REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1157675 Report of the Trmstees and UnAudited Flnanelal S¢•¢ements ror the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 ACTS FAST Ward Goodman Audit Services Lid 4 Cedar Park FerndO￿l Industrial Estate Wimborne Dorset BH217SF ACTS FAST Contents of the Finanelal Stgtements for the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 Page Report of the Trustees Independenl Examlner's Report Statement of Flnanelal A¢tlvld Bslance Sheel 10 Notes to Ihe Flnan¢l*l Stydtements Detalled Statement of FlnaAclal A¢tlvltleJ 20 to 21 ACTS FAST Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 The Irustces prcsenl theiT report with Ihc finanLial slalemenLs of the Charity for th¢ year end¢d 2 April 2024. The Irustees have JdoplLd the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Sial¢menl of R¢comm¢nded Pr*lCti¢e applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accvrdancc with Ihe Financial Reportin8 Staiidard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 1021 (¢ffectivc l Jonuary 2019). OBJEcfivES AND A￿1VITIEs Objcctlves and aims ACTS FAST are a specialist leam of caring professionals delivering a unique service for sccondary victims of Child Sexual Abu¥e (CSAI- Staying up lo dal¢ with research and national strategy. A￿s FAST lakes a dynamic approach to developing quality services that adapt 10 our clients, need5. OUR MISSION "ACTS FAST provides support for non abusive family members impacled by Child Sexual Abuse (CSA), breaking the cycle of trau11￿ and abuse, empowering them to Ihrivc.. OUR VISION To live in a world free of Child Sexual Abuse and the painful fall-out from when people access Indecent Ima8es of Childrcn. OUR oBJE￿IvEs In sctting out our objectives and developin8 our seTvices our Trustees have considered ihe Charity Commission'$ publi¢ bencfil guidance. l ) To increase and broaden our reach lo polenlial ¢lients in need. 2) To continue to enhance and improve our services in partnership with our professional staff, volunle¢rs and client p¢ers. 3) To continue lo develop our Brighter Futures programme. 4) To suslainably increase our staff number5 Wlth the rise of client numbers. 5 I To continue to strive to hav¢ a minimal wailing period. 6) To continue to increase our links with ihe local coininunily, national and international bodies. Page I ACTS FAST Report of Ihe Tru$tee$ for tbe Year Ended 2 April 2024 OWECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Slgnlficant activities ACTS FAST works in a trauma-infornied capacity by providing a thrcc-slage Irauiiia-infomKd support service to porcnls. carers and adult family InenibLrs of ¢hildr¢n who have been sexually abused, and purcnty and rainily members of an Individual who has accessed IndLYenl Images of Child￿n (IIOC). Trauma.infom)ed practice 15 an approach which is groundcd in lh¢ undcr5tanding Ihal exposur¢ to trauma can impaLI upon an individual's neurological. biological, psychological and social development, Trduma-infornied practice acknowledges Ihc need to see beyond an tndividual's prc5¢111ing behiviours and to ask. "whal does this person nedg" There is established and growing evidence. nAtionally and internationally. lo both understand and demonstrate the impact on family members when someone is Arrested for IIOC. widely referred to as "the knock Arrests u¥ually lakc place within the family home when the resi of the family is present and recent research conf1rn￿ Ihe trauTnalic impact on the non-offending partner and children who witness not just the arrest of their father. thcir husband or fiancè. but also wilness the subsequent search of the family home and the removal of possessions for the purpo￿ of furcnsic eAaminalion and analysis (Arniilage. 20231. Most partners of mcn arrest¢d for possesslon of IIOC experience symptoms of Posi Traumatic Siress Disorder (PTSDI and 7￿/0 of women experience the symploms for years. regardless of whether they stay with their partner or l¢ave iheir partner {Armilage, 2023). The impact on children cannot be undercsiim&ied - one study illustrated Ihal ¢hildr¢D were le8$ likely to cxperience a "nomal childhood" following the knock" (Kilmer & Leon. 2017) and an earller 8Mdy found that Instances of depression were high (Levenson & Tewkesbury. 2(M)9). Quite often, Ihe fwus of atteniion on non-offcnding partners I parenls is from professionals who are viewing them as 'prolcctivc factors" In I¢TrnS of wheiher they are able lo protect and safeguard Iheir children from hann, and this results in their individual ¥upporl nccds being overl¢)oked (Thompson, 2017). The sh8m¢. Secrecy and guilt associatcd with this type of offendin8 behaviour is immense and leads io a fragmentation of sociol support which can clicil bercavement-style responses (Dwyer & Miller, 1996) Reseawh indicates that viclim-survivors of child sexual abuse can be affected in a wide range of ways and trauma-informed responses from profcssionals can improve viciim-survivorfs ability and willingness 10 seek and accept support (CSA Centr¢, 2023). An estimated 500,000 ¢hildr¢n are sexually abused in Ihc UK each year (Radford el al. 2011). Followin8 1 diselosure of Child Sexual Abuse (CSAI "the impacts experienced by nonwoffendin8 parents - and, in particular. mothers - as a result of their children's CSA viclimisaiion can mirror those outcomes expLricnccd by Victims and survivors" (Indcpendenl Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, 2022). ACTS FAST understands that with Iherapeulic supwrt to pr￿e$S their trauma and understand the in4)acl of trauma on their loved ones. parents are key to their child's recovery. By supporting parcnls to build resilience 8nd a stable foundation thjl minimises the impa¢t of sexual abuse trauma on their children, wider family and communities, ACTS FAST enables parents lo lake the lead in their child's carc. Preserving family relationships ard support networks und 4dvocaling lo sta￿tOry services for the bencfil of lhe￿￿1Ve5 and family members is a key element of the work carried oul by ACTS FAST. In fact, sexually abused children whose parenlls) support and believe them have the poteniial to lead as healthy a life a5 those who have never experienced abuse (Cenlre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse. 2022). 'Parents can find li challenging lo support a child who h8s been victimised at a time when Ihey ih¢mselve5 might be 8tru881in8 to cope wilh the emoiion81 and practical strain following CSA. This can create a vicious circle in which the support that parents are able to provide to their child is compromised, thereby r¢ducing the child's chances of experiencing resilience or recovery, Independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) Report 2022 The services of Acfs FAST provide a phased approach to recovery from trauma and each service involveq a variety or psycho¢ducalional ielhniques and inie8rales ditTerenl ways of working. The three sthges replicale Judilh H¢rnun's Tri-Phasi¢ Trauma Model (Herman, 2002) and our aim is thai ihe clients move through each service ￿nsecutIve1y. The introduciion of this model has meant thal Clients experience a more structured service delivery. Page 2 ACTS FAST Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ACTS FAST'S ihrec-siag¢ service is as follows: l ) Trauma Support service to provide safety and stability for our cliL'nts. 2) Counselling lo assist our clients to procLSS and inteyate iheir metnories and experiences. 3) Brighter Futtsres focuses on Teconneciion and int¢gralion, helping our clients rebuild Iheir lives and achieve posi-lraumaiic growth. Our Trauma Supporl and Counselling otyer one-to-one support whilst our Brighter Futures is a PLer-led faLilitated group support programme. With Brighicr Future$ we are not only able lo provide a safe space for clients lo continue iheir rccov¢ry. but we also aim lo miligale the genuin¢ isolalion experienced by our clients. The Bri¥ht¢r Fulur¢s programme has had significani review and developmenl in close paTtncrshbP Wlth the Peopl￿ Healih Trust IPHT} lo ¢nsurc that our clients, Ihe PHT and stuff arc 8¢11ing the b¢¥t value. In Dec 2022 ACTS FAST recruitcd o new CEO who ho5 devcloped a new team at the charity. By idcnlifying a Therapy Lead with specialist knowledge in ihe impacl of iraumo, ACTS FAST are demonstrating their commitment io trauma-informed practice And thc developinenl of a new service delivery for families impacied by Child Sexual Abuse. Capacity within the team has expand¢d io include an addilional part-¢im¢ Trauma Support Workcr and a sessional counsellor, increasing thc client-facing leam lo 5 {2 full-time. 3 part-lime). The CEO has implLmenled the use of weekly welfare team briefingslstaff feedback. This has been greatly apprectated and enhances our ethos of being an open, transparent, And h¢althy workplace. The CEO and ihe Therapy Lead have worked 108ether lo enhan¢e our data collection 10 8ive a more robusi picture of how our services ar¢ working and have conlinucd to refine the services we provide to an exceedingly high standard in partn¢r$hip with our elienis, feedback. Due to the diligvnl work bein8 done we were able lo inLr¢as¢ our Therapy Leid to a full-time basis. Moving forwards, we aim lo employ more yession81 counsellors so that we have a rcady network of experienced trauma counsellors 10 hand. As our work continues lo grow and we need to rccruit pernwnenl counsellors in order lo meet increasing demand, we have ihe advantag¢ of alTeady having a working relalionthip with our sessional counsellors. many of whom hav¢ expressed an interest in being employed by ACTS FAST on a pernianenl basis. Their feedback indic8t¢s that they enjoy being part of a team and they passionately believe in the unique service we are providing. We conlinue lo develop and enhance our support and encour88cment for A￿rS FAST staff, volunteers. and trustees by promotin8 rc8ular opportunities for Continuous Professional Dev¢lopment. Page J ACTS FAST Report of tht Trustees for the Year Ended 2 April 2024 OBJEcfivES AI4D AcfiviTIES TRUSTEES A whole t4ervice evaluation was Carried out by Community ALlion NL>twork which tEsuli¢d in reLoMm¢ndation￿* around our charity 8ovcrnanc¢, These iecomm¢nd¥lions hav¢ all bLen mLbi. As part of this proceèts the Trustees completed a skills audit and after a v¢ry su¢¢essful rLcruilnienl drivc, five potcnli(Il candidalLS werc inviled to apply, wcre interviewcd. rcfcrcnces lakcn. and DBS checks completed. Even though none of the Board have any direct contacl with clienls, il has alwa￿ bccn part of ACTS FAST ethos to have stringenl check5 on all personnel due lo thL sen511ive njlure ofour work. Five trust¢¢s were rrfruiled lo the Board, bringing wilh them a diverse rangc of skills and knowledge including education. policin& business acumen. criminal and fiiinily court. counsellin& (Ind specialist knowledgc in research and servicL delivcry for Primary and secondary Viciim-survivopi of sexual trauma. The Trusiee Board has cunlinued lo improve our communications wilhin the Board and wilh lh¢ office team In order lo fulfil our governonce dulics. With Ihe assistance of the Community Action Nctwork (CAN) a trustee audit wa$ complet¢d. the ouicoine of which Infolined our a¢iions in estoblishing our Current Strai¢gy Plan. In maintaining an open, honest and transparent workplace and our Lommitment lo ihe future, the Trustees and the office staff all att¢ndcd our Stral¢gy Day in January 2024. kindly hosled by CAN. Following this, we have collectively honed all of our policies and procedures. increased our communication networks. refined our data gathering. and coniinue io nurture high nx)rale. The Trugtee Board ond A￿s FAST office. in partnership. have also achieved the implementalion of monihly Truslee Reports. the use of WhaisApp. ShaTePoinl Ind in¢reAs¢d visits to the office to meet wilh staff. The Board committed Ilself to quarterly meLitings, with an agreement that addil¢onal meelings will be held as and wh¢n required (for example. grant planning. welcoming and "onboarding" new trustees). Following 5afcguardin8 Irjining in April 2024, Safeguarding is now a mandatory agend& item al each Board meetin8. Page 4 Acfs FAST Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable actlvltles Clients Ai the lini¢ ol. writing this report. ACTS FAST are supporting 108 clients. coinpared to 74 cliLnts' in 2023. In uddition. clicnl-facing hours increased by 751hP from 300 to 1354 hours of l-low I support, The loial number of clienl-facing hours can be broken down as follows,. - Trauma support %ession$ - 899 hours - Counselling - 323 hours - Advoc8cy and ad-hoe support - 34 hours - Assessment - 97 hours Brighi¢r Futures - I Of the totsl numbrr of clients A￿rS FAST are currently supportin& 68 are parenlli of victims of Child Sexual Abuse, and 40 are partnLr5 1 uduli family members of those who have accessed IIOC. 530/D of our rcferrals are self.referrals. ACTS FAST continueg lo show a significant impact with our unique trauma-informed service for those often forgollen - the non-abusivc parents. earcrs and family members of sexually abused children or partncrs of individuals viewing IIOC, Clienls have reported significonl iinprovemenl in their wellbeing with a mean score rise from 66.50A to 82.60h. with an 831/1• attendance rale across both services. Our data su88ests that there is a redu¢iion in the number of clients ne¢din8 counselling after attending our Traurna Support srrvice - 75 /ts are not needing a referral. 250/0 are referred io our Counselling Service. The incrcasc in reported wellbein8 coupled with 8 high atiendance rai¢ and th¢ reduction in the need for Counselling shows the significant impact of our Trauma Support Service in alleviating our clients, disiT¢SS. IMPAcr "ACTS FAST helped me to separate my experiencc from my child's, l am now able to hold my own trauma and my Child's trauma." "History is not going to repeat itself - I'm getting thernpy so thal I can bc there for my child." 'ACTS FAST helped me to be open to other services and accept Ihe help available for me and Iny child." "I no longer think al)oui how io lak¢ my own life all day. ACTS FAST showed me life would gel better. I know now Ihdt life is precious." FINANCIAL REVIEW Flftan¢lal position Our total income for 2023-2024 was £114,193. This is a decrease of £28.773 from 2022-2023 {£142,9661. Our main financial contribution camc from t1￿ National Lottery. a total of £75.000. Our total expendilure for 2023-2024 was £148.908. This is an increase of £58.134 from 2022-20231£90,774), A significant difference between the 2 years, expenditures has been due to eniploying sthly wages (the previous yeAr the Chair olTrnslees headed the olTice for 4 nM)nt7L8 without a wage). At the year-cnd 2024. Ihe charity had reserves totalling £32,603 (2023 - £67,318) of which £22.423 (2023 £25.683) werc reslricied balancey. Free reserves (defined as total funds le55 any restricted balance5 or fixed asseis as applic8blc) al the year-end lotalled £6,051 (£41,635 2023). Page 5 Acfs FAST Report of the Trustees for th¢ YeAr Ended 2 April 2024 FINANCIAL REVIEW Reserves policy Acts Fast ResL'rve's Policy aim is for the Reserves 10 be built UP lo cover 6 monlhs of opcrational Cryèls, with Ihe current policy being 3 n)onihs. however thL currcnt level falls short of this target. This is reflcclive lo give stsbilily and cover for our greatest timc which 15 our counsclling scrvice ai 24 weeks. Our Brighier Fulure Peer Support runs for 16 week& and this ¢nd5 at thc end of the pro8r41mn￿. Whercas we do give flexibility for our clients rcceivin8 TraumD Support SLrvicc. Initliilly this is sel for a 6-WL*k period wilh ihe #dded benefit of being ablL to bc expanded as the client needs evolvc over timclcircumstances. The 3-monih rescrvth policy is in place as our vulnerable clients need the time to either complete Ihcir couTh8clling ses¥ions or have Ihe iiine. wilh our assistance, lo find another suitably trained Trauma-lnformed Counsellor lo see thcm safely through their journey. Golng eoneern The principal risk to ACTS FAST continuctr* 10 bc not securing the financial revenue to provide our expcrt service and keeping it free lo ihose Ihal nvL.d it al Ihc Iimc Ihcy nLcd it. ACTS FAST does not chargc clients a fee for our services as we want our scrvice¥ to be free and available to our clien¢¥ regardliss of their ability to pay. We do accept donations from clients. ACTS FAST is heavily reliant upon on granls. particularly the Naiional Lottery. 10 financially support the running of the office and gervices. We are in our third year of financial support from th¢ National Lottery. In 2023-2024 we have Continued to strive to increasc our match-funding and lo widen our receivership of other 8ranls. The strale8y for 2024-2025 will be lo see a si8nificanl rise in self-fundin8 activitics. We. the Board, rL'main committed 10 promoiing ACTS FAST as bein8 the experts in our field. conlinuing to develop, maintain and sirengthen robust relationships with partner agencies, e.g., universities. local councils. police. and sexual as$auli referral clinics. By increasing the diversity of expertise of our Board rneinbers we are encouraging new and creative w4ys 10 promo* the charity and to dtv¢lop its influence. SLope and rewtaiion. STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governlng document Th¢ charity is controlla by ils governing document. a constilulion. and constilules an unincorpoTat¢d charity. Reerultment and appolntment of new tr#stees Trustees arc appointed for a lenn of three years by a re8olulion passed al a properly convened meeting of Ihe charity truslees. In seleciing individuals for appointmcnl as Lharity Irustees, the ¢harity trustees must have regard to the skills. knowledge and expericnc¢ ne¢d¢d for Ihe ¢ffective adrninislralion of the CIO. The ¢harily trustees will make available to each new charity trustee, on or before his or her firsl appointmeni: {al J copy of the current version of this conslitulion; and (b) a copy of the CIO'S latest Trustees. Annual Rewrl and slaiement of accounts. Induetlon and training ol new trustees Trustecs are advised ofany online training specifically regarding their roles. Trusitts have access 10 a "Trustees Inforn)Mlion Pack" in addition to annual safc8uarding training and 4ci¢ss lo Communily Aclion Nelwork trustee events and training, REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS RegISter￿ Charlty number 1157675 Page 6 Ri'i)ur¢ of Ihe"I'rnslevi for iIiL. l iiiir Tr".ft(Iwl 2 ,Ipril 2Q24 Pi'inciiml MildiY* I,nii i I'rustees l< ..Iriiiila¥L I fLsiLIIIL l ( i}IL I fL'%jkTrllLd 1.7 ? 11 I ) %prLadbui'% Kllll I rL'%iL*nLII 4 4. ?1 I J 11 hiilln lilPtM)il)lid ?ri. l ?41 VilL' lilPP()inlLII ?I.1 ?41 IK IILIILhLr141pIMiinl¥il I X. l ?41 l< SkiiinLr I￿p￿linIE,￿ 111. I I ? I Indeptnllenl Tr. ilniiner IA Ji'd (IlNKJiiiJn ,ILidil SLI'I ILLN I Id imhiHML' 1111?1751 IIppNIi Lyj h i)I￿Lf i)I' IhL b1)411￿ i)I'IN%lLL* l)n l.. Wdlls-Nl*iLI )1111411J - I1'4i%lL*' Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of ACTS FAST Independent exAmlner's report to the Irustees of ACTS FAST report lo th¢ charity Iruslces on my exaininiilion of tliL' aLcounls of ACTS FAST (thc TnLSt) for thi" yLJr ¥nd¢ 2 April 2024. RLryponsibilitle5 and bt45is of report As thL charity trust￿￿ of the Trust you are rtriponsible for Ih¢' p￿paration of the accounl.s in accor(lancc with the requiremenls of the Charilics Act 2011 I'the Acl,). I rcport In re5pccI of my examination of the Trusi's accounts carried out undLr Section 145 of the Aci and in carryin8 out my cxaminalion I have followeil all applicable Dire¢iions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145{5)(b) of the Act. Indepondent exam•fier's statement I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material maltcr5 have con* 10 my attention in connection wilh the examination 8ivin8 me cause lo believe that in any moieiial respeei.. accouniing TeL'urds were not kept in re4)eci of the Trust as required by Section 130 of the Acl; or the accounls do not accord with those recordb: or Ihe accvunts do not comply with the applicable requir¢m¢nts concerning Ihe forni and conlenl of accounts set out in the Ch8riti¢s (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requircmeni ihal Ihe accounts give 4 Ift￿ and fair view which is not a maller considered as pan of an independent examinaiion, I have no concerns Ind have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper undersianding of the occounts io be reached. l M Rodd Bsc FCA FCCA Ward Goodman Audit Services Lid 4 Cedar Pork Ferndown Industrial Estate Wimborne Dorsel BH217SF Date.. Page 8 Acfs FAST St4tement of Fln*nclal Activltles lor the Year Ended 2 Aprll 2024 2024 Total 2023 Toldl Unrcslrictcd fund Rc?>trictcd Nolcs INCOi*IE AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donativns and leBacic¥ 88.327 25,566 13.893 141,966 Other Iruding activities Oihcr inLome 300 300 Total 88,627 25.560 114.193 142,966 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 2.811 2,811 CharltAbl¢ •ctlvltles Charitable activity 17.271 28,826 146,097 90.774 Totrdl 120.082 28.826 148,908 90.774 NET INCOMEIIEXPENDITURE) (31.455) (3.260) (34.715) 52.192 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brou8ht forward 41.635 25,683 67,318 15,126 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 10,180 22.423 32,603 67J18 The notes forni part of these financial statements Page 9 tknl#nce S'heel 2 Iibril 21124 iblL% ( I IIIIF-N-I I l )L.lrfiir 177 14 1)xi) 77 7? ?7{) ('R+'I)I I(>R ?11.474 1)7.-1 I X 1<1. IMII h7.1111 (17..IlX 41.1)1 ?5.11111 I