Charty registration number 1171559 Company registration number 10143162 (England and Wales) INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Trustees R Amos A Cotterill S Goddard R J Lewis R Mockford A Wala J K R Wotherspoon J Jones R Clayton E Scrivens A Aitken (Appointed 5 February 20251 (Appointed 5 February 2025) (Appointed 5 February 2025) (Appointed 5 February 2025) Senior management V Livingstone-Thompson Chief Executive OffI￿r Charity number 1171559 Company number 10143162 Registered office Railway House Bruton Way Gloucester Gloucestershire England GL1 1DG Auditor BK Plus Audit Limited 6 Manor Park Business Centre Mackenzie Way Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 9TX INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE CONTENTS Page Trustees report Independent auditorfs report 14-16 Statement of financial activities 17 statement of financial position 18 Statemenl of cash flows 19 Notes to the financial statements 20-29 INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 The Trustees present their annua5 report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charitable company's Igoverning document], the Companies Act 2006 and 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 20191. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in Inclusion Gloucestershire's Internal Financial Controls and Financial Procedures document. Objectives and activities Inclusion Gloucestershire is a Disabled People's Organisation IDPO) and registered charity. based in Gloucestershire. It was founded in April 2016 to bring together the activities of bmo existing charitsble organisations= Gloucestershire Voices and Physical Inclusion Nebmork Gloucestershire (PINGI. The charity exists to empower disabled people, and to remove disabling barriers in society- Our vision is to heSp achieve an inclusive society that values. respects and includes people who face disabling barriers. every day and in every way. The ultimate goals of the charity, as outlined in the Theory of Change are that, as a result of the Gharity's activities, people facing disabling barriers experience.. Better quality of life Being heard, respected and valued More choice, control and influence In order to achieve its aims and objectives. Inclusion Gloucestershire works lo a Three Year Strategy, underpinned by annual Business Plans and supported by Project Plans for each specific area or work. Success in achieving deliverables is measured through.. Six weekly Managers Meetings Bi-monthly reports to the Board ofTrustees Quarterly contract monitoring reports to funders and commissioners An annual report How we deliver public benefit We provide se[vi￿S primarily. but not exclusively, to those Itving in. working in, or visiting the county. Our activities include: Supporting and facilitating peer-led social networks Providing informalion and advice about disability related issues Empowering and supporting people who face disabling barriers to speak up and have their voices heard on issues that are important to them Facilitating disabled people to use their strengths and assets to live an independent life in the community and to be fully included in that community Establishing and supporting ￿e￿orkS and activities which asslst access to health care, social care, employment. transport, housing and social opportunities Working together with local organisations and people in the community to promote equality and to recognise the value of diversity Providing training and checking the quality of provision to support soGiety to remove disabling barriers. Work is undertaken by a staff team of 80, the majority of whom have lived experience of disabling barriers. and over the yèar was also delivered by 28 volunteers. Volunteers contributed to the running of Hubs and our drama group, creation of films, provision of peer mentoring, the MHELO (Menlal Health Experience Led Opportunilies) peer- support ne￿orK, support with one off events, day-to-day office support, research. creation of marketing materials and building maintenan￿. INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Achievements and performance Inclusion Gloucestershire delivered to five key project strands in 2024125: Development - focused on developing and showcasing the skills of disabled people through drama, sharing information in accessible issue-based films, and delivering bespoke training. Over the year, this area of work employed 34 part time staff, or 5.1 full time equivalent staff. The Dramatic Change Drama Group is funded by the National Lottery and delivers advocacy through inclusive drama sessions for members facing disabling barriers. We delivered drama groups in Gloucester, the Forest of Dean (in partnership with Camphill Village Trust) and Painswick lin partnership with Paradise House). We Greate issue based short films and productions featuring disabled actors. They are an engaging, accessible and interesting way to deliver important messages. This year we released 5 produrtions, against a target of 4. These were Highs and Lows: Relationships Stories lfilml-, Assumptions [filmJ', Assumptions Isocial media reel seriesl., Speaking Up Ifilm unrel&aseu]', and Tammie's Autism Facts [social media reell. This year, we adopted a more strategic approach to marketing for the Assumptions film, which resulted in over 70,000 views, reaching a significantly wider audience and with more audience engagement. We have also continued to host live screening events, including as part of the Stroud Film Festival. These events have not only expanded our audience beyond online viewers but have also raised our profi5e within the local community- We continued to deliver co4esigned training for the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training in Learning Disabilities and Autism. in partnership with Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust We delivered Tier 1 online training and Tier 2 face to face training to health and social care workers in Gloucestershire, and rolled out Train the Trainer courses to teach others to deliver Oliver McGowan training. We also deliver other training packages to help organisations remove disabling barriers. This included training on Inclusive Communication, Disability Awarenpss, Easy Read, Safeguarding and AC￿Ssibl11ty. Throughout the year we had a number of commissions to create accessible Easy Read information, and we expanded the number of organisations we worked with in this area. Engagement engaging directly with people facing disabling barriers through our existing Hubs, MHELO, Community Mental Health Transformation (CMHT) project. Life in the Mind podcast. supported volunteering and advocacy. Over the year. this area of work employed 43 part time staff, or 8.1 full time equivalent staff. Our Inclusion Hubs in Gloucester, Coleford and Cheltenham, and our women's only Wellbeing Hub delivered from the Friendship Café, welcome anyone with a disability or mentsl ill health and provide a safe space in which to socialise, take part in meaningful activities. build links with the community, complete courses, attend workshops and lots morel We facilitated community events for Hub members including game5 and activities at Bathurst Park, a boat trip with the Willow Trust, a Forest Hub Sports Day, and walks in the local area. MHELO is a peer-led support network for people wilh current or past mental health challenges. Work this year included distributing a self-care toolkit to support individuals to manage their mental health, and a range of engagement activities around issues including experien￿ of Talking Therapies, accessing support through 111, Community Mental Health Transformation and the NHS 10 Year Plan. We also coproduced and shared a regular newsletter, coordinated the Mental Health Clinical Programme Advisory Group, contributed to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Board and engaged regularly with MHELO'S 661 social media followers Our dedicated Volunteer Coordinator provides support to volunteers to develop their ski15s, utilise their experience and boost our work in roles across the organisation. INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 This was the fourth year of the Community Mental Health Transformation project, in which we are supporting coproduction of the transformation of community mental health services in Gloucestershire. Work this year included the delivery of mental health workshops for minoritised communities, workshops on the Front Door and Mentsl Health Assessment, involvement and support of the People's Representation Action Board. and coproduction of CMHT r8ports. We undertook a one off piece of work in 2024 to engage with people about their experiences of living in accommodation linked with mental health support. We wrote a report and recommendations that was shared with commissioners. In line with our aim to do more work around neurodivergence, we ran Life in the Mind in 2024-25. a podcast and multimedia project dedicated to validating the reality of neurodivergent life through personal experience. The team have maintained a website with resource, podcasts and information about the project hlt 8.'Illifeinthemind.co.ukl' released short films featurir]g the podcast and key tDPICS on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok- produced and released 25 podcast episodes We also delivered the second year Df peer mentoring to late identified neurodivergent adults,, in partnership with the Zig Zag project. We provided a range of non-statutory advocacy including group advocacy through Speak Up groups, 1-1 individual advocacy and supporting people with self-advocacy. We continue to recruit, train and support volunteer Peer Mentors to provide structured peer support to individuals. These are the most common themes for advocacy referrals in this year= other requests have included: Accessing specific legal advice ngb app Challenging a parking fine (disability badge holder) Social care needs & provision Access to disability forum Health and Wellbeing- work to address health inequalities and encourage prevention and early support. Over the year, this area of work employed 24 part time staff, or 3.3 full time equivalent staff. This year, we continued work on the LeDeR {Leaming from Lives and Deaths Review) Quality Assurance Panel. Experts by Experience are a key part of the monthly multidisciplinary Panel, reviewing and scrutinising cases each month to ensure that the voice of people with a leaming disability andlor autism is central to the process. Our work includes the creation and sharing of monthly newsletters of key leaming themes captured through the panels. This year we continued our Your Voice project for NHS England to engage with a thriving ne￿ork of self-advocacy organisations and self-advocates with lived experience of learning disability or autism across the South West. The group have monthly meetings and collate key themes that are fed back to NHS England to influence health commissioning. We lead on consulting with people who face disabling barriers to ensure that they have their voices heard and influence real change. We do this through sessions in our Hubs around focused topics. and by facilitating individuals to gel involved with the Learning Disability Partnership Board and the Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Partnership Board, working with the Co-chairs to plan agendas and run meetings. INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Quality- assessing the service received by people in residential homes, supported living spttings, Assessment and Treatment Units, day centres or in their own homes through domiciliary care. Over the year, this area of work employed 29 part time staff. or 4.3 full time equivalent staff. In 2024-25 Inclusion Gloucestershire carried out 138.5 units of rigorous Quality CheckslfoSlow-up visits on services for people with physical disabilities. leaming disabilities, mental 115 health andlor autistic people. Our checks are all person-centred, anLI as with all of Dur projects are led by somebody with lived experience of disability. Quality Checks are supported by a framework of questions. tailored to the type of setting and disability group. Following each check. a report is written and shared with the Provider, along with an Action Plan with specific areas for improvements. Quality Checks are commissioned by Gloucestershire County Council, and we work closely with their Quality Team to ensure that people are receiving the best possible care and support. This year we also undertook directly commissioned Access Audits, assessing and advising on the accessibility of visitor attractions, retail, hospitality and outdoor spaces. Research, Strategy and Partnerships - work to ensure that the voice of people facing disabling barriers is heard and actively influencing change. Over the year, this area of work employed 14 part lime staff, or 1.8 full time equivalent staff. We coproduced updates to our bi-annual Big Survey, and rolled it out to capture the views of disabled people across Gloucestershire on issues of importance to them. We Gaptured Voices through a survey and focus groups. We secured funding for and launched a researGh project into barriers to Talking Therapies for disabled individuals. We undertook commissioned research for partner organisations in the charity sector, and further education institutions. We facilitsted the running of a cross-sector Research Engagement Network, Sharing the Power, convening regular meetings be￿een partners and working with an expert by experience to develop a bespoke Research Champion training package for individuals with leaming disabilities. Training and Development By the end of this year, we had delivered Oliver McGowan fier 1 training to 2349 people, and delivered Train the Trainer training to 363 people 1738 people were in receipt of training (other than the above Oliver McGowan training) this year. Courses were delivered in both online and face to face format and included.. Accessibility Annual Health Checks DisabilityAwareness Easy Read Inclusive Communication and Practice Simulation training for health and social care students Safeguarding Levels 1, 2, and Learning Disability Safeguarding Bespoke training for specific organisations Atotal of 80 positions were filled in our weekly drama groups over the year leach participant attended a 13 week cycle of drama sessions) 100'/o of drama participants felt that attending the drama group had improved their wellbeing, 93 % reported improved skills and knowledge and 92 /0 reported increased confidence. 3 films and 2 social media series were delivered. INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Feedback on the drama groups: Impact of drama participation on WELLBEING Ihis group helps me viith my wellbeing 4J pji 27.3% J1￿1• Stf•rfgly ayf•• Engagement We delivered 174 Hub activitie5 over the year, supporting 107 people in Quarters 1 and 2 and 98 people in Quarters 3 and 4 Our members at the Gloucester hub won an award through Adult Education for teamwork and collaboration MHELO'S membership increased by 120/0 to 72, and social media reached 1,300people. We delivered 1 to 1 advocacy to 33 people, against a target of 15. 142 places were filled in our group advocacy sessions. 30 people attended Speak Up groups We engaged with 25 people about their experience of mental health housing Feedback from our Hubs.. '1 enjoy having somewhere to go where there are people I can talk to" "I've met new people in the group and in Gloucestershire and l am proud of myself and happy to join the groups that I have." "Both me and my husband respect and trust you, as we see how you work. This is why we have come to you" Feedback on our 8dvocac "I thlnk it covered a lot ot subjeds" "Very useful & I enjoyed all fhe interadion- like thi5 please" (Discriminalion} Tealty w(Irm'"' and welcoming space wilh lovety people" "Mwe ranys ¢xv' need5 in public ploces- "l ¢fidn't realise how Ilmited il is lor people lo get qcce55ible t or Iransport when they won* to go out" "Ccvered a lot ot area5 bul l think there may be more to .dk5CUSS' "MoTe needs10 done to help people with Mental Heallh". INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Health and Wellbeing We quality assessed LeDeR reviews of 34 people's dealhs We coproduced 4 LeDeR learning into action newsletters Quality We delivered 138.5 units of Quality Checks over the year, against a target of 138 We engaged with 348 people through our Quality Checks Feedback on our quality checks.. 'The QC coordinator was a great sounding board - it was really beneficial to talk things through and see how we could adapt changes to suit our set up. "The coordinator and quality checker con7pleted the audit in a fair and Unde￿tandIng manner. They were pleasant, knowledgeable, and approachable throughout the process." Research, Strategy and Partnerships We captured the views of 114 people through 84 Surveys and 30 focus group participants as part of our Big SuNey. We interviewed 14 people about Iheir experiences of Talking Therapies. The Research Engagement Neknork launched Joining Up Insight in Gloucestershire (JIG) at GIDucestershire Data Day - an online collection of qualitative insight reports produced by ICS and VCSE partners in Gloucestershire. Financial review Income for the year was £1,035,165 and total expenditure was £1.030,289 with a loss of £4,112 on investments giving a surplus of £764 in the year. Direct pay costs accounted for 79 % ofthe resources expended. Closing reserves were £338,271 of which: £102,847 is unrestricted £15,230 is restricted £220,194 is held as free reserves equating to 3 months of pay costs (for 2024, this was 3 months of core running costs which included overheads) Reserves policy The directors have adopted a policy objective to hold free reserves which would enable thp charity to materially continue its operations for 3 months and meet its obligations to suppliers and 8mplDyees. This reserve has been updated for this year to £220,194 to represent 3 months of pay costs as this is the most fluctuant cost profile within the charity- INCLUSION GLOUCESTERSHIRE TRUSTEES REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 Principal funding sources We are grateful to the following funding sources who enabled us to deliver our projects in 2024125: Barnwood Trust, for funding a strategic partnership that enable5 US to do more work around research, strategy and influencing change Gloucestershire Community Foundation, for funding addttional wellbeing aclivities in our Hubs Gloucestershire County Council and the Integrated Care Board for funding our Quality Checking and MHELO work Gloucestershire County Council Thriving Communities for fvnding our Inclusion Hubs Gloucestprshire County Council for funding our engagement work and co