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2022-12-31-accounts

Arise Counselling Service, Training and Related Services

Charity No: 1183335

Trustees’ Report

End of Year Financial Statement Year Ending 31 December 2022

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CHARITY INFORMATION

Arise Counselling Service was set up as an unregistered organisation in November 2018, becoming a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation on the 9[th] May 2019.

The following were Trustees of Arise Counselling Service for the financial year January 2022 – December 2022:

Carol Evans (Chair) Alison Morphew John Blechynden

Dave Pennington (from October 2022) Mary Nicholls (from October 2022)

Registered Address

Arise Counselling Service Jubilee Community Centre, Charlwoods Road, East Grinstead, RH19 2HL https://arisecounsellingservice.com/

Charity Number: 1183335

Bank:

Lloyds Bank 1/3 London Road, East Grinstead RH19 1AH

Independent Examiner

David Robert Ralph FCIE 50 Southwood Road Rusthall Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 8SP

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TRUSTEES’ REPORT

For the year ended 31st December 2022

Structure, governance and management

Arise Counselling Service (ACS) gained charity status on 9th May 2019 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees.

ACS is an Affiliate of the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) which provides support on any ethical issue that may arise in client work or governance of the counselling service.

Thirtyone:eight is our safeguarding umbrella organisation, providing safeguarding training for trustees and counsellors, as well as a similar supportive role to ACC in advising on specific safeguarding issues that might arise. Each freelance counsellor also has access to an independent qualified supervisor and their chosen national counselling governing organisation to consult on any safeguarding issue that may arise in the course of their work.

ACS is managed on a day-to-day basis by a Counselling Manager, holding a self-employed role within the organisation. The Counselling Manager meets regularly with the counselling team to provide support and help with any issues arising. The Counselling Manager attends quarterly, and any extraordinary, Board meetings by invitation of the Trustees, to update and advise on current and future matters.

ACS networks with counselling managers within the Restore Network, representatives within Sussex Pathfinders and local churches.

The Charity is insured by Howden; counselling sessions, ancillary activities and trustees are all covered.

In October 2022, ACS appointed two new trustees for a three year term, meeting the objective in the annual report for 2021 “to recruit at least two further trustees in 2022 in order to provide the support that ACS requires as it continues to grow.” One trustee extended their term by one year. No trustees stepped down during 2022. A further trustee was recruited in January 2023 and the current Chair of Trustees gave notice of stepping down at the end of her three year term in April 2023.

Objectives and activities

The objective of the charity is to provide affordable counselling for the public benefit of those living in East Grinstead and the surrounding area. ACS does this by offering counselling to adolescents, adults and couples according to the qualifications of the counselling team. ACS works with qualified freelance counsellors with a Christian faith and is committed to working with trainee counsellors, who have a Christian faith, as a placement organisation. ACS respects each client’s right to make their own decisions in all aspects of life, including faith, and the service is offered to all irrespective of religious background or commitment. It is not the ethos of ACS to teach or advance the Christian faith.

The Trustees are aware of the Charity Commission guidance on Public Benefit and see that the services provided fully meet the requirements of the advancement of health or the saving of lives.

In May 2021, the Trustees and Counselling Manager set priorities for the short, medium and longer term future of ACS at a team development half day (as outlined in the 2021 Annual Report). These priorities are reviewed at the quarterly Board meetings and any actions agreed are recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Progress against these priorities is outlined on page 4.

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Priority Progress in 2022 Aspirations for 2023
1. Developing effective partnerships
with local churches for
engagement, prayer and financial
support.		 ACS met with leaders of
Jubilee Community Church
(JCC) to consider the
development of a
Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU).		 To agree the MoU with
JCC and to explore
further opportunities with
JCC and other local
churches for engagement
and support.
Develop a social media
strategy.
2. Being a counselling organisation of
choice; able to attract, retain, train
and support counsellors so that
they are fully equipped to deliver
an increasing range of services of
high quality.		 By the end of the year, 19
counsellors were working
with ACS, three students
were placed and three
students qualified and agreed
to continue providing
sessions for ACS.		 Offer further student
placements and provide
training for existing
counsellors.
3. Developing systems to evaluate
the quality and impact of our
counselling services - investment
into an appropriate IT system.		 See Priority 5.
Limited number of evaluation
responses received.		 Review the current
evaluation process so as
to improve engagement
with service users.
4. Developing further preventative
services for good mental health, to
complement our counselling offer
e.g.
•
training
•
specialist services (e.g.
addiction)
•
group therapy
•
partnerships with other services		 ACS worked in partnership
with Turning Tides offering
free sessions to the
homeless in the East
Grinstead area.
'Working with Suicidal
Clients’ proceduredeveloped
to complement the
safeguarding policy. Training
given by Counselling
Manager in team meetings		 As the leadership of ACS
is changing this year, the
focus may be more on
maintaining stability of
the service rather than
expanding into new
areas.
We will however explore
ways of working with
other organisations who
approach us.
5. Building an infrastructure suitable
for the size and scope of ACS to
provide operational support - to
include IT systems (see priority 3),
data management and volunteer
roles.		 Volunteer recruited in
January 2022.
Assistant Manager appointed
and Finance and Referrals
Teams established.
ACS has exploredthe use of
SharePoint across the
service to improve
communication and sharing
of documents.		 Existing Counselling
Manager stepping down
and new Counselling
Manager to be appointed
in April 2023.
Implementing use of
SharePoint to improve
communications in
running the service.

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ACS continues to accept referrals from three main strands:

To ensure that counselling sessions are affordable ACS continues to charge clients at a sliding scale between £15 - £60 depending on each person’s household income. For those on a very limited income, particularly when this is verified through a third-party referral, the cost is reduced to an amount that is affordable for that person. During 2022, 44 clients benefitted from a reduced rate at either £5 or £10 per session. Due to increasing demand and a growing waiting list ACS has decided to limit the number of clients who pay at a reduced rate at any one time from April 2023.

Achievements and Performance

Between January 2022 and December 2022, the counselling team grew from 16 to 19 counsellors, including three new student counsellors. This has enabled us to grow our weekly counselling sessions from an average 28 sessions per week in 2020 to 39 per week in 2021 and to 45 per week in 2022. Three of our students graduated in 2022 and have agreed to continue providing sessions for ACS.

During 2022, ACS saw a 15% increase in the number of counselling sessions given with a total of 2328 sessions, as compared with 2019 in 2021 and 1468 in 2020. 25% of all client sessions since ACS began were delivered in the second half of 2022.

ACS continued to provide counselling for all target groups: adults, adolescents and couples. During the reporting period, 203 people contacted ACS. In total ACS placed 103 clients during 2022. Toward the latter end of the year, our waiting list grew significantly and we had 90 clients awaiting counselling by the end of December 2022. Of these, 20 have been placed with a counsellor in the first quarter of 2023. Many of the initial contacts do not end in counselling for a variety of reasons. Of the 203 people who contacted Arise, 46 either changed their mind, did not return communication or were inappropriate for counselling, 24 lived out of area and 12 went elsewhere.

Although referrals in 2022 continued to come from each of the main three anticipated avenues stated above, ACS saw a significant shift with referrals from NHS sources including, Time to Talk, GPs and local Mental Health Teams rising by 56%. An increasing number of new referrals also came through recommendation by word of mouth (see chart below).

----- Start of picture text -----
Source of Referrals
40%
2022
35%
2021
30%
2020
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Church NHS sources Other Other Word of mouth Advertising Other / not
Referrals organisations counsellors recorded
----- End of picture text -----

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As in previous years, there were significantly more females (n=125) seeking counselling than males (n=52) and only nine couples in 2022. A new venue has been secured to enable one of the ACS counsellors to offer additional couples counselling going forward.

In 2022, referrals were received across all age groups with the majority (40%) in the 20-49 age bracket. There was an increase in the number of referrals from the 20-29 age group (n=32, compared to 19 in 2021 and 2020), a steady number of referrals in the 30-39 age bracket (24 compared to 25 in 2021) and a significant increase in those referred who were 40-49 (27 compared to 15 in 2021. 34% of all referrals came from East Grinstead, compared to 31% in 2021, whilst 11% came from the surrounding villages. The remaining 58% of referrals came from further afield. Due to increased demand and the increasing length of the waiting list, the Trustees agreed that referrals would only be accepted from East Grinstead and the surrounding villages from July 2022, in line with the original vision of ACS. The catchment area had been extended during the pandemic, to meet demand, but this is no longer sustainable.

Reasons for initiating counselling varied with the most common causes or combination of causes stated as:

During 2022 only 16 clients completed an evaluation of their counselling experience following their final session. All feedback is reviewed by the Counselling Manager who will contact the client about their responses if they have indicated they would like this. Feedback is only shared with their counsellor or used in reports and publicity if the client has given their permission. ACS continues to look at ways to encourage more clients to provide feedback to inform the continued improvement of the service offered.

The majority of the feedback received remains extremely positive. For example, 13 out of 16 respondents said they were very likely to access counselling with ACS again if needed and 15 out of 16 were very likely to recommend ACS to a friend or colleague if they needed counselling.

We are always grateful to those clients who give us feedback and agree for us to share it:

Examples of feedback received during 2022 are as follows:

[My counsellor] has helped me so much, I looked forward to speaking to her every week. I felt a great sense of trust in her. She listened to me and I felt so much at ease with her. I can’t thank her enough for helping me and understanding my fears. Always felt a great connection with her. Great that sometimes we even laughed.

Thank you so much to Arise for providing sessions at a low cost for me. I could not have had counselling without this. [My counsellor] made a huge difference. At times I didn't want to live anymore and wanted to give up. She did not give up on me. I am now in a much better place, in new housing and feel much happier.

I have already pointed many people to Arise Counselling at various points over the last 2 years.

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For the first time since the pandemic, ACS saw a significant shift back to face-face sessions in 2022 - from 28% (n=561) in 2021 to 53% (n=1241) in 2022. Sessions given online or by phone thus reduced from 72% (n=1458) in 2021 to 47% (n=1087) in 2022. ACS continues to offer a hybrid service of online (video), telephone and in-person sessions to accommodate counsellor and client preferences.

In January 2022, ACS appointed a volunteer to support the Counselling Manager and Trustees with administration duties. In March 2022, ACS also appointed an Assistant Counselling Manager to share the administration responsibilities with the existing Counselling Manager, as the service continues to expand.

2023 sees significant changes on the horizon as the current Counselling Manager steps down from the role and a new Counselling Manager is appointed. There are also several other team changes underway as well as the implementation of a new software system to manage the growing demands of the counselling service. The Trustees would like to thank the counselling team for their continued commitment to ACS. The continued expansion of the team and the number of sessions offered in order to meet increasing local demand, are a tribute to the vision and hard work of all involved, led very ably by the Counselling Manager, Lizzie Venter.

Financial Review

The attached financial report shows ACS’s receipts and payments for the year ending 31 December 2022. ACS had a deficit of £5,837 in 2022, resulting in total funds carried forward of £19,399. (Unrestricted £14,503, Restricted £3,275 and Designated £1,621.)

The Restricted Fund represents monies given by the Albert Hunt Trust in December 2021, for the sole purpose of covering the costs of counselling sessions for clients referred by a local charity, Turning Tides, focused on ending homelessness.

The Designated Fund represents monies given by Le Cornu Trust and the Sussex Community Foundation towards the shortfall between low-paying clients and the average cost of a counselling session to ACS.

ACS’s main source of income is client fees, and during 2022 the average payment per client fell from £23 to just under £19 per session. This was mainly due to the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. In response to this, the Trustees, in agreement with the Counselling Manager, have decided to put the following measures in place during 2023 to enable ACS to continue meeting the increasing demand for low-cost sessions:

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ACS’s main expenditure includes counsellor fees, rent of counselling rooms and a Counselling Manager/Administrators.

A challenge for the Trustees going forward into 2023 will be to secure funding associated with the increasing costs of administration and management of the service.

In November 2022, ACS donated £2350 to Jubilee Community Centre as a contribution towards the refurbishment of two counselling rooms which ACS has primary use of for an average of 25 sessions per week.

The development and implementation of a new financial policy in 2022 has been formalised and provided clarity for the processes already in place.

No Trustees received payment for their service as a Trustee, as did none in 2020 or 2021. Since his appointment as a Trustee in April 2021, John Blechynden has only been reimbursed expenses for his services as a Counsellor, rather than receiving the standard rate per session. However, when such matters are discussed, he declares an interest and takes no part in setting the revised fee. No Trustees claimed expenses in 2022.

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Alison Morphew

Dated: 14/04/2023

Trustee

Carol Evans

Dated: 14/04/2023

Trustee

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Receipts and Payments Account - Arise Counselling Service, Training & Related Services 01 Jan 2022 to 31 Dec 2022

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This financial report was approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Alison Morphew Dated: 14/04/2023 Trustee

Carol Evans Dated: 14/04/2023 Trustee

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Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees of Arise Counselling Service, Training & Related Services

This report on the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31st December 2022 which are set out on pages 1 to 9, is in respect of an examination carried out under s145 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

Respective responsibilities of trustees and independent examiner

The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Charities Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. Where the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 I am qualified to undertake the examination by being a qualified Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners .

It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s report

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

  1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:

  2. to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and

  3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act

have not been met; or

  1. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

D R Ralph

David R Ralph IEng JP FCIPD MIET FCIE HMCE MLR No. 12338775

15[th] May 2023

50 Southwood Road Rusthall Tunbridge Wells Kent. TN4 8SP

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