REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1170984
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Report of the Trustees and
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Unaudited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
for
Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Smailes Goldie Chartered Accountants Regent's Court Princess Street Hull East Yorkshire HU2 8BA
Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Contents of the Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December 2023
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Trustees | 1 to 4 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 5 |
| Receipts and Payments Account | 6 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 7 |
Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
I am pleased to present the Trustees Annual Report for Community Integration and Advocacy Centre (CIAC) for 2023.
With ongoing challenges relating to how we approach migration at a national level, not least in relation to accommodating people seeking asylum and the infrastructure for processing their claims, 2023 was a year of increased demand but also increased impact for CIAC. I’m proud to say that, in response, we were able to expand our staff team exponentially and continue to provide vital immigration advice and support to emerging communities in Hull and beyond.
Our drop-in service went from strength to strength in 2023. We assisted over 1,200 people through our weekly drop-in, a 15% increase on 2022. This first-point of contact advice is invaluable, providing initial advice and signposting to a range of other services within CIAC and beyond.
2023 also saw us maintain our unique position as the only charity in our region regulated at OISC Level 3. Whilst we would encourage others to build capacity in this area, we remain proud of our ability to respond to complex immigration matters like appeals and deportation challenges. Our specialist team helps clients through vulnerable situations, providing a high level of support that is difficult to find regionally or nationally. This is resource intensive work, yet we’re proud to have assisted 11 full-scale appeals and responded to enquiries on a further 25.
The pro bono aspect of this specialised work continues to be at the heart of CIAC's mission. We completed 154 pro bono applications in 2023, a 69% increase on 2022. Applications ranged from asylum to domestic violence and family reunion. In everything that we do, preventing destitution, integrating communities and keeping families together remains our priority. In the context of our work, this often means that we need to assert individual rights under the ECHR on behalf of our service users. We do so without judgement or prejudice and remain undeterred by narratives in the media or at the national level which present a negative view of our service users or the people that assist them to assert their legal rights.
Pursuing our financially sustainable model, we also generated over £32,000 in unrestricted income through ethical low-cost immigration advice fees where appropriate. This was a 33% increase on 2022 and helped to subsidise the expansion of the pro-bono work set out above.
Our dedicated staff team grew to 5 in 2023, supplemented by 10 volunteers speaking 9 languages. We have been proactive in recruiting a diverse team of staff and volunteers as this not only ensures that our service is more accessible, it also brings a diversity of thought and experience into our practice which strengthens the quality of our work. I’d like to thank all staff, volunteers and trustees for their exceptional work this year.
I’d also like to thank our partner organisations, funders, local MPs and all others who have supported CIAC this year. Your solidarity empowers us to provide vital services. We look forward to further developing CIAC's impact in the coming year.
Dr Ben Butler
Chair of the Board of Trustees
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Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Mission statement: Supporting emerging communities to contribute fully to life in the UK as committed and active citizens.
CIAC's charitable objectives are:-
To advance education and relieve financial hardship amongst Emerging Communities in the Humber Region through the provision of legal and other advice and by any other means as the trustees may determine. (Emerging communities are defined as refugees, asylum seekers, EEA migrants and other migrants)
The CIAC Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission guidance on the Public Benefit Requirement (Reg. 40(2)(c)(ii)).
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE Charitable activities
CIAC participates in the Hull Welcome Project in partnership with Open Doors and Hull City of Sanctuary. CIAC provides generalist and specialist immigration advice, Open Doors provides orientation activities and Hull City of Sanctuary offers cultural activities and coordinates Hull Refugee Week.
CIAC has successfully maintained regulation with OISC at Level Three (L3) and is increasing the skills and experience to provide high quality immigration advice for more complex matters including appeals, bail applications and deportation challenges. CIAC’s specialist immigration team includes one OISC L3 advisor and three OISC L1 advisors, one operating at L2 under supervision, and two team members operating at OISC L1 under supervision. Supervision is provided by our OISC L3 advisor who is also regulated as an IAAS Senior Caseworker.
CIAC’s staff team increased to five people during 2023. CIAC recruited a full time Legal Trainee at the end of September 2023 to concentrate on income generation applications. Our full time Legal Assistant started in November 2023 to focus on supporting pro bono (free) applications. Following a successful grant from Hull City Council Affordable Warmth, we recruited a part time worker in October 2023 to provide advice on energy saving. Our part time Drop-In Coordinator gained full time employment with CIAC as a Legal Trainee.
Our unique position in the region is underlined by the fact that we are the only charity offering regulated L3 advice in the 148 miles between Peterborough and Middlesborough and also within a 50-mile westward line to Leeds.
During 2023, CIAC’s work with emerging communities has been funded by Justice Together Initiative (in partnership with Manuel Bravo Project and Leeds Refugee Forum); Disrupt Foundation; Matrix Causes Fund; North Bank Forum; Pathway; National Lottery; Hull City Council Affordable Warmth. We would like to express our gratitude to these funders for supporting our work.
Momentum has built during 2023 following the disruption of Covid and subsequent recovery over the subsequent years. CIAC’s social media profile is growing and provides regular updates on our activities.
During 2023, at the Open Doors drop in, CIAC provided initial advice to 1,230 people across 48 drop-in sessions. This compares with a total of 1,049 in 2022, and 384 clients in 2021.
Issues dealt with at the drop-in included advice on the asylum process, victims of slavery and trafficking, access to asylum support, accommodation issues, access to welfare benefits, family reunion, access to Legal Aid funded lawyers, signposting and access to health services as well as initial advice on other applications.
CIAC completed 154 pro bono (free) applications, compared to 91 in 2022 and 48 in 2021. Pro bono immigration applications ranged from further asylum submissions, human rights applications, EUSS applications with additional vulnerabilities, family reunion in special circumstances, removal of British Citizenship. During 2023 we completed 21 domestic violence applications, which is a reduction compared 29 in 2022 and 27 in 2021.
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Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities (continued)
CIAC’s OISC L3 advisor actively engaged with representing on 11 appeals in 2023 and responding to enquiries on a further 25. Appeals are resource intensive. For example, one appeal involved 40 hours of legal work with detailed representations which led to the Home Office conceding and granting refugee status without a court hearing. Professional interpretation is required for witness statements. Attendance in court hearings involve significant travel and time. Consequently, a barrister is usually instructed which involves payment.
CIAC’s income generation model is based on low cost, ethical immigration advice to people with recourse to public funds and/or the right to work supplementing our pro bono (free) immigration advice to people without recourse to public funds and without the right to work as a long term, sustainable route out of destitution. CIAC’s Income Generation project submitted 105 fee paying applications in 2023, compared with 121 in 2022 and 80 in 2021 generating unrestricted income of £31,662 in 2023, £22,957 in 2022 and £15,470 in 2021. The applications completed in 2023 were of a more complex nature, including two appeals, hence the higher income, whereas 2022 included many simpler, lower cost applications.
CIAC’s ability to provide advice and services is greatly enhanced by our volunteer team of ten people, representing eight nationalities and speaking nine languages. Volunteers include asylum seekers, refugees, EU migrants and British Citizens.
Thank you
The continuing success of CIAC would not be possible without help from the people and organisations named below:
Brid, Jane, Karen, Rosemary, Sana, Laszlo, Ayobami, Marita, Ingrida, Zara, Clement and Tarek. Open Doors
Prince’s Avenue Methodist Church Pippa Robson Naomi Rosenberg Manuel Bravo Project Leeds Refugee Forum OISC British Red Cross University of Hull Ian Pittaway Hull’s Help for Refugees Hull City Council Welcome University of Hull Justice Together Initiative Disrupt Foundation Matrix Pathway National Lottery Hull CVS Dame Diana Johnson MP and team Emma Hardy MP and team Karl Turner MP and team
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Reserves policy
CIAC aims to allocate one month’s operating costs per year to its reserves until six month’s operating costs are held in reserve. The reserve fund will be capped at a maximum of £500,000. Reserves are defined, in line with Charity Commission guidance, as that part of a charity’s unrestricted funds that is freely available to spend on any of the charity’s purposes.
The accounts are prepared under the Receipts and Payments basis as allowed for under section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.
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Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31st December 2023
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, its constitution (foundation model), and constitutes Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
Trustees are recruited as the existing Board of Trustees identify skills gaps and decide on suitable people who will complement and enhance the skills and experience profile of the current Board.
Organisational structure
CIAC is managed by our Chief Executive Officer, Jayne Mercer. Jayne is responsible for the day to day management of the service.
CIAC would like to thank Diana Johnson MP for being our first patron.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Charity number
1170984
Principal address
c/o 69 Ella Street Hull HU5 3AJ
Trustees
Benjamin Butler P Glenn Burgess Angela Murden Lama Orabi Anna Grzybowska
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Independent Examiner
Smailes Goldie Chartered Accountants Regent's Court Princess Street Hull East Yorkshire HU2 8BA
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 22 February 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
Dr Benjamin Butler Trustee
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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of Community Integration & Advocacy Centre (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31st December 2023.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 ('the Act').
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity's accounts carried out under Section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's 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 respect:
- accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by Section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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.
Stephen T Bramall BSc., FCA
Smailes Goldie Chartered Accountants Regent's Court Princess Street Hull East Yorkshire HU2 8BA
Date: 22 February 2024
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Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st December 2023
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Unrestricted | Total | Total | |
| £ | £ |
£ | £ | |
| Income | ||||
| Grants | 82,065 | 13,000 |
95,065 | 57,060 |
| Donations | - | - |
- | 3,000 |
| Fees from Chargeable Services | - | 31,662 |
31,662 | 22,957 |
| Miscellaneous | - | 652 |
652 | 90 |
| Total income | 82,065 | 45,314 |
127,379 | 83,107 |
| Expenditure | ||||
| Sessional Worker | 37,556 | 24,103 |
61,659 | 44,184 |
| HMRC | 3,993 | - |
3,993 | - |
| Pension | 126 | - |
126 | - |
| Supervision | 2,000 | - |
2,000 | - |
| Promotion | 2,679 | - |
2,679 | - |
| Training | 900 | 4,355 |
5,255 | 5,114 |
| OISC registration | - | 1,646 |
1,646 | 1,646 |
| Insurance | - | 1,447 |
1,447 | 694 |
| Legal resources | 1,539 | 50 |
1,589 | 990 |
| IT & communication - equipment | 2,266 | - |
2,266 | 2,015 |
| IT & communication - development & resources | - |
1,268 |
1,268 | 1,229 |
| Travel | - | 71 |
71 | 45 |
| Post and stationery | - | 88 |
88 | 107 |
| Premises | 6,280 | 299 |
6,579 | 2,913 |
| Destitution | - | 1,007 |
1,007 | 280 |
| Miscellaneous | - | 3,069 |
3,069 | 1,479 |
| Total expenditure | 57,339 | 37,403 |
94,742 | 60,696 |
| Excess of receipts over payment | 24,726 | 7,911 |
32,637 | 22,411 |
| Balance brought forward | 26,280 | (1,210) |
25,070 | 2,659 |
| Balance carried forward | 51,006 | 6,701 |
57,707 | 25,070 |
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Community Integration & Advocacy Centre
Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 31st December 2023
Assets: five laptops and three mobile phones
The cash balance at the year end was £57,707 (2022: £25,070).
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 22 February 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:
Dr Benjamin Butler Trustee
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