2024-03-31-accounts

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Trustees Annual Report and Accounts

For the year ended 31 March 2024

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Charity registration number 1172293
Company number CE009755
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Legal and Administrative Information .............................................................................3 Trustees’ Report ................................................................................................................4 Chair and CEO’s message .................................................................................................5 Vision, Mission and Strategic aims ..................................................................................6 Our Values ..........................................................................................................................7 Our Landscape ..................................................................................................................8 Key Achievements this Year ...........................................................................................11 Where We Are ...................................................................................................................15 Staff Team .........................................................................................................................16 Principal Sources of Funds ..............................................................................................18 Financial Review ...............................................................................................................19 Accounts for the Year Ended 31st March 2024 ........................................................... 22 Notes to the Accounts ................................................................................................... 26 Independent Examiner’s Report ................................................................................... 35

Legal and Administrative Information

Structure, governance and management

Charity Number

1172293

Principal Address

The trustees who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:

Capital Office, Kemp House, 152 – 160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX

Mr F Ingham

Trustees

Ms Emma Stuart (Resigned 1 April 2024) Dr Geoff Paul

Mr F Ingham Dr Geoff Paul

Ms Caroline Havers (Resigned 1 September 2024)

Mr Daniel Marsh

Mr Matthew Parris (Resigned 30 November 2023)

Ms Anne Gallacher

Mr Daniel Marsh

Ms Jennifer Holroyd

Ms Jemima Roe (Resigned 31 August 2023)

Mr Richard Kent

Ms Anne Gallacher

Ms Jo Egan

Mrs Jennifer Holroyd

Ms Sian Beynon

Mr Richard Kent

Mr Frankco Harris

Mr Edward Bowie (Resigned 1 April 2024)

Independent examiner

Ms Jo Egan

Philip Handley FCA HSKS Greenhalgh Ltd Charlotte House Stanier Way The Wyvern Business Park Derby DE21 6BF

Ms Sian Beynon

Mr Frankco Harris

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

The trustees are recruited via an open, competitive recruitment process and appointed in a general meeting or by existing trustees. In selecting persons to be appointed as trustees, the existing trustees consider the benefits of appointing a person who through occupation, employment or otherwise has special knowledge of the area or who is otherwise able by virtue of his or her personal or professional qualifications to make a contribution to the pursuit of the objects and the management of the charity.

Trustees’ Report

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. 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 charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 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 2019).

Objectives and activities

To promote social inclusion among prisoners, ex-offenders, and their families who are socially excluded from society, or parts of society, because of their past or current involvement in the criminal justice system or the involvement of a family member(s) by:

Belong is an incorporated charity, governed by a constitution which was adopted on 15th December 2016 and registered as a charitable organisation on 28th March 2017. The incorporated charity was set up to further the purposes of Belong London, an unincorporated charity which was registered as a charitable organisation on 19th July 2011. The charity is managed by the trustees who meet regularly to consider the progress of the charity and to consider its future direction and activities. The day-to-day operation of the charity is delegated to the CEO who is supported by the other members of staff and volunteers.

• providing information to support and enable prisoners, ex-offenders, and their families to identify and access education, employment, training and/ or recreational opportunities;

• providing mentoring support to enable prisoners, ex-offenders, and their families to develop self-confidence, self-awareness, empathy and life skills such as budgeting, communication, conflict resolution, goal setting and reflective thinking;

The charity’s purposes, as laid out in its constitution are:

• and providing psychotherapeutic support to enable prisoners, ex- offenders, and their families to process experiences of trauma, better manage emotional and mental health problems and improve their emotional and mental wellbeing.

To promote for the benefit of the public in the UK and its communities, with a view to the preservation of public order, the provision of services for mediation and conciliation between people, organisations and groups who are involved in disputes or conflicts where that dispute or conflict results from or may lead to acts of anti-social behaviour, crime, vandalism, racial abuse or breach of the peace.

The charity has developed its vision, mission, values and strategic aims to cohere with its charitable purposes, in consultation with beneficiaries, funders, volunteers, staff members and trustees.

To promote for the benefit of the public in the UK, the provision of services for mediation and conciliation between victims of crime and offenders, with a view to the preservation of public order, and for the preservation and protection of the well-being of such victims and the rehabilitation of such offenders.

Public benefit

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

Chair and CEO’s Message

Belong’s team this year have supported people who have been victims and those who have offended, amid an increasingly challenging criminal justice system. Within this system, Belong offers a unique opportunity to individuals who engage in our programmes, to see themselves and be seen by others, as whole people – with needs, histories and contexts that are beyond and beneath experiences of victimisation or behavioural choices that have harmed others.

Every person who participates in a Belong programme is recognised as having value, worth and an identity that no one else can match. Whilst evidence-based, and scalable, Belong’s interventions are always tailored to each unique participant, and built on foundations of trust and respect. Although we operate in strained and difficult system, as we continue to persevere with this approach, we know that there is so much that our beneficiaries can accomplish as we work alongside them with support, courage and endurance. As we move into next year, we will further welcome people who have committed or been victims of offences to lead us in developing a more effective, humane criminal justice system, as well as even better support programmes.

We are immensely grateful to all our funders and supporters, who make it possible for us to work with our beneficiaries to drive change and hope. Our huge thanks go to the Swire Charitable Trust, Charles Hayward Foundation, National Big Lottery, Home Office, Children in Need, London and Bedfordshire Offices for Policing and Crime, Tudor Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, AB Charitable Trust, Tresanton Trust, Ministry of Justice, Garfield Weston Foundation, Robin Corbett Foundation, UK Youth, Peter Lilley Memorial Foundation and Chesterhill Charitable Trust.

Jan 30, 2025 Date: .........................

The trustees’ report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Ms Jo Egan

Mr Frankco Harris

Co-Chair of Trustees

Vision, Mission & Strategic Aims

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Our mission
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Our vision
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Inspiring change by
Hope, rehabilitation and
providing long term,
recovery for victims and
individualised responses
perpetrators of crime. to conflict and crime.
Strategic
Aim One
Equip more people
serving prison and community
sentences with the skills,
Strategic
support and knowledge Strategic
Aim Two to peacefully resolve Aim Three
conflicts and
Use restorative processes
problems. Promote rehabilitation
to help greater numbers of
and improve the life
crime victims to cope and
chances of more people
recover in the aftermath
of offences. with convictions.
Strategic
Strategic
Aim Five
Aim Four
Use our front-line knowledge
Tailor our interventions to influence the criminal justice
to meet the complex landscape, playing a significant
needs of victims and
part in developing a more
perpetrators of violent effective, more humane
and sexual offences. criminal justice
system.
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Our Values

Valuing people as they are

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Inspiration
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Being consistent, reliable and honest with people

Genuinely believing that people can change, heal and rehabilitate

Challenging harmful beliefs and behaviour

Focusing on an individual’s strengths and abilities

Role modelling evidencebased practice amongst other professionals

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Empowerment
Giving people the skills to
move forward and take ownership
of the future
Enabling people to
talk about their experiences
Encouraging people to voice
their needs and set goals
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Restoration
Restoring hope and self-worth
Re-building relationships
Promoting a culture of hope within
the criminal justice system
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Perseverance Providing long term support when this is needed Working through setbacks with people Understanding that lasting change takes time 7

Belong’s Landscape

The Criminal Justice System in England and Wales is continuing to face Policing, courts, victims’ services, significant, growing challenges. prison and probation units are under strain, with a concerning decline in day-to-day performance and strategic effectiveness.

In the year ending March 2024, police forces recorded 5.4 million offences in England and Wales, 4.5 million of which were victim-based offences. The latest Victims Survey enquired into the experiences of over 3000 people who have been victims of crime over the past three years across England and Wales. 70% of victims surveyed felt that their crime was not investigated thoroughly enough and nearly half were dissatisfied with the overall police response to their crime. Whilst most victims felt that they had enough support during the court process, only 38% believed that the criminal justice system was fair, just over a quarter believed it was effective and 23% believed that they could receive justice by reporting a crime.

Violence and self-harm in prisons are on the

With one of the highest incarceration rates for comparable societies, in March 2024, the prison population in England and Wales was 87,869 , almost 6% higher than at the same time in 2020 at 82,990. The Ministry of Justice predicts further rises in the prison population by March 2027, ranging from 93,100 to 106,300 and far outstripping current capacity in the estate.

rise in both male and female establishments .

The rate of self-harm incidents are now the highest since government records began at 829 per 1,000 prisoners, equalling 70,875 reported incidents in the year ending December 2023. Rates for women are even worse at 5,624 per 1,000 prisoners. Assaults have also risen significantly. In the year ending December 2023, overall assaults were up 28% from the previous year at a rate of 315 per 1,000 prisoners.

Workforce challenges in the prison and probation services are some of the most acute

Whilst average custodial sentence lengths have seen a small rise in recent years (up to 20.9 months in 2023), there are a huge number of prisoners serving very short sentences . In 2023 56% custodial sentences handed down were for 12 months or less. It is well established through research that short sentences in our system can be damaging to rehabilitative efforts. Reoffending rates alone tell a compelling story here. Ministry of Justice data shows that in 56% of adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months reoffended within a year, compared to 21% of adults who had served sentences of 12 months or more.

in public service . Whilst the probation service has recruited large numbers of new trainee officers since the service was reunified under the civil service, vacancy rates in 2023 averaged at 29% against the target staffing position. This is partly because retention is relatively poor in the service, with about a 7% resignation rate, about a third of whom had 5 years or more experience. And experience matters in this part of the service. To become a qualified probation officer takes 15 to 21 months with a significant amount of supervision and input from qualified colleagues. If both new-recruit rates and vacancies are high, this puts a real strain on the workforce – many of whom are dealing with a caseload of over 50 individuals at any one time.

The Probation Service is under significant

pressure with over 238,765 people under supervision at the end of 2023. HM Inspector of Probation (HMIP) annual report 2022–23 found that almost all probation divisions it inspected required improvement across the main performance indicators. This is clearly having an impact on outcomes for people on probation as they end their time in custody and transition into the community. After studying the offender management in custody model (OMiC), the inspectorate found in their sample cases that one in ten people were released homeless, only 40% of people were released to settled accommodation, and 30% of cases reviewed saw people recalled to custody only nine months after release.

Despite a big push in recruitment across the sector since the Covid 19 pandemic, poor retention and inexperience seriously hinder effectiveness . In February 2024, a Criminal Justice Joint Inspection report noted highlighted these issues as the biggest challenge across the criminal justice system workforce:

“[We have found some worrying levels of ] inexperience across the CJS and in some areas significant problems retaining staff… While we acknowledge the steps that have been taken to recruit new staff, we are concerned that the loss of experienced personnel offers limited opportunities for new starters to learn from seasoned colleagues. As a result, many find themselves navigating a high-pressure environment without adequate support and supervision to develop their skills. ”

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None of these challenges can be addressed in isolation; a whole of system, whole of society approach by the government and its partners is needed to prevent future victims by reducing crime and addressing reoffending . Alongside greater long-term investment in public services and more coherent, equitable approaches to sentencing, increased community support for people who have offended or been victims of crime will be vital to reducing reoffending and build healthier, safer communities. Whilst continuing to provide vital evidence-based tools and approaches like restorative justice, creative psychotherapies and mentoring for more victims and offenders, Belong will continue its work to influence policy makers towards these key outcomes.

These issues are all exacerbated by the funding

picture . The social and economic cost of crime is estimated by the government to be £58.9bn every year. The average annual cost of prison places has increased over recent years, from £35,182 in 2015/ 16 to £51,724 in 2022/ 23. HMPPS investment has ultimately seen real term reduction in resource investment of 5.3% since 2010, with additional capital investment for new prison places allocated through past spending reviews to build new prison places largely unspent to date. When inflation is taken into consideration, overall spend on courts, probation, prisons and victim’s services has reduced by over 15% since 2009/ 10. Conversely, spending on policing by the Home Office has increased in real terms by nearly 17% since 2015/ 16.

Key Achievements this Year

We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning our activities. In particular, the trustees and senior management team have considered how planned activities will contribute to the public benefit and the charity’s aims and objectives. We increased our reach from supporting 446 individuals in 2022–23, to supporting 775 people in 2023–24. During 2023–24 we worked from within 11 prisons and young offender’s institutions, as well as in several communities, delivering:

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND ONE TO ONE SUPPORT FOR

TRAIN THE TRAINER MEDIATION TRAINING FOR

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PRISONERS AND PRISON STAFF who were victims or perpetrators in violent or antisocial behaviour incidents at HMPYOI Isis, HMP The Mount, HMP Featherstone and HMP Coldingley.

PRISON STAFF AND MANAGERS at HMP Bedford, and Restorative Approaches training for 9 staff at HMPYOI Isis.

RESTORATIVE APPROACHES TRAINING TO

MENTORING, PSYCHOTHERAPY AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE INTERVENTIONS TO

11

50

STAFF AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS as part of the North London Community Violence Reduction project “HomeCooked”

YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 18–21 in the community or serving sentences at HMPYOI Feltham and HMPYOI Isis, as part of the Prison Life And New Achievements (PLAN A) programme.

RESTORATIVE APPROACHES TRAINING TO

17

ONE TO ONE MENTORING, RESTORATIVE PRACTICE OR PSYCHOTHERAPY SUPPORT TO

60

ST CHRISTOPHERS FELLOWSHIP TEAM MEMBERS as part of the Alternatives to Custody London Accommodation Pathfinder pilot.

PEOPLE SERVING PRISON and community sentences.

Achievements and Performance

Significant activities and achievements against objectives

45% of the 775 individuals we supported were young people aged

between 18 and 25 years and 60% were from Global Majority Ethnic Backgrounds.

what exactly happened. At the end of the meeting, they were invited to shake hands as they had initially requested. They ended up hugging each other which clearly showed they had put the issue behind them. Both men then continued to reside on the same unit and work towards planning for their release.

We have utilised our frontline knowledge to help develop a more effective, humane criminal justice landscape, promoting greater availability of restorative justice, mentoring and psychotherapy for harmers and victims of crime at key influencing events including:

Clinks Annual Conference 2023 on Making Race

and Justice Everybody’s Business – we raised awareness of findings from our consultation on the experiences of Black men in prison during Covid-19, and from our work at HMPYOI Isis and HMPYOI Feltham where young Black and Asian men form 60–70% of the prison population.

Psychotherapy as part of the PLAN A programme at HMPYOI Isis

Dayo took part in one-to-one creative psychotherapy sessions over 5 months as part of our PLAN A program, which we have been able to expand into HMPYOI Isis this year. Dayo begun psychotherapeutic intervention with a stance that therapy would not help him but he was willing to give it a try. During therapy he explored themes of relationships, communication, life in prison, responsibility, past life experiences, substances, adulthood, change, progress, violence, gang culture, acting out behaviour, social pressure, religion, sexuality, deportation, safety, care, trust, shame, guilt, justice, exclusion, otherness, self-image and identity.

Mint House Conference 2023 on

Communicating Restorative Justice – our Chief Executive presented on Communicating Restorative Justice to People who Harm

Restorative Justice Council Annual Conference – our Chief Executive presented on Harnessing the Power of RJ; Next steps for National Policy

Resolving conflicts between men serving sentences at HMP Coldingley

Dayo initially expressed strong beliefs around the usefulness of violence in community or prison to secure safety and order. There was also a tendency for Dayo to support the idea of eye for an eye and the need for punishment for wrongdoing, oftentimes highlighting Dayo’s belief of having to atone for his crimes. Despite his beliefs he was able to engage in meaningful debate, as well as listen, be curious and ask questions. This progressed to Dayo explaining how instead of using violence to deal with a conflict he had on his prison unit, he chose to use negotiation and boundaries. This showed Dayo’s development and maturity.

Julio was assaulted by a fellow prisoner Callum while they were both waiting to see the prison GP. Callum later said he’d done this because Julio had threatened him. Prison staff were concerned that Julio could retaliate against Callum, extending and continuing the conflict.

Following one-to-one sessions with Belong’s RJ practitioner, both men agreed to take part in a face-to-face RJ meeting, so that the situation could be resolved without further violence. Before bringing the men together, the RJ facilitator ensured they both felt comfortable going ahead and understood that the meeting would be run in line with RJ principles of neutrality, fairness, respect and concern for all.

Dayo did not initially believe in his ability to be empathetic or flexible, but every session highlighted his ability to think of others and grow in confidence. During therapy he began making conscious choices to utilise his critical thinking and systemic understanding of how his actions affect

During the meeting between Callum and Julio, both men apologised for their part in the incident, despite there still being some disagreement about

others to make more informed and wiser decisions. He improved his ability to take a step back and deconstruct his own harmful core beliefs. Dayo reviewed his engagement with this psychotherapy positively and agreed to take part in the mentoring and RJ strands of PLAN-A.

Building relationships between prison officers and men serving sentences at HMP Featherstone

Mohammed had recently started serving a sentence at HMP Featherstone. A conversation he had with Officer Okot about delays with his belongings arriving at the prison escalated into a heated exchange whereby Mohammed was rude and abusive to Officer Okot, and then assaulted him. A hearing was held a few days later so that a prison Governor could ensure Mohammed was held to account for his actions. The situation was referred to Belong’s restorative justice service and I initially spoke to both Officer Okot and Mohammed separately. In telling me what had happened and how he’d been impacted, Officer Okot said that he and Mohammed had built a good rapport after Mohammed’s arrival at the prison, and that he was therefore shocked when Mohammed had assaulted him. The incident had worried his family, and he had considered finding another job as a result. He expressed that he would like to know why Mohammed had acted that way when he had been trying to help him.

When I talked to Mohammed, he took responsibility for his actions and wanted to apologise to Officer Okot for the harm he had caused. He also wanted Officer Okot to know that he didn’t have anything personal against him but that he had been extremely stressed and frustrated that day about not having his belongings. I was able to share this information with Officer Okot on Mohammed’s behalf. Following this, they both agreed to put the incident behind them and move forward, maintaining a professional relationship.

Psychotherapy for people on probation from Global Majority backgrounds

On referral to the Me-time psychotherapy programme, Jermaine said he’d never taken part in psychotherapy before. We discussed his preconceptions of therapy and the limited access there is to mental health support in the community. Jermaine stated he

had never spoken about his feelings and saw the benefits of sharing his burdens and emotions with someone non-biased and non-judgemental.

During the therapy sessions he reflected on his racially traumatic experiences at school and how those experiences still affected him. He worked through difficult feelings about the impact on him of the media’s negative representation of Black men and boys. I offered containing and supportive creative activities during the process where Jermaine further explored themes of identity, belonging, heritage, family, positive/ negative role models and experiences of being marginalised individually, societally, institutionally.

Community mentoring with probation

Alexandru was referred to Belong’s mentoring programme in the community by his probation officer. He had limited English language skills and needed support with practical tasks like paying bills and making appointments with his GP. His mentor was able to provide practical advice and helped to increase Alexandru’s confidence to complete these tasks independently.

Whilst engaging with his mentor, Alexandru was involved in the process of seeking contact with and building a relationship with his son. His mentor assisted him to understand and work through the process. This was a challenging time for Alexandru and his mentor provided emotional support which Alexandru said helped him to refrain from drug abuse to escape his feelings. At the end of the mentoring process, Alexandru commented how much his mentor had helped him and how grateful he was.

Mentoring at HMP Brixton

Isamu was referred to the Belong mentor service at HMP Brixton by staff in the Employment Hub. Isamu was approaching his release and requested help with his CV, something he had never done before. His mentor helped him to complete a high-quality CV and supported him to write a disclosure letter, where Isamu explained the circumstances around his previous offences, detailing the positive changes he had made since then and his ambitions for the future. Isamu stated he found support with these tasks helpful and intended to use both in his search for employment.

Shortly after his release, Isamu expressed that he felt that he had achieved everything he set out to with his mentor. Isamu described his Belong mentor as kind, respectful and delivering on what they offered.

Feedback from Programme Participants

“PLAN A helped me understand everything about my offence, my emotions, the consequences and victim awareness...

VICTIMS OF CRIME AND PRISON STAFF MEMBERS WHO WERE HARMED BY INCIDENTS IN PRISON SAID…

it was respectful and there were good boundaries in place. Before PLAN A I just did things but now I think about the consequences. It also helped me to consider what other people are thinking.”

“I really appreciate the fact that (the Belong team) support and care about me. It has been the best thing in my life…I often think back to how kind and respectful (the RJ facilitators) were to me. Its one of the fondest memories I have, despite the circumstances…. Working with the psychotherapy service has helped me massively and shown me that there is good in this world.”

“ (The RJ facilitator) helped me unpack my offence... and made me think... (My mentor) listens to me and then goes away and thinks about what I have said, and when he sees me the following week he talks to me about how he has thought about our previous conversation. I would never have imagined talking to let alone working with someone so different from me but I can see that he really cares... we are both learning from each other and that is new for me and makes me feel worthwhile.”

“ The shuttle mediation allowed the opportunity to share our views and perceptions without provoking further conflict. This then naturally led to an apology from the (person in prison) and my acknowledgement that there may have been some misunderstanding and an opportunity to learn from this.”

“ (Therapy sessions) were like getting constructive feedback... in a one-to-one space where I didn’t feel embarrassed about anyone else’s opinion.”

“I took part in a mediation with a prisoner after an incident. It helped clear the air and voice things that we may not have had a chance to say, whilst in a calm and controlled environment. It helped me rebuild my rapport with the prisoner. (The facilitator) was very professional and helpful and made me feel at ease throughout the process. I found (the process) helpful.”

“ The RJ helped me to realise that it’s not wise or clever to let things build up, and to talk openly and honestly.”

PEOPLE ON PROBATION SUPPORTED BY

BELONG THIS YEAR SAID…

PEOPLE IN PRISON SUPPORTED BY BELONG THIS YEAR SAID…

“(My PLAN A mentor) is someone to lean on when I need help, I don’t get any other support. Her support feels important. She listens to me, is open, doesn’t judge. I wouldn’t engage if I didn’t feel like I was being helped. I would still like the support to continue.”

“ (PLAN A therapy sessions) pushed me to become a better version of myself and stopped me from hindering who I can become and what I can do with my life. (They) made me realise jail isn’t the end of me. PLAN A was the most unique programme I’ve done. There aren’t many programmes that care about your wellbeing or how to be a better version of yourself but this programme did that, 100%.”

“ The RJ service helped me gain a wider perspective on the consequences of my actions.”

“ (The RJ service) has helped me to change my way of thinking and stay out of trouble after many years of offending… It’s lifechanging, a second chance to correct wrongdoings.”

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