 2021 I BASISOF ACCOUNTING The accounts have been prepared on the accruals basis under the historical Cost convention. They have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP IFRS 1021120191 and the Charities Act 2011. 2 ACCOUNTING POLICIES 2.1 Income Is recognised when the charity is entitled to it, it is probable it will be received, and it can be estimated reliably. It is shown gross of associated expenditure. Grants and Donation5 are included when the charity has unconditional entitlement. Performance related grants are included when the Services have been delivered. 2.2 Liabilities are recogni5ed as soon as there Is a legal or constructive obligation to make payment. 2.3 Support costs include central functions and are allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of the resource. Staff costs are allocated by the time spent. 2.4 Fixed Assets are written off in the year of acquisition due to their small value. 2.5 ReSe￿e5- the intention is to maintain a level of reserves to 5UPPOrt a full year's activity for all services. 2.6 Accounting Period the period of account5 IS the year to 31 March except for the charged-for service5 where the yeaes income and direct costs relate to services provided in the poy periods April to March. 3 DONATIONS & LEGACIES 2021: £37 996 20.. £96 260 3.1 Restricted Funds.. 2021: £25.934 12020.. £14,238J 2021 2020 For VC Devon County Council - Social Service5 Dawlish Town Council Grants from Councillors Devon Community Foundation - Covid grant 6788 3000 iooo 3200 6788 5000 2450 Total VC: 13988 14238 For CS Devon County Council Covid Sustainability and PPE Devon County Council - Infettion Control Devon County Council - Workforce Resilience 4380 1566 6000 Total CS.. 11946 All the restrirted funds have been spent In full, wlth the exception of the Workforce Resilience grant. £4.155 of this grant wa5 unspent at the year end and is carried forward as a restricted reserve. 3.2 Unrestricted Funds: 2021.. £12,062 12020.. £82,022) vc cs 2021 2020 2021 2020 General Donations including Gift Aid HMRC- Employment Allowance Membership fee5 Bequest - Miss Margaret Craven Walker 7598 780 195 3938 623 35 269 3220 lis 2377 74933 8573 4596 3489 77426 Donation5 for VC include over £2,500 donated by individuals for facemask5 made by volunteer5. Many of the cash donations were eligible for the Gift Aid small Donations Scheme. and many donations through VirginGiving were made with Gift Aid- the total gift aid received thi5 yearwas £1,375 (2020.. £355).

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31 March 2021 Icont'dl 4 INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 2021: £173 126 2020.. £166 788 Analysis by Fund.. Restricted 2021 Unrestricted 2021 2020 2020 Income from charged-for 5ervices15ee note 7.11 Client expenses re-imbursed Charity re-imbursement Referral fees 360 25 io 169167 3564 164291 2320 25 92 60 395 117 172731 166671 5 INCOME FROM OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES 2021- £7 792 2020.. £3 849 This Unrestricted Fund income is from fund-raising activities. Several individuals raised money this year by setting challenges during lockdown. and together lexcluding gift aid) they raised £2,865. Donated goods have been sold outside the office, and online, raising £1,777,. and we received over £2,500 from the Co-op Dawlish. 6 EXPENDITURE ON CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES 2021- £208 429 2020.. £198 429 For VC, all charitable expenditure 15 charged a8ainst the Restricted Fund. For CS. Restricted Funds totalling £8,151 were Spent as permitted on a variely of activities. Analysis of Total Expenditure by Activitv- vc 2021 cs 2021 2020 2020 6.1 Dlrect costs,. £143.156 (2020.. £133,398) Office staff pay & expenses Care staff pay15ee note 7.21 Care staff eKpenses (see note 7.21 Spent for clients Ire-imbursedl Training costs Volunteer expenses Consumables Rent (nail clinics) 15576 12534 9975 104925 7238 3564 1089 9894 97711 8637 2320 1117 35 126 73 25 333 163 555 516 148 15810 13055 127346 120343 vc cs 2021 6.2 Support COStS: £65,273 12020.. £65,031) 2021 2020 2020 Rent, insurance & registration fees Staff salaries Governance costs (see note 6.31 Office running costs 2197 6866 1127 2987 2248 6896 1194 2833 5794 37772 1233 7297 5434 39004 1255 6167 13177 13171 52096 51860

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31 March 2021 {cont'd} 6.3 Governance costs are the costs of preparation and independent examination of the financial accounts, and the cost of trustee meetings. The Independent Examiner ha5 been paid a total of £20012020.. £180) split equally between the Funds. No Trustee ha5 received any payment (2020.. Nil) and there have been no related party transactions. 7 CHARGED-FOR SERVICESANALYSIS 7.1 Intomè- Restricted Unrestricted 2021 2021 Total 2021 Total 2020 Analysis by Service.. Sitting & Home Care seThice Nail Trimming service Home Help service 66522 19631 83014 66522 19631 83374 74652 22531 67108 360 360 169167 169527 164291 The Restricted incorne is a performance-related grant. 7.2 Expenditure: Care Staff Pay & Expenses Pay Expenses 2021 2021 Total 2021 Tot(Jl 2020 Analysis by Service: Slttbng & Home Care service Nails service Home Help service 42211 11648 51066 2628 1302 3308 44839 12950 54374 45025 16230 45093 104925 7238 112163 106348 STAFFING Analysis by Oepartment.. vc cs 2021 2021 2020 2020 Gr055 Taxable Pay National Insurance costs Pension cost5 22162 19029 148256 142616 3824 ioio 983 315 911 292 4259 1147 23460 20232 153662 147450 Head count at 31 March.. 2021 2020 Office staff.. Full-time Part-time Care staff: Part-time 20 19 3 members of care staff work exclusively for the Home Help seNice, and I nail practitioner works only for the Nails service. The other 16 member5 of care staff work for more than one service, and 3 of them are trained nail practitioners. No member of staff receives emoluments of more than £60.000 per annum (2020.. nonej.

ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE Notes to the Accounts for the Year ended 31 March 2021 {cont'dl 9 CHARITY FUNDS Restricted Funds are those that have been given to the charity for a specific purpose. For VC, the grant of £500 brought forward was spenl this year. and all grants received this year were spent in full. For CS, grants were received because of the pandemic,. £4,155 of the £6,000 grant for Recruitment and Workforce Resilience was unspent at the year end. CS also received 8 performance-related grant, wlth the unspent portion shown in C￿dItorS as deferred income. Unrestricted Fund5 for VC comprise non-specific grants, donations, and the proceeds of funil-raising. For CS, they derive from donation5, a bequest, and the provision of charged-for services. The Unrestricted Funds can be applied freely by the Trustees to any of the chaTity'5 purposes. When the Trustees earmark such funds for a Specific purpose. they are shown as Designated Funds. The Trustees have designated £35,305 {2020.' £32.678) of the Unrestricted Funds as a redundancy reserve, being the amount required to fulfil statutory obligations to staff should all operations cease. 10 DEBTORS 2021: £10 829 2020.. £15 035 vc 2021 cs Z021 Analysis by Department-. 2020 2020 Amounts due for charged-for service5 Prepaid subscriptions Bank interest receivable Gift Aid due from HMRC Other debtors 9827 13693 19 494 189 84 270 333 705 22 210 489 609 10340 14426 11 BANK & CASH Investments are monies held on deposit at Cambridge & Countie5 Bank. and Redwood Bank. It)terest received and receivable is allocated to the Department5 in accordance with the capital held. Cash at bank & in hand comprises funds held in a community current account at the Co-operative Bank, Skelmersdale. together with £209 petty cash (2020.. £217) and £207 in postage stamps (2020.. £1,155J. 12 CREDITORS 2021.. £22 310 2020.. £18 915 vc 2021 Analysis by Department.. 2020 2021 2020 HMRC payroll deduclions NEST pension contributions Accrued holiday pav Owed to staff Independent Examiner Deferred income Westbank 1334 279 7281 555 loo 1553 264 4674 53 21 loo 189 90 90 640 12000 12000 18770 121 143 22189

OUR FABULOUS FUNDRAISERS

“DOING IT FOR ASSIST TEIGNBRIDGE”

HAIR-RAISING CHALLENGE! DAVID FORCE

ROBIN BUCHANAN’S FUNDRAISING SWIM

ASSIST FUNDRAISING PAGE VAL HEMPSTOCK

GABRIEL OSBORNE GETTING FIT AND RAISING FUNDS!

MADDY NOKES SPONSORED ZIP WIRE RUN – THE FASTEST ZIP WIRE IN THE WORLD!!

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DAWLISH COASTERS
RUNNING FOR CHARITY!
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DOTTY TESS
MASK MAKER
EXTRAORDINAIRE
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THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many individuals and organisations have supported us and their community this year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them all, and also pay tribute to our amazing care staff and community volunteers who helped ensure that vulnerable people continued to be supported throughout the year.

At the start of the Pandemic, the Helping Dawlish Initiative was launched by Dawlish Town Council and local organisations and charities. It needed volunteers and many people responded to the call and offered their time and talents to help others. THANK YOU to everyone who put themselves forward at such a difficult time, and particularly those who:

We are particularly grateful to Katie Young, Helen Fewings, David and Amanda Force, Carolyn Shaw, and Nicola Twibill who worked in our offices manning the phones and doing essential admin tasks.

We were unable to host our normal fund-raising events, but Maddy Nokes zipped down a wire and supporters David Force, Gabriel Osborne, and Robin Buchanan undertook lockdown challenges, raising significant sums. Donated goods were originally sold outside the office and Val Hempstock moved it all online for us.

We had a facemask-making industry, comprising Dotty Tess and a host of other volunteer mask makers, enabling the community to access facemasks for a donation. Many kind people and organisations including Cofton Country Park donated the necessary materials.

There have been so many other small acts of kindness by our supporters and volunteers, too many to list individually, that have helped things to run smoothly.

We have had financial support too, with many individuals making donations alongside funding from:

Devon County Council Dawlish Town Council Cllr. John Clatworthy Teignbridge CVS Co-op (Local Community Fund) Dawlish Coasters

We are very grateful to our funders, and the members of Assist Teignbridge for their continued support.

We are also very thankful to the many organisations that support our work through information, training and advice. We acknowledge the tremendous support we have received from Devon County Council throughout the pandemic, and thank Angie Weatherhead, Dawlish Town Council, and the other Helping Dawlish organisations for their collaboration this year.

And finally, sincere thanks to the families of Mrs Beryl King, Mrs Betty Roberts and Mrs Barbara Marsh who very kindly nominated this charity to receive donations in their memory.