1 ## **TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT** **1[st] April 2021 – 31[st] March 2022** _Celebrating 26 Years of Helping to prevent homelessness_ **The Office 2[nd] Floor, The Hub, Easton Street, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 1NJ** **EMAIL: info@wycrent.org.uk TELEPHONE: 01494 528557 www.wrdgs.org.uk** **Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation - No. 1171222** ## **1 Objectives and Activities** The Wycombe Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme (WRDGS) is a charity set up for the relief of poverty amongst people who are homeless or inadequately housed in the Wycombe District area. The Scheme provides guarantees for rent deposits, and other assistance on behalf of said persons who are in need of accommodation and who would otherwise be unable to secure accommodation in the Wycombe District. The Scheme meets its objectives by: **1.** Providing a Guarantee as an alternative to the cash deposit normally required by a landlord to secure a tenancy. The landlord can claim against the guarantee if he would be entitled to make deductions from a pre-paid deposit. This can help those who are able to pay rent, for example if they qualify for Universal Credit Housing Costs, but who cannot afford a deposit. 2. Maintaining and sustaining existing tenancies by liaising with tenants, landlords, benefits agencies and other support bodies to pre-empt and address issues threatening a tenancy. 3. Giving free, confidential advice on housing-related matters. ## **2 Background** The early planning stages of the Scheme were started in 1995 by a partnership between the members of The Wycombe District Council Housing Forum and The Source Group - a lay ecumenical Christian covenant community based in High Wycombe. The Charity was registered in 1996 as a charitable trust but converted to being a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) for the year 2017-18. The charitable objects, staff and trustees remained the same but a CIO is the recommended legal structure for a small charity like WRDGS. At WRDGS’ inception it was agreed that Wycombe District Council (WDC) would provide an annual grant to pay for on-costs (the costs of employing staff), the churches of High Wycombe would contribute towards running costs and The Guinness Partnership Limited would set aside £30,000 to cover the guarantees. WRDGS applies for an annual grant from the Council (which is now Buckinghamshire Council as it replaced Wycombe District Council and other district councils in 2020). The Council grant no longer fully covers on-costs so the Scheme has to raise money from other grants, donations and fund-raising activities. ## **3 Achievements and Performance** In 2021/22 we celebrated **26** years of helping to prevent homelessness in Wycombe District. Our 2 members of staff provided highly specialised advice via 470 calls or meetings with clients. Some of these clients only contacted the Scheme once, whilst others are contacted on a weekly basis. We housed **27** households with **9** different landlords. Utilising our tenancy support service, most of our clients have renewed their tenancies without a guarantee being required, indicating that our landlords consider them to be reliable tenants. We helped **18** households rescue their tenancies and **52** households to sustain their tenancies, thus preventing them from becoming homeless. Thanks must go to Bucks Council’s Wycombe Housing Benefit Department for providing advice and Discretionary Housing Payments, and also to the 3 Wycombe Homeless Connection Housing Legal Clinic. We have provided specialist benefit and housing advice for this project over the last year. This has been another challenging year. However, we have continued to work in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council, Wycombe Homeless Connection and Connection Support, to help clients move on from temporary accommodation provided during the pandemic, into local hostels and then into private sector accommodation. We have helped with upfront costs and repaying previous rent arrears, to enable access to hostels. We provided rent in advance covered deposits required by private sector landlords. We have had no claims against our guarantees this year proving that, with our help, our tenants are reliable and manage their finances well. As we offer local landlords a free professional service (the Operations Manager is a Fellow of The National Association of Estate Agents) they continue to house our homeless clients. ## **4 People Helped by the Scheme in 2021-2022** By the end of 2021/2022, the Scheme had **HOUSED** 1702 households, a total of 1875 adults and 756 children housed. Of these, 27 households (27 Adults and 0 children) were new to the Scheme and 7 households (9 Adults and 0 children) renewed their tenancies with the help of the Scheme. By the end 2021/22, the Scheme had **RESCUED** 663 clients’ tenancies. Of these 18 were new in 2021/22. We have also helped to **SUSTAIN** 52 tenancies in order to keep clients in their accommodation who would have been at risk of becoming homeless. The figures below show breakdowns by household type and ethnic origin of people housed and advised by the Scheme this year. ## **HOUSED HOUSEHOLD BREAKDOWN** Couples 03 Families 00 Single Females 03 Single Males 21 Single-Parent Families 00 |**Ethnic Breakdown of Clients Advised**|| |---|---| |**White**British
European
Irish
Any other Background|**119**
**24**
**01**
**00**| |**Black**British
European
Caribbean
African
Any other Black Background|**23**
**00**
**10**
**08**
**01**| |**Asian**British
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Any other Asian Background|**04**
**00**
**19**
**01**
**01**
**00**| |**Mixed**White and Black British
White and Black European
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any Other Mixed Background|**01**
**00**
**00**
**00**
**00**
**00**| |**Other Ethnic Groups**|**01**| |**Other**Not known/Prefer not to say|**257**| 4 ## **2021-22 SCHEME APPLICANTS – REASON FOR HOMELESSNESS** Overcrowded Poor conditions Other reason Refused/not known Loss of tied accommodation Evicted from hostel Move on from hostel WHC night shelter NFA/sofa surfing Sleeping rough Intentionally homeless Leaving hospital or prison Leaving N.A.S.S. Housing End of AST Rent arrears Mortgage arrears Harrasment/domestic violence Relationship breakdown Relatives/friends can't accommodate Parents can't accommodate 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 ## **The following case studies are based on real people, although names and details have been changed to preserve anonymity. Much of the work that we do is more complicated than simply housing someone…** Mel was a long-term rough sleeper who, due to the Government’s COVID-19 “Everyone In” initiative, was placed in temporary housing. She had been offered a permanent job, but this was subject to her having permanent accommodation. We found her an affordable property that was close to her prospective employer. We paid her first month’s rent in advance, covered her deposit and helped her find furniture. She then started work and has already been promoted. Several years ago, we housed Kevin, who was a client with numerous health and mobility issues. We continued to support him and liaised with Social Care who arranged various adaptations to the property, but his health deteriorated and the property was no longer suitable. We referred him to a local charity who have provided him with a lovely ground floor property. His previous landlord was so pleased with our service, that he has asked us to find another tenant for him, which meant we could house another homeless client. 2 years ago, we helped Louise repay her previous arrears at a local hostel. This enabled her to move back in and be supported on her addiction recovery journey. Having now been sober for 18 months, we helped her find affordable accommodation with a local landlord. We paid her first month’s rent in advance, covered her deposit and helped her engage with a local job club. Her landlord was so pleased with her that he has given her a job and offered her a larger property at a cheaper rent. 5 ## **5 Organisations who referred Clients to WRDGS during 2021-22** Buckinghamshire Council Housing Options Team Buckinghamshire Council Customer Service Centre Buckinghamshire Social Care Connection Floating Support – Bucks Citizens Advice Bureau Chiltern Adult Mental Health Team H.M. Prison & Probation Service GP Surgeries Job Centre Plus Oasis Partnership Old Tea Warehouse Padstones Private Sector Landlords P3 Housing Support Service Saunderton Lodge Thames Valley Police Wycombe Homeless Connection Wycombe Women’s Aid YMCA Youth Enquiry Service ## **6 Financial Review** ## **Guarantee Funds** In the 2021/22 financial year the total value of new guarantees written by the scheme was £2,870.74. By the end of 2021/22 the total value of Guarantees written by the Scheme since its inception was £ 420,237.93 with a total claim pay out of £4,863.26. This makes the Scheme’s average claim rate 1.16% ## **Review of the Charity’s Financial Position at the end of the Period** During 2021-22 the Scheme’s operation was financed by: - a revenue grant from Buckinghamshire Council - a grant from Callingham Foundation (Bekonscot) - a grant from the Penn Trust - Buckinghamshire Council Lottery - St Peter’s Church Loudwater - Private donors - At the end of the year, a grant was received from the National Lottery Community Fund which will be used in 22-23. WRDGS has the following funds ear-marked for specific uses. These are documented on the Balance Sheet of the annual accounts. - a) Unrestricted fund holding grant from Bucks and Oxon Single Homeless Group (BOSH) for rent in advance for single homeless people: £123 left in this fund at the end of the year. 6 - b) Restricted fund holding grant from Deposit Protection Service for general rent in advance payments: £978 at the end of the year. - c) Restricted fund holding grant for Buckinghamshire Council Grant Scheme to assist single people to move on from temporary and hostel accommodation (eg. money for deposits, rent in advance, arrears payments). This fund was set up in 2018-19 as a result of receiving a grant of £20,000 from Wycombe District Council for this purpose. This fund was topped up by a further grant of £20,000 from Wycombe District Council in 2019-20 and a further £10,000 from Buckinghamshire Council in 2021-22. £4,449 remained in the fund at the end of the year 21-22. - d) Fund from Unspent Councillors’ Ward Budgets to be used on office furniture and promotional materials for publicity and fundraising: £11 remaining at the end of the year. ## **Funding for the Future** It is estimated that WRDGS will need £81,300 to run during the year 2022-23 (including money required to top-up its statutory liabilities for possible redundancy and sick pay). Before the end of 2021-22, WRDGS had secured a grant from Buckinghamshire Council of £62,500 for 2022-23. - £17,175 of unrestricted funds was brought forward into 2022-23 from 2021-22 Further funds will be raised from donations from local churches, private donors and grants. WRDGS was noted as a key partner in Wycombe District Council’s Homelessness Strategy and has collaborated with Buckinghamshire Council as it did with Wycombe District Council. ## **Policy for holding reserves and amounts at end of 2021-22** WRDGS has the following reserves: - Liability for Statutory Redundancy Pay if staff had to be made redundant: £28,547 - Liability for 6 months’ Statutory Sick Pay for one member of staff: £2,535 - Money from Guinness Partnership’s reserve for guarantees: £2,000. (Guinness Partnership Ltd holds a further £28,000 for guarantees in its bank account) ## **7 Structure, Governance and Management** WRDGS is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) whose governing document is a constitution. As well as individual people applying to be trustees, the following organisations can nominate trustees for the charity: - Buckinghamshire Council, - Guinness Partnership Ltd., - Churches Together High Wycombe, - The Youth Enquiry Service, 7 - The Citizen’s Advice Bureau. The Scheme is managed by a steering committee comprising the trustees, its two members of staff and a member of Buckinghamshire Council Housing Benefit Department. ## **The Scheme’s Steering Committee during 2021-22** **Catriona Plummer** Trustee nominated by Churches Together High Wycombe (Chair of trustees) **Cllr. Paul Turner** Trustee nominated by Buckinghamshire Council (Treasurer) **Robert Thoms** Trustee – resigned in December 2021 **Nancy Bradshaw** Trustee **Clive Bradshaw** Trustee **Eddie Maguire** Trustee **Linda Dean** Housing Benefits Advisor **Phil Thomas** Operations Manager (paid member of staff) **Tracey Thomas** Client Servicing Officer (paid member of staff). The trustees would like to thank the following people who donated their services free of charge: **Anthony Pearmain** – Web site design and IT Consultant @ StratMetrix **Sharon Marshall -** Keeping Books 4 U **Steven Potts –** Independent Examiner of End of Year Accounts We are very grateful to our many donors during 2021-22 who continued to support us in spite of the difficulties arising from COVID19 restrictions. ## **8 Future Aims of the Scheme** - To recruit more accommodation providers. - To secure permanent long-term funding to ensure a more secure financial position. - To improve the conditions in private rented accommodation, especially Houses of Multiple Occupation, by ensuring that reasonable standards are met. - To recognise that, when seeking accommodation, certain groups and individuals are discriminated against and to oppose such discrimination. - Through good management to maintain our low claim rate. - To strive to improve our service. THE WYCOMBE RENT DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31st March 2022 Totsl Total 314lar-22 31-Mar-21 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE Note INCOME Donations BC Grant Other Income COIF Deposit Interest Bank Interest Gift Aid Tax Refund TOTAL INCOME 13,897 62,500 18,798 62,500 10.000 12 32 95 91,438 48 76,451 EXPENDITURE Salaries & On-costs Printing. Postage & Stationery Telephone I IT Travel & Parking Subscriptions Bank Charges Rent Insurance PPE Equipment Miscellaneous 70,717 27 1,020 252 280 192 3.600 965 83 168 77,304 88,292 208 1,183 241 265 76 3,600 903 315 66 75,148 NET SURPLUS (LOSS) FOR THE YEAR The notes on page 3 and 4 fonn part of these accounts. Page 1 THE WYCOMBE RENT DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME BALANCE SHEET AS AT 318t March 2022 Noto 31-Mar-22 31-Mi CURRENT ASSETS Cash at Bank COIF Deposil BOSHIOPS Account Debtors & Prepaymentg 42,032 10,000 5,550 43,735 10,000 8,587 10111 57,582 62,322 CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors & Accruals 1,764 1,764 1,858 1,858 NET CURRENT ASSErs 55,818 NET ASSETS 55,818 FUNDS Guiness Restricted Fund Redundancy Reserve SSP Reserve DPS Fund BOSH RIA Fund BC Fund BC Cllr Funds x2 Unrestricted Reserves 2,000 28,547 2,535 978 123 4,449 11 10 12 13 17,175 55,818 Approved by the Board of Trustees on .Y. -.lp ..2Land signed on its behalf by Chairman Page 2 The notes on pages 3 and 4 fomi part of these accounts. THE 7HYCOIABE RENT DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME NOTESTOTrIEACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31￿ Marth 2022 11 ACCOVNnNG POLIC#E8 TrwaKxwnl¥ hg¥etye¢n prepored 21 AtrMLYSISOF F4EfAS5ETSBY FLVID 314Aar.2R 314kn21 ?8.547 8SP R•sers OSHR OPSFLK¥J 2.453 123 978 4.449 Beco￿110[& Fur￿ 767 20 151 31 DONATIONS Ih%i LothO} DCrtthTrONS 2021.2022 J￿¢￿ Sctywly C. &W BL￿￿￿ al 78 N TrWbL 120 120 Tr*P•nnTN sPri￿1 G&H D¢MIg* 75 C PIL4Tff Ewvci 240 7Q) 120 w&c.pi￿ 11897 41 OTHERINCCIIE 314*-22 3144¥Ql 10.(ts) 10L 51 BCGPMT ei MOVEMENTII RESERVES ign*¢d R¢8th¢8 R*unaww WSH. gC& DPS ReetrK BC Cllr R•wY81 Prth&Lo66 ssp Tatsl l *ffl12021 ffi0￿Me￿ in raw 70.151 8,587 13,03n 13.0371 17S61 Pvfthèspofofv FUrMurwEq￿rK[￿t toSSP RFsgr Rtserv CBal 31 Marrh2 2Cel 55.818 71 REs7RKTEO4DEsG￿TED￿ESEVNES Guin￿55 TNSI lo t•tU*W*L*m 2V547 SSP R85 OPS Fw BOSH R￿F￿ Fund BC ¢llr&Fui4 k2 978 4.419 38.643 8) OEBTORS 91 GI¢EDITOR8 B¢Gr MRC £10.938rwxYed g Yle2014 9pq Y1è2015 S[￿Y11* Yl•2018 4PSYffW Yh2017 3pjy1r￿1ls Yl•2018 2P4￿ 4.120 li J Yb2019 2 Yl•2020 OwyM￿ Yh202Y Ylo20Y2 Opry 111 DP8OOF4TrOFI Yl•2016 1 ptyrr Yl•2017 3 F YI¢ 2018 2 Yi*2019 11 2.674 Y1• 2021 Ylo 20L l F•YK￿t 12} ￿G￿lt8¢hO￿l É20.(KX in ZD1t419asawrttoftu￿￿y afLk1Ww.(M￿VOd In2019f20 ftth¥£IO,(WrqKW¥•d InW2IQ2 y￿2019 6Pwmw Yle2020 24paYr￿ Y1•2021 28P#ffj* 15.zgq 14.t28 12.YJ7 131 K C*Fur E1,WOT4L¥r*wJQ42019120f•¢Ur•wwdg Yh2021 4 ptyrT￿￿ Yl•2021 OWe Yh2022 0fr• CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trusteesl members of WYCOMBE RENT DEPOSIT GUARANTEE SCHEME On accounts for the year ended 2022 Charlty no lif any) 1171222 Set out on pagès I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above Charity {'th8 Trust'l for the year ended 31103 12022. Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {"the Act"). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination. I have followed Ihe applicable Directions given by the Char*ty Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention { ") in Connection with the examination which gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect: Independent oxaminer's statement In acco an the Act or I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply. Signed: Date: Name: EVEN Relevant professional qualification{s} or body (if any}: Address: Is P/ IER October 2018 Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity a¢￿unts.. directions and guidance for examinèrs). Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wlshes to disclose. IER October 2018